Obey Them That Rule Over You
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 1/4/2015 AM |
Text: | Hebrews 13:17 |
Psalters: | 168, 336, 367, 358 |
Installation of Elders and Deacons |
- What we must do.
- The first calling is to obey.
- Listen, pay attention to listen with a view to being persuaded, to be a follower.
- The concept implies that we have minds and wills, which are Spirit influenced for good.
- And implies that the elders use the only power they really have: the Word of God.
- And we are to “submit” ourselves, i.e., accept their authority, be subject to them, yield to them.
- These two admonitions fit together.
- The first calling is to obey.
- The reasons for our submitting and obeying our office-bearers.
- First, we submit because the authority of an office-bearer is that of Christ.
- The second reason is found in the fact that they “watch for your souls.”
- They take spiritual care of the souls of the sheep God gave into their charge.
- The care is described as “watching,” i.e., alert, attentive, sleepless, circumspect, ready.
- A third reason for submission is the fact that the elders have to give an answer to God for their care.
- In the judgment day they will be judged for how they cared for and watched over God’s sheep.
- The knowledge of the judgment day is an incentive to the sheep, as well as to the office-bearers.
- Office-bearer grief is “not profitable” for the sheep, because it brings hurt to themselves.
- May we, the sheep of God’s flock, remember this calling God gives us, and be more determined to obey and to receive the Word brought by the office-bearers with all readiness.