Lesson 2: Understanding the Authority of God 

Gal 3: 22  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.  23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.  24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.  29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

SCHOOLMASTER:    3807. paidagogos, pahee-dag-o-gos’; from G3816 and a redupl. form of G71;

a boy-leader, i.e. a servant whose office it was to take the children to school; (by impl. [fig.] a tutor

WHAT A INTERESTING PICTURE DRAWN HERE… The law was the servant that took us to school

Matt 11: 28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

PRINCIPLE:  à WE WILL NEVER REST UNTIL WE LEARN!

So let’s go way back to the beginning.

Gen 2: 15  And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

17  But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:  3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.  4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:  5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.  6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

NOW HEAR THIS…  Rom 5: 17  For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

18  Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.  19  For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

 è  Notice the weight of consequences attached to the concept of obedience & disobedience

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DISOBEDIENCE is what put mankind into the mess from the start.   ( God said don’t eat of this tree )

POINT:  à   (this was not an issue of fruit)  GOD WAS PLACING ADAM UNDER AUTHORITY

It is interesting to note that Adam was in authority over all the Garden.  (take dominion)

But God placed him under his authority – ONLY THOSE UNDER CAN BE OVER!

He made Adam first – then Eve…   She was put under authority (then they reigned together)

***  Pay Attention:    Mankind fell due to their disobedience to God’s pattern of authority.

EVE stepped OUT OF LINE by taking the fruit (rebelled against Adam, thereby God also)

ADAM then directly disobeyed his authority also.

Ecc 4: 9  Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.  (UNLESS BOTH ARE CARNAL!)   10  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

THAT IS THE WAY FELLOWSHIP IS SUPPOSED TO WORK!

But some are to careless in choosing their fellowship.  Whoever you hang around will effect you!

Question?  è  IF EVE STARTED THIS MESS – WHY DOES IT SAY “one man’s disobedience”?

è BECAUSE HE WAS THE AUTHORITY OF THE GARDEN   ( accountable to God )

à Eve ate without checking on who she was disobeying  (His action however, was simply SELF WILL )

One man said:   “the more we mature in Christ, our actions should decrease while our obedience increases.”

This is part of what John the Baptist meant when he said…

John 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease. 31  He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

Before we were converts we are long on activity but short on obedience.

AND SOME NEVER OUTGROW THE IMATURITY OF JUST DOING WHAT WE LIKE!

WATCH THIS:     Before the fall – ADAM & EVE only knew right as it pertained to God  (what he told them)

After the fall… “the knowledge of good and evil”

This came from an internal source beside God

ALL AUTHORITY STARTS WITH AND FLOWS FROM GOD  (if you touch his authority – you touch him)

Heb 1:1  God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;  3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;          à  THAT IS HIS AUTHORITY!     Authority that holds everything together!

Mat 8: 5  And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

6  And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.  7  And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.  8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.  9  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.  10  When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

JESUS ACKNOWLEDGED THE MANS REVELATION OF HOW THE KINGDOM OF GOD WORKS!

è  è   FOLKS:   In our day EVERYONE thinks they know what is right & wrong.

(“I don’t see anything wrong with that”)  etc.   RIGHT:  we don’t see. J

Our culture is so opinionated and self willed about what is right or OK in their own eyes.

Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  21  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!  22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:  23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

IT IS DANGEROUS TO HAVE NOTHING HIGHER IN YOUR LIFE THEN YOUR OWN OPINION. J

( Because… there are spiritual factors that effect our thinking without us even knowing it )

II Cor 4: 3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.       SATAN DOESN’T BLIND OUR EYES – HE BLINDS OUR MINDS

THE TRUTH IS:  EVEN IN THE CHURCH OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THIS SUBJECT IS TO SHALLOW

(obedience of) Students to teachers  /  wives to husbands  /  children to parents  = EVERYONE thinks this is cruel?

UNTIL THIS ISSUE of authority IS RESOLVED IN OUR LIVES – EVERYTHING ELSE will stay in disarray!

***  è  MOST CHURCH PROBLEMS STEM FROM REBELLION  (we have not worked this issue out yet)

Our culture has developed the HABIT of being in charge w/o knowing obedience ourselves (I’m my own man)

Heb 5: 8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;  9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;  10  Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.  11  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.  12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

THIS ISSUE OF OBEDIENCE AND AUTHORITY IS CONSIDERED MEAT FOR THE MATURE!  J

                                    This is NOT grade school stuff… BUT it is foundational!

CHECK IT OUT…

Sooner or later, we will have to face this issue of authority in our life.  (some just don’t like to submit)

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF IT IS BLESSING YOU OR NOT!

AS I SAID LAST WEEK…  WHO ARE YOU SUBMITTED TO?   (Not just an abstract theme)

The military tends to teach people this concept… The culture makes fun of someone who just follows orders!

We don’t follow blindly… we learn to trust those whom we are submitted to.

I Thes 5: 12  And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;  13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

In the NT – We are not given the option of not having a pastor… only the option of choosing one to follow.

II Tim 3: 10  But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,  11  Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.  12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.  13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.  14  But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;  15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

THIS is the way you stay balanced… TRIANGULATE off those 3 concepts.

II Cor 10: 4  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)  5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;  6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

IF WE COULD JUST GET A REVELATION OF THIS CONCEPT IT WOULD EMMANCIPATE US!

WE MUST…

1.     Have a spirit of obedience

2.     PRACTICE obedience      (Don’t live like a heathen that can never simply obey)

3.     Learn to Exercise under delegated authorities.  (more about this later)

SOME LEARN HOW TO OBEY AUTHORITY BUT NEVER HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHORITY  J

è Such as an indecisive leader    è  A husband that will not rule his house before God

IT IS NEEDFUL TO LEARN BOTH HOW TO BE UNDER & IN AUTHORITY TO BE BALANCED!

( completes the maturity cycle)

Our CHURCH, HOME, NATION  all suffer from those that do not know how to obey as well as those who do not know how to lead!