Authority

Marjorie delivers to her children a powerful teaching about Authority and how it works, so they are capable of finding joy in their work and desiring in their own hearts to do an excellent job. Come join Marjorie in her living room as she instills these important character traits in her children.  Listen to the audio here, or read the text transcription below.

(AUDIO  24 minutes – transcription below)

Okay guys, I’m going to start in Romans, and I’m beginning in Chapter 13. Okay?

“Let every person be subject to the governing authority, for there is no authority except from God. And those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities, resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgement. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”

Child: question

Let me finish the scripture.

“Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.”

A lot of questions in this, so this is why, Jaynee, even before I could finish it the questions were rising up, right? What about people who are in governing authority, but they persecute. Paul wrote this when the Christians were being persecuted by the Jews, the Jews that were in authority, and they were using the Roman government. The Roman government held Jews as second-class citizens. So all the Jews were being persecuted.  So he’s writing this at a time when the Roman government is opressing all of his nation. And at the same time, his own people who were in authority were oppressing the believers. So, he wrote it knowing something, because the government/governing authorities were doing bad things against them.

So, we’ve talked a lot in this family about God’s power, the power of God.  How to use it.  How to walk under it.  How to utilize it. How God depends on us to utilize his power to do the work in His kingdom. For our safety, for our protection, for our provision, to reach others, to teach others, so others will fall on their knees and worship the most High God. But what we haven’t talked about is… we talked briefly about the authority, and how it has to be done under the authority. But now we’re going to talk a little bit more about that authority.

We just read a scripture that sounds a little challenging, but in order to use the power, you have to have the authority to use the power. The authority itself is greater than the power, because you have to have the authority to use the power, that means the authority is greater than the power. The power is subject to the authority. So the authority is greater. The power comes out of that authority. And we learn that God alone is the authority in all things. All authority in all the universe is instituted by God. And that’s what he’s talking about here. All authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Is he talking about human worldly governments when he says that? No, he’s talking about all authorities in all the universe have been instituted by God. So, an authority is a tremendous thing in the universe. Nothing overshadows it.  Okay.

Here’s an interesting thing. When Satan fell, do you know it wasn’t because of Satan’s sin that he fell? The sinning was just a product of his rebellion. It’s because of rebellion that he fell. See, all authority comes from God’s throne, and Satan wanted to raise his throne above God’s throne. He wanted to have higher authority. That was his act of self-exaltation that caused him to fall. See, people can go out and preach the word of Jesus Christ, and Satan doesn’t like it, but he’s not near so afraid of it. What he’s afraid of is a person who will stand under God’s authority and be subject to God’s authority. That’s what Satan is afraid of. You know why? Because we’ve seen bad preachers, you might not be as familiar, as children. But, I have seen preachers who were preaching the word of God day after day. Preaching their hearts out, and then you find out there’s all this stuff going on in their life behind the scenes that you didn’t know about. But all of a sudden, it gets exposed. That was a man who could open his mouth and talk the Word, but he wasn’t standing under the authority of God. See, one that’s standing under the authority of God, you can’t touch that one. He (Satan) has no power over that one, But he can get into the guy, the guy who is preaching the word but he’s not under authority. He’s preaching under his own self. Satan can get that guy to do all kinds of crazy things.

But a person that is subject to God’s authority he cannot touch. He cannot reach. He cannot tempt them. He can tempt them but they won’t fall. That’s what he’s afraid of, because that’s who’s going to do damage to his kingdom. That’s who’s gonna do damage to his camp. God can use a person who stands under authority and can do all kinds of damage to Satan’s camp. And rebellion is Satan’s biggest tool. It’s his biggest most powerful, most important scheme that he has. Rebellion, because rebellion…we think of rebellion as when you go act against somebody. Like a child that disobeys is rebelling. But actually, that…not, that’s just the product of the rebelling. That’s the sinning that is the product of the rebelling.   The rebelling started in the heart, when the child started thinking, “I don’t want to obey that one” because whatever the reason. That’ rebellion. That’s thinking that you know more than your authority does.  That’s the child thinking they know more than the parent does. And that’s thinking, “I’ll set my throne above the parent’s throne. I’m going to exalt myself and do what I’m gonna do because I think I should have the higher authority.  Therefore, I don’t have to obey my parents.” That’s what’s going on in the heart of the child that causes the sinning, that causes the action to come out asdisobedience, or back-talking, or sassing or whatever it happens to be.

But it’s all about the heart. Remember Jesus taught that everything is about the heart. Moses said, which means the law said, “Do no kill,” but I say (Jesus), “if you have hate in your heart you have already murdered.”  Because it’s in the heart where it already happens, and the outward manifestation of it is just the product of it. The rebellion is in the heart. Does that make sense?

Child: You’ve taught this before several times.

I’m glad you remember, because it’s that important. I cannot look at my life and say, “Oh, I got it. I don’t need to hear this one again.” Because even in my own life, I opened this telling you God is teaching me and showing me where I have areas on this very issue that I’m working on thsat I have to root it out. Satan is trying to set a trap for me, and God exposed it. So, I’m telling you the same thing. I haven’t seen perfect submission coming out of mouths and actions of the children either. So, as your mother is going through the process of letting God reveal to me places where… I haven’t rebelled or done any single action against your father. I have had thoughts in my heart of thinking, “Oh we shouldn’t do it that way. Oh, he’s not right about that.” Well, right or wrong isn’t the issue. It’s standing under authority.

Child: Well, that’s weird. What if you were to tell me that dolphins, that bottled-nose dolphins usually have about five teeth, and I said, well that’s not true. That’s wrong.

That’s a good question. I’m really, really, really glad you asked it.

Child: Or if you said, well God doesn’t care about you? And I said, that’s wrong.

You’re right. That’s a great question, and I love that question. That’s where we want to differentiate, right? Because this is why Jesus says it starts in the heart.

In the book of Exodus, when the children of God were out in the wilderness, Miriam and Aaron started questioning Moses and his authority. They questioned in their hearts. It started in the heart, and then they began to question. But then their hearts were really more right towards Moses. God corrected them. They believed God, and it turned around. She, Miriam, actually became leprous during it; but, then God healed her. Right? It was the act, the heart. But then there were later all these men and leaders of the congregation who came and rebelled against Moses, and had these serious actions against him, and they all died, them, and their families. Then all the people came and rebelled, and then they all began to die.

But let’s take your example, Jaynee. If mom tells you to do something and you think; let’s keep it simple. Mom tells you to do something a certain way, and you decide, “I think there is a better way to do that, that would be more efficient.” To question that, and to even ask about that is not an act of rebellion, if your heart is, “Oh, I want to do what mom said. I think I know a better way. Let me ask mom if the better way is okay. If I can do it that way.”  There is no rebellion in that, because you’re still under subjection. You’re still, you’re still subjected to the authority, because your heart is not against the authority. Your heart is looking for the best way to accomplish what the authority has asked you to do.

But if you have authority that says, I want you to go. You might be working for a boss, and he tells you to do something that is against the law. Well, there are two ways to handle that. In neither case will you disobey the law. You’re not going to break the law for your boss, but you can handle it in a way that you are still subjected to his authority. Or you can handle it in a way that you rebel against his authority. One is sin, and one is not.  You can disobey your boss, but still be subject to this authority. It’s all in how you handle it. It’s all about how the heart is handling it. It’s all about what’s coming out of the heart. Your mouth speaks out of the treasure of the heart and reveals what’s there.

So, if I give you an instruction, and I hear, “Mom, I’ve heard what you’ve asked me to do, but I’m still doing my schoolwork and I’m a little behind in the schoolwork. Would you rather me do this or do that first?” Well, that is possible disobedience, but it’s even back-talk if you want to think of it that way. But it’s with a heart that’s still subject to the authority, and respectful of the authority. But if I hear, “I’m not going to do that right now. I’m still in the middle to math. Can’t you see I’m still in the middle of math?” Well, that’s rebellion. And that’s full of sin. And the Bible goes so far as to say that that is an act of witchcraft. And the reason it is an act of witchcraft, because witchcraft is the very act of trying to raise your throne above God’s throne. And doing things against His principals, and way He laid out the kingdom to work. Does that help you with your question, Jaynee? Do you understand? Okay.

So, authority is a tremendously important thing. You can not possibly know God, if you don’t know his authority. You can not possible please God, if you don’t know how to stand under His authority. It is impossible to walk and be effective in the kingdom of God if you’re not walking under the King’s authority, the king of that kingdom. If you are not subject to the king you are not part of that kingdom. Anybody who is in a kingdom, but not subject to that king is a traitor in that country. They are subject to another. They are called a traitor, and that kingdom will roust them out. In our kingdom, the Kingdom of God, it’s believers that are subject to his authority. And how can you believe, and profess him as Lord, if you don’t make him your authority? To confess him as Lord, which is one of the things… To confess him as Lord, which is in Romans 10, that is one of the things it takes to even be a believer to be saved. You have to confess him as Lord, means you confess him as your authority, It means you are willing to subject yourself to his authority. And I dare say that in our society very few people are doing that even in the churches. I don’t even know if a lot of pastors are subject to the authorities that are over them.

There is a lot of rebellion going on and it’s being modeled in the churches. We are fortunate and blessed to be in the church that we are, because we have a pastor who stands under the authority of God. And he stands under the authority of those above him that God has instituted over him within the church system. And if he is not going to agree with something that the church institution he thinks goes against the word of God, he is still going to be subject to their authority as he goes to follow God instead of man.

Do you remember when Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate? And Pilate would ask Him these questions, and He stood silent. Which fulfilled the scripture, He stood silent as a sheep before the shearers. But did you know that before He went before Pilate He was in front of the high counsel of the Jewish ruling body, right. The religious leaders of the day, and they said, “We implore you by the name of the almighty God…”

Child: What does implore mean?

That means, we are compelling you to answer these questions in the name of God. Guess what? He couldn’t stand silent. He was compelled by that authority, and they were an authority that God had placed even as they were trying to persecute him, they were an authority that God had put in place. And he did not rebel their authority. He answered their questions. They asked Him,”Are you the Christ?” and He answered them.  But when Pilot asked, He refused to answer.  He wasn’t subject to Pilot’s authority. But He was subject to God’s authority, and those men were delegated authority under God. And so, He answered them, even as they were trying to put Him to death. They were still… He still respected God’s authority in their position.

Do you see that? That’s critical. Nobody gets that. I’m just now starting to get it. You are going to understand it at such a young age that is gonna totally, and completely change the course of your life. If you accept it, receive it, get it, and walk in it. The course of your life will be determined by what you do with this. It is under that authority that you will love people that are not lovable. And you will do good to people that do not do good to you. You will bless people with your mouth, people that curse you with their mouth.  It is under that authority you are able to walk this out. It is under that authority that the Holy Spirit is in you, and works in you, and through you to do these things that are humanly impossible. To be in the shelter of the Most High God is to stand under that authority. To stand under that shelter is to stand under that authority. Does that make sense? Okay.

When we talk about responsibilities in the household, they are responsibilities that have been delegated to you by God’s delegated authority. If I say to you, you have a certain part of the house that you have to keep clean, then that is your responsibility. When you do it, you’re not doing it unto mom. You are doing it unto God. And the service that  you do is unto God. Whether you do it well or do it just poorly, just enough to get away with. It is before God. It’s to God. If while you are doing it your heart is finding joy in your work and being pleased to do your work, that’s before God. If while doing your work, your heart is complaining, and murmuring against mom, and you have to do it, and you wish you didn’t have to do this dumb job. That’s before God. You are really murmuring against God. Do you guys see that? Do you understand? Because I’m God’s delegated authority. He delegated to me to raise you up, train you up in the way you should go, and to prepare you for life being lived out in the kingdom. That’s my job. That’s why I take it so serious. And so, if I assign you a job to do, and if it’s just to take out the trash, your heart attitude and your bodily manifestation of attitude while you do the job is not against mom. It’s against God. It’s either pleasing, a sweet-smelling incense, or it’s not. Understand?

So, we’re going to use our topic for this week from our family meeting, which is responsibility. And we are going to understand the authority, and how important fulfilling that responsibility is. Cause you’ve been handed to it, handed it to you by God through his delegated authority. The one who cares so much for you has handed down authority and put you under the stewardship of somebody who loves you as humanly possible that it is to love you. That I’m to lay down anything about any of my own wants and desires and pleasures, in order to make sure you guys are properly trained, properly cared for, properly provided for. That is my life. My job before my King is to steward you, and then I have to stand before Him, and one day answer to it. And I want to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant!  And that is my goal. That is the crown I have set before myself, that I am running for. That’s why I’m taking great care to teach you guys, and for you to understand why responsibility is so important Okay.

Make sense? So, now when you get up today, and you go to do your responsibilities, you have something to think about. You have something to decide, and now you will be able to find the joy in your work. Cause you realize you’re doing it directly for God, and He is watching your work. And He is so pleased when your heart is pure in your work. I dare say that when you catch this, and you learn to find that kind of joy in your work, all the fun stuff in the world is still fun, but it’s not as important as it used to be. It changes the priorities of your life, so, you have Godly priorities in the kingdom.  And when you have that mindset, you’ll want to do the absolute best job. You stand back and look at your job and say, “I don’t think I’ve done a good job. I think I could have done it better. Oh look at that little part I missed.” And you’ll gladly on your own just go back and fix that. And do it, and the whole time you’re smiling knowing God’s watching. God’s pleased that you have that attitude. Whether mom ever notices you did that or not. It’s about your heart before your God. Right, isn’t that exciting? That’s good stuff.

Alright, I’m going to stop right there for today.