Hebrews 13:17; Obey your leaders and submit 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 would be unprofitable for you.
Men, obeying our leaders and submitting to them, is a difficult text to speak on because of our culture and direction most of us have come from. Our culture is anti-authoritarian and postmodern, and both ideas militate against obedience or submission.
Not sure how many of you have heard the term, Counterfeit Leadership. The responsibility of a leader is to lead. And those appointed under these leaders will support them without consignation. This means, all below will raise up those appointed above and obey and submit where necessary. The Greek words for “obey” and “submit” mean to obey and submit! The difference, if any, between the two words is that obedience implies going along with direction or commands, whereas submission involves an attitude. You can obey outwardly while seething with anger on the inside, but you aren’t submitting. Submission implies a sweet spirit of cooperation that stems from trust. You trust that the leaders have your best interests at heart, and so you go along with them.
God has constituted various levels of authority under His ultimate authority. The purpose for all authority is to protect and bless those under authority. God establishes the authority of Disciple Christian Motorcycle Club to protect and bless the God-filled Christian men called to this MC from those that would harm or take advantage of them. While James Johnson and the National leadership do their job's, the enemy are kept at bay, and the members of this MC can dwell in peace and continue to pursue our mission statement.
This flows down to all state charters. Just like in a church, James Johnson with guidance from God has appointed State Presidents and all officer positions (shepherds) to oversee the flock (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). They are not to lord it over the church, but rather to be examples to the flock (1 Pet. 5:3; 2 Cor. 1:24). On every level, those in authority are never in absolute authority. Every leader will give an account to God!
When is the church/MC responsible to obey and submit? Obviously, when the leaders teach God’s truth, especially on the essential doctrines and commands of the faith, we all must submit. It is not the leaders’ authority, but God’s, that we must submit to. If it is an area where godly Christians may differ, we must give grace to one another to disagree. But submission to godly leadership would require that if you disagree on a secondary matter, you would be disobeying God to lead this MC. There needs to be a respect shown toward the officers of those who has God appointed. Paul wrote to Titus (2:15), “These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority, Let no one disregard you.” To disregard Titus would have been to disregard God, whose word Titus preached.
I hope many of you will take to heart two simple applications. First, prepare your heart for ministering within this MC by taking some time during the week, to pray for our leaders at each level. Pray that your heart would be open and submissive to God’s Word. Spend a few minutes reading the Word and praying on it. Pray for the effectiveness of Disciple Christian Motorcycle Club and those whom are touched by it.
Gary Hippy Glover
Salty Few Crew
