SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : General Topics : Spiritual Authority

Print Thread (PDF)

PosterThread
Robert_79
Member



Joined: 2007/3/13
Posts: 23
Dallas

 Spiritual Authority

I was wondering if anyone had read Watchman Nee's book Spiritual Authority, and had any insight or opinions on the book? Or just in general some good teaching on authority in the church? Thanks for your help.

 2007/10/1 17:13Profile









 Re: Spiritual Authority



Greetings Robert,

I wonder how you are defining 'church' in your question?


 2007/10/2 11:28
Robert_79
Member



Joined: 2007/3/13
Posts: 23
Dallas

 Re:

I suppose I am thinking of church in the sense of a local fellowship of believers. It seems to me there are two dangers in this issue: One is a cultish subservience to a man. The other is a spirit of rebellion and not being willing to submit ourselves one to another. I wish to avoid both of these extremes and to biblically submit where God has called me to submit, but to be free to follow the Lord. I'm not sure in general how much authority an elder or pastor should have or does have over the brothers or sisters in a particular fellowship.

 2007/10/2 12:32Profile









 Re:

Quote:
I suppose I am thinking of church in the sense of a local fellowship of believers. It seems to me there are two dangers in this issue: One is a cultish subservience to a man.



I am reading some of the normal christian church life by watchman nee... good stuff. You will never have to worry about submitting to one man if you have a plurality of elders... and if the Holy Spirit is speaking to you through a brother or sister (whatever part of the body they are) it should be confirmed through the word and the testimony of the Spirit within you.

Now if you are talking about the modern church system and being accountable to the pope, I mean pastor, thats another story.

In Christ - Jim

 2007/10/2 12:49









 Re: Spiritual Authority


As it happens, I used the first verses of this in a different thread today:

1 Peter 5
1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight [i]thereof[/i], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over [i]God's[/i]] heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5 [u]Likewise[/u], ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.


In my understanding, spiritual authority is a quality which one can recognise in a man who has submitted himself to God already. Because he has been obedient, God is able to give him greater responsibility. Necessarily, love is an important part of this, as God needs to be able to trust him with confidences and His word.

These things begin to qualify the man for eldership... it is not the other way around.

Notice what Peter mentions first - 'a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed'.

'Glory' is always associated with identification with Christ, His death and His life. Is this what you see in the eldership you observe?

 2007/10/2 13:05









 Re: Spiritual Authority


Robert79 said

Quote:
I'm not sure in general how much authority an elder or pastor should have or does have over the brothers or sisters in a particular fellowship.

Another thought comes to me, which is the example of the shepherd who leads his flock at the pace of the slowest, and carries the young who don't have the stamina even for that pace.

There is an assumption here that the shepherd is going ahead, checking out the territory, leading the flock [i]away[/i] from danger, and to an extent is depending on their natural hunger and instinct to stay together, to keep following.

The [i]voice[/i] of Jesus in the shepherd is an indicator of how closely the shepherd is representing Him to the flock in a local situation, which in turn should help you to work out how safe it is to submit.

I know brethren who would put submission ahead of any testimony of life or witness which would qualify a church leader to be followed, but I learned the hard way to listen first for Jesus and follow [i]Him[/i].

The Lord is not unaware of what you are facing, and that there is some spiritual value in submitting even when you don't know all the facts or reasons. Additionally, the Spirit should be confirming this course (to you) and you should have a sense of the trustworthiness of the person doing the requiring.

Remember this though, that if the difficulty with submission on your side is because you are at fault, then this issue will keep cropping up until you have gone through on it. Primarily, you are submitting to Christ, who submitted Himself to death for us. Dead men don't have opinions, but they do have the Holy Spirit. What is the Spirit's whisper in your heart?

 2007/10/4 6:32
crsschk
Member



Joined: 2003/6/11
Posts: 9192
Santa Clara, CA

 Re: Spiritual Authority

[url=https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=6072&forum=35]What isn't "Speaking against God's annointed"[/url]

Try the two messages from Stephen Kaung mentioned within that thread brother, very helpful to your quest.


_________________
Mike Balog

 2007/10/4 9:37Profile





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy