In Your Bible Read This
Matthew 8, 5-13, 1 Peter 5, 1-11
Here Is Your Memory Verse
Respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in
the Lord
and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love
because of their work.
1 Thessalonians 5.12,13
Afterwards Talk About
This
How do you feel about authority and submission?
Is that how you should feel?
Something To Do Before
Next Time
Visit the highest authorities you can at City Hall or the
police chief,
village elders, and pastors to assure them of your prayers.
Ask what to pray for in their lives. You may be surprised at
their response.
Written Diploma Work
List the major authorities in your nation from the state head
to the local
representatives in order to pray for them. Write and tell them of
your prayer.
Meditate Word By Word On
This Verse
Exodus 20.12.
- Spend
a Minute to Change the World
- Pray For Afghans - 23,000,000
people, 41 peoples
- 99% Muslim, maybe 1,000
Christians, devastated by war and invasions
-
Be sure to
teach this lesson to others.
-
Always pray
and prepare well adding
-
your own verses and stories to
bring it to life.
Authority is one of the most misun-derstood
and abused words in the church today. Feelings can run high!
Pastor Rick Godwin teaches that there are seven kinds of
authority that will touch us -
The Sovereign Authority Of God
Which we submit to without question. Isaiah 9.7; Eph. 1.22;
Phil 2,9-11
The Authority Of God's Word
Which carries the same weight as God himself. John 17.17.
We find God's unchanging word in the truth of the Bible. John
1.1, 14.6, 2 Timothy 3.16. There are no changes, God's word
is fixed forever. Prophetic messages may be true but can
never be binding upon mankind like God's written word.
The Authority Of Conscience
Conscience is Gods gift to you, listen to it.
Beware of culture, prejudice or prefe-rences coming across in
spiritual words about things that are not specifically dealt
with in the Bible, like genetics, nuclear energy. Romans 2.12-16,
Ch.14
Authority Delegated By God To Men
Now for the first time Gods authority is channelled
through a human voice. eg. Eph. 4.11, Hebrews 13,17, 7
The Authority Of Legal Agreements
Our yes must be yes, and our no must also be no. eg.
Genesis 29.18-30
The Authority Of Custom And Culture
They may not do things the same way as where you come
from, but watch out if you try to make them do it your way.
Genesis 29.26, 1 Cor. 11.16.
Functional Authority
The authority of ability, for example in a traffic
accident a doctor can help the injured, a mechanic
disentangles the cars, a policeman directs the traffic, and a
great apostle with authority might not even be consulted
because he does not know what to do practically! Ephesians 5.21.
1. The Line From Heaven
To Earth
Gods delegated authority stretches
from heaven even down to infants. Wherever God's authority
appears Satan's kingdom retreats and is replaced by the firm but
loving rule of God in lives.
-
In The Beginning God, Gen. 1.1; Ps. 90.2;
Jam. 4.7; Heb. 12.9.
All Authority Is Given To Jesus, Mat.
28.18; Ps. 2.2; Heb. 5.9; John. 13.13.
Jesus Delegates To His Leaders to
guard; guide; govern and feed his (not their) flock. Eph.
4.11; Heb. 13.17.
We Are Also Told To Submit To:
Governments; Rom 13.1-7; Titus 3.1.
Husbands, Col. 3.18, Eph. 5.24.
Parents, Eph .6, 1-4, Col. 3.20.
Employers, Col. 3.22.
Mature believers, 1 Cor. 16.16.
Older men, 1 Peter 5.5.
And to each other, Eph. 5.21.
Stepping out of this Divine line only
means stepping into an increasing impotence and isolation.
Beware!
2. How To Recognise
False Leaders
-
A false leader enslaves, exploits and
takes advantage of you, pushes himself forward,
and slaps you in the face. From 2 Corinthians 11, 7-11,
20
-
A Godly leader lowers himself,
elevates you, preaches the gospel free of charge, serves
you, and is not a burden to anyone, and loves you. 1
Peter 5, 2-4
3. Authority Means
Responsibility
Being trusted with Gods authority
means doing as God does and taking responsibility. A visiting
preacher who has no respon-sibility for a church has no automatic
authority in the church. An abusive husband who takes no
responsibility for his wife equally has no authority over her.
Neither will we "take authority over a city for Christ
" unless we first take responsibility to love that city.
4. What Does It Mean To
Submit?
The Bible uses different words like
hupotasso which is a military term to get in line, or hupeiko
which means to withdraw, yield, submit and hupakouo, which is to
listen, attend and obey. A special word is peitho,
which means to be persuaded, or won over, used in Hebrews 13.7
and James 3.3
-
Examples
Of Submission In The Bible
Christ submits happily to God. John 6.38, 4.34, 5.30, 12.49
The powerful Centurion humbly
submitted to Jesus. Matthew 8.8
David submits to Saul even when Saul
fell into madness. 1 Sam. 24.6
Church leaders submitted to and
honoured each other. Acts 15.2-6,22
Paul the apostle submitted to his
church leaders. Acts 11,1-4, 18.22.
5. Why Is It Hard To
Honour Authority?
-
Independence from authority has been
present in every man since the fall.
-
Longing for power and control is also
in every man, however repressed.
-
Overbearing or abusive fathers hurt us.
-
Weak fathers have allowed dominant
mothers to give us a bad example.
-
The absence of a father figure through
death or divorce, or multiple fathers have
eroded honour and respect.
-
Abuses or excesses of authority at
school, or in the military or even in church make us
avoid authority figures.
The answer to abuse is not a "I have
no use for authority" kind of attitude. A better way is to
seek a legitimate Godly man or woman with authority whom you can
trust, honour and respect. One who will love you, rebuild the
broken walls and gain your confidence and trust.
Taken from the
Joshua Project Unreached Peoples List
these people have no church and as yet
no cell, church or mission has committed themselves
to prayer, adoption or church planting among this people.
Iran
|
People Name |
Language |
Population
|
Herki |
Herki |
18,000
|
Karingani |
Karingani |
15,000
|
Khorasani Turk |
Khorasani Turkish |
400,000
|
Parsee |
Parsi-Dari (Parsee-Dari) |
2,000,000
|
Pushtun, Pathan, Afghan |
Pashto, Western |
79,300
|
See all of the
lessons