EPISODE 812 – PRACTICAL WAYS TO HONOUR YOUR LEADERS 4 – Receive them with Joy

PRACTICAL WAYS TO HONOUR YOUR LEADERS 4 – Receive them with Joy

“Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem”

Philippians 2:29 (KJV)

The practical things you must do to honour your leaders according to the scriptures include:

1. Esteeming Your Leaders Very Highly in Love.
— This is also to honour and hype vehemently, superabundantly and in the most extraordinary degree of love.

2. Obeying Them with sincerity of heart.
— Leaders are your shepherds appointed and ordained by the Holy Spirit to guide you and care for your spiritual and total well-being. How will you be led rightly if you don’t obey and hear their voice?

3. The next practical way to honour your leader is to RECEIVE THEM IN LOVE.

To receive your leaders is to:

– Always welcome them with great and special hospitality because of their reputation.

As believers, we must always receive or be hospitable to the saints. We are all equal in Christ according to what we have obtained. But we are not all equal in the reputation of labour.

Those who labour must be received at the level of their reputation.

You demonstrate a special hospitality to these leaders because they deserve it.

We must all be honoured as saints. But Paul the apostle said something different when he instructed the Philippians to warmly welcome Epaphroditus.

“So warmly welcome him home in the Lord, with joyous love, and esteem him highly, for people like him deserve it” Philippians 2:29 (TPT)

Did you see the last phrase in the sentence?

“…for people like him deserve it.”
This kind of hospitality is for people labouring and making sacrifices as Epaphroditus.

You can identify such people by how Paul the apostle calls them:

– A companion and fellow soldier.
– He risked his life and came close to death for the work of Christ.

Paul the apostle mentioned a few others, like Epaphroditus:

In the same chapter, we see the example of Timothy as well.
– One with a kindred spirit who will be genuinely concerned for your spiritual welfare.
– One who doesn’t seek to advance his own interests.
– One who is tested and proven to serve the interests of Jesus Christ.
– One who labours to advance the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

Concerning the example of Phoebe:

“Now, let me introduce to you our dear and beloved sister in the faith, Phoebe, a shining minister of the church in Cenchrea. I am sending her with this letter and ask that you shower her with your hospitality when she arrives. Embrace her with honor, as is fitting for one who belongs to the Lord and is set apart for him. I am entrusting her to you, so provide her whatever she may need, for she’s been a great leader and champion for many—I know, for she’s been that for even me!” Romans 16:1-2 (TPT).

The brethren in Rome were to shower Deaconess Phoebe with their hospitality. And they were asked to embrace her with honour. Not just any kind of honour but one which is befitting for the one who belongs to the Lord and one who is set apart for him.

The hospitality of a believer is clearly distinct from the hospitality of the world.