Kingdom Authority
Rom 13:1-5 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. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.
I just want to make a few key points.
All authority is from God, instituted by him.
If you resist authority, you are resisting God and will be judged.
Paul clearly states that if you do wrong, you should fear, because the man of God does not bear the sword in vain. You will be dealt with in a strong way for your misdeeds.
You are to subject yourself to God’s authorities.
Now lets look as some stuff that’s hard to grasp.
1Sa 19:9-5 Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."
So David, after serving King Saul with great vigor and honor is now the object of King Saul’s murderous rage. David runs.
1Sa 24:4-10 And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed." So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way. Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Behold, David seeks your harm'? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, 'I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed.'
David was not about to kill King Saul, even though he could have claimed self defense, even though he was in the right, even though he was told by God that Saul would be given to him. David still realized that even though Saul was acting in the flesh and had walked away from the authority of God, it was not David’s responsibility to take Saul out, it was up to God. He knew that he was not even the vessel to be used.
Somehow today we do not understand this key issue though. We think that if a pastor is in the wrong, we have the right to confront him/her, and take him/her out, to speak against him/her, and to rebel against that person. Who do we think we are? Honestly folks.
David had the right, by our eyes to kill Saul, but he didn’t because he understood authority. So if a Pastor is doing what you don’t like, pray for him. If you really see what is going on as wrong, ask to be released from the ministry, but do not slander the Pastor. If we do, we have swift judgment to come upon us.
I just want to make a few key points.
All authority is from God, instituted by him.
If you resist authority, you are resisting God and will be judged.
Paul clearly states that if you do wrong, you should fear, because the man of God does not bear the sword in vain. You will be dealt with in a strong way for your misdeeds.
You are to subject yourself to God’s authorities.
Now lets look as some stuff that’s hard to grasp.
1Sa 19:9-5 Then a harmful spirit from the LORD came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night. Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him."
So David, after serving King Saul with great vigor and honor is now the object of King Saul’s murderous rage. David runs.
1Sa 24:4-10 And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed." So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way. Afterward David also arose and went out of the cave, and called after Saul, "My lord the king!" And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. And David said to Saul, "Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Behold, David seeks your harm'? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, 'I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed.'
David was not about to kill King Saul, even though he could have claimed self defense, even though he was in the right, even though he was told by God that Saul would be given to him. David still realized that even though Saul was acting in the flesh and had walked away from the authority of God, it was not David’s responsibility to take Saul out, it was up to God. He knew that he was not even the vessel to be used.
Somehow today we do not understand this key issue though. We think that if a pastor is in the wrong, we have the right to confront him/her, and take him/her out, to speak against him/her, and to rebel against that person. Who do we think we are? Honestly folks.
David had the right, by our eyes to kill Saul, but he didn’t because he understood authority. So if a Pastor is doing what you don’t like, pray for him. If you really see what is going on as wrong, ask to be released from the ministry, but do not slander the Pastor. If we do, we have swift judgment to come upon us.