Obey Your Leaders and Submit to Them

In one paragraph

Pastor Arm walked through a single verse, Hebrews 13:17, spending the whole sermon on the weight it carries for both the people in the pews and the people at the front. He traced what the original Greek words actually mean and held them up against other passages in Scripture to show that this is not a verse to breeze past. The burden falls on both sides: on the congregation to be genuinely...

Read together

1. 2 Corinthians 1:20 quoted during worship: all of God's promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding yes
2. Hebrews 13:7 immediate context before the main verse: remember those who led you and spoke the word of God
3. Hebrews 13:17 the main text of the sermon: obey your leaders and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls
4. Galatians 5:7 used to illustrate the word translated obey: you were running well, who hindered you from being persuaded of the truth
5. James 3:3 used to illustrate the same word: bits in a horse's mouth so they will obey
6. Ezekiel 3:16-21 God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman and holds him accountable for warning the wicked and the righteous
7. Psalm 50 referenced as background to calling on God in the day of trouble and honoring Him
8. 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 Paul calls the Thessalonians his hope, joy, and crown of exaltation
9. Philippians 1:3-8 Paul thanks God with joy for the Philippians and his confidence in God completing the work in them
10. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 request to appreciate those who diligently labor and have charge over you in the Lord
11. 1 Timothy 5:17 elders who rule well are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching
12. 1 Corinthians 16:15-16 urging the Corinthians to be in subjection to the household of Stephanas who devoted themselves to ministry
13. Philippians 2:16 holding fast to the word of life so Paul would not have run or toiled in vain
14. 1 Peter 5:1-5 Peter charges elders to shepherd the flock willingly and not for money or as lords over those in their care
15. James 3:1 let not many become teachers because teachers will incur stricter judgment
16. Psalm 34:8-10 taste and see that the Lord is good, lions may grow weak but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing

Talk about it

1. Pastor Arm walked through the Greek word behind 'obey' in Hebrews 13:17 and showed it really means 'be persuaded of that which is trustworthy.' How does that change the way you hear the command compared to just reading the word 'obey'?
2. Pastor Arm mentioned that as Americans we tend to be individualistic and anti-authoritarian, and that the priesthood of the believer is a foundation of Baptist life. How do you personally work through the tension between reading the Bible for yourself and yielding to those God has placed in leadership over you?
3. The sermon drew on Ezekiel 3, where God holds the watchman responsible for faithfully delivering His message regardless of how people respond. What does it do to the way you relate to church leadership when you hear that they will give an account to God for how they have watched over your soul?
4. Pastor Arm said that leaders doing this work with joy rather than groaning depends in part on how the congregation receives what is faithfully taught. Can you think of a time when you made it easier or harder for a leader to do that with joy, and what shaped your response?
5. First Peter 5 draws a sharp line between shepherding God's flock and lording it over them. How do you think a congregation can take Hebrews 13:17 seriously while still recognizing and pushing back on leadership that crosses that line?