I. Be Respectful To Their Leaders - (5:12-13)

The church family must have spiritual leadership and this leadership is vested in the pastor. The church may establish whatever organizations it pleases (so long as they follow the Bible); but only the pastor can lead the flock as God requires. Certainly he needs and wants, the prayers and counsel of the people, especially the elected the leaders; but all in the church must respect the leadership of the pastor. Christians should: accept their leaders, (Eph. 4:7,11,12), honor their leaders, (I Tim. 5:17,18), noting the work that they do; love their leaders; and follow their leaders, (Heb. 13:7-9,17). Whenever a church is not united, it is usually because the pastor will not take the responsibility of leadership, or because the members will not permit him to lead. Keep in mind that leadership is not dictatorship (I Peter 5:1-5). The leader sets the example, pays the price and seeks to help others in Christian love. The dictator uses law, not love; he does not lead, he drives; and his motives are selfish, not for the good of the church.

[1]. Godly leadership is often criticized (Ex. 16:1-3; 17:1-3; Num. 12:1-10; 16:1-3 20:1-6
[2]. Leadership is often misrepresented(Gal. 2:1-5; Matt. 26:59-61; Acts 13:44,45,50).

II. Be Mindful Of One Another - (5:14-15)

It is not enough to have -church leadership; there must also be partnership, with each member doing his share of the work. I Peter, 4:7-11 reminds us that each Christian is a steward of a spiritual gift, and that he must use that gift for the good of others and the glory of the Lord. Paul specifies certain kinds of Christians that need help:

[1]. The unruly - the careless, those who are out of line - must be warned (I Tim. 5:20; Titus 3:10).
[2]. The feebleminded - the fainthearted must be encouraged.
[3]. The weak - not mature in the Lord, (Romans 14) - they can walk in the Lord.

Our attitude toward all men ought to be one of patience and love, never returning evil for evil (Rom. 12:17- 21).

 

III. Be Thankful - (5:16-18)

Rejoice, pray, and give thanks" sound like ordinary admonitions; but when you add the adverbs, you have a real challenge: "Rejoice evermore; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks." The Christian who walks with the Lord and keeps in constant communion with Him will see many reasons for rejoicing and thanksgiving all day long. "Pray without ceasing" does not mean a constant mumbling of prayers (see Matt. 6:7). True prayer is the attitude of the heart, the desires of the heart (Ps. 10:17, 21:2, 37:4, 145:19). When our hearts desire what God desires, we are praying all day long as the Spirit intercedes for us and in us (Rom. 8:26-27).

 

IV. Be Careful In Worship - (5:19-21)

"Prophesying" in the early church was the immediate work of the Spirit, as give prophet would his message from God. But Satan is a counterfeiter, so it was necessary to test the messages (see I Cor. 12:10, 14:29-22). The danger was that they would "go overboard" in emotional abuses, the other extreme, quench the Spirit by rejecting His revelations.

 

V. Be Faithful In Daily Conduct - (5:22-28)

Of course, no saint should allow anything in his life that others could misunderstand. God is faithful to build us up in holiness if we but yield to Him. Prayer, brotherly love, and attention to the Word of God will sanctify the saint and keep him ready for Christ's return.

An artist asked a friend to his studio to see his latest painting. He came at the time appointed, but was shown into a dark room. There he waited fifteen minutes. Finally the artist came in, greeted him cordially, and conducted him to the studio.

Before he left, the artist said laughingly. "I suppose you thought it queer to be left in that dark room so long? "Yes I did." "Well," said the artist, "I knew that if you came into my studio with the glare of the street in your eyes, you could not appreciate the fine coloring of the picture, so I left you there until the glare had warn out of your eyes.

Today we are blinded by the glare of trivial realities. "If thou knewest," describes our lack of spiritual vision. We fail to recognize Christ and the priceless gift that he offers. We ask many things of God. But how often do we ask for the most precious gift of all? The presence of Jesus removed the glare of the street from this woman's eyes at the well. - ( Will L. Brown)