Hebrews 13:17 says,
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

One of the most common ways we hear this verse taught is for people to submit to their leaders.  This is because the sentence is written to the people.  However, as a leader, I read it a different way.  (As I’m sure most leaders do)

I hear it, “Phud, you are to keep a watch over their souls.  You will give an account.”

That haunts me.  It keeps me awake at night.  There is a weight here.  A massive weight, that if a pastor does not feel this, if it doesn’t keep him awake at night knowing that he must keep watch over their souls, that he will have to stand before God and give an account for their souls, if he doesn’t feel this massive weight, then, he should not be a pastor.
Further, IF we must keep watch over their souls and IF we must give an account, then what does this say that our ministry should be made up of?
It cannot be made up of games, jokes, silliness and egos.  It must be shaped by the Word of God.

Christ must be preached.  Christ must be prized.  Christ must be treasured.  The Gospel must be proclaimed.
Our worship must be authentic.  Our lives must be lived with intensity.  We must walk daily with the sobering thought that there are people around us who will spend an eternity in conscious eternal torment without Christ.  We must reach them.  We must be willing to give ourselves away for them.  We must live in such a way that we HATE our sin and wage war against it and by the Spirit put our sin to death.

James 3:1 tells us clearly,
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

There is a weight.  If you are a leader, then do you feel it?