Desire To Live

So this week, I taught on the topic of Biblical Authority. This is a summary of the main part of the study. My text was from the Gospel of John 7:14-24 (Full text below). From this text, we can see that authority is derived as much as submission is yielded. So how does one receive Biblical Authority?

1. Submit to God’s authority – Listen to God through prayer and meditation. God is the beginning and source of authority.

2. Submit to the authority of Scripture – Have knowledge of the Word. This is where we receive authority to teach and the power to act on the teaching. (The Greek word used for 'authority', many times is translated 'power')

Sometimes, people think they have Scriptural authority because they read the Bible. This is not true. If you do not have the faith to discern and interpret the text properly, you will receive no authority from it. Jesus says in Matt 22:29, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God."

3. Submit to the Spirit, not the flesh – Be selfless, not seeking your own glory, but seek God's glory. Most teachers have an ego and a thirst for riches that choke out any thirst for the glory of God. Most men want to be exulted, they want to be famous, they want men to like them. We must not yield to the temptations of our flesh.

4. Submit to God’s law – Be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer. Why would anyone want to receive our gospel, if we do not back up our gospel with good works. Faith without works is dead. This is not to say that our works merits us any justificative benefits, however, it is by our 'doing of the Word' that people will want to be hearers of the Word.

5. Submit to Jesus Christ – Learn to lead in love & sacrifice. He deserves to be submitted to because he was a perfect example for us. He humbled himself, took the form of man, and died shamefully on a cross so that he can rescue his sheep. The good shepherd laid down his life for his sheep. If we want to be authoritative in our preaching, teaching, or doing, it must yield from a heart that conforms to the image and character of Christ.

6.Submit to men instituted by God– Listen and learn from those that labor among you. Students are to submit to your teachers. Children are to submit to their parents. Slaves are to submit to their masters. Wives are called to submit to their husbands. Finally, we are all called to submit to our governing authorities. Of course, none of this submission should be done if they are leading you to sin, since you have a higher authority in God.

Romans 13:1,2 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

We must learn to be a submissive community, a submissive group, and look at the cross of Christ for our example. Many want to be teachers of the Word, many want to see great power in their ministry, they want to see huge revivals, they want to leave great legacies. However, I see so very little submission. I see very little bowing of the knee, very little turning of the cheek, very little tears.



John 7:14-24 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. The Jews therefore marveled, saying, "How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?" So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" The crowd answered, "You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?" Jesus answered them, "I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man's whole body well? Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."