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"RESPONSIBILITY TO SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY"
(A Series on Hebrews)
 
Westgate Chapel 5~/6~/90 a.m.
Hebrews 13:17
 
PROPOSITION:  God   has  ordained   earthly   authority  to which we are all accountable, as unto Him.
 
 
!
I. INTRODUCTION
 
 
!! -     All through God's creation He has established governments and authorities.
This is true in the government of the family  (Ephesians 5 & 6), the government of the state (I Peter 2), the government of the employer (I Peter 2) and the government of the church (Hebrews 13).
!! -     This morning, we are stopping at Hebrews 13:17 to take a look at the subject of spiritual authority.
!! -     The reason for all this "government" is to maintain order in God's world.
Government is actually an extension of the character of God.
The sin of pride and rebellion being what is in all of us, without government, anarchy would reign in the family, in the nations of the world, in the business world and in the church.
!! -     Now, God's Word spells out several things about government that are crucial for our understanding of the subject:
!!! ~*     The MAIN PURPOSE OF GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF, EITHER IN STRUCTURE OR PRACTICE.
THE PURPOSE IS IN THE JOB THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
Government exists to efficiently get a job done.
It is NOT and end in itself.
In the setting of the church, government exists for the purpose of building the Kingdom with maximum efficiency (Acts 6:1-6; 11:30; 14:23; I Tim 5:17; I Peter 5:1-5).
!!! ~*     Being in a place of authority in any one of God's constituted governments DOES NOT GIVE YOU A PLACE OF SUPERIORITY, it gives you a PLACE OF SERVICE.
It does not make you any "better" than the people you serve.
It is simply a "leadership role"  (I Peter 5:1-5).
!!! ~*     The exercising of scriptural authority CANNOT BE DONE, AS THE WORLD DOES IT, LORDING IT OVER OTHERS.
It must be done in a spirit of mutual love, respect and submission.
Leaders are to be submitted to the Body in a spirit of servanthood  (I Peter 5:1-5; II Timothy 2:24-26).
!!! ~*     ALL AUTHORITY IS GIVE BY GOD and must, therefore, be respected by those under authority.
( I Peter 2:13-15) Rebellion against authority is rebellion against God.
Submission to authority does NOT mean that there is no disagreement, however, and no freedom to express opposing views.
IT IS LOYALTY TO AND SUPPORT OF LEADERSHIP, in spite of disagreement, that constitutes submission.
!! -     While this may go contrary to the popular opinion of our day, submission to authority is required by God because there is no authority except that which God has established.
Romans 13:1 says,
!!!       "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God." 
!! -     The popular belief of secular humanism is that each man is unique, special and a law unto himself.
He may do whatever he pleases just as long as it does not infringe on the rights of his fellow man.
!! -     God's will, however, stands in stark contrast to the heresy of secular humanism.
He has established governing authorities to maintain order in each of His ordained institutions.
!!! ~*     It is God who Himself has established the authority of the husband to govern, in love, the affairs of the family.
(Eph.
5:22-33)
!!! ~*     It is God who has established the authority of the employer in the work place to ensure its productivity.
(I Peter 2:18; Eph.
6:5-8)
!!! ~*     It is God who has established the authority of church leadership to govern the ministries and people of that assembly for the purpose of building them up.
(II Cor.
13:10; Titus 2:15; Hebrews 13:17)
!!! ~*     It is God who has established the authority of those who have political authority over our communities.
(Romans 13:1; I Timothy 2:2)
!! -     Whatever your station in life, you are called by scripture to "submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men..."(I Peter 2:13)  Peter goes on, in that passage, to state that the purpose of this submission is to "silence the ignorant talk of foolish men, love the brotherhood of believers and fear God".
!! -     So, it is obvious, that it is God alone who establishes the earthly authority of those in leadership over us.
And it is also God who calls us to willingly and gladly submit to their leadership.....as if we were doing it to Him....not begrudgingly or reluctantly, but gladly.
!! -     In fact, earthly authority is simply a reflection and miniature image of the authority that ultimately issues from the throne of God. 
!! -     Authority is at the very essence of who God is and how He acts.
!! -     If God is indeed responsible for all of this authority, then rebellion against authority is the same as rebellion as God Himself.
This conclusion is not just the result of logical deduction but is something stated explicitly in Romans 13:2.
!! -     It is rebellion against authority that got Satan into trouble and caused his fall from the presence of God.  (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezek.
28:13-17)
!! -     Rebellion against authority is companionship with Satan himself in the very sin that caused his fall.
It is something that every believer must shun in his pursuit of holiness.
!! -     Watchman Nee, in his book Spiritual Authority, says that Satan's ultimate goal is anarchy in every institution established by God.
Nee continues, "We cannot serve God and simultaneously go the way of rebellion by having a rebellious spirit.
Satan laughs when a rebellious person preaches the Word, for in that person is dwelling the satanic principle.
The principle of service must be authority.
We who serve God must have this basic understanding of authority."
!! -     Rebellion against authority is not as much an act against the man or woman in the position of authority as much as it is an act against God Himself, since it is God who established the authority.
!! -     King Saul learned too late that neither sacrifice nor worship can substitute for submission to the authority of God . . . in his case, this observation was spoken through the prophet Samuel.
(I Sam.
15)
!! -     It is easy to see the immeasurable value to each of us in learning the lessons of submission to authority.
! II.
REBELLION AGAINST AUTHORITY
 
!! -     Submission to authority, in our day, depends largely on our evaluation of the worth of the individual in authority and the "correctness" of his life and what he~/she is asking us to do.
In other words, as long as we agree with those in authority, we willingly submit.
I question whether this is submission at all. 
!! -     Many of the instances of rebellion in the Old Testament occurred when those in rebellion felt that they had a valid grievance against their leader.
!! 1.
The rebellion of Ham  (Genesis 9)
 
!!! ~*     Following the event of the flood, Noah became a farmer and planted a vineyard.
He got drunk one day on the fruit of the vineyard and, in his drunken state, took his clothes off.
!!! ~*     As far as Noah's conduct was concerned, he was clearly in the wrong.
He should not have been drunk.
There was no justification for his behavior.
!!! ~*     Two sons were submitted enough to the authority of their father that, in spite of his drunkenness, they respectfully covered him without looking.
!!! ~*     On the other hand, Ham, taking advantage of his father's momentary weakness, threw off all restraint and ridiculed him, calling his brothers to come and see Noah's shame.
!!! ~*     Rebellion loves to find any defect in authority as an excuse to rise up in fleshly anarchy.
!!! ~*     Watchman Nee says that, "The failure of Noah became a test to Shem, Ham and Japheth.
It revealed who was obedient and who was rebellious.
Noah's fall unveiled Ham's rebellion."
!!! ~*     The result of this rebellion was a curse on the descendents of Ham that they would become the slaves of their brethren.
!! 2.   The Rebellion of Aaron and Miriam  (Numbers 12)
 
!!! ~*     Moses disobeyed God.
Disregarding God's command to not intermarry with Gentile nations, he married a Cushite woman.
!!! ~*     Aaron and Miriam took advantage of this failure in the life of Moses, to speak out against him and challenge his authority.
Once again the test drew the rebellious intent of their hearts to the surface.
!!! ~*     The rebellion was not the fact that they questioned Moses' selection of a wife, but that they challenged the revelation of God through him.
In verse 2 Miriam asks, "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?
Hasn't He also spoken through us?" 
!!! ~*     What had been lingering in Aaron's and Miriam's hearts all along was a resentment against Moses' position of authority and privilege of revelation.
Moses' time of weakness provided the occasion for Aaron and Miriam to challenge Moses' authority and promote their position as a channel for the revelation of God.
!!! ~*     God heard and moved swiftly in judgment against this rebellion.
Verse 9 says that His anger burned against them and when His presence lifted, Miriam was left with leprosy.
Only after Moses' intercession did God agree to spare Miriam and eventually heal her. 
!!! ~*     The problem that was that neither Aaron nor Miriam recognized God's authority.
They did not realize that sinning against God's delegated authority is sinning against God Himself.
!!! ~*     God Himself found it hard to believe that Aaron and Miriam were not afraid to speak out in rebellion against Moses.
(verse 8)
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