UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 7: AUTHORITY CAN BE WITHDRAWN

MEMORY VERSE: Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.1 Samuel 2:30

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Leviticus 19-21

As we conclude these series, “Understanding Authority”, I will like to remind you that authority is not force. It is not shouting at people or intimidating people. It is not harassing people or bullying people. It is not issuing threats. Authority is not tangible i.e. it is not something you can hold, touch or feel. There is a difference between authority and power. Authority has tenure. Whatever you do during your tenure is what you will be remembered for. You will not be the vice chancellor of that university forever. You will not be the chief executive of that organization forever. You will not be a manager in that office forever. You will not be the area pastor forever. Even as a parent, one day you are going to return to God. Authority must be exercised. The One who delegated authority to you expects you to exercise it on His behalf.

Authority can be withdrawn temporarily. King Nebuchadnezzar’s authority was temporarily withdrawn because instead of giving glory to God, he attributed all God had done for him to his might. By my might I have achieved this, by my power I have achieved that…. God didn’t argue with him, He just took the kingdom from him. Daniel 4:31 says, “While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.” Within minutes, King Nebuchadnezzar turned into an animal and was driven out of the palace with sticks to live in the forest. The same people who were bowing down to him, drove him out of the palace because his authority had been withdrawn. After several years, Nebuchadnezzar repented. Sir/ ma, when do you intend to repent? After he repented the Lord restored him and he returned to the palace as king again. If your authority has been withdrawn as a result of pride, repent and ask for mercy and the Lord will restore it. Authority can also be withdrawn permanently. For example Eli’s authority was withdrawn permanently. His sons were terrible. These boys slept with women inside the temple. They did not regard God at all. Despite the warnings from God, Eli left his children to carry on with their terrible works. After a while, the Lord withdrew Eli's priestly authority. 1 Samuel 2:30 says, “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” I pray that your authority will not be withdrawn in Jesus name, amen. If you don’t want God to withdraw your authority, honour Him and teach your children or people under you to honour Him.

PRAYER POINT: Father, as long as i live, help me to honour You daily.

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 6: ONE’S AUTHORITY CAN BECOME ERODED

MEMORY VERSE: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. Luke 23:34

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Luke 23-24

As I mentioned yesterday, real authority comes when one practices what one preaches. When Jesus taught (according to Matthew 7:9), He taught with authority. Why? He practiced what He preached. In Matthew 5:44, He taught people to love their neighbors, bless those who curse them and pray for those who despite-fully use them and persecute them. A year or two later when He hung on the cross of Calvary, what did He do? Luke 23:24 says, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” Jesus will never ask any man to do something He (Himself) doesn't do. Sir /Ma, if you are teaching people to forgive please make sure you forgive too. Just as authority comes when one practices what one preaches, authority becomes eroded when one does immoral things, disobeys human authority or God. A man whose authority became eroded was King David. The whole nation including his mighty men respected him until he committed adultery with Uriah’s wife. Shortly after that, one of his sons dethroned him. To cover his evil act, he ordered Joab (one of his top soldiers) to place Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and withdraw so that he might be smitten (2 Samuel 11:14-15). Joab did not argue but from that day, David lost all the respect Joab had for him. From that day, Joab began to publicly disrespect the king and there was nothing the king could do.

The authority of some senior managers has now become eroded because they tried to sleep with one of their female staffs. Authority becomes eroded in different ways. If you borrow maybe from your young ones and you refuse to pay, your authority will become eroded. The next time you speak, they won’t pay attention to you. One’s authority also becomes eroded when one is dishonest. Another way one’s authority becomes eroded is by promising so much and delivering little.It is better to promise little and deliver much than promise much and deliver little. Authority becomes eroded when one does not uphold godly standard especially in the presence of one’s subordinates. As a mother, if you are taking your daughters for abortion or buying contraceptive pills for them, your authority over them will erode away. If you are encouraging them to dress hot and expose their bodies, your authority over them will become eroded. As a father, if you are paying people to sit for exams for your son, your authority over that boy will become eroded. Authority also becomes eroded when one lives a careless and carefree life. A Father's authority becomes eroded when he refuses to look after his children. One way to keep one’s authority as parents is to live a godly life. As a leader, if you accept bribe or you are corrupt, your authority will become eroded. Also, if you are a tribalist, your authority will become eroded.

NOTE: Regardless, one must respect people in authority .

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 5: ONE CAN LOSE HIS AUTHORITY

MEMORY VERSE: The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws. Daniel 4:33

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Colossians 3-4

We have looked at few categories of authorities. We have talked about authority in a Christian home, church, school, etc. At times, authority comes with experience and knowledge. Lawyers, Dentists, Pharmacists, IT guys, and other professionals all have authority although it is only in their respective fields. Pending when your faith grows to the point of living above drugs and enjoying divine health, follow your doctor’s prescription. If you are asked to take two tablets daily, don’t take four. Don’t abuse drugs. Asides obeying God and obeying human authorities, one way to increase your authority is by getting a skill or a degree.

Just as one’s authority can grow, one’s authority can also erode away. Genuine authority comes when one practices what one preaches. Paul, in his epistle to the church in Rome, asked some interesting questions. Romans 2:20 -23 says, “An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?” It does not matter what position one is holding, if one is not practising what he or she is preaching, one’s authority would become eroded. As a youth leader, if you are telling the youths not to fornicate and you are fornicating, your authority will become eroded. If you are telling people to give 100 percent and you are giving only 50 percent, your authority will become eroded. No one will listen to you. Matthew 7:9 says, “For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Jesus taught with authority because He practiced what He preached. He taught about fasting with authority because He fasted almost every day. He taught about praying with authority because prayer was His hobby. At a point He prayed until His sweat were like drops of blood. He could teach on giving with authority because He gave His life. He could teach on mercy because He showed mercy. He could teach on forgiveness because He forgave. As a result, whenever He opened His mouth, people held unto every word He uttered. It was not so with the teachers of law because their authority had become eroded. Matthew 23:4 says, “For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their hands.” A Pharisee will teach other women to submit to their husband, but she won’t submit to hers . If her husband says one word, she will respond with two. A Pharisee will declare 7 days fasting and will not fast.

NOTE: The fact that a person in authority is not doing what he or she preaches is not a reason to disobey him or her. They will answer to God but one must still obey them and respect them. See what Christ had to say to the people about the Pharisees: "all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." ( Matthew 23:3).

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UNDERSTANDING AUTHORITY 2

MEMORY VERSE: Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 84-86

There are different categories of authority. For example, let us look at authority in the family or in the home of a believer. The father is the head of the family. He has a delegated authority from Christ over his household. Matthew 28:18 says, "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth". He has a delegated authority over his wife. According to Numbers 30:6-9, if a woman makes a vow to God and her husband says “i cancel it”, it is automatically cancelled. If the woman stubbornly pays the vow to God after the husband has cancelled it, it is a waste because the Lord will not accept it. Before putting any sister into a position in the church, we must seek the consent of her husband. The man has a delegated authority over his children. According to Numbers 30: 3-5, if a child makes a vow to God and the father says, “I cancel it”, it is automatically cancelled. As a father, invested with so much authority from Christ, you can pronounce blessings upon members of your household including your wife, and the Lord will grant it. A man who has the authority to bless also has the authority to curse. So as a child of God, don't do things that will make your husband or father to put a curse on you. However, as a man who has a delegated authority from Christ, you are to love your wife even as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).

The woman or the wife has a delegated authority from Christ over her children. Although, her authority is under the authority of her husband – her head. Even if she is the founder of a ministry and the husband is just a member, at home, her authority is still under the authority of her husband. Ephesians 5:22 says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” The father and mother have a delegated authority from Christ over their children. Exodus20:12 says, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” The first child, boy or girl, has a delegated authority from Christ over his or her siblings. Parents should recognize this and understand that the first child and the last child are not the same. The junior must respect the senior. Do you know the moment a believer gives his or her life to Jesus, He delegates some of His authority to him or her to rule over the kingdom of darkness? Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” As a believer, you have a delegated authority over demons, witches, wizards and all. A girl who won’t submit to her mother is not rebelling against the mother but to God (who delegated authority to her) . So also, a boy who won’t submit to dad or mum. As a child, don't talk to your parents anyhow or shout at them. When you do this, it is not your parents you are disrespecting but God.

PRAYER POINT: Father, we come against the spirit of rebellion in our homes.

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ESTABLISHED BY UNDERSTANDING

MEMORIZE: Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established. Proverbs 24:3

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Revelations 2, Proverbs 31:13 – 14

What is required to build a house/ life/ family/ business is quite different from what is required to establish a house/life/family/business. Proverbs 24:3 says this: “Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established.” To build a thing requires wisdom. What is wisdom? It is the correct application of knowledge. However, to establish a thing i.e. to ensure that the thing you have built remains standing as long as possible, it requires understanding. One of the biggest causes of problems in human relationships is misunderstanding. Yesterday afternoon I saw how a little mis-understanding, between two people in a relationship, could lead to unhappiness, disappointment, feelings of guilt and many other negative emotions. I went to a fruit and vegetable stall to get some lemons. Whilst standing in the queue, a woman waiting to be served observed that, her son, a boy of around 4 years old, was not by her. She called out his name and there was no response. Her face changed, she called the name again and there was no response. (The fruit and vegetable stall was right next to a busy road and there were people all round.) She started to shake and yell out her son’s name. By this time, everyone had literally begun to look for this boy. Suddenly, this boy crept out of where he was hiding. He had a big bright smile on his face – he had successfully hid himself and mum could not find him. Out of anger, the mum gave him a dirty smack on the bum. “Where have you been”, she screamed at him – almost bursting into tears. The boy began to cry. Immediately, she realized that the boy did not mean to cause her grief. She tried to pull him to herself but the boy refused.

What happened between this young boy and his mum was a case of simple mis-understanding. All he was trying to do was play ‘hide and seek’ with mum but she did not get it. Unfortunately, he did the right thing at the wrong time and at the wrong place. Had it been that the mum knew the young boy was trying to play ‘hide and seek’ initially, she would not have smacked him that hard. I think she probably would have dealt with the issue differently. By the time mum realized that he was only trying to play ‘hide and seek’-doing what any child of his age would do, it was too late. This is what happens when we mis-understand each other. Mr A does something or says something; Mr B mis-interprets it and reacts negatively. By the time Mr B realizes that Mr A meant no harm, it is too late. Before you know it, their relationship becomes strained. If care is not taken, that relationship may break. To establish something already built, you need understanding. You need to understand that people are different. They think differently, behave differently, respond differently to the same issue, and have different perspective on the same issue. You need to understand that people work at different pace. You need to understand that some of what you consider as good ideas, to some people they are bad ideas. You need to remember that we come from different backgrounds and we express ourselves in different ways. Having all these at the back on one’s mind always help when working with people. One of the few things you can do to avoid mis-understanding people or things is seek to understand things or people. Why did he say what he said? Was he provoked? Was it intentional? Was he responding to what was said to him? It is always good to see things from other people’s perspective. Also if you are not sure, ask question instead of jumping into conclusion.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: There are no permanent enemies. That fellow that is wicked to you today may become your lifesaver tomorrow.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please increase my understanding so that I will not pull down the things you have built in my life.

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