**** God's delegated authority [L080-S1M1-V010-Intro]
Welcome to this first session in a new module looking at the Biblical Foundations of Christian Leadership.
In other words, we’ll be exploring the Scriptural basis for leadership.
It all starts with God’s authority. So, in this first session, our topic is:
God’s delegated leadership.
To understand human leadership, we need to understand God’s leadership.
By virtue of who he is as Creator of all things, God is the sovereign ruler of the universe.
According to Colossians 1:16, '... he created all things – in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.’
As Creator, he reigns as the supreme authority over all his creation.
All of creation bows to him alone. He has authority over:
Nature, Governments and rulers, and history. He has all power and all authority.
God is the absolute authority. There is no higher or greater authority.
God alone has authority in and of himself. He is the Sovereign Lord over all
and is enthroned forever. His dominion transcends all
earthly dominions, kingdoms and jurisdictions. His authority infinitely surpasses the
limited authority, influence and power of the spiritual forces of evil.
In Scripture, his authority stands in contrast to the pagan gods who are mere idols.
He alone holds the power of life, death and eternal punishment.
In short, God is revealed in Scripture as Creator, Ruler,
Sovereign King and supreme authority over all his creation – in heaven and on earth.
He is the source of all authority and authority structures.
In relation to humankind
God chooses to delegate his authority in the four basic spheres of human society:
In the home, In the state (that is government),
In the workplace, In the church.
In each of these four spheres, God has instituted leadership which, under his ultimate authority,
exercise delegated authority. Since, as it says in Romans 13:1,
“there is no authority except that which God has established”,
every kind of authority other than that of God himself is derived and therefore secondary to God’s power.
Even though he has all power and authority, the Lord entrusts
roles of leadership in the family, the state (government), the workplace and the church.
Let’s briefly examine these four areas of “leadership” that God has instituted.
Firstly, God has instituted and delegated his leadership in the home.
We’ll draw some principles from Ephesians & 1 Peter.
Husbands are required to submit to the ‘headship’ of Christ as ‘THE’ head of the home.
God has designated husbands to exercise spiritual leadership over the home as the spiritual “head” of the union of marriage.
In the same way that Christ sacrificially and lovingly cares for the church – ‘his’ bride
husbands have a responsibility to love, protect, nurture and provide for his wife and family.
Peter adds that husbands should be considerate and respectful (1 Peter 3:7). Parents (father and mother) are to lead their children and
(Eph. 6:4) “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord”. The “family” is the basic unit of society.
When a “family” functions in the way God has prescribed in his Word, the whole social fabric of society is strong.
But where there is a reversal of roles (i.e. children controlling parents) or
abdication of responsibility (i.e. husbands not loving or spiritually leading their wives),
there is disintegration and confusion in the home and, consequently, society.
Secondly, God has instituted government (the “state”) to serve and regulate people’s civil lives.
Governing authorities are God’s way to order and administer people’s day to day lives.
Ideally, governments are responsible for: directing the affairs of the nation,
writing, enacting and enforcing the laws of the land,
providing the amenities and basic necessities of life,
regulating the processes & procedures of our day to day lives, in things like:
commerce, travel, trade, work, education and leisure, and protecting its citizens from threat.
Although God ordained the institution of government,
governments and their leaders can sometimes be corrupted by their power and misuse or abuse
their God-given responsibility and authority, or be motivated by a godless philosophy or religion.
Though some leaders, regimes or ideologies are corrupted by sin,
the point I’m making is that the Lord has instituted leadership in the state.
Thirdly, God has instituted leadership in the workplace.
God has delegated authority in the workplace to:
give oversight, direction and management to employees,
ensure appropriate wages and conditions, hold employees accountable for their work,
create a work environment where workers are treated fairly and without discrimination,
to enable people to find self-fulfilment, achievement and productivity in their work life
and to help people meaningfully serve or contribute to human society.
According to Colossians 4:1 and Ephesians 6:9, employers are accountable to God for how they treat their employees.
Likewise, employees’ attitude toward their employer (boss or supervisor) should mirror their attitude toward the Lord himself.
Ephesians 6:7 says, ‘Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men…’.
Fourthly, God has instituted leadership in his church.
The NT teaches that Christ is the Head of the Church, operating through human instrumentality
to continue his ministry, extending his kingdom and building his Church.
To do so, the Lord established and gifted the fivefold “ascension” (“governmental”) ministries
of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers and evangelists to lead, equip, oversee, love, mobilise and direct the church (Eph 4:11).
In addition, these “gift” ministries appointed governing elders to “direct the affairs of the church” (1 Tim. 5:17)
and “deacons” to serve in the practical areas of church life.
The apostles Paul & Peter outlined the character qualities for those who would serve as elders and deacons (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 5:1-5.)
Like leadership in the home, state and workplace, church leaders are also flawed and imperfect,
but it is God who established leadership in the church.
It is within this fourth sphere – leadership in the church – that this series is framed.
I’ll tie off this first session by talking about
our attitude toward the chain of command that God has established.
Because God has established authority in the home, state, workplace and church,
we have a responsibility to acknowledge, respect and respond to it. To use a bible word, this means to 'submit'.
As Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:13: ‘Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men…’.
Unfortunately, ‘submission’ in today’s language carries the misconceptions of subjugation, repression and blind obedience. This is not the biblical concept.
The biblical notion of ‘submission’ is to rightly acknowledge and respond to those placed ‘over’ us under God,
and to respect their position of authority accordingly. Having a submissive spirit means having a right attitude toward authority,
a right recognition of authority and a right response to authority. According to Ephesians 5:23-6:4 (cf. 1 Peter 3:1-7),
children are to submit to parents, wives to husbands and husbands to the Lord Jesus.
According to Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17, we are to submit to the governing authorities,
unless those laws contravene the Word of God. According to Ephesians 6:5-8 (cf. Colossians
3:22-4:1; Titus 2:9-10; 1 Peter 2:18-20), using the teaching on slaves and masters,
employees are to submit to their managers, employers and business owners.
According to Hebrews 13:17, we are to submit to our spiritual oversight.
I’m not saying all of these institutions are always right or will always be prefect.
Sin has tainted and contaminated each of these institutions.
I am saying that the institution is created by God and their authority is derived from God.
They operate under his chain of command, under his authority.
Human authorities (parents, government leaders, employers and spiritual leaders)
are all accountable to God for how they exercise their authority.
They’re responsible before God for the welfare of those under their charge; that is,
to provide protection, direction, commendation or, at times, discipline.
Likewise, those under authority are accountable to God for their responses to authority.
Peter taught that, in the context of submission, we should:
‘Show proper respect to everyone’ (1 Peter 2:17).
==== SUMMARY
In summary, we note that: God reigns over all as the ultimate authority.
In relation to humankind God he has delegated his authority by instituting leadership in the home, state, workplace and church.
Next time, we’re going to look at leadership in the OT and NT. I look forward to seeing you then. God Bless.