| Please read Part 1 before reading this for your full understanding of PRINCIPLES |
Are You A Leader Under Authority? (Part 1): Principles of Authority in Leadership |
If you look at president Buhari, to many of us he is like no nonsense man, the ball stops on his table, but in practical reality, he cannot do anything against the will of the Queen of England and Donald Trump; among other people. There are certain people, especially the Queen of Britain. You have collected independence, that’s the impression that everybody has in the country. But whatever they want him to do he will still do it. They have means of enforcing obedience. They give him command and they have means of enforcing it. So, even him is under, he is a King in Nigeria, he is the president in Nigeria but he still under the authority of the Queen of England.
Listen to MP3 Podcast: ARE YOU A LEADER UNDER AUTHORITY?
Currently in Canada, Canada is a country we know has independence. Canada’s Governor General is a representative of the Queen of England. There is a Prime Minister, there is a Governor General. Governor General is like the president, the president so to say in Canada is a representative, is officially; this is a public knowledge, officially the representative of the Queen of England. When she is in Canada; she is an authority. But there is an authority that she is responding to. That authority also has an authority.
So, a man who is under authority is a man who is also in authority. We must never forget that. God said "let us make man, in our image and in our likeness and let them have dominion." A man or a woman who is made in the image of God, and functioning in the pattern of God; that is, being under the shadow of the Lord, will necessarily have dominion. If he does not have dominion then he should question the image and the likeness of his function.
He should question the kind of image he is as a leader, and the kind of pattern he functions with on the earth. Do we understand that? I am sure we know that every country that was colonized by great Britain had certain men as their Governor Generals. And those men were the citizens of the kingdom of Britain. They were under the authority of the Queen, yet they were authorities in the colonies that they had. Do we understand? So, they responds to the command of the Queen, and everyone within their territory must respond to their command. If they must therefore keep their own authority, in those colonies, they must remain under the authority of the Queen. Because; living or being without the authority of the Queen, will make them to be without authority before the colonies of the Queen. So; being under authority is not about inferiority or superiority. It's even your certificate or visa to authority and dominion. If you must rule on the earth, then you must recognize an authority over your life.
That was verse 5 of John 15, So, let’s go to verse 7 now. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." In psalms 1, the Bible says: "Ask of me nations. I will give the ends of the earth for your inheritance." The only reason why you will ask of Him and He will give to you, is because you are under His authority. Do we understand? You can’t just come from nowhere and be asking Him, He will ask you: where are you? Are you under my Shadow or you are without my Shadow?
Let’s see verse 10 again. "If you keep My commandments (Don’t forget what we said, if you must be in command, you must follow commandments) you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."
Another way we can pattern this is Jesus said "I have kept my Father's commandments and I abide in His love." Does it not mean that there is a place outside the love of the father? If Jesus was able to dwell in His love, so it means there is a place outside His love. That’s outside the shadow. So, you want His favor then come into His secret place, come under His shadow. Jesus said what made me to have that privilege with God is my placement in Him. I am within His authority. If you want to also have that kind of authority, then you should be within my own authority. It flows and that’s what Jesus emphasized. Let us quickly go to John 5:30 to see what Jesus said again about authority.
"I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."
"I can of Myself do nothing." That’s the meaning of being under authority. Being under authority does not mean you will not do so much in life, but it means you can do nothing in life without that authority. I can of myself do nothing, however when I am not myself, when am not alone; I can do all things. No wonder apostle Paul said "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Why? I am a man under His authority. Later on even Jesus said it is for your good that I am going, because if I do not go, the Comforter will not come. And He said the works that I do you will do and even greater works than this you will do. Why? Because I go to the Father. And if I go to the Father I will send Him to you.
The works that I do you will do, why? You are still under my authority. Jesus said to the disciples "tarry in Jerusalem until you are endued with power." That was a simple command. If they had gotten to Jerusalem, and they were gallivanting around; they were merrying and doing all manner of things, they were doing their own businesses, then when the day of Pentecost comes, they will not be found within the authority of Christ. The Bible says "and the disciples were in one accord in one place." That place is where they are. God said to Adam "where are you?" He said "we had your voice and we hid ourselves", and Bible says "when the day of Pentecost is fully come they were all in one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound like a mighty rushing wind."
The disciples did not hide themselves when the voice was heard. Rather, they were filled with the Spirit of the voice. The reason is simple: they were in the place where Jesus told them to be and being where you are asked to be is simply being under authority. Because being where you are asked to be is literally obeying your last instruction. That’s why Jesus said "faithful is that servant who is Master when He comes; is found so doing." Doing what he has been told to do. It is not enough for you to have capacity, your capacity must be submitted to the authority. So, what you are asked to do you do in the place you are asked to do it. In John 11:51, there is something else I want us to note. We are taking time but I perceive that this is more of a seminar. So, let us just pardon the time.
John.11:51, the Bible says "Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation." That was when Jesus was being persecuted, when they were plotting to kill Jesus and a particular chief priest said something and the Bible says this he did not say of His own authority. That’s to show us that as far as that man was concerned, He was an authority. Sir, the Jews saw him as the man in charge, and the Bible says this He did not say in His own authority. So it means, literally, that we have no authority of our own. Every authority that we have is the one that has been given to us.
And what has been given to us which is not meant to be personalized by us, is meant to be held with all manner of responsibility. Let me say it in a different way. if I give you a new journal, you could write your name there, you could personalize it. But in reality, this authority you are talking about is not one that you can write your name or one that you can personalize. It is not one that you can say this is Francis' or Gboyega's authority. No! This is the Lord's authority. Bible says "this He did not in His own authority." If it was His authority it would have said this He did in His authority which he was given.
He was holding it but it was not His. Authority belongs to someone else, and ultimate authority belongs to God, the Lord God; The maker of heaven and earth. If we want to look at what it means to be under authority, there are a few thoughts about it. To be under authority implies that you are a leader. Okay, let me put it this way. You are a leader under authority the moment you use another’s authority to fulfill your assignment or role. I have come to realize that we all have individual responsibilities to perform. We have our unique roles in life. God who created us created us to do certain things in life. What we are asked to do, is our responsibility. There is a difference between your responsibility and your authority. Your authority is what you think you have but in reality, it belongs to someone else. It is what you use to fulfill your responsibility. You see, I was almost going to say that the source or nature of your authority notwithstanding.
With any authority, you can do certain things. To do many things you require authority. Perhaps with any authority, you could do anything. But without authority, sir and ma; you can do nothing. That’s the truth. And there is no man who can become an authority of his own. Every authority is handed over as it were. Every authority is tapped. I cannot have a gadget here now on this pulpit, not connected to any socket and its self-powering itself. No battery, no nothing. It is just a device, like a TV and it plugs to itself and it powers itself; no battery. Does it work? No! So if that TV must give vision to people, that TV must be connected to an external supply of energy. That’s the source of its authority.
The responsibility of that TV is to show vision, to show pictures, to show images; that is the work. Don’t let us mix our work with our authority. They are different things. Your authority is what you require to do the work. Your work is what you have been created to do. However to do it you require a source of supply. You require a supply of energy; a supply of back up, a supply of ability. So, for that TV to show, the TV must be connected. The moment the TV disconnect itself; the TV will cease from functioning.
That’s why God said let us make man in our image, like a TV, rectangle, glass in front, plastic at the back' I am just using an example. And then let them function like us. How do we function? Do we function through the power of an endless life? Do we function by everlasting life? Then let them also function by everlasting life. We do what we do simply because we have an everlasting life in us. Let them have it. That will help them to function. As soon as they now have that power of an endless life, let them have dominion therefore; let them dominate. Because the power of an endless life has an inherent capacity to exercise rulership over territories, rulership over space. So, if they stop being like us, if they stop feeding on what we feed on; if they stop living on what we live on, that is if they disconnect themselves, then they stop having dominion over territories over things of the earth.
So, if you are a leader, it means we are talking about who you are. If you are a speaker, one who speaks to situations, one who speaks to people, you speak about people, you speak over people – that’s what you do as a leader. For you to function, you require an authority for talking; about where you are. Where you speak. Elijah said there will not be rain nor dew in this land for 3 and a half years except at my word; and he began by saying thus says the Lord before whom I stand, another word for under whose authority I am here. He commanded me and I have come by His command. And because I am appearing by His command, I must be in command of situations or circumstances. If I disconnect from His command, then you, the elements of the world, can never respond to my command. So a man could be gifted, a man could be talented if he lacks true authority, he lacks the opportunity or the capacity to express his inherent capacity.
Don’t let us be overshadowed by our talent. What can you do? I can speak in tongues for 14 hours. What can you do? I can pray, I teach with wisdom. What can you do? I can, I can, I can; that’s what you can do. For you to do what you can do, you require an authority. I would have loved us to jump to certain places. Let’s quickly jump to Luke 20 to back up that point that says it is not enough for you to have capacity, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me is not enough, you require an authority.
"Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?"
Luke 20:1-2
You know we said what you do talks about you saying words isn’t it? As a Leader, what you do is in what you say. It says by what authority do you say these words? We know you are gifted, you understand Scriptures, you lay your hands on the sick they recover but by what authority do you do it. Showing us that that authority is very important. If they as a people will listen to you they want to know whose authority you are following.
"But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: The baptism of John; was it from heaven or from men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, "From heaven,' He will say, "Why then did you not believe him?"
Luke 20:3-5
So let’s jump to verse 8.
"And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." Now, that does not mean that Jesus said he was not under any authority. He just said He will not tell them. Simply because they were not able to tell Him the authority of John. The baptism that John was doing, talking about the works of John; who authorized it? Under whose authority was John baptizing people? They refused to tell him. If they had said from heaven He would have said I am also authorized from heaven. These things that I do are authorized from heaven. But they refused to tell Him so He refused to tell them His own answers.
They came to meet john too in John 1:19-28 they asked him "who are you?" Indirectly they are trying to find out his authority. Eventually they said are you this; are you that? Are you the Christ? If you are not the Christ, then why do you baptize? He said I baptize with water but the one coming after me who is mightier than I, He will baptize with the Spirit. Who are you? I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness make straight the way of the Lord. If they can know where that voice came from, then they can know whose authority I am.
Your authority is much more important than your capacity. You must be authorized before you can do it. It is not enough for you to just go to a shop and buy a military camouflage and kit yourself up. And you put a name tag. Once you are caught, you are gone. Maybe you appoint yourself, a rank maybe a Major, Colonel or Captain. In fact, maybe you even decide to be humble by referring to yourself as a sergeant.
As long as there is no authority, you are not under any authority; no divisions of the army or barracks can recognize you as one of them, then you are simply functioning outside authority. You have hands, you have legs. When you stare at people, people are afraid. You are so good and gifted but you are not authorized. Why are you not authorized, you are not responsible to anyone. You don’t take any word, you don’t follow any word. You follow your own, you speak your own word, when you want to block the road you block the road, when you want to open the road you open the road, you are not acting under any command.
And that makes such a man to be dangerous, therefore, he needs to be eliminated from the community. In the book of John 16:14, I would love to begin from 13. The Bible says:
"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."
We know the Holy Spirit is God, yet Jesus said He will not speak of His own authority. Jesus said I can of myself do nothing, so as I am told I speak, therefore my judgment is true. He said it is good that I go so that the Spirit will come upon you. That Spirit that is coming upon you will also not speak of His own authority. Why? The authority belongs to God. That’s why time they try to glorify Jesus, He refers them back to God. He will Say "glorify God." The one who deserves glory and praise is the one who has authorized you. The one under whose authority you are. You can do your work; fulfill your own purpose, but the glory belongs to the authority. So Jesus said "He will not speak of His own authority." Sometimes we pray thus: "Holy Spirit I want you to speak to me." What the Holy Spirit will speak to you will be authorized by the Lord. I pray that God will help us in Jesus name.
Another thing that I noted is being under authority means "the position you choose to take, the rules you choose to follow, the counsel or directives you obey, in the course of the fulfillment of your own dream, your own vision, your own purpose or your own assignment." You can be under this roof and choose to drink "garri", you can be under this roof and be playing music, you can be under this roof and be doing drama, you can be under this roof and be building something with your hand. But however you are under the roof. That’s the point. God does not does not stereotype what you do in the sense that simply because you are with me, all of you must do the same thing, No! what God has created you to do, you must do it, but you do it within the authority that God has instituted because there must be everything linking back to God.
If you read Ephesians when Apostle Paul talks about the church, talks about God, talks about Jesus, he builds a link. The Christ is over the church, God is over Christ. There is a link and it is about authority. God authorized Christ, Christ authorized the church. We know what to do through Christ and Christ is delivering the mandate of God to us. That’s why a man by the Spirit of Christ cannot say Jesus is accursed, it is against the order. And no man can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit, talking about how the order does not break.
So, if we go to Adam and Eve, go to Jesus, I am sure we remember when Jesus came to be baptized by John and John said "I should be the one to be baptized by you" and Jesus said "suffer it to be so now for such is fitting for us to fulfill either the Scripture or all righteousness." Another way is that is how to follow the commands of God. It looks like you are supposed to be submitting to me but God has ordained that I should submit to you at this point. This is the design. You may not be comfortable but this is what the Lord had authorized. Let us make it so. If we also look at Moses we will also note that Moses was made a leader but under the authority of God. When it got to a moment when he did not know what to do, he did not seek understanding within himself he inquired from the Lord.
When you look at Aaron, he was also made a leader but under an authority. God was the authority, Moses was made an authority, Aaron then became a leader under that authority. So as long as Aaron remained in that authority, whatever he did God was sanctioning it. So, the moment Miriam and Aaron decided to misbehave, they wanted to be without authority; they were saying are they not also prophet? Does God not also speak to us? God decided to sanction them. Why? They wanted to move outside His authority. Once God institute an authority, if you must continue to enjoy the flow of Gods power, the flow of God's grace, then you must be under authority. If there is a building that provides a covering when you move outside it then you will be beaten by rain and by heat. You remember that Scripture that we were reading sometimes ago "For over all the glory there shall be a covering it will be a shade from the heat and then from storm."
When we look at Paul too in the book of acts 19 from verse 11 to 18, we are aware of the story, so, we will not be reading it. At a moment when God demonstrated His power through Paul. The same thing the Bible says "God wrought unusual miracles." God performed not Paul. You tell a demon to get out, is it you that is chasing the demon out? No! But you have to work by speaking, but the demon will get out only based on the authority that is behind you.
So God did unusual miracles and certain people who used to do it through demonic power felt since Paul says in the name of Jesus get out, they also can do it. They were doing it before but they needed to conjure spirits, they have to do all manner of things, then after like three hours, maybe the demon will now get out. But they felt but Paul, with a simple word in the name of Jesus get out the things were responding. They felt this is better than our style they did not know this is not just a mere style. This was just the power of an endless life. That they were submitted to that was flowing through them. It was flowing through them, it was not flowing from them.
So, they now took it upon themselves to do it, they said "in the name of Jesus whom Paul preach we exorcise you." And the demon said "Jesus I know, I know who He is I know where He is, I know what He does, I know what He had. He had faith, in fact, He is faith. Paul I know, I know who he is, he is a leader, he is an apostle, he is a bond servant of the Lord. I know where he is, he is under the authority of Christ. He says imitate me just as I imitate Christ. I know whom he follows. But who are you?" You know that’s the first thing. Who are you? They will say "we are exorcist." Of course you are a leader but after what order are you leading? Whose authority is your leadership exuding from? The influence of your life; who is authorizing it? Your capacity to speak and to sing, who is backing it up? If the devil will not be able to stop you from speaking, the devil will not stop you from praying, the devil will not be able to stop you from preaching, then it must be because the one who backed you up is behind you.
Jesus "said low am with you always even to the ends of the earth." I am backing you up. When you go to places people are not am there with you. So when you are casting out demons you are not afraid, why? I am with you. A man who is not in Christ who decides to cast out demons will never live to do it again. Some people have said that deliverance sessions are scary sessions. In fact, you don’t even stay around if you don't know "wetin you carry."
Because the demon can get out from someone and enter into another place. Why? There is no one authorizing it. In reality, when there is an authority that is higher than that demon in your life, that’s why the Bible says that "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." If the authority that is behind you is greater than the one outside of you, then they will flee from you. So, I wrote something that looks like a quote but it is not a quote. It says: "to rule really you must be ruled, to lead really, you must be led." There are Scriptures that could back it. "To comfort, you must be comforted, to be served really, you must serve. To have your own, you must have another’s."
So Jesus said anyone who is not faithful with another man's, who will hand you your own? I believe God has spoken certain words in our hearts and the question must be ringing in our minds, Are You A Leader Under God? It is no more a question of are you a leader or not. Nobody is asking that. The question now is: Are You Such A Leader Under God? Is your dominion exuding from God? Do you follow the commandments of God? And the people that God has set in authority over your life, do you follow them? If you must enjoy what God has promised you, then it must be also about the place that you are. Are you under authority or are you without authority? A man who is not with authority, he could have great wishes, he could have great burden but he would not be able to do it.
I pray that God will help us in Jesus name.
