Keith Battle - God's Family - Part 2

I want to talk to you today about the topic of family leaders in God’s family. He has created a structure and organization, and within that structure, there is leadership. I want to discuss today how to honor leaders and what the Bible teaches us about treating and responding to them. We are going to focus on family leaders.

Last week, in part one of this series, we talked about our responsibility for interpersonal relationships, the importance of loving one another, living peacefully together, and building each other up. We discussed the challenges of interpersonal relationships and the hard work required to maintain the bond of peace in the spirit of love. This work is essential for getting along with others. We addressed the importance of having challenging and difficult conversations that can be redemptive and restorative if done correctly. Furthermore, we talked about how it is actually fruitless to talk about someone you need to approach. If someone offends you and you choose to talk to others instead of addressing the issue directly, you are spreading cancer and poison into other relationships. I provided a strategy and a system for how to approach someone who has offended you and how to respond to someone you have offended. If you haven’t seen part one, I recommend going back to watch and listen because we covered important practices for our relationships.

Today, I will discuss church leadership. It is a bit strange for me; these are the passages I usually skip over because I don’t want it to appear as though I am doing it for my own selfish aggrandizement. However, I genuinely believe God wants us to understand how this works in His family, and you cannot talk about God’s family without acknowledging the leadership within it.

In verse 12, he begins by saying three things. He states, «First of all, brothers and sisters, I want you to honor leaders.» Everybody say, «Honor them.» He says we should honor them for two reasons. The second half of the verse explains that we honor them because they work hard among you and because they provide spiritual guidance. Do you all see that? You honor them because they work hard among you and offer you spiritual guidance.

The word «honor» means to hold in high regard and esteem. The Apostle Paul, who is writing this to the Church of Thessalonica, emphasizes that you should do this for two reasons. First, because those in ministry leadership work hard. Ministry is not easy. It not only requires competence and professionalism but also a high level of character. Yes, the people you lead in the church expect you to maintain a level of holiness, righteousness, and integrity that they may not have. I will say that again: they expect a standard from you even when they may not live up to it themselves. You must perform in a way that sets an example.

I didn’t receive a special «clergy body» when I answered the call to ministry. I get tempted like you do, I feel tired like you do, and I experience anger like you do. We have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. But it’s hard work. It requires sacrifice. While some of you are going out today after church to enjoy mimosas or brunch, guess where I’ll still be? Right here—working. This is my assignment.

Some of your Saturdays are for washing cars, relaxing, watching cartoons, or cleaning the house. My Saturdays are spent in prayer, combing through passages, and studying. When you hit 5:00 p.m. on Friday and feel like the weekend has begun, that’s when my work ramps up: more anxiety, more tension. I must do this again, despite what I might be dealing with personally—my own life, health, or circumstances. I still have to come prepared to do this on Sunday. That is the sacrifice required of leadership.

Many people who serve in ministry in our church have left lucrative jobs to dedicate their lives to Christian service. We have nearly 200 employees in our church, and many of them were doing significantly better financially before they came here. This is not just a gig; it’s not just a 9-to-5 job; this is a calling on our lives. We have given up our dreams in some situations and left our aspirations behind. I initially wanted to tell jokes for a living, but when God called me to preach, I figured I would just tell clean jokes instead. I would rather do anything than be up here preaching. This is not what I chose in life; I was chosen for this. I had to surrender to this calling, yield to it, and let go of my aspirations and dreams. Sometimes, when you share your calling with your family, it becomes a challenging conversation.