1 Peter 5:1-4 Matthew 20:20-28 Ephesians 4:11-24 Judges 17:6 James I. Packer “Truth & Power” What is Authority? Authority is a relational word which signifies the right to rule. It is expressed in claims and is acknowledged by compliance and conformity. There are various sorts and sources of authority. Documents and authors are ‘the authorities’…
The sword of which He spoke is the sharpest of all implements of conflict: THE TRUTH. And those who hold it will find themselves hunted by evil. Chuck Swindoll
“Much of our Christian life is nothing more than a cheap anesthetic to deaden the pain of an empty life.” Lewis Sperry Chafer (founder of Dallas Th. Seminary)
“May not the inadequacy of much of our spiritual experience be traced back to our habit of skipping through the corridor of the kingdom like children in the marketplace, always chattering about everything, but learning the true value of nothing.” A.W. Tozer
John MacArthur in his New Testament Commentary on Matthew is quoting Mel White, the author of the book Deceived:
“Walter Mondale wrote that the pastor was an “inspiration to us all.” The Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare cited the pastor’s outstanding contribution. We are told “he knew how to inspire hope.” He was committed to people in need, he counseled prisoners and juvenile delinquents. He stared a job placement center; he opened rest homes and homes for the retarded; he had a health clinic, he organized a vocational training center; he provided free legal aid; he founded a community center; he preached about God. He even claimed to cast out demons, do miracles, and heal.”
British pastor Andrew Murray in his book: Abide in Christ: Thoughts on the Blessed Life of Fellowship with the Son of God (1864):
“It is to be feared that there are many earnest followers of Jesus from whom the meaning of (abiding) is very much hidden. While trusting in their Savior for pardon and for help and seeking to some extent to obey Him, they have hardly realized to what closeness of union, to what intimacy of fellowship He invited them when He said, “Abide in Me.” This is not only an unspeakable loss to themselves, but the church and the world suffer in what they lose.”
“The focus of a Christian’s activity is not to work hard enough to make fruit, but to keep his connection to Jesus Christ clean and strong. One way to do that is to absorb the teaching of God’s Word, the 66 books of the Bible. Read God’s Word…..think about it, apply it, talk about it with others, ask questions, commit sections of it to memory. Strength and productivity come from staying connected. However, according to Jesus, failing to remain connected to the vine leads to tragic consequences. Someone who fails to abide is someone trying to transform his or her own character in order to produce Christlike qualities without maintaining a connection to Christ. And that’s futile; it never works. In fact, it’s a perfect plan for drying up and withering away.” Chuck Swindoll
Charles R. Taber, in his book “Missiology and the Bible” states:
“The very existence of the Bible is incontrovertible evidence of the God who refused to forsake his rebellious creation, who refused to give up, who was and is determined to redeem and restore fallen creation to his original design for it…
The very existence of such a collection of writings testifies to a God who breaks through to human beings, who disclosed himself to them, who will not leave them unilluminated in their darkness…..who takes the initiative in re-establishing broken relationships with us.”
As Charles Van Engen in his book: “THE RELATION OF BIBLE AND MISSION IN MISSION THEOLOGY” writes: “The whole Bible renders to us the story of God’s mission through God’s people in their engagement with God’s world for the sake of the whole of God’s creation.”
Authority authorizes; it grants freedom to act within boundaries.
Authority is the source and boundary of freedom.
Authority must be connected to reality.
“The authority of the Bible is that it brings us into contact with reality – primarily the reality of God himself whose authority stands behind even that of creation. Reading and knowing the Scriptures causes us to engage with reality. That in turn functions to authorize and to set boundaries around our freedom to act in the world.
The authority for our mission flows from the Bible because the Bible reveals the reality on which our mission is based.” Christopher Wright
This God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Holy One of Israel, is the very AUTHORITY that those Scriptures mediate, because we have no other access to YHWH’s reality than through these Scriptures. Only in the Bible can we find God’s identity and God’s character.
The entire Old Testament is telling a story about the reality of God, the reality of the story (real live) and the reality of God’s people, all pointing to an anticipated future in the purposes of God.
What does that mean?
If it is true that the Bible reveals the reality of this Only True God, the reality of this story that answers the four fundamental questions
Where are we?
Who are we?
What’s gone wrong?
What’s the solution?
And also reveals the reality of this people called Israel, what should be the impact of the way Israel in the Old Testament and the Church in the New Testament SHOULD LIVE NOW?
In Jesus we meet this God who shares the identity and character of YHWH and ultimately accomplishes what only YHWH could. So, to know Jesus as savior and lord is to know the reality of the living God. It is to know the way, the truth, and the life, the Word, the Creator, Sustainer and heir of the universe.
God’s mission is our mission and it flows from the AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE.
This is the God we worship, this is the story we are part of, this is the people we belong to.
Question of the week:
We all know that the Bible clearly states that we are Ambassadors of Jesus Christ, that is, we are representative of the Heavenly Kingdom on this earth. As such, we do not have authority beyond what has been bestowed upon us to represent the King of Heaven. Why is this kingdom principle of uttermost importance to make a wife/husband relationship fulfilled and blessed? You may want to study John 5:18-23 to find the kingdom principle at work.
James 4:11-17 1. The Danger of ASSUMING A POSITION OF SUPERIORITY James 4:11-12 Numbers 12:1; Numbers 12:8 Numbers 21:5 Psalm 50:20 1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 3:16 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 Matthew 7:1-4 Romans 2:1-3 2. The Danger of ASSUMING A POSITION OF FINAL AUTHORITY James 4:13-16 Ephesians 1:3-14
The sovereignty of God. But what does that mean. It means that God has a very specific plan and purpose for all of us. It is always perfect in it’s wisdom and perfect in it’s timing.
HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE RULED BY SOMEONE WHO KEEPS ALL THE BLESSINGS FOR HIMSELF AND TREATS HIS SUBJECTS WITH CONTENT?
Joseph said to Pharaoh, listen, I am not the one who has the wisdom and knowledge to interpret dreams. Such wisdom belongs to God. He is the one who will give Pharaoh the answer, not me. He probably will use me to do it, but it does not come from me. Apart from Him, I am nothing. Joseph did not receive such honor to absorb it for his own good and to bake in the Egyptian sun of power and prestige. God wanted Joseph to be an outlet of His blessings. He now had all the power to provide and protect for all the people under his care.
Jesus knew exactly what He was about to do and how the people would react. Jesus came to this earth for this very moment, to be revealed to the Jews as their Messiah. He also knew that He would be crucified by the Romans once His own nation would deliver Him to those who occupied their land.
How is it possible that the religious leaders of His day could not understand what was going on. How can we make sure we are not repeating the same devastating mistake? They were not interested to study the scriptures to find out God’s plan for them, but rather to justify their plans which God should approve.