They Keep Watch Over Your Souls

They Keep Watch Over Your Souls                   January 19, 2025

“Obey your leaders, and subject to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account.  Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this will be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17)

Obey Your Leaders.  We live in a world that does not like to be told anything by anyone.  Such thinking leads only to trouble and conflict and it is especially dangerous when it creeps into the minds of Christians.  As members of the Lord’s church we are told to obey the Godly instruction of the leaders of the church.  In the text above  I believe it is referring to the Godly leadership of the elders.  We are to obey their instruction and guidance.  If we reject them we reject God who has placed them in charge of His church by their meeting the elder’s qualifications listed in I Timothy 3:1-7.

Be Subject to Them.  This implies one’s willingness to be guided, controlled or ruled by something or someone.  The head of the church is Christ, not me nor you.  Since it is His church then His design for leadership needs to be obeyed and followed.  If one refuses to subject to His leadership then they are, in fact, disobeying Him.

Elders Keep Watch Over Your Souls.  Shepherds protect the flock from anything that will harm them.  In the church they keep watch over every sheep within the flock.  Their presence is to make sure the members are safe from danger and they will do anything to protect them from harm and from getting lost.  They are watching you.

They Will Give An Account About You to God.  God will enable elders to remember the details of their leadership and your response to their leadership.  That account will either be joyful or with grief and disappointment.

An Elder’s Account About You Will Either Be Profitable or Unprofitable For You.  No one will want to stand before God and learn that their life as a sheep in the Lord’s church brought grief to the shepherds of that flock.  It will not be a good time for that individual.

Take Advantage of Being Under A Godly Eldership.  Do whatever you can to support the choices the elders make for the church.  When they say it’s time to meet for Bible study then be there.  To wilfully neglect doing this simply says that you’re unwilling to subject to them and that would be unprofitable for you before God.

Brian Thompson

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