Alignment and Authority
Alignment and Authority
Jesus was not just a good man, going around teaching and doing good things. He was, as the prophet Isaiah foretold, the Son of God. He was God in flesh. He is God incarnate, the Mighty God in Christ, and it was this revelation that He would use as the foundation to build His church.
Matthew 16:13-19
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Jesus asked, Peter answered, Jesus acknowledged that this great revelation of the Mighty God in Christ, came, not from man but from God. And then began speaking of His future.
Matthew 16:21
21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
He spoke that He would suffer and ultimately would end up, not just dying, but would be killed. Then He told them the glorious message of His resurrection, but apparently Peter didn’t hear that last part.
Matthew 16:22-23
22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. 23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Can you imagine, taking Jesus by them arm, saying let’s go over here, and then rebuke (sharply criticize) Him? That is exactly what Peter did. The guy who just received the greatest revelation known to man, the man whom Jesus just handed the “keys of the kingdom”, now felt he had the right to not only rebuke, but to correct Jesus. He went from enlightened to offensive in just 7 verses. Jesus revealed the reason was that Peter was not aligned (savourest not) with the things of God, but instead with the things of man.
Peter’s revelation had given him Apostolic Authority but it’s clear that he had not yet Aligned his motives, and as such, he was not positioned to use his authority.
Aligning our Motives
Let’s look at another encounter between Jesus and the disciples.
Mark 10:37, 41
37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.
41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.
Here, just two chapters after the parallel story in Matthew 16, James and John are seeking authority, and based on the dialogue, it is apparent they too were not aligned with “the things of God”.
Truthfully, the desire for authority is really part of our DNA. When God made Adam and Eve, the Bible says He gave them “dominion […] over all the earth […]” [Genesis 1:26]. But after sin entered the equation, that authority became tainted, and humanity began abusing it. Case in point, Cain and Abel (Adam and Eve’s children), and it went downhill from there.
Here in Mark 10, the story is really no different. James and John ultimately desired to be in charge or to have power and position the others didn’t possess. Notice that once the others heard about it they began to push back. It was if they were asking, “Why should anyone else be considered more important than me?” or maybe, “Why should I not be considered more important than everyone else?”
But John sums up the answer to these questions very neatly in his first Epistle. (I believe he finally figured it out.)
1 John 2:16
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
This is what our fleshly nature seeks, this is what “fallen humanity” is all about. That’s why we must be constantly coming against our flesh so that we can Align our Motives with that of God.
Romans 12:2
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Jesus’ response to James and John’s request, and really to all His disciples is summed up in verse 44.
Mark 10:44
44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.
When you are aligned with Christ your desire is not to have a position of power and authority, but to have the heart of a servant.
Jesus demonstrated this at the Last Supper when He “took a towel and […] began to wash the disciples’ feet” [John 13:4-5]. Having authority and power is not about domineering over others, it is about service and humility to others.
Aligning to Exercise His Authority
How does all this apply to the church today? Ultimately, we are a part of the Kingdom of God. We are not isolated. We are not alone. God has not placed us here to simply survive and manage, but His desire is that we thrive and excel. We too have been given Apostolic Authority because we have also been given the divine revelation of the Mighty God in Christ. And we are to use it to advance the Kingdom in the hearts and lives of others.
But it is crystal clear from Scripture that we cannot violate the values of or circumvent the principles of His Word to exercise His authority.
Matthew 18:18-22
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
There are two things here that people seem to overlook when quoting or should I say invoking this Scripture, Unity and Forgiveness.
In His Kingdom we cannot treat others in the church wrong (walking in disunity) and expect to continue receiving the blessings of God or walk in the authority of God. Just as important is when (not if) others in the church do us wrong, we will not walk in the blessing of God nor the authority of God as long as we choose not to forgive.
God’s Kingdom is not about who deserves what. His Kingdom is about humility. It is about forgiveness. It is about extending grace and showing mercy to others [Micah 6:8].
The Value of Authority
Consider the words Jesus spoke after Peter’s revelation and his harsh rebuke.
Matthew 16:24-25
24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
God’s Kingdom transcends all other domains – home, government, business and civic organizations. You may be asking, “Pastor, what does that mean?” I’m glad you asked! It means if you claim to be a Christian, then you’re Kingdom status supersedes all other connections in your life. I heard someone once say, “Well, you know every now and then you have to lay your cross down. You just have to remember to pick it back up.” Let me walk in the authority of your Pastor and tell you that that is a lie from Hell. Adherence to Kingdom values should always be on display in our lives, no if’s, and’s, or but’s period.
Luke 9:62
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Whether you realize it, whether you like it or not, all of us have influence in the lives of others. All of us are responsible for leading others by example. May we live a life that exhibits His core values, and one that is pleasing to God. By doing so we are exercising our Apostolic Authority, not in lording over others, but by being a faithful servant, walking in Spiritual maturity.
The Value of Aligning with Others
The writer of Hebrews explains a beautiful progression of spiritual maturity.
Hebrews 10:22-24
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) 24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
First, genuine faith will draw us nearer to God. Walking in authority means that you will first draw near to God and align your ways to His ways. Remember the words of Jesus, “seek first the Kingdom of God AND His righteousness” [Matthew 6:33].
Second, genuine hope is unwavering allegiance with God. When you walk in God’s authority you have “the substance of things hoped for” and will “obtain a good report” [Hebrews 11:1-2].
Third, genuine love will result in works performed, first to God and second to others. Again, I stress, we are not saved by works, but true salvation will direct us to good works. [James 2:18]
When we align our faith in God, our hope with God, and our love for God, it will affect how we interact with others. This process does not take place in a vacuum, and do not get to pick and choose when, where, and how it’s demonstrated, nor upon whom it’s given. This alignment must be evident in our everyday life and all our relationships. Remember we are “epistle[s] written […], known and read of all men” [2 Corinthians 3:2].
The Value of Aligning with Spiritual Authority
Before we end this session, let’s look at Authority and Alignment in the context of church relationships. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about how these principles affect our daily relationships, so how much more should we be responsible and accountable toward spiritual authority.
Hebrews 13:17
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
We are specifically instructed to acknowledge the authority structure God has instituted over our lives. We have the responsibility to honor the authority of church leaders and are to follow them as they follow Christ [1 Corinthians 11:1].
Disregarding, rejecting, or substituting God’s order of authority will always bring calamity. This means we are to have and show respect for those God has placed in positions of authority. Hebrews 13:17 confirms that refusing to obey and submit to our leaders is “unprofitable”, meaning it brings serious consequences.
Romans 2:8-9
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish […]
The church is instructed to willingly submit to the offices of ministry and to follow and obey their teaching, so that they may escape the wrath which is to come. And these offices are instructed to feed the body, not tear it down, again having the heart of a servant. This is Apostolic Authority and Alignment.
Jeremiah 3:15
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Jesus loved Peter, but He rebuked him. Jesus loved James and John, but He rebuked them. The church is commanded to “despise not chastening” [Hebrews 12:5], to “endure chastening” [Hebrews 12:7], and to rejoice that it is proof that we are loved of God [Revelation 3:19].
When the ministry and the saints of God work together as God has ordained, the church will move as the most powerful force in the world. But this power or authority cannot be achieved unless the church submits or aligns itself to God’s structure and ordained chain of command.
Only when we submit to God, His will and His leaders, do we find fulfillment and success in our own personal lives, and when we do we will edify and build up the body of Christ, because we are walking in authority and are aligned with God.