Will you please turn to the book of
Romans?
Romans chapter 13.
We'll read the first five verses.
Romans chapter 13 verse 1.
Let every soul be subject to the authorities
that are above him, for there is no
authority except from God.
And those that exist are set up by
God, so that he that sets himself in
opposition to the authority resists the ordinance of
God.
And they who thus resist shall bring sentence
of guilt on themselves.
For rulers are not a terror to a
good work, but to an evil one.
Does thou desire then not to be afraid
of the authority?
Practice what is good, and thou shall have
praise from it, for it is God's minister
to thee for good.
But if thou practices evil, fear, for it
bears not the sword in vain.
For it is God's minister and avenger for
wrath to him that does evil.
Wherefore it is necessary to be subject, not
only on account of wrath, but also on
account of conscience.
The gospel according to Matthew.
Matthew chapter 8 verse 9.
For I also am a man under authority,
having under me soldiers.
And I say to this one go, and
he goes.
And to another come, and he comes.
And to my bondman do this, and he
does it.
The gospel according to John.
John chapter 5.
John chapter 5 verse 19.
Jesus therefore answered and said to them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, the son can
do nothing of himself, save whatever he sees
the father doing.
For whatever things he does, these things also
the son does in like manner.
Verse 20.
For the father loves the son, and shows
him all things which he himself does.
And he will show him greater works than
these, that ye may wonder.
Verse 26.
For even as the father has life in
himself, so he has given to the son
also to have life in himself, and has
given him authority to execute judgment also, because
he is son of man.
Verse 30.
I cannot do anything of myself.
As I hear, I judge.
And my judgment is righteous because I do
not seek my will, but the will of
him that has sent me.
And the same gospel chapter 8.
John chapter 8 verse 28 and verse 29.
Jesus therefore said to them, When ye shall
have lifted up the son of man, then
ye shall know that I am, and that
I do nothing of myself.
But as the father has taught me, I
speak these things.
And he that has sent me is with
me.
He has not left me alone, because I
do always the things that are pleasing to
him.
And finally, Ephesians chapter 5.
Ephesians chapter 5.
Just one verse.
Verse 21.
Ephesians chapter 5 verse 21.
Submitting yourselves to one another in the fear
of Christ.
Lord we have just remembered thee at thy
table.
Our hearts are constrained by thy love.
Knowing that thou who has died for us,
we all die.
And now we live for thee who died
and lived for us.
Lord we are thine, we are not ours.
We regret that how often we hinder thee
instead of serving thee.
Lord forgive us for our ignorance.
Forgive us for our stubbornness.
We do not know authority.
We do not know obedience.
Lord these things are foreign to us.
We do pray that thou will open our
eyes.
Open our understanding.
Open our heart.
That we may see what authority really is.
Teach us the lesson of obedience.
And show us how to be in authority
as well as under authority.
That thy work may be done and thy
will may be done on earth as it
is in heaven.
We just commit this time into thy hands.
Confessing that we know nothing.
We ask that thou will open thy word,
shine thy light upon us and deliver us.
Lead us into thy truth.
That thou may truly have us for thyself.
We ask in thy precious name.
We mentioned yesterday morning that there is a
fundamental truth that we must always remember.
And that truth is there is no authority
except from God.
Or to put it in another way, in
this universe, in the creation, God is the
only and one authority.
Whatever is not God, is not of God,
is a contrary.
Only that which is God himself, only that
which is given by God, that authority is
true.
We share together on the very nature of
authority.
How different God's authority or the true authority
is different from the authority that we usually
understand and accept.
Because authority is God's right.
It is something that comes out of himself.
Therefore it carries with him in his authority,
his very character in it.
God's authority is spiritual, is not positional.
God's authority is life, is not something that
you assume.
God's authority is giving, not getting.
God's authority is serving in his nature, not
to be served.
And God's authority is love.
These are the nature of authority.
The purpose of authority is not for overthrowing.
Even though this is our impression, it is
because we are a rebelling people.
God's authority is primary for building up.
It is through God's authority that there can
be any building.
Whether it is individual, the building up of
our spiritual life, it takes God's authority to
do that.
If you reject God's authority in your life,
you will find that you will never be
built up.
You will remain a babe, if you are
saved, a babe in Christ.
And it is the authority of God that
builds up the church.
Otherwise, the church would never be built.
How precious is authority?
It is something not to be rejected, but
it is something that we should look forward
to and to welcome.
Our response to authority is to obey.
And we mentioned at the very last that
there are certain signs that show who really
knows what authority is.
And I'm sorry to say, I have to
make a confession, my memory failed me yesterday.
In the last point, I substituted something other
than what Brother Nee said.
So I ask your forgiveness for me.
And what Brother Nee said, the last sign
of people who know authority is, he is
sensitive to everything.
Now this morning, lawlessness.
This morning, we would like to continue on
with a further look into delegated authority.
Now brothers and sisters, we say God is
authority.
I don't believe that anyone here will challenge
this statement.
Probably we think that it is easy for
us to obey God as authority.
In other words, we have no problem with
God as authority.
Now if you have any problem with that,
you are very serious trouble.
But I think we have no trouble by
accepting that God is the authority.
We have no trouble in at least mentally
accepting that we should obey God's direct authority.
Because after all, He is God.
And we are His created beings.
But even though we do accept it mentally,
but when you come to our actual living,
we find how often we challenge God's authority.
Take for instance the Apostle Peter.
You find that in his life, more than
once, he challenged God's authority.
You know on that night of the betrayal
of our Lord Jesus, the Lord knew that
He came from the Father.
He knew that He was going back to
His Father.
He knew that He was their Lord and
their Master.
But He loved them.
And He loved them to the uttermost.
And on that night, He washed His disciples'
feet to show His love.
He is the authority.
And that authority is expressed in love, in
loving service, in humble service.
But when He came to Peter, you remember,
Peter said, Lord, what are you doing here?
You should never do that.
I will not allow you to do that.
Now, who is Lord?
The Lord Jesus or Peter?
Did He really learn the lesson that evening?
Hardly.
Because even after our Lord died and resurrected
and ascended, and the Holy Spirit came, and
you know Peter was greatly used by God,
and then one day while he was on
that rooftop in Jaffa, he was a little
bit hungry because it was noontime, and people
were cooking food there.
So while he was at the rooftop praying,
probably he was still thinking of eating.
But anyway, you find that God used that
opportunity to give him a vision, a vision
of a great white sheet coming down from
heaven.
And it came down right to his front,
and he looked into it, and all these
unclean animals there, and the voice said, Rise,
kill, and eat.
Now, how strong was Peter's tradition?
Tradition has very strong hold on a person.
Even though Peter was hungry, but tradition was
so strong, he said, Lord, not so.
This cannot be done, because I have never
eaten anything unclean.
And the voice said, What God has cleansed,
let no man say it is unclean.
And it happened three times.
And Peter didn't do it until the white
sheet went up.
Now, brothers and sisters, do we laugh at
Peter?
Let us laugh at ourselves.
How often we say, Lord, Lord, not so.
So, brothers and sisters, even though mentally we
do accept the direct authority of God, we
think there is no problem with that.
But we still have problems.
And how we need to see him as
God, that he has absolute authority over us.
And to his authority there shall be no
questioning, no argument, but instant, absolute submission and
absolute obedience.
Now, this morning we would like to share
on this matter of delegated authority.
And that's all the problems are here.
God is authority.
He uses his authority to create all things.
He uses his authority to maintain all things.
He uses his authority to govern all things.
That the whole universe will be in harmony
and in order.
Now, if God should keep his authority all
to himself, how simple it will be.
But unfortunately, and thank God for that unfortunately,
that it is his good pleasure to delegate
authority.
Do not ask me why, but it is
his good pleasure.
God is God.
That is his right.
And if he wants to delegate authority, that's
what he can do.
No one can question him.
But it seems that this is God's pleasure.
Now, maybe there is a reason behind it.
Of course, today we seem to catch a
little bit of what the reason is.
But still you'll find it is beyond our
understanding.
Why God should delegate authority and not keep
every authority just to himself.
And everything is direct authority and nothing else.
How simple it will be.
There will not be all these problems.
But it pleases God to delegate.
Even in the first world, he delegated his
authority to angelic beings.
And you remember in the scripture it tells
us there are angels and archangels.
There are seraphims and cherubims.
And there are principalities and authorities.
In other words, you'll find that after he
created the universe, he delegated his authority to
angelic beings.
Some with greater authority, some with less authority.
And all these delegated authorities are God's servants.
Angels are God's servants.
In other words, they serve God under God's
authority.
Under God's authority and with the authority that
God has given to them, they govern this
universe for the glory.
Everything was beautiful.
Everything expressed the glory of God.
Everything served the purpose of God.
All these angelic beings, they were under God's
authority when they exercised the authorities given.
We say again, authorities are not something assumed.
Authority is something given.
And these angelic beings were given authorities.
And as long as they exercised the authorities
given by God, under God, everything worked.
But as our brother already mentioned, unfortunately in
that prehistorical time, one archangel, beautiful, talented, highly
positioned, gifted, God gave that archangel great authorities,
dominion.
But somehow an evil thought entered into his
mind.
In other words, he began to be conscious
of himself.
In the beginning, nothing, no one was conscious
of himself.
The only consciousness in this universe is God.
All these angelic beings, they were not conscious
of themselves.
They were not conscious of their positions.
They were not conscious of their gifts.
They were only conscious of the God whom
they served.
Everything received from God and everything returned.
The beginning of rebellion is self-consciousness.
One archangel began to be conscious of himself.
He began to be conscious of his beauty,
conscious of his power, conscious of his position,
conscious of his skills, conscious of the authorities
given to him.
And when he began to be conscious of
himself, he wanted to use all the authorities
and powers and gifts and beauty that God
has given to him to serve God.
Instead, he wanted to use all these to
serve.
And to do that, a rebellious spirit came
upon him.
Instead of being under the authority of God,
he wanted to set up his own authority.
Instead of serving God's kingdom, he wanted to
establish his own kingdom, his own dominion.
And for this reason, he was cast out
of the Garden of Eden above.
He turned himself into Satan, the adversary.
Evidently, our solar system at that time was
under his control.
Oh, how he had affected not only the
earth that was under his control, but he
affected even other angels.
He was able to instill that poison, rebellious
spirit, into one-third of the angelic hosts
and to lead them into rebellion.
And he was able to turn this earth
that God has created into ruin and darkness.
Now, brothers and sisters, it is true.
All these things happened because when God's authority
was challenged, God was not allowed it.
God's discipline came and God's judgment came.
That is true.
But in another sense, brothers and sisters, that
was the result of that rebellious spirit.
Wherever there is a rebellious spirit, it brings
in darkness.
It brings in ruin.
It brings in emptiness that is purposeless.
So, in other words, you find that because
this Lucifer became self-conscious and he wanted
to make himself equal with God, an authority
in himself, instead of under the authority and
functioning with the authority God has given him.
Brothers and sisters, here you find he was
cast out and his dominion turned into ruin
and darkness.
But God did not give up.
He did not give up the idea of
delegated authority.
Now, if it were you or me, after
such thing happened, you would say, well, it
is better not to delegate authority.
I will just hold it all by myself.
But no, God is different from us.
Even though Satan seemed to set up his
own kingdom, the kingdom of darkness, even though
Satan rebelled against God's authority, and he was
under God's judgment, and yet we know one
thing, he was still under God's authority.
He tried to pull himself out of God's
authority instead of his own.
But he was still under God's authority.
He could not do anything he wanted to
do.
You know, even when he tried to tempt
us, he has to get some permission.
He is still under God's authority.
So no matter how you want to get
out of God's authority, you just cannot get
out, because he is the authority of the
universe.
There is no way out.
You only bring judgment upon yourself, trouble upon
yourself.
But thank God he did not give up
the idea of delegating authority.
There must be a reason behind it, a
very glorious reason behind it.
So we do not know how long it
passed, but we knew from the Word of
God, the Spirit of God brooded upon the
face of the deity, like a hand brooded
over an egg, and used his warmth, used
his love to repair this ruined earth.
And on the sixth day, God did a
most marvelous thing.
It was something that he had never done
even in the first creation.
He decided to create man in his own
image, after his likeness.
Now God has never done that.
He created his angelic beings, beautiful, glorious, but
he did not create them in his own
image.
But now he decided, even after that catastrophe
that happened to him, he did not go
backward.
He took a step forward.
He created man.
Man lower than the angels, and yet created
in his own image.
In other words, you find when he created
man, he gave man the capacity to receive
him into.
He knew that the only safe way to
save God, delegated authority, is his own life.
So you find he created man with the
capacity to receive his own life.
And then he gave dominion to man.
Over the flowers of the air, over the
animals of the field, and over the fishes
of the sea.
And God put a tree of life in
the middle of the garden.
Our brother has already mentioned that.
In other words, God was saying, I still
delegated my authority.
But remember, the secret to be my delegated
authority is to receive my life.
That's the safeguard.
Now again, man sinned.
Instead of receiving the life of God into
them, so that when they exercise the authority
God has given them, they will be under
God's life.
And that's safe.
But instead of that, you find they ate
the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil.
In other words, they developed their self-consciousness.
They wanted to make themselves God everything.
And brothers and sisters, when that happened, curse
came upon this earth.
The ground will grow thistles and thorns.
You know what thorns are?
Thorns are aborted fruit.
God's purpose is to bear fruit.
But here you find instead of fruit, it's
aborted.
It didn't arrive at its end.
It becomes thorns.
That's the curse.
Whenever God's authority is rejected, there will be
curse.
And the greatest curse is you never arrive
at God's end.
Now we will say, now surely God had
done twice.
And surely that will teach him a lesson.
But God didn't learn that lesson.
And thank God for that.
God still didn't give up.
You know, his desire of delegating authority is
still there.
He never changes.
Now in the scripture that we read in
the beginning Romans chapter 13, it says there
is no authority except from God.
And that which exists are set up by
God.
Now God still sets up authorities on this
earth.
We find that in the nations there are
kings, rulers, government.
You read the book of Daniel and in
Daniel chapter 2 verse 11 and 21 it
says, God, it is God who changes times
and seasons, who deposes kings and set up
kings.
And in that song of Mary, in Luke
chapter 1 you find Mary said, you are
the one who put down the rulers from
their throne and lift up the lowly.
So in other words you find that God
still delegates authority.
In this world he sets up kings, rulers,
and these are God's ministers.
They are set up by God to serve
God's purpose.
They are to serve God for good, not
for evil.
And that's the reason why if you do
not want to be afraid of authorities, do
good.
Not only in the government, in the nations
he set up authorities, but you find that
in our homes he set up authorities.
Our parents, father, mother, they are authorities set
up by God in our homes.
And even in the church you find that
God sets up authority, delegated authority, in elders,
those whom God has chosen to represent his
authorities in the church.
So here you find God still delegates authority.
He loves to do that.
Now what is delegated authority?
Or when authority of God is delegated, what
does it mean?
It means that those who are delegated authority
are to represent.
So you find it is a tremendous responsibility.
So far as God is concerned, brothers and
sisters, for him to delegate authority is a
great risk.
But so far as we are concerned, to
be delegated authority is a great serious responsibility.
Because we are to represent God.
And you know the sin of misrepresentation is
a very serious sin.
Moses served God with all faithfulness, but towards
the end his spirit was provoked, and he
said something, he did something he should never
do.
He stroked the rock twice, and said, I
give you water, rebels.
He misrepresented God's authority.
He misused God's authority.
He misrepresented God, because the children of Israel
will say, well, so this is what God
is like.
No, God is not like that.
And for this reason, he was not allowed
to enter into the process.
Brothers and sisters, if we know what delegated
authority is, we will not desire to be
so delegated.
Anyone who desires to be God's delegated authority
is disqualified to be God's delegated authority.
Remember this.
There are two things we would like to
consider before the Lord this morning on this
matter of delegated authority.
One is those who are being delegated that
authority.
In other words, those who are in authority.
And then the second thing is those who
are under, under God's delegated.
When God delegates authority to a person, we
have already said he is to represent God.
In whatever he does, whenever that authority is
being exercised, it has to express God.
It is not to express himself, but to
express God.
And whenever he does not express God and
expresses himself, it is a misrepresentation.
And this is a serious thing in the
sight of God.
There is one man who shows us what
delegated authority really is.
And that man, of course, is our Lord
Jesus.
Now, of course, he being God, he is
the very principle of direct authority.
He is God.
But when our Lord Jesus emptied himself and
became a man, you find when he was
on earth, he is the perfect specimen of
what delegated authority is.
You know, when he came to this earth,
he has no position whatsoever on this earth.
Even though he is the son of David,
and yet he was not born in Jerusalem.
He was not born in a palace.
He was born in Bethlehem, a tiny city
in a manger.
He had no position on this earth.
He had never been to school, to a
rabbinical school, to learn.
He had no status, status whatsoever.
So if you look at our Lord Jesus,
you find that there is nothing outwardly that
gave him.
But yet our Lord Jesus, while he was
on earth, he was a man of authority.
We are all familiar with the Sermon on
the Mount.
And when our Lord Jesus delivered that Sermon
on the Mount, when he finished it, all
those who heard him said, he is different
from our scribes because he teaches with authority.
Now even today, when we read Matthew 5,
6 and 7, we will come to the
same conclusion.
We hear something.
We hear words coming from a man with
authority.
Not only his words are full of authority.
Yes, with a word, sickness was healed.
The centurion, he understood authority.
And when his servant was sick, he asked
that the Lord will come and heal him.
But he said, Lord, I am not worthy.
I am not worthy for you to come
to my humble house.
You say a word because you are a
man of authority.
I know what authority is.
I am under authority.
As a centurion, he was under the authority
of Caesar.
And when he was under Caesar's authority, he
had authority over his hundred men.
When he said, you go, you go.
You come, you come.
You do this, you do this.
It cannot be challenged.
That's authority.
Brothers and sisters, our Lord is a man
of authority.
He say a word and it is done.
Now remember, this authority is not his authority
as God.
As God, he say, let there be light
and light be.
But here you'll find as man, he had
delegated authority.
He just say a word and it's done.
Say a word and the demon is cast
out.
Say a word and the sea is calm.
He has authority over the sea.
Over everything while he was on earth.
No position.
While he was exercising his authority, no position.
It is spiritual.
It is love.
It is giving.
It is serving.
But there you'll find he is a man.
And you know how his authority was challenged.
In the beginning of his ministry, he enters
into the temple.
He look around and he saw all these
trays going on.
Noises.
And our Lord Jesus make a whip.
Drove out all these cattle.
Overturned the table of the money changers.
And he say, you have made my father's
house a house of merchandise.
A bazaar.
You disgrace my father's house.
And the Jew said, show us a sign.
What does it mean?
It means that on what authority you are
doing this?
Who are you?
Show us a sign.
And you know what the sign our Lord
kingdom give him?
The Lord said, you destroy this temple.
And in three days I will raise it
up.
That's the sign.
What is the sign of authority of our
Lord Jesus while he was on earth?
Giving his life.
Lay down his life and take it up
again.
That's the sign.
And then you remember at the end of
his ministry.
It happened again.
In Matthew it is recorded.
He at his last entry into Jerusalem.
After three and so years of laboring.
He discovered that the temple was not getting
better.
But it's getting worse.
So again you find he cleansed the temple.
But after he did that.
The Pharisees.
The officials.
They came and challenged him.
On what authority do you do this?
Who gives you the authority to do that?
They know it takes authority to do these
things.
But who gives you the authority?
On whose authority are you doing that?
And as our brother already mentioned.
The Lord didn't answer their question.
But questioned them.
The baptism of John.
Is it from God or from man?
In other words it is clear.
It is evident.
The Lord does not need to defend his
authority.
The Pharisees.
The officials of the temple.
They had position.
Now in the beginning it might be.
It is because of their godliness.
You know God chose high priests.
And those priests were supposed to be set
apart.
To serve God.
And the Pharisees were supposed to study the
word, the law.
And to keep them.
Maybe in the beginning there was some sincerity.
There was some piety there.
And because of this.
They got into a position.
There was no authority there.
It is a counterfeit authority.
Based on position.
Based on tradition.
Not based on life.
So here you find these two authorities clash.
Man made authority.
Positional.
Traditional.
Clash with.
Real authority.
Spiritual.
Life.
And you know that false authority only.
Destroys.
It never builds.
And if it builds.
It builds.
A tower of Babel.
A Babylon.
But anyway it shows you that our Lord
while he was on earth as a man.
He had.
Authority.
And that authority is not.
God.
Authority in the first place.
His authority is delegated authority.
How do we know?
You read the Gospel of John.
Because in the Gospel of John our Lord
Jesus said again and again.
He said.
I can do nothing of my own.
I saw my father doing it.
So I do it.
I cannot say anything on my own.
I say it because.
I heard my father say it.
It is he who is doing it.
Within me.
It is he who is speaking it.
Within me.
I always do the things that please the
father.
And he is always with me.
If I judge.
God has given me the authority to judge.
I judge not on my own.
But I judge according to him.
So brothers and sisters you find that throughout
his life.
When he emptied himself to become a man.
He left his authority as God behind.
He came as a man.
Under.
And how he put himself completely under the
authority of God his father.
To such an extent that he would never
do anything.
Or say anything.
Or go anywhere.
Even his timing is in God's hand.
You remember how his brother in the flesh
said.
Well this is peace time.
Everybody go to Jerusalem.
And if you want to show yourself.
Go to Jerusalem where the people are.
And show them who you are.
And our Lord said.
Your time is always convenient.
But my hour has not yet come.
In other words you find that his whole
life.
He lived his whole life under God's authority.
And he is so perfect.
His obedience to God's authority is so absolute
and perfect.
Therefore God has given him delegated authority.
Perfect.
And complete.
So his authority while he was on earth.
Was not God's authority in the beginning.
Direct authority.
It's delegated authority.
It is because he put himself under God's
authority.
Therefore he was given authority.
And brothers and sisters.
How he used that authority.
He never used his authority for himself.
He always used that authority for his father.
He never used his authority to deliver himself.
From the cross.
He can do that.
When he was mocked and said.
Come down from the cross and we'll believe
you.
He can very well do that.
He exercised his authority to remain on the
cross.
Brothers and sisters.
That is delegated authority.
Now how about us.
If God should delegate his authority to us.
Isn't that a big risk.
If God should honor us.
To delegate his authority.
Remember.
It is a tremendous responsibility.
To whom would God delegate his authority.
To what degree he would delegate his authority
to man.
The principle is.
According to the degree of his life.
In each one of us.
Because authority is in life.
In God's life.
And brothers and sisters.
Thank God.
Our forefather Adam.
He lost authority.
He lost dominion.
God has given him.
But today.
God again gives authority.
To those who are his.
In whom he has put his own life.
And brothers and sisters.
With that life.
Comes delegated authority.
So every one of us.
Have been delegated authority.
Now do you know that.
Do you know that every child of God.
Has a measure of delegated authority.
And it is a tremendous responsibility.
He wants you to use that delegated authority.
To serve God's purpose.
To represent God.
And to do his work.
And I believe.
This is the reason why.
He wants to delegate authority.
You know God loves us so much.
He wants to honor us so much.
That he wants us to have.
A part.
In his great.
The work.
Of building.
That holy city.
The new Jerusalem.
The bride.
Of his beloved son.
You need authority for that.
He wants you.
And me.
To have a part in it.
Therefore he is willing to risk.
With you and me.
Whatever life God has given you.
There is that measure of authority there.
And the Lord said.
Use it.
Under my authority.
Exercise it.
Under my authority.
And when you are doing that.
You find that God's work is done.
There will be building.
But remember one thing.
In order to do that.
We need.
To deny ourselves.
If our Lord Jesus.
Who is a perfect man.
He has to deny himself.
Every time.
In the smallest thing.
As well as the biggest thing.
Then how much more we.
Who have this sinful nature.
How much more.
We need.
The working of the cross.
In our life.
If we do not deny ourselves.
There is always that danger.
That we will.
Misuse.
The authority.
God has given us.
We will use the authority God has given
us.
To misrepresent him.
We will use it for our own purpose.
We will use it to build our own
kingdom.
But remember.
It is the kingdom of darkness that we
are building.
Never for a moment think.
That because you are given authority.
Therefore you become authority.
You are not.
No matter how much authority God has given
you.
On the basis of his life in you.
Whenever you are out of touch with God's
life.
You are not living in the spirit of
God.
You have no authority whatsoever.
You are no authority.
You know our trouble today is.
Authority.
Blinds our eyes.
Authority.
Deceives us.
Into thinking that now we are authority.
So we can say anything we like.
We can do anything we want.
We can tell people what to do.
And they must do it.
Otherwise we punish them.
Dear brothers and sisters.
This is not the authority of God.
This is abuse.
God's authority.
We are never authority.
What little authority we may have.
It is.
He is the authority.
So to put it very simply.
What is delegated authority?
Delegated authority is Christ in you.
God's life in you.
That is delegated authority.
And that is the measure of authority you
have.
And whether you are prophesying according to the
proportion of faith.
Whether you are serving according to the measure
God has given to you.
Do not be out of bounds.
Do not be careless.
Thinking that now you are authority.
You never are.
So Brother Nee told us.
There are three requirements to be delegated authority.
Number one.
Always remember that God is the authority.
And nobody else.
Number two.
Deny.
Always deny yourself.
Because you are to represent God's authority.
Not to substitute.
And number three.
Always in communion with God.
Because when you are out of touch with
God.
You lose it.
You lose that authority.
So what authority you still claim you have.
Is a counterfeit.
Alright.
I have to move to the second one.
I have eight more minutes.
Now we come to this matter of under
authority.
Now brothers and sisters.
You know it is equally difficult.
To be in authority.
And to be under authority.
Now do not think to be in authority
is easy.
It is very difficult.
Probably it is more difficult than to be
under authority.
Now there is no problem to be under
authority of God direct.
Now our problem is under delegated authority.
That is our problem.
Because we will say now who are you?
You are not God.
Why should I submit to you?
Well it is because we do not understand
what authority is.
You know brothers and sisters.
If you understand what authority is.
There is no problem.
Because whether it is direct or delegated.
It is God.
When you are submitting to the authorities that
God has set above you.
You are not submitting to men or women.
You are submitting to God.
And if only you can see this.
Where is the problem?
Your problem is with God.
It is not with men.
So if you have that problem.
Better go to God.
And deal with that.
Now do not try to deal with men.
Because you will not be able to solve
it.
You have to go to God to solve
that problem.
As a matter of fact.
I love that verse.
Submitting yourself to one another in the fear
of Christ.
Oh I love that verse.
You know Paul was going to tell us.
The relationship between husband and wife.
The relationship between parents and children.
The relationship between masters and slaves.
In other words he was going to tell
us.
That in this world there is an order
there.
In this world there is those who will
be put in authority.
And there will be those who will be
under authority.
Now that is the way God has arranged
this world.
Either nationally or in a home or in
the church.
Now before he mentioned that.
He laid down a principle.
And he says submitting yourself.
One to another in the fear of Christ.
Brothers and sisters.
Our first thought should not be.
Whom will I have authority over?
Our first thought should be.
Whom should I submit to?
And here you find submission should be our
attitude.
We should seek for submission.
Not seek for authority.
Submit to one another.
In the fear of Christ.
In other words.
As the members of the body of Christ.
Every member has a measure of Christ.
And to that measure of Christ.
We must submit.
It is for the fear of Christ.
And the fear there is not the fear
of punishment.
The fear there is the fear of not
pleasing the Lord.
We want to please the Lord.
And because we want to please him so
much.
Therefore whenever we see.
That measure.
That expression.
That manifestation of Christ coming out.
From any brother and sister.
Submit to it.
Sometimes the great member has to submit to
the small member.
Submit yourself to one another.
In the fear of Christ.
Now if this is our attitude.
What will happen?
When we submit ourselves one to another.
Then the divine order.
You see the divine order appears through our
submission.
When we begin to submit to one another.
And the spirit of God will show us.
Who.
Whom.
Has he set up.
As authorities over us.
That we should obey.
And whom.
Should learn.
You see that will come out very naturally.
Now the reason why in the church today.
There is so much quarrel over this matter
of leadership.
Or who is to be in authority.
It is because everybody wants to be in
authority.
And not to submit.
Everybody wants others to submit to them.
And not to submit to others.
Now that is the problem.
So when you are doing that.
Remember that divine order will never come forth.
But whenever brothers and sisters really see it.
And have an attitude of submitting to one
another.
In the fear of Christ.
Do not look at your brothers and sisters
the Adam or the Eve in them.
But look at your brothers and sisters the
Christ in them.
Try to find Christ in them.
And to submit to the Christ in them.
When we are all doing that.
Now God will decide.
Who should be.
In authority.
Because nobody wants to be in authority.
It is a tremendous responsibility.
To be in authority is to serve as
the bond slaves of God.
Now who wants to do that.
Unless God apprehends you.
Who wants to do that.
But when God apprehends.
How dare you not to do it.
It is for God not for yourself.
It is to desire a good work.
The work of God to be done.
And brothers and sisters I believe.
With my whole heart.
That the order will be manifested.
Naturally, supernaturally manifested.
So there should be no problem.
Our whole attitude needs to be changed.
Oh there are many more we can share.
But our time is up.
I do trust the Holy Spirit of God.
To really show us what authority is.
And if you really know what authority is.
Submission.
Obedience.
Should be no problem.
But again I say.
Naturally.
We know neither authority.
Nor obedience.
It is nothingness.
Whether it is authority.
It is Christ.
Whether it is obedience.
It is Christ.
He is the very principle of authority.
He is the very principle of obedience.
And it is He in us.
Who enables us to have delegated authority.
It is He in us.
Who enables us to submit.
To the authorities that God has set.
Dear Lord.
We have to acknowledge.
We know neither authority.
Nor obedience.
But we do praise and thank Thee for
saving us.
For giving Thy beloved Son to us.
In Him we find authority.
In Him we find obedience.
We pray that whether it is authority or
obedience.
They will become very life to us.
That through authority or obedience.
We may serve and all glory be unto
Thee.
In the name of our Lord Jesus.