AUTHORITY - Part 3

PREVIOUSLY: We talked about the importance of recognizing the need to be under authority in the local church.

Here we deal specifically about recognition of authority and how that affects our power.

Recognizing the real authority

Nehemiah was charged with building Jerusalem (5th century BC). He was charged to do so by the king and he was confident that this was God's will. He had great responsibility in carrying this message to the people and convincing them of his mandate.

Nehemiah 2:11-12 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

Nehemiah recognized that, event though he had permission from the King, the real authority was from God and that was what he transmitted to people.
Also, the king may have given him permission but it was God that would give him success.
Conclusion: permission + success = authority.


Nehemiah 2:18-20I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

So authority becomes much more than we initially think. It is an identity, but an identity based on permission and success. It is prophetic identity that we stand on. Authority then gives us assurance of victory.

Not Recognizing the enemy's authority

David, before he was King, had to fight Goliath, the Philistine, who everyone was terrified of. David was not afraid because he was backed up in knowledge. He knew who his god was and that He was in charge and on the side of the Israelites.

1 Samuel 17:26Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?

David links identity with authority and with power. By not recognizing the authority of the enemy army David also did not recognize their power.

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NEXT TIME: we'll will conclude this series mentioning bad authority, God and Satan.

Andy De Campos

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