The Canopy of God’s Provision
Submission to Human Authority (Part III)
3-10-02
In previous messages we have discussed:
I.The Appointment of Human Authority Comes from God.
II.All Human Authority is Limited in its Scope.
III.Submission to Human Authority is NOT based upon our Respect for the Person but Position!
IV. Rebellion against Human Authority Comes Out of A Prideful Discontent with God’s Choices.
V. God Defends Authority as Authority!
*** Is there Benefit to be Gained by submitting???
Is this just something we do because God said to or in God’s economy of things is He trying to give us something through human authority that we need?
I want to suggest that there is much to be gained by a submissive spirit toward authority and there is much to be lost through rebellion against authority.
David’s son, Absolom, was a bright, energetic, handsome prince. He had everything going for him except a humble, submissive spirit. In the end, all his talent, all his ability, all his appeal and leadership were not enough to gain him the throne. Instead his life ended in judgment and he lost everything including his life.
Truth #
VI.God Guides, Protects, and Blesses thru Human Authority
One most common Questions Asked as a Pastor=
“How can I know will of God for my life?"
I’m not sure what God wants me to do or I know what He wants me to do but I’m not sure how He wants me to do it.” Certainly there are principles in the word of God that can help us know the right thing to do.
There is the subjective guidance we receive directly from the Holy Spirit-we Pentecostals know that hearing God in our spirit is a valid part of guidance. But sometimes the one thing we don’t want to receive is the Guidance that comes thru submission to human authority.
We want to be self-contained, a law unto myself—“just me & Jesus. After all How do I know those other people, those in authority over me, can even hear the Lord?” How do you know you are hearing him accurately? Over the long run, guidance comes to our lives as we operate in scriptural principles-and when we are resisting one of those principles we have a hard time knowing the mind of the Lord. Not only do we need the word of God abiding in our hearts, not only do we need to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, but we also need to be in right relationship to authority.
Let me share a few proverbs that confirms that perspective:
Prov 12:15
15The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. NKJV
Why do I need authority? I’ve already got it all figured out anyway.)
Prov 21:2
2Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the hearts. NKJV
Prov.15:12(TEV) “Conceited people do not like to be corrected;they never ask advice from those who are wise.”
One of the benefits of being submitted to authority is that you get another perspective on your decisions and often you are drawing on more years of experience.
Rebellion is not always active and aggressive. Sometimes its simply a passive withdrawal from authority- a kind of disconnect that allows one to do his own thing.
Prov 18:1-2 A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment. 2A fool has no delight in understanding, but in expressing his own heart. NKJV
Here is where humility comes in. Why am I so sure that I can get God’s guidance alone better than under authority and in the context of the body? Is that perhaps an indicator of conceit?
Here is where Faith comes in. Do I believe that God is big enough and involved enough to turn the king’s heart if need be in order to direct my path? Here is what Bible says about that:
Prov. 21:2 (NKJV)“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like rivers of water, He turns wherever He wishes.”
The issue of faith is-do I really believe that? If I do then I see submission as submission to God and not just to man.
God did that for Nehemiah when he prayed. God gave him favor with the king so that the purposes of God could be fulfilled. God brings guidance to our lives through human authority and when we refuse that, we cut ourselves off from something important and we get confused and disoriented.
Authority brings order into our lives. “God is not the author of confusion.”(1) Why do we pull back from authority? Authority brings restrictions, boundaries, accountability. We don’t always want those kind of limitations imposed upon our lives.
But do the boundaries harm us? No, they ultimately serve our highest good. They provide Protection from destruction. They Protect us from ourselves! They provide guidance into the purposes of God for our lives.
Prov. 10:8(LB) “The wise man is glad to receive instruction...
(How does instruction usually come? It usually comes through authority-parental,pastoral, or perhaps the boss on the job.)
...But a self-sufficient fool falls flat on his face.”
Oh the pain I could have saved myself during my late teen, early adult years if I had just received instruction rather than thinking I knew it all. It’s been an amazing journey for me to go from thinking I had it all figured out to wandering at times if I really know anything as I ought to know it. I heard about a book someone wrote entitled something like What I Learned after I Knew it All. I thought I need to read that book.
Prov 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. NKJV
Conceit will cause us to pull back from authority.
Humility will cause us to seek it out.
When I come under God-given authority, I come under a covering; I come under protection. That means I don’t have to fight all the battles or carry all the load. That is rather attractive to me. Where people are not properly submitted to authority there is bickering & strife & and all kinds of confusion. But where authority is functioning properly there is peace- and the fruit of the Spirit is peace.
Prov. 20:8(NKJV) “A king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters all evil with his eyes.”
All it takes from him is a glance of disapproval and that one glance can eliminate days of clamor and contention. Authority brings order. Authority lays issues to rest so that we get on with doing what we need to do. If a home is full of chaos, if a workplace is full of strife, if a church is full of division you can be sure somehow, somewhere authority is not functioning properly.
Eccl 8:3-6 TEV
4The king acts with authority, and no one can challenge what he does. 5As long as you obey his commands, you are safe…”
A couple of weeks ago Mary Wilson shared some good insight on Queen Esther’s regard for authority. From our perspective as Americans the authority structures in the Persian culture would seem to horribly autocratic. But the thing we need to see is the wisdom of God in Esther as she honored authority, looked to God for favor with authority, informed and appealed to authority. The scepter of the king represented his authority. When the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther that was an indication of favor toward her. In other words, the authority was being exercised not in judgment toward her but in blessing toward her. We want authority over us to signal blessing toward us and not judgment.
Est 5:1-4
2So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter. 3And the king said to her, "What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you--up to half the kingdom!" NKJV
What authority is to us is largely dependent upon our attitudes and behavior toward it. It can be a source of judgment or blessing and empowerment depending to a great extent on our choices.
Prov 14:35
35The king’s favor is toward a wise servant, But his wrath is against him who causes shame. NKJV
When we read verses like this we want to take the principle and apply and it to the context of our lives. If we are faithful employees, if we behave wisely – the likelihood is that we will receive favor from those over us and they will exercise their authority to bless us. Even if they are selfish they will tend to do that because of what they are gaining from the relationship. I’m not saying there will never be persecution. I’m not saying it will always happen immediately. But it will usually come in God’s good time.
Prov 19:21
21There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel--that will stand. NKJV
When I was working at Bell Helicopter there were a few years in which I was given a lot of hard, difficult jobs. My department would have to work long hours of overtime to make tight deadlines and solve “hair-pulling” problems. We would prepare the reports and my boss would take the reports into the meetings and shine. From my perspective it didn’t seem fair that I and those working under me did so much work with so little recognition.
But God was teaching me some lessons about submission in those days. One day we had projected what it would take to complete some multi-million dollar projects. The news was not good but it was accurate. When my boss got in the room with the VIPs the discussion got hot and heavy and the questions were difficult. In the midst of that my boss got sick and I was called in to answer questions. The result of that meeting was
I was given a huge promotion by some of those in the room-lots more money and recognition. I had worked in submission and support toward those over me-it didn’t seem fair-but my day came. Later when God called me to plant a church-the company was needing my expertise in the things I learned while doing jobs other people did not want to do. The company approached me about some work and I was able to set my terms and conditions for doing the work. That’s largely how we financed planting that church.
God knows where He is leading us. But we will arrive there prepared-only if we submit to his plan. You may be in a place right now where His plan doesn’t make sense to you. Will you trust Him? His plan will normally come through the operation of human authority.
God wanted to give Naaman something very important- life & health.
How did it come to him? It came as he submitted to the authority in Elishua. Submission was the key to his healing. A right response to authority was vital to him receiving what God wanted to give him.
Heb 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. NKJV
What an awesome responsibility it is to be in spiritual authority. Those in spiritual authority must give account to God for those under them. There is a whole message here for those of us who are in spiritual authority. The authority must always be used for the benefit of those under the authority.
I hope that in the near future I can deal some with how to function in authority. It takes just as much brokenness and in my opinion a greater spirit of submission to properly exercise authority than to be under authority. Authority is an opportunity to serve and lay down our lives for others.
But Heb.13:17 is not specifically addressing the leaders. It is saying to those under authority-keep a submissive spirit, obey those who are over you in the Lord who watch for your soul. Otherwise their job will be grievous and that would be unprofitable for you. The word translated unprofitable is a combination of the prefix “a” which means “not” and “lusitelees”(pronounced loo-sit-el-i’) which means “to pay the expenses”. (2) In other words: It does not pay to rebel—never!
Of all the Ten Commandments only one has a specific promise attached to it.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” A blessed life begins with giving honor to whom honor is due. This attitude toward authority is to be learned in the home at an early age so that all benefits of protection and guidance can be fully realized. When authority is not properly exercised in the home, when authority is not honored and respected in the home chaos and stress fill people’s lives. We do not have time to talk about authority in the home this morning. But all the concepts we’ve talked about need to be applied there first and foremost. (3)
God provides Protection, Guidance and Blessing through Human Authority.
If Lot had only submitted himself to Abraham and stayed under his leadership. How different his life might have been. What a blessing Ruth found in first submitting herself to Naomi and later to Boaz. Elisha come into his ministry-How? By submitting himself to Elijah. The same could be said of Timothy and Titus in their relationship with Paul.
Everywhere in scripture where you find a submissive spirit you find blessing.
Everywhere you find rebellion you find judgment.
Conclusion:
It is God’s design to bless us through the avenue of human authority. The questions we must ask ourselves is:
-- Will I embrace Authority as a blessing from God?
-- Will I really come Under Authority and receive its Benefits?
Submission is a choice not a feeling. Is there perhaps a situation where you are not in overt rebellion-but you have pulled back from authority and by doing so deprived yourself of the benefits of that authority? If so, I would encourage you this morning to make a decision to intentionally come under that authority whether it be in the home, the church, on the job, or elsewhere.
The most important decision of submission is to embrace the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life. All authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him. He always uses that authority to bring healing and forgiveness deliverance to us when we come to Him. If Jesus is not Lord of your life I invite you to open your heart to Him and receive His love and grace today.
Notes:
(1) I Corinthians 14:33
(2) Vincent’s N.T. Word Studies
(3) Instruction for this can be found in Ephesians 5:21-6:4
Here are a few proverbs that relate as well.
Prov 21:19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman. KJV
Prov 19:26 He who mistreats his father and chases away his mother is a son who causes shame and brings reproach. NKJV
Prov 30:17 "The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother,will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. NIV
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
