Esteem

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

It is always a hard thing for a pastor or preacher to preach about honoring the man of God, but it is Bible truth nevertheless. It seems that we have those who have taken upon themselves as a personal ministry to rebuke pastors, and to "correct them". These people are ignorant of what the Word of God has to say concerning this matter. Let us examine some of the Scriptures that have to do with how we are to treat a pastor.

1. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
- We are to know them. That is to have a knowledge about them, and be concerned about them.
- We are to know and acknowledge their labour in the church.
- They are set their to admonish
- We are to HIGHLY Esteem them, for their works sake. (Esteem is value or regard as a prize)

2. Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
- These men are to be remembered
- They have rule over you. (I didn't write it God did)

3. 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.
- They are to be obeyed.
- We are to submit ourselves to them, because they are watching for our souls.
- That they may do it with joy means that we are not to create extra grief for them by being unsubmissive and rebellious.
- If we don't it will hurt us!!

4. 1 Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
- When there is an accusation against an elder it is not to be given unless there are witnesses present.
- Email, Blogs, and other online resources do not cut it.
- People have a great deal of boldness to say things online, but are to cowardly to approach the pastor in respect for the office and with a meek and humble spirit.

There are other Scriptures to accompany this, but I will not take the time right now. I love my pastor, who also happens to be my Dad. I respect Him as a man of God. I would never accuse him, or receive and accusation about him without going to him and asking him about it.

We need to love our man of God! Protect him, be loyal to him, submit yourself to him. I know I love the people of our congregation. There is nothing I would not do for them. I have left my family and home to come here to be with them, and I would not trade that for anything!

Pastor Brandon Lake

Our Superior Saviour Hebrews 3

Hebrews 3:1-6 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Many times in the gospel we see Christ faced with the law. The religious crowd was always throwing the law in His face. We see that when he healed on the Sabbath, and when they picked food on the Sabbath and when they brought the woman caught in adultery. However we can see that Jesus the SON is so much better than Moses the SERVANT.

1a. The Law Condemns - Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

1b. But The Lord Converts - Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2a. The Law Is Constricted - Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do…

- There are simply some things that the law can not do!

A. The Law Can Not Deliver From The Domination of Sin –

- There have been times in my life, when I knew what I was doing was wrong but that knowledge did not stop me from doing that thing.

- This is not because of a defect in the law, it is just that it is required to work through our sinful flesh which refused obedience to it!

* For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh

B. The Law Can Not Deliver From The Dominion of Sin –

- The law can not deliver you out of sin!

- It can let you know you are sinning, but it can not take you out of the situation.

- It is not the office of the law to regenerate, only to convict, command and threaten.

C. The Law Can Not Deliver from the Debt of Sin (Death) –

- The law could not regenerate nor could it redeem from the clutches of sins wages!

2b. But the Lord is Copious - Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

3a. The Law Is Clouded - Hebrews 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. - The law was just a shadow of good things to come, and yet not the very image of it!

3b. but The Lord is Clear - 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Thank God we no longer look through a glass darkly, but Jesus has made everything so clear!