Authority
Authority: the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; jurisdiction; the right to control, command, or determine.
My experience in the military and how paramount authority is.
1. God is the Supreme Authority. We fall under God’s jurisdiction—Gen. 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26,28,29—10x we read the phrase “God said.” Several times those words are followed by the phrase “and it was so” (9). Creation proves God’s authority.
Psa. 115:3--Our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases.
Acts 1:7 shows Gods authority over time. “He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.”
Col. 2:9,10—“For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”
a. God delegated His authority to mankind over the earth. “God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.”(28)
Gen. 9:2—“The fear and terror of you will be in every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority.”
John 19:11—“You would have no authority over Me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above.”
Say to the person on your left, “God gave me authority.”
b. God extends His authority through His Son Jesus.
Dan. 7:13-14—“I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is onethat will not be destroyed.”
Mat. 8:9—“For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
Mat. 28:18—“Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
Luke 4:36—“Amazement came over them all, and they kept saying to one another, “What is this message? For He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!” One of the best proofs of Christ’s authority was the respect and obedience given to Him by His enemies the demons.
c. Jesus delegated His authority to His followers.
Mat. 10:1—“Summoning His 12 disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.”
Mat. 28:19--“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
2 Co. 10:8—“For if I boast some more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I am not ashamed.”
1 Timothy 1:3,5—“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, continue to remain at Ephesus so that you might command some to teach no other doctrine . . . Now the goal of this command is love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” (Modern English Version)
The word “command” in verses three and five is a military term that means “to give strict orders.” It emphasizes that the commanding should be done authoritatively. Paul is empowering Timothy to take firm action against Jews or Jewish Christians who taught the Mosaic law as well as Jewish myths and genealogies. Thirteen times in his letter to Timothy, Paul uses this word command.
Consider what a difference it would make if leaders, before they issued orders, did so from a foundation of love. “You must love those you lead before you can be an effective leader.”—General Eric Shinseki. Loving people helps prevent selfishness and hidden agendas. If orders came from a clear conscience they would be reputable and sound in content with no fear of improper second or third order effects. Finally, if the orders came from sincere faith, they would ultimately conform to God’s will and bring Him glory. Notice that love from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith all originate from what is inside a leader.
d. Because of our sin, Satan has authority over the world and its systems which are in rebellion against God.
Eph. 2:2—“In which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.” This should help us be more sympathetic towards those who are in authority but who don’t know Christ. They are under the direct influence of Satan who sows deception in all he does.
Rev. 2:13--
e. Because of our sin, God permits a hierarchy of authority on earth.
Had Adam and Eve not sinned authority would have come directly from God.
Daniel 2:21—“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”
Rom. 13:1,2—“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.”
1 Peter 2:13,14—“Submit to every human institution because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority, or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.”
f. God’s authority trumps man’s and Satan’s authority. Acts 5:29—“We must obey God rather than men.” God never asks us to submit to laws or obey decrees that violate His moral and higher authority. For example, we have the right to refuse unlawful orders or lawful orders that put us in direct violation of what God commands. We see in Rev. 1:4-6 the ultimate authority that God reveals in Jesus. “Grace and peace to you from the One who is, who was, and who is coming; from the seven spirits before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—the glory and dominion are His forever and ever. Amen.”
2. If we do not recognize and obey God’s authority we are set up for failure.
Gen. 2:16,17—“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
Rom. 13:2—“So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.”
Acts 5:34,35,38,39--“A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while He said to them, ‘Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re going to do to these men . . . And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.’ So they were persuaded by him.”
Every command of God that is violated comes with a consequence. If there were no consequences there would be no judgment.—Heb. 9:27. Acts 5:11--“Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.”
Authority is synonymous with solution. For example, if my car is breaking down, I go to a skilled mechanic. He diagnoses the symptoms and applies the correct work to make my car run. I can sit and listen to people talk about what’s wrong with my car and hear all kinds of ideas but it will not get fixed until it is treated by someone who knows what he is doing.
God is our genuine life Authority! He made us therefore He fully understands us. If we want to live life to its fullest we must follow His manual and operate under the leading (authority) of His Spirit. Then we can weather adversity, failure and pain knowing He is in control. Then we can stop relying on people or karma for our success. What governs us in turn defines us.
3. God’s authority demands our reverence and obedience.
Luke 12:5—“But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!”
Heb. 10:31—“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”
Deuteronomy 4:39,40—“Today, recognize and keep in mind that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other. Keep His statutes and commands, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper and so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you for all time.”
1 Kings 2:2,3—“As for me, I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and be courageous like a man, and keep your obligation to the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statues, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn, and so that the LORD will carry out His promise that He made to me: ‘If your sons are careful to walk faithfully before Me with their whole mind and heart, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’”
Luke 6:46—“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?”
Obligation is a noble word. It is the stuff of duty. It is the essence of binding and covenants. When we lose sight of this we compromise, we settle for pleasing our whims and find ourselves wimps. Love is not enhanced by erratic behavior. We don’t make champions out of two-faced people. Power and dignity, holiness and worship grow strong because you keep your obligation. When those around you see that you are faithful is it any wonder that they want what you have! Keep your obligation.
My experience in the military and how paramount authority is.
1. God is the Supreme Authority. We fall under God’s jurisdiction—Gen. 1:3,6,9,11,14,20,24,26,28,29—10x we read the phrase “God said.” Several times those words are followed by the phrase “and it was so” (9). Creation proves God’s authority.
- Scripture establishes God’s authority. In Job 34:13-15 Elihu notes, “Who gave Him authority over the earth? Who put Him in charge of the entire world? If He put His mind to it and withdrew the spirit and breath He gave, every living thing would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.”
Psa. 115:3--Our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases.
Acts 1:7 shows Gods authority over time. “He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.”
Col. 2:9,10—“For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”
- Power validates authority but love is what makes it effective and rewarding. The best leaders are the leaders who demonstrate to their followers that they truly care about them.
a. God delegated His authority to mankind over the earth. “God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.”(28)
Gen. 9:2—“The fear and terror of you will be in every living creature on the earth, every bird of the sky, every creature that crawls on the ground, and all the fish of the sea. They are placed under your authority.”
John 19:11—“You would have no authority over Me at all,” Jesus answered him, “if it hadn’t been given you from above.”
Say to the person on your left, “God gave me authority.”
b. God extends His authority through His Son Jesus.
Dan. 7:13-14—“I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is onethat will not be destroyed.”
Mat. 8:9—“For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
Mat. 28:18—“Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
Luke 4:36—“Amazement came over them all, and they kept saying to one another, “What is this message? For He commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out!” One of the best proofs of Christ’s authority was the respect and obedience given to Him by His enemies the demons.
c. Jesus delegated His authority to His followers.
Mat. 10:1—“Summoning His 12 disciples, He gave them authority over unclean spirits, to drive them out and to heal every disease and sickness.”
Mat. 28:19--“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
2 Co. 10:8—“For if I boast some more about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I am not ashamed.”
1 Timothy 1:3,5—“As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, continue to remain at Ephesus so that you might command some to teach no other doctrine . . . Now the goal of this command is love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience, and from sincere faith.” (Modern English Version)
The word “command” in verses three and five is a military term that means “to give strict orders.” It emphasizes that the commanding should be done authoritatively. Paul is empowering Timothy to take firm action against Jews or Jewish Christians who taught the Mosaic law as well as Jewish myths and genealogies. Thirteen times in his letter to Timothy, Paul uses this word command.
Consider what a difference it would make if leaders, before they issued orders, did so from a foundation of love. “You must love those you lead before you can be an effective leader.”—General Eric Shinseki. Loving people helps prevent selfishness and hidden agendas. If orders came from a clear conscience they would be reputable and sound in content with no fear of improper second or third order effects. Finally, if the orders came from sincere faith, they would ultimately conform to God’s will and bring Him glory. Notice that love from a pure heart, good conscience, and sincere faith all originate from what is inside a leader.
d. Because of our sin, Satan has authority over the world and its systems which are in rebellion against God.
Eph. 2:2—“In which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, the spirit now working in the disobedient.” This should help us be more sympathetic towards those who are in authority but who don’t know Christ. They are under the direct influence of Satan who sows deception in all he does.
Rev. 2:13--
e. Because of our sin, God permits a hierarchy of authority on earth.
Had Adam and Eve not sinned authority would have come directly from God.
Daniel 2:21—“He changes the times and seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”
Rom. 13:1,2—“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.”
1 Peter 2:13,14—“Submit to every human institution because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority, or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.”
f. God’s authority trumps man’s and Satan’s authority. Acts 5:29—“We must obey God rather than men.” God never asks us to submit to laws or obey decrees that violate His moral and higher authority. For example, we have the right to refuse unlawful orders or lawful orders that put us in direct violation of what God commands. We see in Rev. 1:4-6 the ultimate authority that God reveals in Jesus. “Grace and peace to you from the One who is, who was, and who is coming; from the seven spirits before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—the glory and dominion are His forever and ever. Amen.”
2. If we do not recognize and obey God’s authority we are set up for failure.
Gen. 2:16,17—“And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
Rom. 13:2—“So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.”
Acts 5:34,35,38,39--“A Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered the men to be taken outside for a little while He said to them, ‘Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re going to do to these men . . . And now, I tell you, stay away from these men and leave them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will be overthrown; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You may even be found fighting against God.’ So they were persuaded by him.”
Every command of God that is violated comes with a consequence. If there were no consequences there would be no judgment.—Heb. 9:27. Acts 5:11--“Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.”
Authority is synonymous with solution. For example, if my car is breaking down, I go to a skilled mechanic. He diagnoses the symptoms and applies the correct work to make my car run. I can sit and listen to people talk about what’s wrong with my car and hear all kinds of ideas but it will not get fixed until it is treated by someone who knows what he is doing.
God is our genuine life Authority! He made us therefore He fully understands us. If we want to live life to its fullest we must follow His manual and operate under the leading (authority) of His Spirit. Then we can weather adversity, failure and pain knowing He is in control. Then we can stop relying on people or karma for our success. What governs us in turn defines us.
3. God’s authority demands our reverence and obedience.
Luke 12:5—“But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!”
Heb. 10:31—“It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”
Deuteronomy 4:39,40—“Today, recognize and keep in mind that the LORD is God in heaven above and on earth below; there is no other. Keep His statutes and commands, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper and so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you for all time.”
1 Kings 2:2,3—“As for me, I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong and be courageous like a man, and keep your obligation to the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statues, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn, and so that the LORD will carry out His promise that He made to me: ‘If your sons are careful to walk faithfully before Me with their whole mind and heart, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’”
Luke 6:46—“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?”
Obligation is a noble word. It is the stuff of duty. It is the essence of binding and covenants. When we lose sight of this we compromise, we settle for pleasing our whims and find ourselves wimps. Love is not enhanced by erratic behavior. We don’t make champions out of two-faced people. Power and dignity, holiness and worship grow strong because you keep your obligation. When those around you see that you are faithful is it any wonder that they want what you have! Keep your obligation.
|
Contacts
|
