Who Do You Know?

1 Thessalonians 5: 12-13
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

"I am not sure I like the implications of these verses! I am an independent Baptist, nobody is going to rule over me! I have rights! I demand that no one tells me what to do! I am in charge of my own destiny! If I mess up I guess I will get forgiveness, but until then I am my own man!"

I have been guilty of making these statements in one form or another. I have a strong personality, that has been fed on facts like these to my own detriment. It took a long while but I have learned that I am not so much independent, as I should be dependent, dependent upon God, as I live for Him!

The Apostle is laying a foundation that is deep and wide, it is properly Biblical. We are instructed to submit to the ordained (of God, not man) leadership He placed in our life. I often tell Soldiers that everybody has a boss! The Private has the Sergeant, The Sergeant has the Top Sergeant, Top Sergeant has the Commander, and so on , and so on!

Every Christian is given a leader to whom he is to be accountable. Every leader has someone that he needs to be in submission to. At every level God gives us another person to help us and for us to lead. As leaders we are going to be held accountable for what we taught and what we did not teach.

We are commanded to:

Know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord.

I find a reference for the word "them" to Hebrews 13:17 "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."

The word "them" sets up a partnership between the student and the teacher, the leader and the follower.

Every Christian must be willing to submit to the leadership God has placed before them. As a follower, when I submit to the leadership over me, I transfer the accountability of my actions to the leader. If I obey him he takes the responsibility for the leadership given. As a leader I must rely upon the ultimate leader (the Holy Spirit). If every Christian obeyed this principle, the world would be transformed in so many ways.

The bottom line is Christians, every Christian must submit to the God given leadership. Every leader needs to be in submission to the Lord at all times.... It is my prayer that I learn who is my God given leadership in every situation I find myself in.

Dear, Christian who do you know (as leader)?

There will be a test!