heb 13v17 Them That Have The Rule Over You

"THEM THAT HAVE THE RULE OVER YOU"

Hebrews 13:17

The pastor of a congregation has the responsibility under God of assuming the oversight of that congregation. He is to rule the church of God in exactly the same manner as a husband is to rule his house - (I Tim. 3:4). Just as it is a wife's responsibility to submit to the loving rule of her husband in the Lord, it is the church's responsibility to submit to the loving rule of her pastor in the Lord.

Whenever a pastor exercises this responsibility, there will be some carnal minded critics who will accuse him of being a dictator, a tyrant, lording over God's heritage. They will accuse him of being like Jim Jones. Whatever accusations they can make to excuse their obstinate rebellion, they will make. But God's servant must not be driven away from his responsibility.

The pastor's rule of God's house is not a self-imposed, self-willed dictatorship. When he is called to be pastor of a congregation, that congregation willingly agrees to submit to his rule as the under-shepherd of Christ. He rules the church in love by the Word of God, selflessly. Seeking the leadership of the Holy Spirit, he directs the affairs of the church and the ministries of the church, according to the will of God as it is revealed in Holy Scripture. As pastor, God's servant is the teacher of the congregation. He is God's messenger to his congregation. It is his job to instruct and guide the people of God in gospel truth. Elders, deacons, and teachers are men who assist their pastor in the work of the ministry, submitting themselves to his direction.

As the seven churches of Revelation had but one messenger each (Rev. 2-3), and a wife has but one husband, each local church can have but one pastor, one voice of authority, one spiritual ruler. Any deviation from this principle of pastoral government in a church leads to strife, division, and chaos.