Luke 7:7-8(NKJV) 7Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
While I was in Armenia for a ministry trip, God gave me the privilege of speaking to church leaders from Iran, Dubai, Russia, and Georgia as well as Armenia. It was a wonderful trip and I believe much fruit will come from it. During the course of the seminars I felt the Lord impress me to share on the topic of accountability. This is not something just for leaders in other countries. It is a key to success and victory in the church.
Before I left on this trip I was teaching in our church about walking in the spirit. I believe that accountability is a key to successfully brining our spirit into the controlling position in our lives. In the above scripture there is a major principle we need to understand if we are going to have the flow of the Spirit in our day.
The man in this verse is a Roman Centurion. The Romans had conquered the Jewish nation as well as most of the known world. They were hated by the Jews. You can imagine how it must have sounded to these Jewish people when Jesus made this statement from verse 9.
Luke 7:9(NKJV) 9When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”
What was it about this Roman’s faith that made it better, stronger and more pure than any he had seen from a Jew? His faith was based on the understanding of who Jesus was. Jesus had real authority. If Jesus said the servant would be healed, he would be. Jesus’ authority made it certain that his words would come to pass. How did the centurion know this?
In our primary scripture we see the answer. “For I also am a man placed under authority.” The italics here are mine. I want us to see that what he recognized about Jesus was that he was under authority. The centurion understood a principle. To be someone in authority we must be under authority.
In the United States the idea of government by the people and for the people is at the core of our identity. I believe this is by far the best way for human government to operate. However the church is not part of a human system of government. The church is part of the kingdom of God. In a kingdom authority flows from the top down not the bottom up. In the world it is better the other way around, but not in the church.
A human king can be good or bad. He may be benevolent and care for his people or he may be a despot. Our king is perfect in every way. He is completely motivated by unselfish love. He is all wise, all powerful and the source of all things. In Matthew 28:18 we see this stated in relation to the lordship of Jesus.
Matthew 28:18(NKJV) 18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
If Jesus has all authority than any authority we walk in must come from him. When Jesus walked the earth his authority came from the Father.
John 5:19(NKJV) 19Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.
This is what the centurion recognized in Jesus. He had been given authority by the Father. Therefore he had the right to walk in authority in the earth. The centurion had authority over his soldiers because he was under the authority of those over him. He could exercise authority because he was submitted to authority. Jesus was in the same position and the centurion could see it.
If Jesus needed to be under the Father’s authority and then Jesus is given the authority at the resurrection, we must recognize that to walk in authority for our own lives, we must also be clearly under authority.
The defining characteristic of one under authority is accountability. If we are under authority we have given that authority the right to approve or disapprove what we are doing. We are required to provide an accounting of what we are doing and why. We are subject to correction and even discipline by that authority. It these things are not actively in place than we are not truly under authority. If we are not under authority we are not lawfully in authority.
The question we need to answer is to whom are we accountable. You might say to Jesus as the Lord of the church. That is certainly true. However if that is the extent of our accountability it is not enough. Jesus is the only Lord of the church, but let me show you another scripture.
1 Peter 5:1-4(NKJV) 1The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Jesus is the “Chief Shepherd” in these verses. However there are others who are called to act as shepherds under the Chief Shepherd. They are called overseers and examples to the flock. Jesus is the highest authority in the church, but it is clear that he has placed people in authority over the sheep. The sheep are accountable to the Chief Shepherd above all. But they are also accountable to the shepherds placed over them by the chief Shepherd.
This idea raises some important questions. We will try to answer them this week, but for today, examine yourself. Are you in any way accountable to someone. Is there anyone who has the right to speak into your life. If not, your position of authority is compromised. Give this some thought and prayer and tomorrow we will go a little farther.
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