“The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses” (1Tim 5:17-19)

The elders in the church who feed the flock are ‘worthy of double honor’. The Lord Jesus Christ gave gifts to His Body: apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors and evangelists (Eph 4). It is not easy to be in full time ministry. It is not easy to pay the price for the anointing. There are many churches that do not have a resident pastor and they advertise for that position. They have only guest preachers, but none stands there in the middle of the flock day and night. If you have a resident pastor with the mind of Christ, blessed are you and your church!

The true leaders in the church are servants of the Word. They pay the price to study the Bible diligently and prepare sermons filled with the Holy Spirit. They pray and fast. They intercede for the members of their churches. They weep with the sorrowful and rejoice with them who are happy. It is a great and difficult emotional draining work. It means to be a doctor, a teacher, a lawyer, a mother and a father in the same time. They live by faith. They expect fruit that abides. They are responsible to God for the dishing out of spiritual food to the flock of Christ. The visitors are directed to the Cross for salvation. They also have the duty to oversee the souls of men, to pray for them, to counsel them and to teach them to worship God.

The word ‘honor’ in Greek means to pay a price (even in money) to show appreciation to something or someone you consider precious and profitable. It also means to be punished, to pay a fine (even with money) for refusing to honor the one you know is worthy of honor. The word honor here also means to show respect by submitting to his teaching with fruits following. The negative way to describe honor is not to slander or accuse your leader, never to gossip your pastor, even in your secret heart. If you cannot freely submit to his teaching, it is better to go away, before the wrath of God manifests on you.

In ancient times an animal was used to spin a wheel or walk a threshing floor to separate the wheat from the stalk/chaff.  That was very hard work, going in circles from morning to evening. But the men quickly discovered that their “power source” was eating the grain they were harvesting.  Animal owners began to muzzle the ox/donkey to keep it from eating the grain.  They placed a wire cage around the mouth of the animals so that they cannot eat the harvest. In the Old Testament Law God commanded Israel to permit the animal doing the labor to share in the benefits of his hard work (Deut 25:4)

The lesson here is that if you hire someone to work hard for you, that servant must enjoy the fruit of his labor. In particular, we are to respect, honor, encourage and support our spiritual leaders in the best way we can. Pray for them daily. They are your parents in Christ. If not, God may ask you to pay ‘a fine’ for carelessness, ignorance, rudeness, laziness, pride, rebellion as we make the pastor’s work harder than it should be.

I am a pastor. I do not ask for honor. I am responsible to God for the sermons I prepare, for the counsel and prayers for the church. To honor your leader is not my request, it is God’s command. This is my counsel, especially to the young people: honor the men and women who labor hard in God’s vineyard. If you value your soul and the souls of our children, if you value your destiny, then honor your pastors and leaders in the Body of Christ. Ponder about these words…pray about this matter…Let God speak to you!

May God give you the grace to live a life worthy of His calling!

In Christ I declare:

I honor my spiritual leaders!

I pray for my pastors!

I will never gossip, exploit, mock or dishonor my pastors!

I will help and encourage my elders in the church in the best way I can!

So help me God!

In Jesus name

Amen!