All Christians should be godly and set good examples, but on top of that, God himself instructs the church to look at the lives of its leaders and follow. That is why there should be higher standards for leadership in the church than for membership in the church. This is also why failures in leaders are worse than failures in members. And why restoration to leadership should be much more difficult than restoration to membership. So again, the salvation of our hearers depends in some measure on the faithfulness of leaders to be watchful over themselves - their conduct as well as their doctrine.
Spiritual leaders watch the people.
If the people are to watch each other for the sake of stirring each other up to love, how much more the leaders. This is one of the reasons we believe so deeply in the small group ministry at our church. The elders cannot know all of you with the depth that one needs to know you to give you the kind of personal care and exhortation you should have. That is why we give a lot of energy to creating a system of cells where you can watch each other and strengthen each other's faith, and stir each other up to love, and call each other to account. Next, We Will Consider the Leaders' Joyfulness and Seriousness Here is where we will have to stop this week.