Our Responsibility To Leadership

Our Responsibilities to Leadership

We have already spent four weeks in describing the work and qualifications of both elders and deacons. These lessons are archived on our website and YouTube page; I recommend that you view them there, if you missed them. We discussed the responsibilities of Shepherds.

1. Shepherds oversee every aspect of the work of the church, both physical and spiritual; it is their responsibility and one for which they will be held accountable.
2. Shepherds also serve as pastors; they shepherd the spiritual needs of the flock. Their responsibility is to see that the flock is well-fed and protected from false teaching, secular philosophy, and the negative influences of the world.
3. Shepherds serve as elders, older men who arbitrate disputes and make spiritual judgments. It presumes that older, Christian men have the wisdom and respect to make the hard decisions to lead the church where it needs to go.
4. Shepherds also have the authority to delegate their responsibilities to helpers that can assist them.

Deacons are one group of special helpers to which the elders delegate tasks. It is an error to believe the Shepherds oversee the spiritual and the deacons oversee the physical. The Shepherds  oversee all of the churches’ work – spiritual and physical. The deacons assist the Shepherds in both these areas as the Shepherds see fit. They serve at the will and request of the Shepherds. The  number one responsibility of deacons is to be faithful in the tasks assigned to them.

Just as leadership has responsibilities toward us, we also have responsibilities to them. While most of these scriptures refer only to the Shepherds, they also apply to deacons as they are delegated agents of the elders.

1. We are to obey our leaders and submit to their authority. We are to obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden (Hebrews 13:17).
2. We are to respect and honor them (1 Timothy 5:17-20).
3. We are to give them the benefit of the doubt (1 Timothy 5:1).

Regarding the work they oversee, we are to support it and the cause of Christ, with our time, talents, money, prayers, and enthusiastic participation. Leaders will be held accountable to God for  how they lead the church; you will be held accountable for how you support them in their work.

Joey