Okay, bear with me, as I study the scriptures. :) If you have any input at all, in the least, if it be Bible-based, please leave your comments and feedback.
Today my focus verse is Hebrews 13:17.
Hebrews 13:17 (King James Version) "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you."
I have provided several translations for the ease of understanding:
Hebrews 13:17 (Amplified Bible) "Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either]."
Hebrews 13:17 (The Message) "Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?"
I find in the scripture, that we are individually responsible for our actions, and will answer for our every action AND every idle word that comes out of our mouth. This means the things we say in anger, in fear, in secret.... not just the things we shout to the world for all to hear. We are responsible and held accountable for the things we say that brings offense to our Brother/Sister's heart. We're responsible for anything we might say that causes a fellow believer (or non believer) to stumble in their walk or their coming to God. We will answer to the Lord for everything we speak!
Matthew 12:35-37 (King James Version) "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."
Romans 14:11-13 (King James Version) "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."
Although we are solely responsible for our own actions, the Lord issued a challenge to our pastors. Our leadership. Our watchmen. They are to watch and warn the congregation of the coming enemy attacks - warn of sin that we should not fall prey to. We find this in the scripture Ezekiel 3.
Ezekiel 3:17-21 (King James Version) "17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. 18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. 20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul."
And for a breakdown in the Old English,
Ezekiel 3:17-21 (Amplified Bible) "17 Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel; therefore hear the word at My mouth and give them warning from Me. 18 If I say to the wicked, You shall surely die, and you do not give him warning or speak to warn the wicked to turn from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at your hand. 19 Yet if you warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but you have delivered yourself. 20 Again, if a righteous man turns from his righteousness (right doing and right standing with God) and some gift or providence which I lay before him he perverts into an occasion to sin and he commits iniquity, he shall die; because you have not given him warning, he shall die in his sin and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood will I require at your hand. 21 Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he is warned; also you have delivered yourself from guilt."
As we see here, the Lord has placed our Pastor to guide us, as a gentle shepherd - However, He is free of guilt and condemnation when He speaks what the Lord would have us to hear. He is required, at all costs of condemnation of the world, to speak exactly what the Lord requires him to speak! We are solely responsible for obeying the voice of the Lord as our Pastor delivers it. That brings me back to focus scripture, as it is stated in the Message translation: "Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?"
As Christians, we HAVE to be responsive to the Word of the Lord as the Pastor delivers it. We have to RESPOND to the Word he imparts. We much listen and take action. Our Pastor stands with his hand on the pulse of the Lord. We need to take what our Pastor delivers and act on it with JOY.
I don't want my Pastor to view pastoring me as a drudgery. If I constantly do not heed the word he pours out of his heart through the Spirit, that's a drudgery! I don't want to make delivering the Word of the Lord harder for my Pastor. I want him to have joy in his heart, knowing that he has a congregation that takes JOY in the word of the Lord - a congregation that listens and responds positively to the Word the Lord gives. Why make the work of our Pastor harder than it is? Let's ASSIST him in reaching for souls around us. We must live an accountable life, and stand shoulder to shoulder with our Leadership, grasping for the outstretched hands of the unbelievers.
So be it.
1 comment:
VERY GOOD
Post a Comment