Mike Bickle emphasizes the significance of spiritual authority in the Christian community, urging believers to understand, express, and respond to it appropriately. He highlights that every individual possesses a measure of spiritual authority, which should be exercised with humility and respect, both in the church and in everyday life. Bickle stresses the importance of honoring authority to foster unity and effectiveness within the body of Christ, warning against the dishonoring of authority that can hinder the work of the Holy Spirit. He encourages leaders to serve their teams selflessly and to communicate openly, while also calling for a culture of submission and respect among all members of the community. Ultimately, Bickle believes that a proper understanding of spiritual authority is crucial for experiencing a greater move of God.

Let's pray. And as you know, we're not going to cover all these notes, but it's a very important subject that I'd like you to take time in the next week or two, or just at the Global Bridegroom Fast to read through them and look up some of the verses. I want to pray. I want to pray for two of my friends that are sick right now, Wes Adams and Jack Hill. Both of them are just being, struggling right now in their bodies. And Lord, I come to you, these two men that love you, that we love so much in this house. And I ask you, God, to visit them by your power right now. Lord, I speak to Jack's body. I speak to Wes's body right now, and I speak life. Lord, I ask you that the very power of your outstretched hand would go forth in a supernatural way. Lord, I ask you that for today, right now at 2 o'clock, right now that you would visit them in power. Touch their body. I ask that you would invigorate their spirit. You would speak to them in a supernatural way. They would feel your presence, receive divine communication from you, and that you would touch their body as well. In Jesus' name, amen and amen. Well, it is right, what David said, this subject that I'm going to share on. As I was preparing to share it, I thought, oh boy, because it's a subject that most of the body of Christ has very little real insight in, but it's kind of like, okay, we got that one down. And we don't have this one down. I find this a challenging subject in my life. We speak of loving the New Testament Church, New Testament Christianity. This is profoundly germane to New Testament Christianity. We speak of this fasted lifestyle, the Sermon on the Mount lifestyle. This is foundational to that. We talk about we love the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I want to assure you, nothing is more dear to the Holy Spirit than this subject. You can put five more subjects there on that very top thing on his agenda. This is a very dear subject to the Holy Spirit. And in our spiritual community, we have so many realms of leadership, 85 departments. And I'm talking to department leaders about your spiritual authority, not about mine. I'm talking about yours. And I'm talking to the people under you. And I want to talk about how you should relate to each other. Then, how you should relate to spiritual authority when you leave the IHOP missions base and go home, within the context of your home life. Then I want to talk to you about your spiritual authority when you go to Walmart. And what happens when you're out there, because it's all the same subject. And it's all New Testament Christianity. I want to talk about honoring authority, number one. About carrying your authority in a biblical way, the authority you have. And every one of you have spiritual authority. I don't mean to cast the devil out, you have that too. I'm using this in a different sense. You have dedicated authority from God to His fear. Maybe it's only over two people. Others of you, it might be over a thousand people. But I want to talk to you about the way you carry your authority, how you respond to authority, and how to honor it and to receive honor from those that you are relating to. I'm not talking about me receiving honor. And I'm not being falsely humble. I have more honor here than anybody. I don't need more honor. This is not about me. I have so much honor. I've never had so much honor in a ministry in my 35 years as I have in the last few years at IHOP. But I want to see your sphere work better. And I want to see the Holy Spirit move more. And He is dynamically connected to the subject in your sphere. And there's so much in the body of Christ. Dishonoring of authority. And the Holy Spirit's answer in His kindness is, I can't relate to that environment. It's so foreign to who I am. And people are going, come Holy Spirit and power. I'm going to talk about our meetings here. Talk about the body of Christ worldwide. And the Holy Spirit's saying it's so different than the environment I'm comfortable with. Because of the way people look at spiritual authority. And so I'm talking about the move of God. And I know many of you love this subject. Some of you, it will be new to you. And it will be challenging. And I want to take a few moments at the end and let us respond to the Lord. Because the move of God we're believing for is dynamically connected to making a shift on this topic in our life. In our marriages. In the marketplace. How we relate to one another. How we relate to the body of Christ in America. And how we relate to the government. It's all related. That's what we're talking about. Paragraph A. Why this subject? The quality of a spiritual family is dependent on the measure of how their people relate to spiritual authority. There is a ceiling on us as a spiritual family. And a ceiling on your physical family. To the degree that as a whole. You enter into and understand and relate to this subject. I don't know where that ceiling is. But I know there's a ceiling on us and we want to lift it. The Bible has much to say on this subject. Particularly in this last decade or two. It is almost entirely neglected. Because it's not popular in the western culture. Authority is almost an evil word. But one word is for sure. Submission. It is like. You couldn't say a more politically incorrect word. Almost. Here's my goal. I'm going to say it again. That we understand the principle. That our eyes are opened. Even as leaders that have been in the kingdom for years. You carry your authority in a biblical way. You actually know you have it. And you carry it. And you respond to people. And the authority they have. With understanding. When Alan Hood. Who has significant authority in this place. Is on the shuttle. He's actually under the authority. In that limited way to that shuttle driver. And that shuttle driver says. Hey Alan would you go back a seat. He can't say no. And be in obedience to God. If the shuttle driver asked him to do something unbiblical. He'd say no. But I'm talking about authority. I'm not talking about. Man of God on a mountain. Commanding people what to do. I'm talking about everywhere we go. We're aware. That the God who possesses all authority. Is over all the authority everywhere in life. And he goes I want you to recognize it. I want you to use your authority right. And I want you to receive. My authority and others in a right way. Because it's me you're relating to. Now if we do this. Which we will. I don't know what level we're at. And we're not so bad. I don't think we're strong at it. But I don't think we're bad at it either. I think that in our spirit. We like this subject. What happens? The unity goes up. The efficiency of our labor goes up. The corporate morale. Which is the whole work environment. Relational environment. It goes up. Problem solving becomes more effective. In the shuttle department. As well as in the IHOPU department. All the departments. And the enemy is driven out. Because we're operating. In an opposite spirit. Of what the enemy operates in. And he doesn't want this to happen. B. Three necessary responses. I've already said it. That you understand it. You use yours right. And you respond to it in other people. I compare spiritual authority. To the nervous system. In our physical body. Every minute part of your body. I mean even the micro level parts of your body. That you don't know exist. Are connected to your nervous system. And spiritual authority is that pervasive. In the entire body of Christ. Whether we know it or not. It will spiritually. It will bring more blessing. If we neglect it. Which we won't. I have total confidence. Matter of fact. I need to acknowledge my air. In not preaching on this more. It's just such a like. Talk about tithing. And spiritual authority. The two subjects that will blow the ceiling. Off of us. And have an open heaven. But who wants to like. Tithing. Spiritual authority. Like. Beloved. They. Those subjects will take the ceiling off. Together with a few others. Like the glory of Jesus. Now. So you're not confused. When I go and talk about New Testament eldership. I want you to understand paragraph D. Because the New Testament eldership. Is our model for leadership. Very, very intentionally. It's not kind of. Every now and then we glance at it. That is our model. Is New Testament eldership. IHOP has various identities. I'm going to name three of them. And I said this back in 1999. So this isn't kind of something that. In the last year. We kind of figured out. And kind of rethought. Thought it through. To the nations. I said this in 99. When we had five people in our prayer room. Because I knew the nations would come. Just because the Lord said it so many times. To the nations. We're a house of prayer. They visit us. Because they want to go to the prayer room. To our staff. We are a missions base. We are a missions organization. You join it. Not just go to the prayer room. But to be involved. In a full. Full blast missions organization. With prayer at the central. You didn't come just for the prayer room. You came for the 85 departments. The one or two that you're involved in. And in our missions base. We have adopted. A corporate structure. Not a corporate. Leadership value. And principle. But a corporate structure. We have departments and divisions. Because we have 85 departments. To make sense of what we're doing. Because the local church. Doesn't typically have 85 departments. And it just. So it's just. It's pragmatism. It's practical. We have not adopted a. A corporate leadership principle. Model. But just a structure of. Departments and divisions. Etc. And I'm real comfortable with it. But to God. Even in 1999. I said. Even with five of us in the prayer room. And 20 of us on staff. We are a local church. I said. I'm not going to make that big point. But God. That's how he talks to us. We're a local church. And the New Testament. Has always been our model. For our vision values. In our leadership principles. Our authority structure. Number two. You all know this. But I just put it down there. There's five spheres. Of authority. That God has delegated. It's his authority. But he has given it to humans. Number one. Self-government. The very fact. That you exist. With a free will. Is the graciousness of God. The very free will. You have. Is the expression. Of his authority. Over your life. To give you that free will. So what we do. By ruling our spirit. I love that verse. In Proverbs. Sixteen. Says. He that rules his spirit. There's several verses. In Proverbs. That talk about that. That's the first place. Of government. Is to rule. Our own life. But that really is. God's government. Secondly. Is the family. And God delegated authority. To the husband. In the marriage. But. And you know this. But it. You can't hurt. Saying it over and over. It. Husbands. It only works. With servant leadership. And you are in. Team. Ministry. With your wife. The biblical. View. Of. Authority. Is to empower. Team. Ministry. And camaraderie. And honor. By the head. Guy. Having the most. The greatest. The biggest. I'm in the. Servant spirit. Of the greatest measure. I have never once. In thirty five years. Of marriage. Told my wife. I am over you. Woman. The bible says. I'm over you. What are you doing? The minute. I say that. I'm only. Drawing attention. To the fact. That my. Servant spirit. Has not provoked her. To follow my leadership. The minute. You tell your wife. I'm over you. You've already admitted. Your failure. In your leadership. That's a fact. Now. It's different. With kids. Because you're three. Four. Five. Six. But. If I come to you. Even as a spiritual leader. Here and say. I'm over you. Do what I say. I'm already losing. If I have to say that. To you. That means. The way I'm living. Is not. Producing. The sort of response. In you. The people in authority. Don't need to push. Their authority. But they do need to know. They have it. The marketplace. The authority. Civil government's authority. And in the church. Now. That authority. The church. Is through eldership. The principles are clear. Leadership. In the kingdom of god. Through the eldership model. Though. You don't have to call it elders. We call it department heads. Many of our department heads. Would be elders. If we used. New testament terminology. But again. We have 85 departments. It's. It's hard to find. Those departments. All in the book of action. Make sense of them. When people are trying to do. Financial accounting. And relate to people outside. And da da da da. So I'm really comfortable. By the way we're doing it. Now. When you join a ministry. A local church. And again. From heaven's point of view. That's what we are. Though. I don't feel like. I need to go. Announce that. I just need to know it. As I plan. And lead. And pray over. And I get who we are. To god. I get that. We are a spiritual family. That has full time people. At the center. With a prayer room. With a missions based mandate. On us. But we're just a big. Local church with. A whole lot of full time people. In a kind of an odd way. I take it. But the minute you join. This spiritual family. Or you move and join another one. You are agreeing. Before god. To cooperate. With the authority. Of that ministry you're joining. It's impossible. To go join. Get a job. If you say yes. To starbucks. As someone said earlier. You are under their authority. In a very limited way. But in as much. As it has to do. With that job. You are under their authority. The guy goes. I can't work. I don't buy their authority. Then you can't take the job. If you go into walmart. In that very limited way. You obey their rules. Or don't go into walmart. Same when you drive on the highway. Same when you go to the city park. The same when you go to your friends house. You in a very limited sense. You're under the authority. Of what the values are. In their domain in that house. Top of page two. I talk about delegated authority. It's pretty simple. But I want to read the verses. Matthew 10. And there's. I could put many verses here. But for space sake. It's already such a long handout. In Matthew 10. Jesus said. If you receive the guy I sent. Not just his message. Not just the message he gave. You receive him. You are actually receiving me. You're receiving my message. And you're receiving the authority. That that man or woman carries. You're receiving my authority through them. The opposite is true. If you reject it. You're rejecting me. Now where I'm going. Because I really. I want to see an increased movement. Of the Holy Spirit. I know it's dynamically. Related to spiritual authority. And I know it's related to finances. Honoring God. Obeying him in our finances. And in our speech. Those things really matter to the Lord. But here's. I'm going to just pick. Two different groups of leaders out. And just use them continually. For the next few moments. I want to talk about the worship team. Leader. The worship team. The leader. The worship leader. Of that team of 15. Let's just say. They are. The spiritual authority. In as much as it relates to that team. Now outside that team. They're not. They don't have authority over your life. If you're on the team. But if you're the drummer. And you're on that team. Or you're the sound tech. Or you're running the PowerPoint. Or you're a singer. And I don't mean some kind of autocratic. You know. Dictator. They say. My word is the law. When they talk to you. You say. I don't really agree. And you can appeal. But at the end of the day. They're the quarterback in the huddle. And if you can't buy it. You need to get off their team. Same in a department. You work in the accounting department. You better go. Follow the leadership of the protocols put in place. Well I don't like those protocols. Don't work there. Better yet. Don't work at IHOP. Move somewhere. Because those are our economic protocols. We can challenge them. We can change them. But which. Whatever they are. They are. At any given time. If you go in the coffee shop. Same thing. You can't go in the coffee shop. And start moving the furniture around. You can suggest to be moved. And they say. No. Then they say. Thank you. Teachers at IHOPU. When Shelley Hundley. Whoever. Gives a three or four point. This is how we want to do it. You can appeal. But if the answer is no. You need to do it. Or you need to quit. For real. The idea of looking and saying. Well she'll never catch me anyway. Because there's too many teachers. And she's too busy. Impossible concept. It's. Yes. I'll do that. I've talked to a few of the leaders. When you're backstage here. Joanna Idol. We do what she says. And she has a little hope. A little hope because I knew her when she was zero. I was there when she was born. But. A little hope. Okay. When Joanna makes her the leader. Because Joanna's gone. We got to do what she says back there. I've had leaders come through and go. Whatever. I go. No. No. No. No. Wake up. Yeah. Well. She hasn't been here that long. That's irrelevant. Number one. She has. But number two. That's irrelevant. You don't get it. Well I teach three classes in the Bible school. You still don't get it. Paragraph B. We recognize no one according to the flesh. I'm going to get. I'm just going to play with this one. I'm going to play with Alan and the shuttle. When you don't look at a person. According to their abilities or lack of abilities. You look at them. You view them through the Holy Spirit. How the Holy Spirit has called them. And what he's given to them. We don't look at people after the flesh. We look at people through God's eyes. Now this person or that person may not have. Wisdom in this area or that area. But if you're in their sphere. We don't say. Yeah. But they're new. And they don't know nothing anyway. And I know the Bible better than. It doesn't work that way. We see people. According to how God has given them authority. And God gives people the authority here. Through other people. Now as the senior leader of this movement. I really care about this. I don't mean that you do it. That I do it. I care that I dot the I's and cross the T's. In the accounting department. And with the IT people. I want to do it the way they say. Not just to be helpful. I do want to be helpful. But it's biblical to do it. It's their sphere. Now if I'm troubled. I can go back through the system. Through Daniel Lamb. And have a meeting in another room at another time. And ask for it to be different. But until that policy is different. I need to salute the flag with a happy spirit. And not complain about it when I leave that office. We regard no one after the flesh. Is what Paul said. And this is an amazing point. Paul the apostle. He connected. Being filled with the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 5. You know we know that verse. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Be beaten field. Singing. Making melody in the heart. The presence of God coming on you. What about the next 20 verses. Submission to authority. One of the most practical ways. We live the spirit filled life. Is not just enjoying God in a worship service. Which I love. Top of my list. Not just praying the spirit. I love that top of the list. It's how we respond to spheres of authority. Those. That's the next paragraph or two. After Paul said be filled with the spirit. Here's how you walk it out. Now look at the energy that God has. On unity. Paul says I plead with you. Not it's an option. I beg you. Work hard on getting unified. Work hard on it. Beloved it takes work. For unity to happen. There's 8 or 10 components to getting unity in a spiritual family. It's a lot of work. But germane or I'll say this way. Foundational to unity is authority. Because authority and unity is the same subject. It's two sides of one coin. God gives authority. In order to establish unity. No authority there won't be unity. You got a little bit of unity. But people don't have a revelation of authority. The unity will begin to diminish. You get a high revelation of authority. We get what it is in the spirit. The unity goes way up. Then the efficiency. The morale. The move of the Holy Spirit. Peace. The work environment. Everything goes up. If the majority grasp. Spiritual authority. Paragraph E. Paul says here in Ephesians 4. Keep the unity. At the end of that Ephesians 4. Keep it. Work hard. And I take this verse really to heart. This is a verse on my mind a lot. As a spiritual leader here. Paul say work hard at it. Department leaders. Work hard at getting unity in your department. Worship leaders. Don't just pray and say Lord give unity. Do that. Yes. Work on things that bring unity to your worship team. Confront in humility the things that don't. Don't let them slide. Some worship leaders. They say well you know. I just want to lead on the stage. I don't want to lead the team. Your team will be in disarray whether you know it or not. Passivity in this arena. Is not humility. It's insecurity. We need to use the authority with a spirit of humility. But we need to use it. To make unity. What I'm wanting to put here in your mind. Is that. Using your leadership authority. In the right spirit. Is connected to working at making unity. And not to do that. Is for unity to go away. To diminish. Here's what you got to do. You got to teach on it. Well that's what I'm doing. Teach on spiritual authority. Well 12 years later I got my first message in on it. That's bad by the way. You need to have two way communication. In your sphere. If you got 10 people under you. Your department head. You got to have some avenue for two way communication. I don't mean you're totally available to every whim. And every thought they want to make at any time of the day. But it needs to be in the system somewhere. They got to be able to have appeal structures. To say what they're troubled by. Because it's not. It's not this kind of dictatorship. Do what I said because I said it. It's not that kind of thing. It's here's what I think is best. By the way every policy and decision. Has strengths and weaknesses. There's 10 of them that could work. All of them have negatives. And all of them have positives. Don't wait for the one that doesn't have negatives. It doesn't exist. Some people think I'll do the. Submission when the policy. Is amazing. There is no such thing as that. Doesn't exist. We do the submission because it's biblical. Because it's God's authority. And it gets better. Paragraph F. One of the reason. I require. Somebody say require. Thank you. I require. This is an issue of spiritual authority. Everybody on the full time staff. To come to this meeting. And to come to the FCF. One weekend. One service a weekend. Why do I require it? Because I want a full meeting. Everybody. Honoring this. Creates a hassle. Of this little building. I don't want a fuller building. That's not the point. I am laboring as a spiritual father. For unity. Because the Bible tells me to. And the downside of not laboring for it. Is disaster. In some of your lives. And I get that. Because I've been in ministry 35 years. If I go soft on this. I'm going to be in trouble. With strife and turmoil. If we are not unified. On about five or six levels. And one of the ways. Is that we track together. Spiritually and theologically. But that's not all that's involved. Again there has to be two way. Appeal systems. Communication. There's a number of things involved. Not that I know all of them. But I know a bunch of them. And I'm really focused on them. Because I want this 2012 now. In 2018. I want this place stronger. For your children. Than it is for you right now. And so I'm pressing points. For the sake of your 15 year old. And your 12 year old. And your four year old. And for other people out in the nations. And for your tranquility. Between now and then. And unity is hard work. But unity is worth the work. Some folks they don't. They don't understand that point. They go yeah everybody's into unity. How do you think unity happens? I don't know. Just unity. The spirit gives it. Well there's truth to that. Unity comes through laboring to be like minded. Again. I exhort you. To be at this. It's not optional. You know one guy says my in-laws are in town. My family's in town. Tell them you're working for these two hours. They'll be there at three o'clock. Well they're just in town. Tell them you're working. It's that serious to me. Well on the weekend. I stayed up late. Take a nap in the afternoon. Like I do. I stay up late every Friday night. Every Saturday night. I mean real late. And I get up really early on Friday and Saturday. And Sunday is a bummer for me. Because by Sunday afternoon. I've had this much rest since Friday morning. I take a nap. Sunday afternoon. So don't. Knock on my house. Okay. Don't. Accidentally get your dentist appointment then. Call the staff meeting. Oh my dentist appointment. Cancel your dentist appointment. Well I already gave it to them. Cancel it. You are disregarding a very important thing. Now there's no one meeting that's the big meeting. But over a course of 50 weeks. Times two years. Times three years. The entire environment is different. If the full time people are all tracking. And it's not optional to me. I've talked to a few people over the years. I said you really need to move on. Because I don't come to meetings. I go really move on. And I've asked Shelly. Don't let any teacher. Teach at that Bible school. That is not faithful to these meetings. You just start redoing the curriculum. I'm that serious about it. Because our future in the next five and ten years. Is related. This is one of about six or seven points. That's related to it. The exciting thing about Shelly. Is she said yes. And Alan's got enthusiasm. So that's even more exciting. Top of page three. Authority. Authority. A. Is central issue. In every sphere of the kingdom of God. Every sphere of society. Again. It's not in the church world in the home. When you go out into the spheres of society. We are under authority. Still under God's authority. Every sphere of life. Is under some form of delegated authority. We honor God. Because we honor the authority. Because we respect God. I want to be free from all forms. All forms. Of dishonoring authority. I don't want dishonor of authority in my spirit. Again. I'm at Walmart. I don't want it in my spirit. Because I want the spirit to move more in my life. Paragraph B. I'm not going to read that. But I talk about. People. They would rather offer sacrifices. And the Lord. The prophet said. I don't want more sacrifices. I want your obedience. I don't want your rebellion. But more sacrifices. And a lot of people. They work harder. And they do more. But they're doing it with the wrong spirit. But they don't know it. Because everyone around them has the same spirit. So they don't even know. How off it is from the Bible. I'm talking about the body of Christ. Kind of in the big picture. The Lord's stirring me up saying. You know. Hey little guy. You better be more faithful on this subject. It's not your deal. This is my deal. The kingdom of God. And authorities. What I care about. This is not your deal. And again. I'm talking. About. Because I want department heads. To have your ten people. I want a good morale. And I want a spiritual environment. That doesn't mean every conversation. Is about a Bible verse. That's not what I mean by a spiritual environment. I mean it by a spiritual environment. We're aware. God's eyes are on us. That's a spiritual environment. And I want you. I want you going. To your assignment. And when it's done through the day. You're not worn out and exasperated. Because the people. Under you. Are just writing you off. Whispering behind you. How come you can't get that right? Again. Of the ten policies. That could work. They all have upsides. And downsides. There is no right policy. That's not the issue. I want you going there. I want them to give their ideas to you. But at the end of the day. I want there to be tranquility. And unity. And the spirit likes that. Because unity is not mystical. It's very very practical. I know how to get unity in my home. It's not some mysterious thing that happens. I serve my wife. Admit my errors. And I give myself to her. In the right ways. That's how unity happens. And then she responds. In her glorious way. That unity is not mysterious. It's really practical. Paragraph C. Lawlessness is at work. Paragraph D. Jesus said. Lawlessness is going to explode. At the end of the age. In this hour of history. In America. The subject of submission. Is such an ugly word. Because lawlessness is already. Has it's strongholds. All over the church. But. I mean. Woe to the people that take a line on this. And stand where God stands. Okay. Let's talk briefly. About expressing. Your spiritual authority. You have authority over worship team. You have 15 people. You have authority over department. You've got 10, 15 people in your department. You've got authority over your home. You've got three. You've got a wife and three children. Or you are the wife. You've got a husband. The two of you are in partnership. And you've got two children. Or you've got one on the way. You're in authority. That little guy is still in the womb. But he'll be here in a minute. You're already in authority. How does it work? Principle number one. And this isn't a big leadership thing. This is just a quick snapshot. Bible makes it clear. Those that are first in authority. Should aim to be last in privilege. It's all upside down. In parts of the church. The head guy. The apostle. Bishop. Head pastor. Senior. Reverend. So and so. And I'm not against titles. But I'm talking about. Those are real titles. Walks in and everybody bows and moves. No. No. Authority and honor. Is by them receiving the word of the Lord as they do. Not everybody running to get you a cup of coffee. The apostles. Look at that. He made them first in authority. He established first Corinthians 12. He established or appointed apostles first. They have first authority. Look at the other. Same book. Corinthians. God displayed them last. Are they first? Or are they last? The answer is both. The way the kingdom works. The person with the most authority. They must be the least offensive. They must give the most. They must be the most open to correction and accusation. They must endure the most. That goes with having the most authority. So if you're the head of your department. I don't just mean you work longer hours. Because you might have that one guy that just see. You know, he's one of those 18 hour day guys. There's a few of those guys exist. That's what I'm saying. You have to work the hardest. You're the least offensive. You're the most humble. You're the most open. You give the most in as much as you can. And that's what qualifies you to be over 15 people. Paragraph B. Now this is a tough word here. This one. The word rule. It says in 1 Timothy 5. Let the elders rule. Rule. Or in the western world. That almost sounds like submission. It is. It's the same concept. Rule. It's not a mystical concept. It's intensely practical. It means they set the vision. The values. The policy. Their directions. When the meetings are started. What you do with them. It's real practical. It's not they rule. How do they rule on some getting a chariot with Elijah and come back? No. It's they say, hey. Daniel Lem says the meeting on Wednesday is 2 o'clock. I come. It's 2 o'clock. I'll come. I'm dead on Wednesday. I don't want to go to 2 o'clock meeting. Tough. He says it. He's ruling. I'll go to that meeting. I may be tired when I get there. But I'm going to go to it. Because it's his sphere of authority. He says 2 o'clock. I'll be there. And if I'm late. If I don't keep whatever they said. You should always acknowledge it. Even one sentence or a one sentence email. Just acknowledge it. I was late. In other words, you said to him. I get I did not do what you asked me. And I want you to know it's not okay with me. I'm not like mourning and weeping and crying over it. Having a solemn assembly. But I get that I did not honor what you said. And I'm late. I'm sorry. I get it. He goes, you know that I know that you know. But better than anybody, the Holy Spirit knows. And the other people in the room know too. We care. If he says 2, it's 2. Let's do it. Well, there's 30 people in the room. He won't even know I'm not there. Bad concept. He won't even know. Bad concept. That is the wrong way to approach it. If I can duck and wait till they catch me. Then they trap me. Then I'll confess it. Then I'll take three more months ducking. They'll never catch me twice. Get me in a corner. I'll come up with a reason. That is the completely the wrong spirit. That's a independent spirit resisting authority. It really is. So I don't want to obey God in this regard till I get caught. And trapped. And then you always get off once with a warning. So you got three more months before you get caught again. And then by then you can come up with a reason. So you might get another three months stay. We don't want that. Elders have the rule. The leaders have the government. Again, it's very practical things. They're very down to earth decisions. So the rule is. It's not some mystical thing. Look at top of page 4. Look at Hebrews 13. I mean the writer of Hebrews. He really pushes it. This word rule. Verse 7. Remember those who have the rule over you. Verse 17. Obey those who rule over you. Submit to them. This is elders. This is leadership in the church. But again, it's the same spirit if you work in the marketplace. Down the road with somebody. I'm talking about these elders are your department heads. That's who I'm talking about. Look at verse 24. Three times. Paul called the department head. Because we use the corporate structural systems. But it's exact New Testament principle of leadership. Three times. He said the worship leaders have the rule over you. As much as you're on their team. Not in your private life. They have no authority in your private life. Except you're in a scandalous sin. Then the members of the body of Christ you're connected to. They do have authority in your private life in that area. If you claim to be in the covenant. And you claim to be in that worship team. That worship leader has authority to figure out. If you're living in some scandal. Because you said I love the covenant. I'm into Jesus. And I'm on your team. You've given that man, that woman the authority to press you on a scandalous sin. And that is not snooping around. Or minding someone else's business. It's the worship leader's business. It really is. And a worship leader that looks the other way is a bad leader. That's bad. If I find out. I'll be nice to the worship leader. But we'll have a come to Jesus meeting. I'm going to say don't advocate your leadership in the name of humility. That's really insecurity and passivity. I want leaders in the house. Be nice. But say the stuff. And do it. And if you blow it, you overdo it. Go to them a few minutes later or the next day. And go you know what I overdid it. I got insecure. I revved up and I went blah. And I shouldn't have done it. Because I'm just so bad at leading. That's okay. They may even get mad. But they'll be okay. Just admit it. D. What does it mean to rule? I have three things there. You can read that on your own. Paragraph F. What about abusing? Abusing is some of the concepts here. I would prefer the word misusing. But some of them are abusing. Your authority. So you're over 15 people in your worship team. You're over 15 people in your department. Here's how you abuse it. You want to meddle in their private life. Saying hey I'm your leader. No. There was a shepherding movement. They wanted to tell you what car to buy and where to go and who to marry. No. Nothing to do with that. Has to do only with the area that you're involved with them. But again if you are in their area and you're living in a scandal of sin they can't talk to you about that. That is their business. The way you misuse authority is you take more of privilege and embrace less sacrifice than the other people. That's bad leadership. Doesn't mean you're a creep. It just means you're a bad leader. You're kind of like okay you know what I'm in my department. I really kind of do that. No one's caught me. The Holy Spirit's generous. He's going to give you another shot at it. Be a real leader. Not because someone's going to catch you. Paragraph three. I just I think of this because I've seen it so much over the years. A leader abuses authority by manipulating by exaggerating the benefits of being covered by them. I can't remember. I'm getting older. 35 years I've been pastoring. And so you know the leader says if you're under my spiritual covering then if you're faithful long enough you're my armor bearer you will get my mantle. Like forget it. I've heard that lines a thousand times. That's exaggerated but hundreds of times. You will get my mantle. You sure you want his mantle? Can he give it to you? Says who? Elijah in a chariot in heaven. You guys didn't know Elijah had a chariot? Well that one verse. He'll manipulate you into 10 or 15 years of slave work and then your relationship will break. I've seen it hundreds of times. The guy's bitter over there. No mantle, no anointing. And the guy's got four more young guys as the armor bearer getting the anointing. Being liberated from all of the demons that are going to attack them if they're not under their authority. I'm attacking you aren't I? Yeah, I'm under his authority. I'm still getting attacked. I go wake up. Now armor bearers, I appreciate that term because some people use that in a really good way but a lot of that stuff is just don't do that. Of course that's not where most of you are but one of you guys that's 20 might end up rich and famous one day and you might think hey, I kind of like that style. No, we don't want to do that. We don't want to be a choir of your team because they don't catch you. So you skip, no one knows. Bad leadership. Number five, you operate with an authoritative spirit. You don't have kindness, you're rigid. I mean you want to hold the line but you want to do it with grace and I guess in four I'm going backwards. Tell them the why behind the what. Don't just say obey. Give them the why. It takes time to tell them the why. It's one thing I did with my children for years. This I did. Don't do this because I said don't do it. I was raised in that generation. I was born in 55 so the 50s and 60s don't do it because I said don't do it. That is a completely broken system. I determined I was going to raise our children and I would tell them the why behind the what every single time so we could have partnership and I'm still the authority but I wanted it to make sense to them. Well, you got some more in there. Let's go on, top of page five because I'm out of time here but you've got the drift. So you know how how do you respond to a leader over you? You know what not to do if you're the leader. What do you do if if you're under a leader because we're all under leaders somewhere and I'm under the corporate our ELT, our executive leadership team. There's about seven or eight in there. I'm under that corporate leadership team and what they have a consensus in I will follow that leadership because I'm the senior authority. That's a biblical principle. I skipped that off. I'm a head among equals. That's a biblical New Testament principle but I'm submitted to the voice of that group of eight or ten or whatever the number exactly is. So I'm under authority in this place as well. When we agree to something there it's binding to me. I can't say well I can trump it. I like it but I'm bound by it if there's unity in that room and that's what we leave the room agreeing. Well how do you respond to leaders? Well obey. Look what it says Hebrews 13 Obey those who have the rule of you and be submissive. It really means teachable spirit and it means cooperative spirit. It really means that. I mean in the spirit of love and servanthood of which Paul wrote this he's not talking about this autocratic authoritarian thing. When he said obey and submit this ultimate servant leader with the spirit of love who keep up everything he goes I mean obey leaders that are doing what I'm telling them to do. They're living like I'm living. It's not so hard to obey those leaders. Paragraph B. Again there's all kinds of opinions. I'm just going to stick with Shelley and I hope you realize there's a whole team there but I'll just there's you know teachers this is how we do it. Well there's again there's ten ways to do it her way and you can't go to the place and say man what's the deal with that thing that's a dumb rule. No no that's not what we do. We don't do that. That's called dishonoring authority. C. I'm saying the same thing but I want to say this since we cooperate for conscience sake because God's watching not because we're going to be forced into an ultimatum. I don't want people obeying those leaders. No offense. No we don't want ultimatums. We want a cheerful spirit. That's what it says up in let's go back up to Hebrews 13 at the top of the page. Obey those with the rule over you be submissive for they watch out for your soul. No one does it that well even the New Testament guys they were just guys they were they were not that good at it. Nobody's that good at that. Let them do with joy. Don't wear the head guy over the IT department. Don't wear him out. Make it joyful for him to show up to work with you guys. The accounting the shuttles the internship don't wear the guy out. Make it joyful for Corey Stark to have a team meeting because he knows you're not figuring some way to duck the system. Make it easy for Corey. I have at the bottom of paragraph C some people resist openly others criticize privately ignore it till they're ran down till they're caught but they cause unnecessary grief for the department head. Okay, I say the same thing again through D and E. I'm really into this. Okay, row number 7 and again I hope this doesn't sound too weird. I have more honor here. I am not at all fighting for my honor. I have so much honor. It is so easy for me to be so honoring and cooperative. It's like I'm happy about that. I don't want to be hard but I look at some of the hassle some of our folks have through the three or four tiers and the Holy Spirit saying hey Mike address it. It's me you're talking about not even your worship team leaders and your department heads. It's my kingdom. This is my issue not your issue and the Spirit will move more. He really will A the command don't speak don't curse a ruler not just in your home not in the church not in society. Now in a democratic society we can point out errors and fallacies. We don't have a rogue spirit in that when we do we repent. We don't want to get caught up into the fervor of the election year and say oh no no no no with meekness and tenderness we will point out things in a democratic process that's part of our authority from the government to operate that way but with the right spirit. We don't curse our leaders ever. Michael the Archangel when he's fighting and debating with Satan won't curse Satan. Michael has far more authority than Lucifer fallen who's now Satan and in Jude verse 9 he looks at him and he says the Lord rebuked you. He didn't say hey you praise God walk in the other you know Gabriel high fives him. No. He looked at him and he said I have way more authority to you but I'm under a different spirit I don't have your spirit I simply say the Lord rebuked you that's all I'm going. What an amazing statement of an archangel against a fallen angel. We don't curse leaders. We don't curse them in our home. We don't curse them in society. We don't curse the unsaved leaders. We don't curse the guy who's in the marketplace in this time next year or in a few years from now and you go there and you honor them even though they're unsaved but you never obey unrighteousness but in as much as it's just his dumb policy and it has no moral content to it that's negative you obey it. And you don't drive home with the guy and say gosh that's the weirdest thing don't do that. We don't talk that way as believers because the Holy Spirit doesn't want us to. I want the Holy Spirit to go with me. I want you to obey him and this is the environment he really likes submission to authority because it's his authority. I mean look at paragraph C here's the unsaved I'm talking about bad spirited high priest he looks at Jesus and and Jesus doesn't want to answer him but because he's the high priest and he invoked an oath Jesus said in essence because of who you are I know you're unsaved you don't like a fire the way you're going I don't know how it worked out you're really bad news but you know what you're God's authority right now and I'm not going to say you're right but I am going to cooperate with you with the right spirit amazing page 6 Paul the apostle it's the same high priest Paul rebukes him and they said do you know that's the high priest Paul repents I didn't know it was him here's what Paul Paul wasn't concerned about offending a man of power in the secular sense he was worried about disregarding God's authority on that high priest paragraph F you never see this happen but if we want New Testament Christianity and the change of understanding of Christianity F has to be in the mix of how the New Testament Christianity operates Paul was adamant and so were the others a slanderous brother a brother that won't reel this in this issue and he keeps doing it they say you must excommunicate him from the fellowship he's not welcome in your midst give him the due process but you must put him out you must because if you don't that cancerous thing will spread and it's just the kingdom of 400,000 churches in America right now just who has the nerve to do that well Paul did G Korah now most of you know Korah was one of the top leaders I mean there's 2-3 million Israelites the men and women and children 2-3 million he's in the top 200 I mean he's the senior leadership I mean the top 200 out of 2 million he's one of the senators so to speak he goes Moses verse 3 he says Moses he incited a bunch of guys we don't like what you're doing he got in big trouble I'll skip it but look at verse 30 Moses said you didn't reject me Korah you rejected God it's not my authority this is not my idea these are not my people because when you slander you sin against unity and to sin against unity in verse 30 he goes Korah you rejected the Lord you think you stood against me I don't care about me and if it was all up to me you could do what you want to do I don't care I don't like this job anyway to be honest I'm just doing it because I want to do right paragraph D H I mean David had Saul a couple times at the end of his spirit the guys around him they said kill him he was jealous bitter he rejected the Lord in many ways David had him at the end of his spirit not as long as he's in the office I can't touch it can't touch it I'm not talking about somebody in that office in our context because that would be the president of our nation and we're in a democratic society somebody might call it the head of a denomination I don't think we want to find out who that person is on the grand scale that's not the idea if there's a God ordained role it doesn't have to be the head guy we just don't want to touch it in a slanderous way we want to go David said look at the end here he said in verse 12 he goes Saul I'm not going to kill you here's what I'm going to say Lord you deal with him I'm telling you Saul you're wrong he appealed to him you are wrong you're in the office before God I'm not going to do it God will do it now if David was over him that would be different but David was under him Amen