1 Timothy 5:17-19, 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Titus 2:15, Hebrews 13:17 Church Leadership

1 Timothy chapter 5 verses 17 to 19 hear the word of the Lord Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor especially those who labor in preaching and teaching

For the scripture says you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain and the labor deserves his wages

Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses May the

Lord add his blessing to the reading of his Holy Word Here's a pop quiz

Does pseudosciences ring a bell? Who remembers from about a month ago? What I described is pseudosciences.

It is false pregnancy the condition that you were expecting a baby when you really are not

Women with pseudosciences have many if not all the symptoms of pregnancy Even the distended abdomen with the exception of an actual baby.

The psyche is unable to produce one of those They so want a child that their mind fools their body into believing that they have one

Until it comes time to deliver and there's nothing there I guess many probably most women with that condition in this and other developed countries

Probably eventually except what pregnancy tests and ultrasounds show is the truth And so don't have to wait until they are so they aren't able to give birth unless of course

They purposely avoid those tests not wanting to know the truth I Became aware of this condition about a decade ago when a member

Repeatedly thought she was pregnant when she wasn't when one of our mature women informally counseled her the mature lady

Told me that the other member probably with pseudosciences had a lot of psychological issues She left us soon after of course

I say of course Because I found on several occasions that it is it is the people with the most problem spiritual or psychological

Who don't want their problems exposed or dealt with on several occasions? It's become clear to me that so -and -so is deeply troubled probably need some kind of professional

Counseling and it is exactly at that moment when I see that that they leave

Once a young man was so hysterical that I've suggested we pay for his counseling Instead he left and is now quote pastor of discipleship at a megachurch

Another man showed himself to be so duplicitous his actual life was so different than his words

That I recommended that he see a counselor who specialized in What is called reality therapy deal with reality who would challenge him about the disparity between what he said and how he really lived

I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up as a pastor somewhere except that he loves money so much He probably wouldn't want to take a look the lower pay

Perhaps one of the biggest differences between treating people with physical needs medicine and people with psychological and spiritual health needs is that the

Psychologically and spiritually sick often don't want help indeed one of the symptoms of some psychological or spiritual diseases is

Not wanting it dealt with not wanting it exposed by diagnosis not wanting it treated

Most people as soon as they get physically sick want it treated and cured right away But people with some spiritual problems often flee from treatment

They will especially dislike someone with authority who will speak the truth

To them who will expose who they really are The psychiatrist in Scott Peck wrote an interesting book entitled the people of the lie in it

He notes this very dynamic that I've been talking about that most often the most needy People the evil people the most malicious and in troubled rarely seek

Professional help he writes quote since they will do almost anything to avoid the particular pain that comes from self -examination

Under ordinary circumstances the evil are the last people who would ever come to psychotherapy the evil hate the light the light of goodness that shows them up the the light of Scrutiny that exposes them the light of truth that penetrates their deception he says that such people are he says masters of disguise of Covering up their needs their sins.

They're evil the reality of who they are But if they would rather do anything then to be where they would be exposed where they would be really known

Their needs would be not known by the people around them. Dr Peck says that they are often attracted to a place where now

Their disguise will remain intact. Indeed. It will even be accepted in reinforced that place he says is

The church and a footnote on page 76 probably a much overlooked passage.

He writes quote Since the primary motive of the evil is disguise One of the places where evil people most are most likely to be found is within the church

What better way to conceal once evil from oneself as well as from others than to be a deacon or some other highly visible form of Christian within our culture

Evil people tend to gravitate toward piety for the disguise and the concealment it can offer them.

I Should add he's not like of course That that people go to the often go to the church to hide their sin that assumes

That the church is a good place to hide one sin that the word won't be applied to them that in particular

The leadership won't be allowed to challenge them that the leaders can be in may be intimidated may be bribed

May be bullied May be flattered You know tell me what I want. I'll tell you how great a pastor you are into not preaching the word particularly to their needs

That the church especially the leadership will enable them to stay in their sin that they'll be assured and Comforted in it in their disguise rather than reproved rebuked and exhorted with all authority that assumption is

Right most of the time Because of the way often churches are in our culture

But one of the pillars of a biblical church is that it is not like that That the pastor the the elders preach the word

To the needs of the people in front of them that the light shines

Into the darkness that the word becomes incarnate among you

What does a pastor do We're looking at four key passages today That each in their own way say that he or they labor in preaching and teaching though They preach the word they correct the people with the word they are they are listened to They don't just give lectures on abstract

Bible knowledge detached from the life of the people in front of them They apply it to them even to change them.

They don't just comfort the afflicted they sometimes afflict the comfortable That's why the only place in the

Bible with a noun Pastor that's our common word. That's our preferred word It tells us something about ourselves, doesn't it?

But the word now the noun pastor occurs is in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11 and there it's connected with the word teacher

That is so that the pastor he teaches not just to give information You know to educate you on theology in the

Bible, but to shepherd to lead people in the right way Here in 1st

Timothy chapter 5 verse 17 our first passage The the men we would call pastors are called elders who who labor in preaching and teaching and think about those words

He he begins let the elders this plural that that's the model anyway to have plural It's not actually commanded, but that's the ideal model who rule.

Well the word rule or direct Shows that the elders are leading the church those who rule

Well should be considered worthy of a double honor more honor apparently than the other elders They all deserve honor or else they wouldn't be elders, right?

Then especially among those who rule. Well Another smaller group those who labor in preaching and teaching so there's a special group of elders who not only direct but they labor

In the word that word especially especially who labor in preaching and teaching signifies

Especially another group actually a subgroup who toil in the Word of God the word for work means toil is to work hard strenuous labor that results in in weariness and fatigue

This evening American tell you I will almost even almost certainly be fatigued. I'll lay on that couch and Sunday night.

I'll be worn out So this is my life this is not the kind of work that one could do on the side it's a kind of hobby

Merely after completing one secular employment for the day Some people's idea of being a pastor in this culture here something maybe some men take up You know, they retired is a retirement some go fishing some take up golf.

So I'm gonna preach. Okay, that's just you know What you're doing? It's not a hobby. So the work suggests its full -time work and the next verse verse 18 shows that they are paid

You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain quoting the Old Testament and then the labor deserves his wages

Quoting Jesus is over here in the Apostolic Church Paul's Church They had some men who labored is their work and preaching and teaching and they were recompensed for it.

Okay So that's not something that just developed over time. That's from the beginning. What's it? But now what's he doing though?

It is laboring and preaching and teaching. Is it just educating? Is this just a you know, is this whole church thing?

Is this we're like an educational facility specializes in religious curriculum. Is that all it is?

No, is it just confirming people and what they already believe? Yeah, it's not supposed to be but how did we get into the situation where today a leading psychiatrist could note that evil people?

Like the church prefer the church go to the church because it's the best environment to hide your sin in once someone told me

That I should not preach something that someone in the church anyone that might not agree with I Mean you've have you ever heard anything so stupid you're not sure how to respond the person told me that I go

I'm trying to think how do I respond to this without? Sounding insulting back. I couldn't imagine how so I just didn't say anything

But that's I thought that was just the dumbest thing I ever heard in my life Now I knew a lot of people kind of believe that that's often what people think

But I didn't think anyone would actually say it out loud. Almost everyone would know better than to say it

But this person didn't as you know, seriously I was told I shouldn't preach anything that anyone in the church might find disagreeable

So I guess if that's the way it is, I should ask you to write down For me all the things you currently believe

Maybe list any sins quote since you may not agree that their sins The Bible I call him since but you may not want to call him that that you want to cling to So I'll know what to navigate away from no no what not to mention shouldn't we do it that way

The idea apparently is that this preaching what I'm doing right now is about enabling you

It's about comforting you to stay the same to leave you feeling good about you as you already are

It's enabling So that person thought now the opposite of a leader for the church.

It's not a follower We need followers good followers in power good leaders.

The opposite of a leader is an enabler For the church a leader challenges people with the

Word of God exposes their sin rebukes it if necessary leads them to repentance to change a biblical leader helps people follow

Christ and Enabler helps people stay comfortable in their sins To stay as they are unchallenged unexposed

Unconfronted and enabling parent Helps his our kids stay comfortable, you know, no matter what decisions they make

Now how much debt they go into they're gonna bail him out no matter what, you know, whatever they do the enabling parent

Make sure the kid never suffers for his or her decisions When several years ago the BY football team we were there because Josh was playing in the band

We we don't go see the band the BY football team at the end of the first half States something happened on the other side of the field from where we were because exactly see what it was but they were they were outraged one of their players was hurt or something that they so they stormed the field and The rule is in high school and that happens the team that storms the field forfeits the game

So that's what the referees decided be why forfeited the game games over BY loses and some of that later that evening some of the parents of those ruffians got on Facebook complaining about the refs

Complaining not about their own boys who broke the rules but complaining about the refs who canceled the game

I thought Okay, by the way in case you think I always say everything I think I don't so I was actually restraining myself

I thought your boys are a bunch of undisciplined ruffians because you are enablers instead of holding them responsible

You're excusing them. You won't you want to know why they're like that because of you

That's why one of the most offensive things you can do to people who want to be enabled It's to try to lead them

Maybe lead them to repentance lead them to grow you can shine the light of the word on their sin on their heart

They will cringe and scream and bitterly complain You're not a good leader or a good mother or a good father or a good coach because they want an enabler

Enablers are people who crave them reflexively blame The leader that's why we're told here in verse 19

You do not admit a charge against an elder Except on the evidence of two or three witnesses So let's do not admit do not receive it don't entertain it.

In other words, give it no way don't consider it Certainly don't jump to the conclusion. It's true Don't accept an accusation against an elder and a pastor is an elder unless there are two or three witnesses to corroborate it

Well, what happened to a sports team? If the players could could vote on the coach You know would they start to grumble and threaten to fire him, you know vote him off the team coach we got together

We voted you out if he started working them out too hard what they thought was too hard called plays.

They didn't like, you know And make changes that they just didn't they didn't approve of now in the church

To a certain degree we have to have the congregations approval after all you can vote with your feet by leaving if There's nothing really we can do about that.

But that means that you all Need the maturity To go along with things that sometimes may be uncomfortable to be supportive

Even when you don't always agree as long as of course, it's not we're not talking about something that's clearly unbiblical

To not grumble or encouraged unfounded criticism to not Reflexively blamed. Oh somebody didn't like something.

It must be the pastor's fault You need to know that you need leadership that a pillar of a biblical church is

Allowing the leaders to do what leaders are supposed to do You need to learn the art of follow ship

They say that when a culture values our experience is something a lot. It has many words for it the

Eskimos I thought it was seven words, but I looked it up this week It's supposed to be 50 words. That's come on I have 50 words for snow for all the different kinds of snow they encounter

But we have no word think of this We have no word that I can think of in the English language huge I think the largest vocabulary almost of any language.

We have no word for the art of following We have leadership for the art of leading

But no proper word for the art of following what would logically be follow ship I guess we have no such word you type it into the computer follow ship and you'll get red dashes under it

Autocorrect will divide it into two words follow and ship That's because we don't respect following hardly even think about it, but we but leaders need followers

What's the pastor supposed to do? second scripture second scripture 2nd

Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 to 2 If you turn over there if you have a paper Bible, you're one of those old -fashioned people.

It's only like one page It's for 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 to 2. Here's Paul.

I should turn there myself Paul writing to Timothy Who's the pastor? In that church, let me read it for you

I charge you with the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who was to judge the living and the dead By his appearing and his kingdom preach the word be ready in season and out of season reprove rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching the

Paul begins 2nd Timothy chapter 4 extremely seriously I charge you calling

God the Father himself the Lord Jesus Christ the one who will judge all people is going to judge you

Timothy to witness this pay attention Timothy pay attention covenant

John Calvin preached the man who is not shaken out of his carelessness and laziness by the thought that the government of the church is

Conducted under the eye of God and his angels must be worse than stupid and have a heart harder than stone

The pastor is charged Proclaim the word He's not charged with doing hours and hours of home visitation or to visit the hospital every day or to spend his time in counseling

Or socializing he is called to proclaim the word be ready to do it He says in season and out of season good times and bad times do it when the church is growing and people are excited everything is new and even

Wednesday evenings are overflowing and in bad times when People are distracted and down and the church seems to be dwindling.

We probably understand that endure Show endurance keep going even when it's hard But now here's where it starts to get a little strange

If you think about it in this culture where the church is a haven for evil people Because they know that their sins won't to be exposed there where pastors are told to be enablers

Preach the word. What's he doing with the word? Is it a theological lecture? Is he telling us all about the verb tenses and participles and conditional clauses?

And so we go away with an excellent understanding of the grammar of this verse and next week We'll learn about the next verse have it taken apart word by word.

Maybe that's how it starts It can include that but that's not all Next notice next in 2nd

Timothy chapter 4 verse 2 3 things reprove Rebuke and exhorts to reprove is to correct

Others don't try to serve God and money you can't Figure if you're actually doing it stop it

Don't have sex outside of marriage implied is that it is his people who are being reproved.

I Assume that they're right reproved Timothy from the word. He's not saying, you know, don't don't reprove

The pagan Roman people outside they're not even there. Listen, you know, not the uncouth barbarians

Not the liberals in Hollywood not the Mormons in Utah reprove the people right there in the church

Make the word relevant to their lives Maybe there's some ways that they're living against the word show them that then rebuke rebuke you

Is the opposite of enabling To rebuke is a sharper form of correction than even reprove

Step it up a little bit if you have to stop doing that repent of making an idol out of wealth

Repent of your fornication of watching pornography of stoking lust repent of enabling sin. Stop it then exhort

Okay that we we kind of understand it's more positive and encouraging. There's a place for that. It's to come alongside Someone help them to do it the right way encourage them what they're doing right already and help them, you know

To do it even continue to do it right more things it's probably the one of the One of the one of the three things the path of the pastor does with preaching the word that we we understand

You know, let me show how let me show you how to raise your kids better So you're not enabling their sin how to seek first the kingdom of God Not living for the dollar how to live a life of purity again, all these things were proved for Buick exhort are taking the word and Applying it to the people in the church.

Now. Why would a pastor do that because of what the church is? Remember at first Timothy it is a gymnasium of godliness train

It's the word we get gymnasium gymnasium from train yourselves and godliness Let's go is where you go to be trained to be more like God in your character

Now when I was running track one workout the coach tells us to run some distance and I take off Thinking the best way to start to accelerate

By over striding that is stretching my stride length But as far as I could now the coach has stopped us call us together gave a brief little lesson reproving

On over striding. It's actually not a good way to start Slows you down and anyway specifically talking about me

But he thought that while he was correcting me he might as well correct the whole team So the rest so none of the team makes that mistake

I was glad for the instruction because I wanted to be a better runner. You should be glad for correction here from the word

Because you want to be a better Christian. So if you come here one day and you feel like I'm talking directly to you reproving rebuking maybe exhorting my response is

You're welcome Now the pastors to do these three things with complete patience and Teaching the the patience is not only the tone a gentle tone

Usually but also that he patiently keeps doing it that is with long -suffering Often suffering through people's failure to understand to grow to change right away.

You continue teaching You don't just give up because you think I've been teaching these people for 12 years and it hasn't made any difference

You teach them with doctrine We show them that the covetousness is idolatry that the kingdom of God is the great treasure

And so if you must close your shop on Sunday morning and and you know means making a little less money

Well, that's a sacrifice you must make that the husband is the head of the wife like Christ is the head of the church And so if you give up that headship in the home just to have a little peace

It's like a church compromising the headship of Christ just to make some troublemakers happy Show them that your body is a temple of the

Holy Spirit and you can't engage it in sexual immorality The pastor reproves he corrects rebukes sometimes correct sharply sometimes and exhorts encourages inspires you to do better to have a vision of the great truths the realities truths that That will propel you to do better that puts wind in your sails that each of these three things he does patiently and consistently now in our culture where Kids are constantly raised from being told how great they are no matter what they do where Christian radio stations sell themselves and being

Exclusively positive and encouraging just exhorting. No, no, no reproving and rebuking.

There's no k -wrath out there. It always rebuking us We might need that actually

Where churches are often havens for evil people where church members seriously tell their pastor that he shouldn't preach anything that someone might disagree with Where enablers are wanted in this culture with all of that What do you think are the chances that some people are going to be offended by a pastor who doesn't just exhort but reproves and rebukes

What do you think the chances of that are? You probably want to get anybody to take you on a bet on that because no one wants to take the other side

There will be offended people Maybe some trying to hide who they really are Are trying to hide from the word and they will want to disregard to despise to stifle to ignore the ministry of the word

That's how we got to this condition that even some churches are our havens for evil people, isn't it? That's how we got this in this position

By the ministry that we're being made irrelevant and an exercise in enabling. That's how we're like this

How did the church grow in the South for over a century side -by -side at the same time with racism and segregation, how is that possible without a great deal of enabling and It's a pastor the preacher the elders they won't enable

Why we won't stand for that If we can't vote them out We'll vote with our feet

Well, what are we to do? Well turn to Titus chapter 2 verse 15 third scripture Titus chapter 2 verse 15 just one verse and here

Paul adjusts Titus again If you have a paper Bible, it's just one page over so easy These paper things this is this amazing

In this passage we we zero in on what the church leadership is about What exactly does a spiritual leader do is he an enabler who helps people feel comfortable as they are in?

Order trying to evoke a feeling in you leave you with this just kind of Feeling of all is he a therapist who who feels your pain?

Is he a manager who he's not a he's not a reality therapist. I don't guess no not one of those one of the more

Sedate kind is he an order trying to evoke a feeling in you Make you feel good.

Is he a manager who coordinates programs and people for the for the purpose of numerical growth? Is he a master of ceremonies sort of an inoffensive icon who looks and sounds smooth like a game show host

Is he a guardian of conventional morality and the old -time religion? No Titus chapter 2 verse 15 notice

Paul tells Titus to first declare these things declare is an authoritative word, isn't it?

There's authority inherent there. He didn't say suggest these things imply these things

Hint at these things nag about them No, he said declare These things are the things that he instructed to various groups of people in the pre in the in the previous chapter

The various groups of people in the church older men older women younger women younger men The older women by the way, he says can teach the younger women

And so we see this some ministry can be delegated the pastor doesn't have to do it all He is to speak these things and exhort there's that word again same word that we've seen already and Rebuke or reprove.

There it is again then how our spiritual leaders to declare exhort and Rebuke they do it apologetically

Timidly, please don't leave if I tell you something you don't like No With all authority he says literally in Greek there

It's by command in other words speak it all the instructions above to the people encouraging sure

But also correcting with a command not a suggestion with authority because you Titus you pastor have authority

And here's the kicker probably what I regard is the most interesting command in all of Scripture. Let no one disregard you

What an interesting thing think about how you obey that When we were in Ethiopia, here's a here's a medical example

We Ethiopia we hired this local young man to do some hedge trimming our thing I'd grown up real tall on our on top of this wall and the wall had on top of it like they often do and Not Bob wire like we might have here but broken pieces of glass keep people from going over the wall

Anyway, he's up on a ladder and he fell and gouged his leg on some of the broken glass hurt badly

So there we are and I take him to the emergency room at the main hospital in Addis Ababa and It's about like you would expect a hospital to be in Addis Ababa.

But anyway, I'm waiting there I actually had to carry the guy in he Ethiopians are skinny So he wasn't very heavy carried him in and I'm after a while waiting get to be like some of these annoying people

You get in emergency rooms that want their patient. They're the person they brought in looked at right away

So I go and complain to the doctor who is this young? She must have been in her mid 20s or late to mid 20s and was used to probably younger than I was like 30 at the time, you see my my patient the guy

I brought in and She just very pretty young girl. Nice little sweet smile

She turns to me with a sweet smile very gently says I'm the doctor here Thought whoa, she told me off.

That's okay. Never mind. You're having an authority. She would not be disregarded But they care how that is obeyed

How do you not let? Anyone disregard you maybe sometimes you tell them who the doctor is. It's not you

John. It's me Saying how do you how do you obey this command? Let no one disregard you that is do not allow yourself

Paul tells Titus Pastor to be ignored to be looked down on to be considered the punching bag who can be blamed for everything

Who has to take every accusation from the members remember before told Timothy do not accept accusations

But here here we're told what we you know, we're Americans We kind of believe we're shaped by a culture where we legally can say anything we want about our political leaders

We believe that the pastor can be accused of anything here. No Don't take being disregarded disrespected.

What a strange command that is To us anybody don't tolerate your word being ignored treated disrespectfully falsely accused just kind of blamed

Reflexively somebody's unhappy. It's your fault. Maybe it's their fault. You ever thought of that? Well, maybe it's the unhappy person's fault.

This is just an idea out there The Word of God says that the pastor the the leaders are supposed to preach the word and with it reprove rebuke

Exhort us now, what do we? Do to them with these leaders.

In other words, what does what does follow ship? look like Well, please turn to Hebrews chapter 13 verse 17 our fourth scripture

Hebrews chapter 13 verse 17. Let me read it for you Obey your leaders and submit to them For they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account let them do this with joy and not with groaning

For that would be of no advantage to you In Hebrews chapter 13 verse 17 probably the most

I Think it's the most unpopular verse in the Bible at least through modern Americans I'll be more unpopular than that than that verse and in Psalms about dashing infants against rocks

They'd better meditate on that than this one Here the writer uses one of the most offensive words to the modern

Americans today Particularly when addressed to them the s -word And submit

Obey your leaders and submit to them now think how strange that sounds To our ears, especially in a culture in which authority figures are doubted from the get -go

Obey submit to leaders one of the things I noticed Because I I spent the first half of my adult life

This is a regular church member and go attending church being member church member listening to sermons and Sunday school lessons

So I wasn't enculturated into the church culture You know from the beginning

Adapting to how pastors are treated. So it's kind of it was a shock to me When when

I became one So one of the things I first noticed when I finally became a pastor in my late 30s Was that there was a kind of person who treated me worse for it

There's a kind of person who will just just assumes that he or she knows better Than I do about anything about how to have a prayer meeting how to pray publicly how to preach a sermon how to visit

I once had a woman absolutely berate me in front of others for the way I was leading a Wednesday night prayer meeting and I was thinking, you know

You wouldn't think of of treating the average person like this any other member of the church like this

But only because I'm a pastor and I'm supposed to be especially patient. You think you can get away with being so rude

Right even here among us you think I've never happened here Soon after we were here.

We had a Sign -up, remember we had spring fling who's gonna represent the church for spring fling and this sign up sheet different take different time slots

I'll pass it around people signed up for different times and someone noticed after after had gone around someone said hey

John has a signed up for any time what I was gonna do is gonna wait for everyone else to sign up and I was gonna fill in all the other slots, but but that person would never think of Saying that about anyone else singling out

Any other member out like that and embarrassing him? Why is it? Why is it Wayne signed up at a time slot?

You know people would just assume well either Wayne doesn't want to and it's okay or maybe he's busy You know all kinds of good reasons, but the pastor you can just single him out.

You're gonna embarrass him That's the way our culture is and it is perverted It's upside down And maybe the way people do things but it's still just twisted

Well this passage in Hebrew says we are to obey our leaders. Maybe it could be translated be confident in them

I was he gave them the benefit of the doubt you're confident that they're Doing the best thing and submit to them

In other words don't resist them for no reason and it gives gives a reason to not resist them for no reason for they are

Keeping watch over your souls leaders have a responsibility before God to monitor your spiritual condition

Now Robert says this week he's gonna start it has to start with the ICU He has the responsibility I get probably for the for the hospital for the law

Probably to monitor those patients there when he's on duty. I have a responsibility for God to monitor the spiritual condition of of you

That's part and that's part of what a membership means. It means that you have committed to be watched and to be led

And from for me it means I have a responsibility to watch over you your life is my

Business, I will have to answer to God for it, too. I have a boss who

I will have to Give reasons for and when it comes time for me to give an account to my ministry and he asked me why why did you?

Let so -and -so slip into a destructive relationship or into some sin. Why did you enable them to feel good about doing bad?

It's not going to be a very good answer if the only thing I can say is well I didn't want I didn't want him to not like me anymore

The spiritual leader is called to be popular in the end with only one person

Notice by the way who your leaders are Here they are those who are keeping It's a present continuous tense keeping rather was right now

Watch over your souls, they're monitoring you so they aren't just some guy on the radio or the Internet you'd like to listen to They're not you're just your favorite celebrity pastor

That's great If you get extra encouragement extra edification from faithful people outside on you know on the

Internet radio TV, whatever, that's fine But those are not your leaders No more than the chef behind the counter at your favorite restaurant is your wife or husband?

Your leaders are those who are keeping watch a long -term Continuous relationship people you belong to and they belong to you

They know you and so can apply the word specifically to you

They'll have to answer to God for how they watch over your soul. So let them Let me

Do this with joy? Because you're someone who listens You actually grow you change

Your attitude is different after hearing this message than it was before because you would you adapted to it

Even if it exposes your sin and calls you to repentance Don't let me have to do a groaning.

Oh For the thousands time. I have to tell him or her

Stop that You to call that attitude again. They still love money.

I'm I'm accused again. He's not listening to me. What's the use? It's not hard for me to To act that out don't do that because that makes this that makes this whole church thing

Just preaching sermon disassembling that makes it so dreary We're just always end up the way we were before we're wasting our time.

Here's some good music along the way, but you know It's like that Who are your leaders? There are those who are keeping watch

Over your soul who are telling you the truth Even if sometimes you don't want to hear it who will give you some

Reality therapy with the Word of God and you listen to them because you believe God has given them

Authority over you I give them the thorns you say specifically for you It's for you

I'll believe this is the key to understand another hot issue today That's the role of women in ministry You see when you water down verse 17 and other scriptures like that to me basically to mean nothing

Some people handle that verse comes out and they end after the way they Translated it it comes out meaning zero.

I mean means be nice to everybody It's not exactly what it means When you do that You come out to the conclusion.

Well, then there are no people in the church. You should especially listen to there's no No one to obey to submit to there's no there's no more authority

In the church than there are as they then your professor at college has over you Some what maybe less since the pastor can't even grade you

So when you come to first Corinthians 11, it tells us that women can speak in church But they should do so with a sign of authority.

Why do they have a sign of authority and For in first Timothy chapter 2 verse 12 that says women can't be an authority over men

You come to those two and you have to choose between either one of the two errors If you don't understand authority, you don't know what to make of either of those

You probably either go either one of two ways either women can't speak at all Because we assume wrongly

That the teaching is just speaking. That's all it is. There's no authority attached to it.

It's just talking and so if women can't teach They can't convey information.

That's what we think teaching is just conveying information. They can't women can't do that Well, that means they can't speak so be quiet Or women can speak just like men

Since we think no one in church has authority and if women can speak

But they can in first Corinthians 11 under authority But we don't understand the authority bar and women can't speak then there's no difference

And so you end up with women pastors and our elders But here we see that there are some speakers

Who are leaders not all speakers are leaders, but some are and we should listen to them some

Have authority in my life all the leaders do some of the speakers have authority and they're the leaders They have authority in my life and others who are speaking in the church.

They may be women They can speak But they aren't an authority.

They are under authority That's why in their culture they wore a head covering to symbolize that authority