Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - How To Treat Your Next Pastor (Part 1)

May 21, 2026 | 27:29

Pathway to Victory offers a practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through the clear, biblical teaching of Pastor Jeffress.

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - How To Treat Your Next Pastor (Part 1) | May 21, 2026

Ephesus, thessaloniki, the greek islands.
00:00:00.156 --> 00:00:02.892
The apostle paul didn't just write about these places.
00:00:02.892 --> 00:00:05.728
He lived in them.
00:00:05.728 --> 00:00:06.896
And this may, so can you,
00:00:06.896 --> 00:00:08.865
On the pathway to victory journeys of paul cruise.
00:00:08.865 --> 00:00:11.935
I've read the book of acts my entire life,
00:00:11.935 --> 00:00:14.504
But there's nothing like standing in ephesus,
00:00:14.504 --> 00:00:17.574
Walking where paul walked
00:00:17.574 --> 00:00:19.109
And feeling the weight of what happened there.
00:00:19.109 --> 00:00:21.644
Nine unforgettable nights aboard celebrity infinity,
00:00:21.644 --> 00:00:24.747
Sailing round trip from athens
00:00:24.747 --> 00:00:26.449
With stops in mykonos, rhodes, santorini and more.
00:00:26.449 --> 00:00:30.353
And there's an optional pre-cruise extension in athens.
00:00:30.353 --> 00:00:33.890
Every port carries the fingerprints
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Of god's redemptive plan.
00:00:35.992 --> 00:00:37.794
Every ancient stone tells a story.
00:00:37.794 --> 00:00:40.497
This is truly the trip of a lifetime.
00:00:40.497 --> 00:00:42.899
And i promise you,
00:00:42.899 --> 00:00:44.300
You will never read the bible the same way again.
00:00:44.300 --> 00:00:47.604
Reserve your cabin today
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For the 2027 pathway to victory journeys of paul cruise.
00:00:49.372 --> 00:00:53.610
Call (888) 280-6747 or visit ptv.org.
00:00:53.610 --> 00:00:59.849
♪ music ♪
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From the pulpit of the first baptist church
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Of dallas, texas,
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This is pathway to victory with dr. robert jeffress.
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Hi, i'm robert jeffress.
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And welcome again to pathway to victory.
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From teaching style to operational management,
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Every pastor has his own preferred way
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Of handling responsibilities in the church
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And while some of those issues
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Can be left up to personal preference,
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The bible has some non-negotiable instruction
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Regarding a pastor's role as leader of a congregation.
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Today we're going to talk about the god-given responsibility
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Of spiritual leaders in the church.
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My message is titled how to treat your next pastor.
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On today's edition of pathway to victory.
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Each day millions of lost people are searching
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For hope and truth.
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Through pathway to victory,
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God's word is reaching into homes across america
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And around the world,
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But there are still so many
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Who haven't heard the saving message of jesus christ.
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You can help change that by becoming a pathway partner.
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You'll join a dedicated team of broadcast missionaries
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Who are sharing the gospel through television and radio.
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Your monthly support will help reach people worldwide
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With the life-changing power of the cross.
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♪ music ♪
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I love the story about the pastor
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Who was going to his first church
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And he was so excited about his future ministry.
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His first day in the office,
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His predecessor dropped by to see him.
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The former pastor had left the church
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Under a cloud of controversy
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And he came by to encourage his successor.
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He said, i want you to know i'm praying for you,
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But if you run into difficulty,
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And this is a tough church, if you run into difficulty,
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I've left three envelopes in the top desk drawer
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For you to use only if you need some encouragement.
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The new pastor thanked his predecessor
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But assured himself that he would
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Never need those envelopes.
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Well, he hadn't been there a week
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When he got accosted in the hallway
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By an irate sunday school member
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Who was furious over his sunday school class being too warm.
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And the new pastor was so discouraged
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He didn't know he was going to have to deal
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With things like that,
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And so he slithered back to his office
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And he pulled out that first envelope,
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Envelope number one,
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And it said, be not fearful or dismayed.
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I am with you, sayeth the lord.
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That made him feel better.
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A few weeks later he got a notice that the deacons
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Were calling a special meeting to discuss
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The declining attendance in the church
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And they wanted him to answer for it.
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Well, this discouraged him again,
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And so he remembered there was another envelope.
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He picked out envelope number two, opened it up,
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And it said, behold, i am with thee wherever thou goist.
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And that promise from the lord encouraged his heart.
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About three months later,
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The church called a special business meeting
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To fire the pastor over declining finances.
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And he was at the bottom,
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But thankfully, he remembered there was a final envelope.
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He went to his desk drawer, opened it up,
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Opened up envelope number three,
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And it said prepare three new envelopes.
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(audience laughing)
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You know, i thought of that story
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When i prepared this week's message.
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The title of it is how to treat your next pastor.
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Now, this is not a farewell sermon.
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Some of you are getting your hopes up.
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This is not a farewell sermon.
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I'm not going anywhere,
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But there's a reason that i titled this message
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The way i did and you'll see that in just a moment.
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Now, i have to admit to you, i've not been looking forward
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To this final message in our series in hebrews.
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I feel about it like i do about having a root canal.
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There's something else i'd rather be doing
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Than preaching this passage
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Because it is a difficult passage,
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Especially for me to preach.
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One reason it's difficult is because,
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Well, it's a sermon about me.
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It's about my responsibility to you here in the church
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And it's also about your responsibility toward me
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And the spiritual leadership of the church,
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And that's always a touchy topic.
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And so that's why i titled this sermon
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How to treat your next pastor.
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I want you to fast forward 20 years from now
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And imagine that i've gone and i'm up in heaven watching you
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And you've called a new, nameless,
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Faceless pastor to you right now.
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Let's think about how to treat him
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Rather than how to treat me
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Because i mean the fact is it's hard
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To separate principles from personalities.
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You know the military has a saying,
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We salute the uniform, not the person in the uniform.
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Well, it's the same way in the role of pastor.
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I'm not asking you to salute,
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But we're talking about the role
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And the responsibility of the pastor.
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The second reason this is a particularly hard subject
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To address is the potential abuse of the truth
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We're going to look at today.
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We all know pastors who have gone to the extreme
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Of becoming dictators in the church.
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A lack of accountability has led them into immorality.
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Or they've overexercised their authority
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And led the church into financial ruin,
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And none of us wants that extreme.
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But some churches go to the opposite extreme.
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They treat their pastors as nothing more
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Than hired hands do their bidding,
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To keep the temperature right in the sunday school class
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And all of those sorts of things.
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Neither extreme is biblical.
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Today, we're going to talk about what the role
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And the responsibility of spiritual leaders in the church is
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And the context of this passage is all-important.
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Turn over if you would to hebrews 13.
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Remember, the writer made that pivot in chapter 12.
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He said, let us run with endurance
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The race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on jesus,
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The author and finisher of our faith.
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He said, in difficult times, hebrew christians,
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Don't give up your faith.
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Don't go back into judaism.
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Keep running that race.
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And remember, last time we looked at two detours
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That will get you off track in your relationship with god.
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We talked about the detour of immorality,
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We talked about the detour of materialism,
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But now the writer's going to give us some encouragement.
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He's going to say, god has given you somebody
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To encourage you to stay on track
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In your relationship with god
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And that's the spiritual leader in the church.
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His job is to encourage you to stay on track
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And that's the theme of this passage we're going to look at.
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Now, when we come to hebrews 13,
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The bible is going to talk about
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Two kinds of spiritual leaders we need to follow.
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First of all, he talks about leaders from the past.
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Leaders from the past.
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Look at verse seven. our respect for past leaders.
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Remember those who led you,
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Who spoke the word of god to you,
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And considering the result of their conduct,
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Imitate their faith.
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That word remember literally means bring to mind,
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Call to mind those who have led you in the past,
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Those leaders who have gone on to heaven.
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He's not saying take a stroll down memory lane
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Just for the sake of old times sake.
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He's talking about remember them,
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Recall them, and imitate their faith.
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Do you remember when we used to wear those bracelets
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From 20 years ago?
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Everybody had them.
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Wwjd. what would jesus do?
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And the idea is, if you were in a difficult situation,
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You would ask yourself the question,
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What would the lord do in this situation?
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Well, the writer of hebrews is saying,
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When you get in a difficult spot,
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Ask yourself what would and insert the name of
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Somebody who's led you in the past
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That you had respect for,
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A spiritual leader, a pastor,
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Staff member, evangelist,
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Somebody who impacted your life,
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And imitate their faith.
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Now, some people would say,
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Well, i thought we were just supposed
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To fix our eyes on jesus.
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We're not supposed to look at other people,
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Just imitate jesus.
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Did you know that's exactly
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What the carnal corinthian christians,
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Some of them, were saying to paul?
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Paul said there are divisions in your church.
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Some are saying we follow peter.
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Others say we follow apollos.
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And some of you are saying we only follow jesus.
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That wasn't a commendation, that was a condemnation.
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He said you're refusing to follow the leaders
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God has placed upon you.
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Instead, you're just saying you follow jesus.
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No, god says, yes, we're to keep our eyes on jesus,
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But we also need flesh and blood examples
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That we can look at to imitate their faith,
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And that's why paul said in 1 corinthians 11:1,
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Be imitators.
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Literally, be mimics of me,
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Even as i am a mimic, an imitator of jesus christ.
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We need leaders, certainly in our past,
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That we can look up to and ask ourselves the question,
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When we get in a tight place,
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What would this leader have said to me?
00:11:05.488 --> 00:11:08.090
What was his counsel to me when he was alive and teaching?
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What would he do in this situation?
00:11:12.461 --> 00:11:14.930
I hope in your gallery of memories,
00:11:14.930 --> 00:11:17.900
There are past leaders who have made an impact upon you
00:11:17.900 --> 00:11:21.604
And your family that you can mimic,
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That you can imitate.
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Years ago, i remember going in
00:11:27.009 --> 00:11:28.811
To say goodnight to our oldest daughter, julia.
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She was about 10 at the time,
00:11:31.080 --> 00:11:33.482
And she was sitting up in bed reading
00:11:33.482 --> 00:11:37.086
A biography of billy graham.
00:11:37.086 --> 00:11:40.456
Even when she was a little girl,
00:11:40.456 --> 00:11:41.891
She was so interested in evangelism and sharing her faith
00:11:41.891 --> 00:11:45.561
And she was reading this biography of billy graham.
00:11:45.561 --> 00:11:47.696
And so i got to tell her about billy graham
00:11:47.696 --> 00:11:52.134
And about the impact he had had on our family's life
00:11:52.134 --> 00:11:55.304
And i told her the story about when my mother,
00:11:55.304 --> 00:11:58.674
For whom julia is named, in 1954,
00:11:58.674 --> 00:12:02.011
When she was pregnant with me,
00:12:02.011 --> 00:12:03.679
That she went to the cotton bowl crusade here in dallas.
00:12:03.679 --> 00:12:07.683
She wasn't a christian,
00:12:07.683 --> 00:12:09.351
And under the preaching of billy graham,
00:12:09.351 --> 00:12:11.253
She became a christian
00:12:11.253 --> 00:12:13.055
And she ended up joining first baptist church of dallas
00:12:13.055 --> 00:12:16.358
The same day that billy graham joined the church
00:12:16.358 --> 00:12:19.662
Where he was a member here for 54 years.
00:12:19.662 --> 00:12:21.964
And i told her the story about
00:12:21.964 --> 00:12:23.999
How my mom and my dad passed that faith on to me,
00:12:23.999 --> 00:12:28.370
And how amy and i have passed it on to her,
00:12:28.370 --> 00:12:31.607
And then now to watch as an adult how she and ryan
00:12:31.607 --> 00:12:35.277
Are passing that faith on to their children.
00:12:35.277 --> 00:12:38.080
On and on it goes, all because of 70 years ago,
00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:41.684
A man who made a great investment
00:12:41.684 --> 00:12:44.620
And passed on his faith to us and to so many others.
00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:49.491
I was thinking about that just this week
00:12:49.491 --> 00:12:52.661
As i prepared this message about remembering
00:12:52.661 --> 00:12:55.231
Those who have impacted your life in the past
00:12:55.231 --> 00:12:59.001
And as i was writing these thoughts down, out of the blue,
00:12:59.001 --> 00:13:02.304
I got a letter from a man named david bruce.
00:13:02.304 --> 00:13:06.208
David bruce for years
00:13:06.208 --> 00:13:08.677
Was the personal assistant to billy graham.
00:13:08.677 --> 00:13:11.213
He spent every day with billy up until the day dr. graham
00:13:11.213 --> 00:13:15.784
Went home to be with the lord.
00:13:15.784 --> 00:13:17.720
And david bruce wrote me these words.
00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:19.788
He said i simply write to thank you
00:13:19.788 --> 00:13:22.958
For your faithful preaching
00:13:22.958 --> 00:13:24.360
And far reaching ministry
00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:26.562
Through the pulpit of first baptist dallas.
00:13:26.562 --> 00:13:29.665
For mr. graham, there were welcoming, sweet memories
00:13:29.665 --> 00:13:33.135
Of your predecessor, dr. criswell,
00:13:33.135 --> 00:13:35.571
And of you and the impact
00:13:35.571 --> 00:13:37.907
The church had on mr. graham's life and times.
00:13:37.907 --> 00:13:41.710
He fondly would say that he was half-texan
00:13:41.710 --> 00:13:44.847
And loved every minute of it.
00:13:44.847 --> 00:13:47.216
Recently, my travels took me to dallas
00:13:47.216 --> 00:13:50.052
And i had a brief moment to pass by your church
00:13:50.052 --> 00:13:53.522
And to pray for you
00:13:53.522 --> 00:13:54.890
And the good folks of first baptist dallas.
00:13:54.890 --> 00:13:57.893
During the covid sequestering in north carolina,
00:13:57.893 --> 00:14:01.096
I was privileged to hear you preach sunday after sunday
00:14:01.096 --> 00:14:05.267
And am so grateful for your biblical convictions
00:14:05.267 --> 00:14:08.637
Of the strength of your holy spirit-empowered proclamation.
00:14:08.637 --> 00:14:12.708
Praise god for your church's extensive ministry.
00:14:12.708 --> 00:14:17.579
Remember that there are those who love
00:14:17.579 --> 00:14:19.882
And appreciate the historic church in dallas
00:14:19.882 --> 00:14:22.918
As well as your current ministry.
00:14:22.918 --> 00:14:25.387
That was such an encouragement,
00:14:26.021 --> 00:14:27.389
To me, it was kind of a circle of spiritual life.
00:14:27.389 --> 00:14:30.326
Here is a man 70+ years ago
00:14:30.326 --> 00:14:33.395
Who impacted my family and me
00:14:33.395 --> 00:14:36.799
And so many of you,
00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:38.434
And then to know that we had an impact on his life
00:14:38.434 --> 00:14:42.404
And we're sharing that faith with people all over the world.
00:14:42.404 --> 00:14:46.575
Hopefully, you've got people in your life like that
00:14:46.575 --> 00:14:49.078
That you can look to and thank god for.
00:14:49.078 --> 00:14:52.881
We're to respect our past leaders.
00:14:53.649 --> 00:14:56.552
Frankly, that's easier to do
00:14:56.552 --> 00:15:00.255
Than when it comes to our current leaders.
00:15:00.255 --> 00:15:02.725
You know, somebody said,
00:15:02.725 --> 00:15:04.059
We tend to immortalize leaders of the past
00:15:04.059 --> 00:15:06.729
While treating our current leaders
00:15:06.729 --> 00:15:09.164
Like faces on a dartboard.
00:15:09.164 --> 00:15:11.567
Unfortunately, that's true in too many churches
00:15:11.567 --> 00:15:14.703
And that's why the writer of hebrews talks about
00:15:14.703 --> 00:15:17.206
Our responsibility to leaders in the present.
00:15:17.206 --> 00:15:19.842
Beginning with verse 17, he says,
00:15:19.842 --> 00:15:22.544
Obey your leaders and submit to them,
00:15:22.544 --> 00:15:26.148
For they keep watch over your souls
00:15:26.148 --> 00:15:28.550
As those who will give an account.
00:15:28.550 --> 00:15:31.820
Let them do this with joy and not with grief,
00:15:31.820 --> 00:15:35.057
For this would be unprofitable for you.
00:15:35.057 --> 00:15:39.094
I can sense some people are already tensing up.
00:15:40.029 --> 00:15:43.999
Obey your leaders? why in the world would i do that?
00:15:43.999 --> 00:15:49.238
Let's admit there's a difficulty
00:15:49.872 --> 00:15:52.808
In this command for all of us.
00:15:52.808 --> 00:15:55.511
One reason this is a difficult command to obey
00:15:55.511 --> 00:15:58.747
Is we all have a natural resistance
00:15:58.747 --> 00:16:02.184
To obeying any kind of authority.
00:16:02.184 --> 00:16:04.219
That's in red.
00:16:04.219 --> 00:16:05.487
First samuel 15:23 talks about rebellion
00:16:05.487 --> 00:16:09.258
Being like the sin of witchcraft.
00:16:09.258 --> 00:16:11.927
We all resist obeying other people, don't we?
00:16:11.927 --> 00:16:14.496
Children resist obeying their parents.
00:16:14.496 --> 00:16:17.099
Wives find it difficult to submit to their husbands.
00:16:17.099 --> 00:16:20.235
Men find it difficult to obey
00:16:20.235 --> 00:16:22.071
Their employers or the government.
00:16:22.071 --> 00:16:24.139
We all find it difficult to obey other people,
00:16:24.139 --> 00:16:29.411
And yet in 1 corinthians 11:3
00:16:30.045 --> 00:16:32.881
Paul says all of us are under somebody's authority.
00:16:32.881 --> 00:16:36.085
Remember what paul said?
00:16:36.085 --> 00:16:37.386
He said that the man is the head of the woman,
00:16:37.386 --> 00:16:41.490
That christ is the head of every man,
00:16:41.490 --> 00:16:43.959
And god is the head of christ.
00:16:43.959 --> 00:16:46.895
Even jesus himself was under somebody's authority.
00:16:46.895 --> 00:16:50.666
God puts us all, every one of us,
00:16:50.666 --> 00:16:54.136
Under somebody's authority.
00:16:54.136 --> 00:16:56.572
First of all, it's the only way
00:16:56.572 --> 00:16:57.906
You maintain order in your home,
00:16:57.906 --> 00:17:00.409
In your business, in your church, in your country,
00:17:00.409 --> 00:17:04.213
Is if there's a clear line of authority.
00:17:04.213 --> 00:17:06.715
The late, great adrian rogers used to say
00:17:06.715 --> 00:17:09.685
Anything in nature with two heads is a freak
00:17:09.685 --> 00:17:13.555
And anything with no head is dead.
00:17:13.555 --> 00:17:16.191
There has to be a head of any organization to keep order,
00:17:16.191 --> 00:17:20.896
And i think god puts us
00:17:20.896 --> 00:17:23.599
Not only under authority to maintain order,
00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:26.235
But to also help us learn how to obey christ.
00:17:26.235 --> 00:17:29.505
I mean, if we can't obey the human authority
00:17:29.505 --> 00:17:31.840
That we see every day,
00:17:31.840 --> 00:17:33.242
How in the world will we learn
00:17:33.242 --> 00:17:34.676
To be obedient to a god we have not seen?
00:17:34.676 --> 00:17:38.013
So, let's all admit
00:17:38.013 --> 00:17:39.248
There's a natural resistance to authority.
00:17:39.248 --> 00:17:41.650
But a second reason this is difficult
00:17:41.650 --> 00:17:44.253
Is the possible abuse of authority.
00:17:44.253 --> 00:17:48.457
I think every one of us here could give an example
00:17:48.457 --> 00:17:51.226
Of some leader we either have known personally
00:17:51.226 --> 00:17:54.363
Or known of who has abused his place of authority
00:17:54.363 --> 00:17:58.133
And especially in the church.
00:17:58.133 --> 00:18:00.269
There's some of you watching right now,
00:18:00.269 --> 00:18:03.172
You may have been in an abusive situation
00:18:03.172 --> 00:18:07.009
Where you were abused by a spiritual authority in the church
00:18:07.009 --> 00:18:10.412
And you said, i'm never getting
00:18:10.412 --> 00:18:12.114
In that kind of situation again.
00:18:12.114 --> 00:18:15.117
Well, let's admit there are some bad leaders out there.
00:18:15.117 --> 00:18:21.023
And how do we handle leaders
00:18:21.623 --> 00:18:23.492
Who abuse their place of spiritual leadership?
00:18:23.492 --> 00:18:27.563
Let's talk about that for just a moment.
00:18:27.563 --> 00:18:30.199
In jesus' day, the abusive spiritual leaders
00:18:30.199 --> 00:18:34.336
Were called the pharisees
00:18:34.336 --> 00:18:36.505
And they were a group of jewish leaders
00:18:36.505 --> 00:18:38.540
Who placed their tradition above god's word.
00:18:38.540 --> 00:18:43.345
In fact, jesus said they were hypocrites,
00:18:43.345 --> 00:18:45.581
Because they came up with regulations for other people
00:18:45.581 --> 00:18:48.517
That they themselves were unwilling to follow.
00:18:48.517 --> 00:18:51.453
And listen to what jesus said about them in matthew 15,
00:18:51.453 --> 00:18:54.456
Hold your place here and go over to matthew 15.
00:18:54.456 --> 00:18:57.526
Jesus' harshest criticisms were not leveled
00:18:57.526 --> 00:19:00.062
Against adulterers, murderers, thieves.
00:19:00.062 --> 00:19:02.564
It was against hypocritical religious leaders.
00:19:02.564 --> 00:19:05.701
Look at 15:1-14.
00:19:05.701 --> 00:19:08.971
Then some pharisees and scribes came to jesus from jerusalem
00:19:08.971 --> 00:19:13.041
And they said why do your disciples break
00:19:13.041 --> 00:19:16.812
The tradition of the elders,
00:19:16.812 --> 00:19:18.680
For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread?
00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:21.750
This was pre-covid.
00:19:21.750 --> 00:19:23.218
They weren't washing their hands when they eat bread.
00:19:23.218 --> 00:19:26.455
Now, that was a tradition.
00:19:26.455 --> 00:19:29.791
They were concerned that the disciples
00:19:29.791 --> 00:19:32.127
Weren't following their traditions
00:19:32.127 --> 00:19:33.762
Instead of the word of god,
00:19:33.762 --> 00:19:35.697
And so jesus called them out on it.
00:19:35.697 --> 00:19:37.599
He said to them why do you yourselves transgress
00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:41.136
The commandment of god for the sake of your tradition?
00:19:41.136 --> 00:19:44.940
And then he goes on and gives example after example
00:19:44.940 --> 00:19:47.776
Of where the pharisees were placing
00:19:47.776 --> 00:19:49.745
Their tradition above god's word.
00:19:49.745 --> 00:19:52.014
Now, skip down to verse 12.
00:19:52.014 --> 00:19:53.682
Then, the disciples came and said to jesus,
00:19:53.682 --> 00:19:56.551
Do you know that the pharisees were offended
00:19:56.551 --> 00:19:59.721
When they heard this statement?
00:19:59.721 --> 00:20:02.157
Ooh, the pharisees are upset.
00:20:02.791 --> 00:20:06.662
Jesus couldn't have cared less.
00:20:06.662 --> 00:20:09.398
Notice what he said in verse 13,
00:20:09.398 --> 00:20:11.633
But jesus answered and he said,
00:20:11.633 --> 00:20:13.935
Every plant which my heavenly father did not plant
00:20:13.935 --> 00:20:19.274
Shall be uprooted, but you let them alone.
00:20:20.175 --> 00:20:24.646
Let them alone, for they are blind guides of the blind,
00:20:25.747 --> 00:20:29.518
And if a blind man guides a blind man,
00:20:29.518 --> 00:20:31.887
Both will fall into the pit.
00:20:31.887 --> 00:20:34.589
Isn't that interesting?
00:20:34.589 --> 00:20:35.891
He didn't say get rid of the pharisees,
00:20:35.891 --> 00:20:37.359
Vote them out of office.
00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:38.327
He said leave them alone.
00:20:38.327 --> 00:20:39.961
They will self-implode
00:20:40.462 --> 00:20:42.297
And they'll take everybody who's following them
00:20:42.297 --> 00:20:44.433
Down with them.
00:20:44.433 --> 00:20:45.901
Leave them alone.
00:20:45.901 --> 00:20:47.302
How do you handle a spiritual abusive leader?
00:20:47.302 --> 00:20:50.405
Now, listen to me.
00:20:50.405 --> 00:20:51.973
The bible says there are two reasons to get rid of a leader,
00:20:51.973 --> 00:20:55.577
A pastor, two reasons.
00:20:55.577 --> 00:20:58.246
Reason number one, if he preaches heresy.
00:20:58.246 --> 00:21:01.850
If i ever stand in this pulpit
00:21:02.484 --> 00:21:04.886
And deny the deity of jesus christ,
00:21:04.886 --> 00:21:08.256
The inspiration of the scripture,
00:21:08.256 --> 00:21:09.658
The blood atonement of christ for our sins,
00:21:09.658 --> 00:21:11.660
The literal return of jesus christ one day,
00:21:11.660 --> 00:21:15.130
If i ever deny those basics,
00:21:15.130 --> 00:21:16.965
I'm not talking about, you know,
00:21:16.965 --> 00:21:18.467
There's the tribulation and the rapture
00:21:18.467 --> 00:21:20.736
And come before or after the millennium.
00:21:20.736 --> 00:21:22.337
I'm not talking about that.
00:21:22.337 --> 00:21:23.605
I'm talking about basic bible doctrine,
00:21:23.605 --> 00:21:26.942
The basics of the faith.
00:21:26.942 --> 00:21:28.176
If i ever deny those truths,
00:21:28.176 --> 00:21:31.513
You need to call a business meeting
00:21:31.513 --> 00:21:33.048
And fire me as your pastor.
00:21:33.048 --> 00:21:35.384
There's no place for that.
00:21:35.384 --> 00:21:37.519
The second reason to get rid of a leader is immorality.
00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:42.958
1 timothy 5:19 talks about not just an accusation
00:21:43.959 --> 00:21:48.096
Against a pastor, but if you have proof
00:21:48.096 --> 00:21:51.700
On the basis of two or three eyewitnesses,
00:21:51.700 --> 00:21:54.403
You're to get rid of him.
00:21:54.403 --> 00:21:57.339
But any other offense outside of that,
00:21:58.173 --> 00:22:01.410
What does jesus say?
00:22:01.410 --> 00:22:03.478
Leave them alone.
00:22:03.478 --> 00:22:05.113
Leave them alone. let god deal with it.
00:22:05.113 --> 00:22:07.716
I had a deacon who called me from another church
00:22:07.716 --> 00:22:11.153
And he told me this story.
00:22:11.153 --> 00:22:12.754
He said he was not pleased with the pastor,
00:22:12.754 --> 00:22:15.390
The current pastor that they had,
00:22:15.390 --> 00:22:17.826
And some other deacons came to him and said,
00:22:17.826 --> 00:22:20.429
We sense you are as upset with this pastor as we are.
00:22:20.429 --> 00:22:24.599
We want you to join us in removing the pastor from office.
00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:29.104
And this deacon said, i told them no.
00:22:29.104 --> 00:22:31.907
They were astonished. they said, well, why not?
00:22:32.908 --> 00:22:35.510
He said, if we uproot this pastor,
00:22:35.510 --> 00:22:40.215
We will also uproot the other members in the church
00:22:40.215 --> 00:22:44.085
Who revere him and respect him.
00:22:44.085 --> 00:22:46.488
We can't do that.
00:22:46.488 --> 00:22:48.590
Leave him alone and let god deal with it.
00:22:48.590 --> 00:22:51.393
That's what jesus was saying here.
00:22:51.393 --> 00:22:53.495
If you try to uproot somebody that the father did not plant,
00:22:53.495 --> 00:22:58.700
It will hurt other people in the process as well.
00:22:59.701 --> 00:23:02.637
Now, i'm talking to some of you right now
00:23:02.637 --> 00:23:04.940
Watching this message,
00:23:04.940 --> 00:23:06.441
You're in a church and you don't care for your pastor.
00:23:06.441 --> 00:23:08.643
You disagree with him.
00:23:08.643 --> 00:23:10.812
Pray for him.
00:23:10.812 --> 00:23:11.947
If you need to, go talk to him
00:23:12.581 --> 00:23:14.249
And share your concern in a spirit of love.
00:23:14.249 --> 00:23:18.119
And if you still can't resolve it,
00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:20.755
Don't try to get rid of him.
00:23:20.755 --> 00:23:22.057
Don't lead a rebellion.
00:23:22.057 --> 00:23:23.391
Don't be guilty of disenchanting
00:23:23.391 --> 00:23:26.561
And disillusioning to other christians.
00:23:26.561 --> 00:23:29.397
Go find a church.
00:23:29.397 --> 00:23:31.099
Go find a pastor that you respect
00:23:31.099 --> 00:23:34.002
And whose authority you can follow.
00:23:34.002 --> 00:23:36.137
That's the way you deal with leaders
00:23:36.137 --> 00:23:39.140
That you don't agree with.
00:23:39.140 --> 00:23:45.647
There's more i want to show you
00:23:46.281 --> 00:23:47.682
In this 13th chapter of hebrews.
00:23:47.682 --> 00:23:49.551
So, make plans to join us again next time
00:23:49.551 --> 00:23:52.521
For the final message in our series, spiritual fitness.
00:23:52.521 --> 00:23:57.025
Now, in closing today i'd like to affirm
00:23:57.025 --> 00:23:59.060
Those of you who have given generously
00:23:59.060 --> 00:24:01.229
To pathway to victory.
00:24:01.229 --> 00:24:03.031
Our country has gone through difficult trials
00:24:03.031 --> 00:24:05.467
In the last 12 months
00:24:05.467 --> 00:24:07.235
And it's been unsettling to say the least.
00:24:07.235 --> 00:24:10.338
And yet god's people have pulled together
00:24:10.338 --> 00:24:13.341
To ensure that pathway to victory has a voice,
00:24:13.341 --> 00:24:16.811
And for millions of people around the world,
00:24:16.811 --> 00:24:19.047
Your gift has become a spiritual lifeline
00:24:19.047 --> 00:24:22.584
Because our television and radio ministries
00:24:22.584 --> 00:24:25.253
Have become a place of solace and truth for so many people.
00:24:25.253 --> 00:24:29.724
So, to all of our pathway partners
00:24:29.724 --> 00:24:31.826
And anyone who gives a gift, please keep up the good work.
00:24:31.826 --> 00:24:37.098
God is using your generosity
00:24:37.699 --> 00:24:39.267
To pierce the darkness with the light of his word.
00:24:39.267 --> 00:24:42.837
Now, stay right there.
00:24:42.837 --> 00:24:44.406
I'll be back with more pathway to victory in just a moment.
00:24:44.406 --> 00:24:48.643
Dr. robert jeffress has written a book
00:24:48.643 --> 00:24:50.545
To help you rediscover the joy of time with god.
00:24:50.545 --> 00:24:53.882
It's called spiritual essentials.
00:24:53.882 --> 00:24:56.117
In spiritual essentials, i share three simple,
00:24:56.117 --> 00:24:59.621
Deeply personal ways you can make god's word
00:24:59.621 --> 00:25:02.557
A meaningful part of your everyday life,
00:25:02.557 --> 00:25:05.460
Including a practical plan to help you get started today.
00:25:05.460 --> 00:25:09.731
These are the same strategies i use in my own bible study.
00:25:09.731 --> 00:25:13.768
I'll also show you how to pray with purpose
00:25:13.768 --> 00:25:16.338
And confidence for your children and grandchildren.
00:25:16.338 --> 00:25:20.041
Whether you've been walking with god for decades
00:25:20.041 --> 00:25:22.077
Or you're just getting started,
00:25:22.077 --> 00:25:23.411
Spiritual essentials will help you
00:25:23.411 --> 00:25:25.146
Get back to the basics of your faith
00:25:25.146 --> 00:25:27.382
And experience god's presence in a fresh, new way.
00:25:27.382 --> 00:25:31.219
Request your copy of spiritual essentials
00:25:31.219 --> 00:25:33.555
When you give a generous gift to support
00:25:33.555 --> 00:25:35.557
The ministry of pathway to victory.
00:25:35.557 --> 00:25:37.659
And when you give $50 or more,
00:25:37.659 --> 00:25:39.794
We'll also send you
00:25:39.794 --> 00:25:41.096
The complete spiritual fitness teaching series
00:25:41.096 --> 00:25:43.698
On both cd and dvd.
00:25:43.698 --> 00:25:45.734
When we go through fiery problems in our life,
00:25:45.734 --> 00:25:49.771
Sometimes those problems can strengthen us,
00:25:49.771 --> 00:25:54.175
But sometimes they can cause our faith to shatter.
00:25:54.175 --> 00:25:57.646
Thank you for giving generously to pathway to victory.
00:25:57.646 --> 00:26:01.016
Every day, your support makes it possible
00:26:01.016 --> 00:26:03.218
To reach people across the nation and around the world
00:26:03.218 --> 00:26:06.187
With the practical, life-changing truth of god's word,
00:26:06.187 --> 00:26:09.924
Transforming lives, strengthening families,
00:26:09.924 --> 00:26:13.228
And pointing a lost world toward hope in jesus christ.
00:26:13.228 --> 00:26:19.134
The writer's command to obey and submit to your leaders
00:26:20.235 --> 00:26:23.805
Is a difficult one for multiple reasons,
00:26:23.805 --> 00:26:26.908
But apart from an abusive pastor
00:26:26.908 --> 00:26:29.277
Who needs to be removed from his position,
00:26:29.277 --> 00:26:31.946
The bible firmly instructs us
00:26:31.946 --> 00:26:34.015
To respect our pastor's authority.
00:26:34.015 --> 00:26:37.352
And next time, we're going to talk about
00:26:37.352 --> 00:26:39.154
The meaning of this command.
00:26:39.154 --> 00:26:41.256
Whom are we to follow?
00:26:41.256 --> 00:26:43.058
What are we supposed to do?
00:26:43.058 --> 00:26:44.859
And why should we respond this way?
00:26:44.859 --> 00:26:47.562
Stay tuned for a preview
00:26:47.562 --> 00:26:48.863
Of what's coming up next on pathway to victory.
00:26:48.863 --> 00:26:52.600
If you don't have somebody watching out for your soul,
00:26:53.702 --> 00:26:58.306
Get under the authority of a local church.
00:26:59.174 --> 00:27:02.243
You know, in our american individualistic society,
00:27:02.243 --> 00:27:05.313
We think all we need is just me
00:27:05.313 --> 00:27:07.816
And my relationship with god.
00:27:07.816 --> 00:27:09.250
That's enough. i don't need other people.
00:27:09.250 --> 00:27:11.720
No, we need one another.
00:27:11.720 --> 00:27:14.122
That's why god created the church.
00:27:14.122 --> 00:27:17.092
Set your dvr and join us next time
00:27:17.092 --> 00:27:19.427
For part two of the message,
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How to treat your next pastor.
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Here on pathway to victory.
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Robert Jeffress - How To Treat Your Next Pastor (Part 1)

May 21, 2026 | 27:29

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