“Obey” and “submit”?? Really, and you thought “sacrifice” was bad.

[bobwatkins]

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[FONT=&quot]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qO9e75lIFY&feature=youtu.be[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Quick Hit![/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Hebrews 13: 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.(NASB)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]“Obey” and “submit,” two words that make the self-centered, strong willed believer of today bow up like no other words can. We are used to having it our way and doing things like we want to do them. We don’t think at all about yielding our wants and will to someone else. But, that is exactly what the Bible is telling us to do. We are to obey and submit to the leaders at our church that God has placed over us. God has placed leaders in our churches to guide us and to help us grow in our walk with Christ. As they teach and preach, they communicate the path we should follow in our lives. Unless the guidance is contrary to scripture, then we have a responsibility to do as we are directed. And do it without griping and complaining. Proverbs 6:19 tells us that God doesn’t like troublemakers. The challenge today is simple – follow leadership in your church and conform to the way they teach. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Let’s take this one a little deeper. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Hebrews 13: 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (NASB)[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Meaning – [/FONT][FONT=&quot]What a way to finish up the book of Hebrews. Over the past two days we have covered the two words that cause believers to choke more than any other – sacrifice, obey, and submit. But these words go completely contrary to our flesh. We want to be in charge. We want to choose what is right and wrong and we will not have any man telling us what to do. Then we come to verse 17, and the Bible tells us to obey our church leaders. Obey is kind of clear. It means to do what you are told. Submit – well that one is easy. It means to give up your rights and yield to the leading of someone else. But keep in mind, leadership will be judged as to how they have led. James 3:1 tells us that they will receive a harsher judgment. Today’s verse tells us that leadership will give an account for you and I as to how we responded to their leading. If they give a bad account of us to God, then it is unprofitable for us. So then the contrary is true as well. If they give a good accounting of us, then it is profitable for us. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Application[/FONT][FONT=&quot] – As long as leadership is not leading contrary to scripture, then we have a responsibility to follow. If we find that leadership is leading contrary to scripture, then we need to find a church that is aligned with scripture. In the U.S. that is not a difficult thing. We can find a church that will challenge us to grow in Christ and is true to the Bible. My wife and I faced this very issue a few months ago. In our search for a new church home, we landed in a place where there were two major issues of disagreement. I talked with the pastor about the two areas and saw that we were going to have to agree to disagree. We continued there a couple of weeks after and we were faithful to attend church and Sunday School. When the two issues arose in the Sunday School class, I did not express my differing view at all. You see God wants unity. Had I made my case where I disagreed, it would have only caused confusion. That is not God honoring at all. By the way, the place where we were, the people there are committed believers who know the Word and know it well. We had opportunity to go elsewhere and we quietly did so. My point in all this is, as you have disagreements with leadership at your church, be a follower and don’t be a trouble maker. God has not called you to straighten someone else out. You will grow in your walk with Christ a lot more if you are a follower and you obey and submit to leadership. [/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Hope you have a great day. [/FONT]
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