Ephesians 3:14-15(NKJV) 14For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
In our study this week we have seen from Luke 7:7-8 that to be in authority one must be under authority. We have also determined from Matthew 20:24-28 that the nature of spiritual authority is different than that of physical authority. In the world authority is exerted over weaker or lower people by those with power. In the Kingdom of God it cannot be this way. Spiritual authority must be submitted to by those under it. There is no leverage given to spiritual leaders that will make people submit or obey.
The source of spiritual authority is, of course, God himself. He places one over another, but the thing that causes people to submit to that authority is the character of the one in authority. We find that Jesus tells us that the spiritual leader is a leader by virtue of his servant hood not his ability to dominate. A servant leader knows that he leads for the benefit of the people under him not the other way around. This is a very different thing.
What is the most common form of servant leadership? It is the leadership that exists within a family that is functioning as God intended. A father is the leader of his family. However every good father understands that his leadership is designed to provide for his family’s well being. A true father will lay down his own life to protect his family. The family recognizes that, in order for him to do his job, he must be submitted to and obeyed.
The mother is included in this authority structure. She too is a servant of the family and will do all she can to protect and nurture her children and her husband. These old fashioned but universally understood ideas are the basis for how authority must work in the body of Christ.
In our foundation scripture we see that the whole family draws its name from the Father God. I believe this tells us that the family relationship is God’s idea and that it is a model for all authority structure in the church. If we see spiritual authority in this light, whether we are in authority or under authority, it will change how we function and cause us to maintain the proper attitudes. The end result will be a body of Christ that can work together in peace and harmony. The proper kind of accountability will be maintained and the shipwrecks we so often see in the church will be limited.
A wise prophet of God and dear friend of mine, Dr. Eldon Wilson says that every believer has the choice to become either a king or a father to those under him. I believe this also applies to woman. They can be a queen or a mother. There are some significant differences.
A King creates subjects. A father creates sons. A subject has no choice but to obey. A son obeys because he knows the father loves him. A subject cannot disagree with his king and maintain relationship. A son can disagree with a father. Once a subject commits treason against a king, there is no way back. A son can always come home again. This is a powerful contrast. Which are you? Are you either?
Some people think they have no responsibility to anyone else. They are neither fathers nor kings. They subscribe to the “live and let live philosophy.” It is easier than walking in the responsibility of being a father, however it is not the way God intends us to be. If we are kings we do damage to the body of Christ. But if we are neither we leave a hole in the church and we are unproductive. We need fathers and mothers in the church.
Look at this prophecy in Malachi.
Malachi 4:5-6(NKJV) 5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
This is a Messianic prophecy. It predicts that Elijah will precede the coming of the Messiah. However, in the next verse it tells us something he will do that does not seem to have anything to do with salvation. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and vice versa. I believe one of the effects of Jesus on humanity is to restore this idea of spiritual authority to the earth.
Let me illustrate from my own life. I have six children, three sons and three daughters. When I was very young in the ministry I heard someone say, “If you win thousands to the Lord but lose your own family you have accomplished nothing.” In my youthful zeal I thought this was a foolish statement. I believe I had two or three children at that time and I thought surly it would be more important to win the multitudes than preserve my family. I did not want to lose my family, but the Lord would understand.
As I got older I began to understand that God is a father. As I watched my children grow and begin to go through some of the hardships of life, I realized that I would do anything to see to it that they would be successful and happy. I would gladly lay down my life to protect them. The idea of losing them became totally unacceptable to me. I was beginning to understand God’s motivation in sending Jesus to save us.
At the same time, I was the leader of my home. My wife is an excellent and Godly wife and mother and was willing to submit to me as I grew. At the same time I understood her wisdom and honored and respected her. In my home my children obeyed me. I am not saying they did not challenge the authority or that we never had conflicts. We did, but to this day they know that I am their father. The youngest is 21, but every single one respects me as father and will continue to submit to and obey me when possible.
Why? Because they know that my authority and leadership has always been there to protect them, provide for them and give them a place to grow and function. They know I am for them. They know that I want them to succeed. They know I love them completely. They do not think I am perfect. They know quite well I am not, but they know I am here for them.
As a pastor I have made that same kind of love and commitment the foundation of the authority I walk in. I am not perfect in this arena of authority either, however I think for the most part people know that I am here to help them, to provide for their spiritual wellbeing and to help them fulfill their destiny in God. We are a team and a family committed to doing the will of God in our area.
This is the foundation for all authority in our church. Our vision is to see this kind of nurturing authority release each member into the fullness of God’s will for their lives. I believe each one of us has the responsibility to be a mother or father to someone in the body. Are you?
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