KINGDOM PRINCIPLES OF AUTHORITY AND SUBMISSION
KINGDOM PRINCIPLES OF AUTHORITY AND SUBMISSION
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
January 22, 2012
I have had a burden for this message for many weeks. I have prayerfully sought the Lord (1) not to teach this unless He had called me to do so. (2) To honor Fathers of the Faith and domestic fathers, yet present Godly authority and submission as the Father has lovingly taught me. Nor do I want to minimize the transference of Jesus’ Apostolic authority to His Kingdom ministries.
Through the years, there have been church government and divine order movements taking different forms. The 80’s gave us a neo-discipleship move. In the 70’s the Lord brought some much needed order to the Charismatic renewal. In the next ten years, He began to do the same with the Faith movement. Then we heard of shepherding and now the Fathering movement. In each of these cases, there have been excesses and abuse.
It is a sin to browbeat and drive the sheep. How sad it is that some saints won’t make any decision without their shepherd’s consent. The result of all this bondage is immature sheep and burned out shepherds.
Foundational ministries, apostles and prophets, need to learn again how to be servant-leaders to the churches. Yes, the saints must be sent under authority and be willing to submit to local eldership. However, some members and even local churches are afraid to breathe without their “apostle” knowing all about it. A real apostle will not make the saints dependent on him/her; instead he/she will train them to be strong, inter-dependent members of the Body yet with total dependence on the Lord.
Authority is never bossy or demanding. Only Chicago gangsters twist peoples’ arms to make them give them money. Only tyrants and war lords control people with orders, threats and manipulation. No one should ever submit to abusive or disrespectful treatment.
I have chosen to teach from “The Priesthood is Changing” by the Father of the Third Day Movement, Kelly Varner. He has done an excellent job of clarifying the entire subject of authority and submission. I will interject my own comments and conclusions throughout this teaching.
“There are three basic principles of authority in the Kingdom of God:
- All authority centers in Jesus.
- Authority is never enforced, only recognized.
- Authority can only work through personal relationship.
Mt. 28: 18-20 NIV: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey every thing I have commanded you. And surely I will be with you always to the very end of the age.”
Brother Varner quotes from His book, The More Excellent Ministry:
“”I remember the early 1970s when it seemed like all we preached was church government and divine order. A fresh wave of that is in the land under different brands and handles. I’m glad for that, but I want to beseech you in this area. The “discipleship controversy” evolved because men, husbands in the home and shepherds in the local church, went too far. The extremes of authority and submission have gone beyond the limits to play God with people’s lives. The whole principle of authority and submission is not to be an end in and of itself. It is, rather, to be a glorious means to an even more glorious end. This is a shocker, but did you know this truth?
“All authority and submission is under the curse…”
What? Yes, you heard me right. It wasn’t until after the fall of man that the husband was to rule over the wife (Gen. 3:16). Prior to the fall, they were one. There was no need for authority and submission; it was swallowed up in simplicity and union. In order for authority and submission to operate, there must be two wills. One will must come under and submit to the other will. For that reason, we see that obedience is not the ultimate goal. There is something greater than my submitting to His will. The highest order of anything is to become it! We are to come into union with His will…one will. Jesus was the Pattern for this. He who was rich became poor. The Word was made flesh. He condescended from the realm of perfect order and worship to the lower realm of death and chaos. He identified with broken humanity, and, as such, lowered Himself into a relationship of authority and submission to the Father. Prior to that, He and the Father were one. He lowered Himself even further and submitted to Joseph, Mary and to the Law.
Now, lest you think that I am belittling the truth of authority and submission, let me state that this was the only principle by which Jesus Christ walked out from under the curse, bringing us up and out with Him! We were in His loins. So I preach and practice government…I still pastor a local church. I’ve seen both sides of the coin. On the one hand, men teach that authority and submission are all-important; others are teaching that authority and submission are not important at all. Guess where the truth is? The first crowd is killing folks with legalism; the other is killing folks quicker with license. Paul dealt with both issues in his letter to the Galatians, showing us that law and lust will abort the seed of God.
Submission does not denote inferiority. The man is not better or smarter than the woman. There are wonderful differences. For example, men are headliners and women are fine printers. If the woman is the weaker vessel, then the man is the weak vessel (1 Pet. 3: 1-7)…a man and a woman rightly related reveal the image of God. It takes both. Two become one. There is a place of perfect union where that which is in part shall be done away. I know that the local church is a shadow of that reality. I am aware of what the “deeper life” teachers are saying…I also know that we haven’t arrived. The experience of Ephesians 4:13 is still ahead of us. Some may read this and self-destruct. “Praise God, I’m free! I submit to no man” is the banner of a wild man. But we still need Fathers in the home and pastors in the church. We need Elders and Deacons who have been given Godly authority to lead and disciple the saints. Let us follow the Leader. Jesus arrived at full stature by tasting fully of submission to the will of the Father.” (End of quote PP.115-117- The More Excellent Ministry)
The Lord made the home before he made the church. The Elders of a church have no authority to over-ride the head of the home. There is an order of authority in God’s two institutions, the home and the church. There are many areas of married life that are sacred. This holy ground is nobody else’s business, off limits to all but the husband and wife. Many couples are snared by false shepherding (“Fathering”) the bondage of having to get permission to do what God deems sacred to their private domain.
A man and a woman rightly related reveal the image of God, the love of God. “Mother’s love” is always accepting, though acceptance does not necessarily mean approval. It is unconditional, free of requirements. Balance with the firmness of “father’s love,” an earned respect that will not let the children have their way nor rule the home. This is not a matter of gender, but that the will of the two shall become one
All authority is Jesus’ authority. I don’t have any. Neither do you. The One who divided the five loaves on the earth divided Himself into five loaves when he ascended. Jesus is the Apostle, the Prophet, the Evangelist, the Pastor and the Teacher.
Heb. 3:1: “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus…”
John 10:11: “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.”
The local church is autonomous; that is, it is self governing, self-propagating and self-reproducing. Under Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church, there is no higher authority on the planet, and there is no court of appeals. The grandest truth of the New Covenant is the rent veil. There are three entities which are sovereign, made in the image of a Sovereign God:
- The will of an individual.
- The home.
- The local church.
No one will care about what our title is, how much we know, or what we have been called to do in the Kingdom until he/she knows how much we care. One is completely out of order when he pushes his way into a person’s heart or will. If an individual doesn’t want ministry, we are helpless; there is nothing we can do or say.
True authority produces relationships…My children are adults. If they come to me and ask me to pray or ask for wisdom, they are giving me authority to speak into their lives. I love them and would never knowingly hurt them. However, with my grandchildren when they are in my care, I can correct them without their permission. Yet, they, too, know how much I love them. The members of a church are adults. You are here because you want to be here and have chosen to submit respectfully to the Lord’s appointed Pastor and Deacons of this church. If you cannot submit respectfully, then there is no reason to be here. However, I do not speak into your lives until you come up for prayer by your free will or call me and request counseling.
I have Godly respect for your “will” and your “freedom of choice”. I love you and won’t ever knowingly hurt you. Just as I protect my children, I will protect you from wolves, false prophets, false teachers and yes this present false fathering movement. True authority will bring healing and liberty to sheep who have been damaged by the extremes of discipleship.
There are apostles and prophets all over this great nation who have spoken into my life, but I know that those men and women love me. I am in touch with them all the time with relationships of mutual respect. If I did not respect their walk, callings and giftings, I would not want them to minister to me. I am not quick to contact just anyone to speak into my life. I am not looking for a “prophesying contest” for the purpose of self-exaltation and self-promotion.
The bottom line is this: Who’s in charge? Is it God or the devil, Adam or Christ, man or God? Are you in control or is Jesus in control? Who has the reins, the rudder? Whose driving and where are we going?
No one every skipped out the back door of a local church over doctrine or any other reason; that was just a smokescreen. The real reason is governmental; (that is assuming that the pastor was Godly, preaching the Word, lifting up Jesus and loving the saints). Those people left because they could not be in charge. Like Saul, they had invaded the priesthood. Most come into self-promotion; magnifying themselves and their gifts and callings instead of the Lord.
1 Sam 15: 22-23: “And Samuel said (to Saul), has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”
2 Peter 2: 1-3: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. Many shall follow their shameful ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. Through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you; whose judgment now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not.”
Matthew 24:24: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”
In this church we give the Holy Spirit liberty and encourage the saints to exercise their gifts and callings within the boundaries of edification and encouragement in submission to the Pastor.
However, in the Spirit filled church at large we face in the ministry people quoting the Bible, appearing to speak the things of the Spirit, but are actually speaking out of their soul (their own reasoning based on circumstantial, sensory knowledge). All the while they are deluded, supposing they have heard from God. They use the Scriptures to substantiate their own stubbornness and rebellion.
It’s easy to know if God has really spoken to you; proving that is quite simple. A word from God, the word of the Lord, can be confronted and challenged by a brother or a true friend, and you won’t get spooked, touchy or upset. If it’s God, it will stand, it will keep. You won’t be concerned about your reputation. If that word came out of the spirit of man, or the devil, you’ll get mean and nasty when cornered, and get the urge to run, especially from the one who questioned that word.
This is a governmental year. Our nation is in severe governmental crisis. The nations of the world are shaking as their government leaders are toppled and their governments are unstable. The international governmental economy is unstable. There is a battle going on in the heavenlies to topple the power given to the government of the United States of America. As we see the Lord’s government come into divine order in the home and the church, then proper governmental authority will again reign in this nation.
Men want to be in charge. We will not and cannot deliver the groaning creation on the basis of man’s authority. We (the church) can only be a blessing to the world on the basis of who we are in union with Jesus Christ, and He is in charge.
Job. 33:23-25: “If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness; Then he is gracious unto him and says, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.”
I have found a Ransom. He is Jesus Christ, the Apostle and High Priest of my profession; one among a thousand, an interpreter, a messenger, a bringer of hope to a dying world. I have been in relationship with Father God since I was a child. I know him well. I also know the imposters. Godly Fathers love, nurture and care for their children. They teach us to grow and be all that we can be. They will not restrain us. We in turn will love and respect them because we trust them. A domestic Father’s high office doesn’t mean a thing to a child. All a child wants is Father’s love.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V. – Text from The Priesthood is Changing by: Kelly Varner and The More Excellent Ministry by: Kelly Varner. Comments and conclusions are my own and not meant to reflect the views of Kelly Varner.