Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Ordained of God Pt.2

Let's turn to Romans chapter 13. We want to continue with the study we started Wednesday night. We've been talking about the force that we're contending with in these last days (prior to the Lord's coming for His bride that is without spot, wrinkle, or any such thing, a holy church) and about what it is to prepare for that coming. We said that one thing we're going to contend with in this last hour is that secret power of lawlessness. It is nothing that is new; it's the original sin. It's going to escalate and not only become more predominant, but the Scripture says they're not only going to do these things, but they're going to take pleasure in those that do them. In other words, rebellion is going to be in fashion. It's going to be popular--individualism, and the "Army of One," and those things that we've been talking about--where "I" becomes the focal point in direct opposition to all the biblical truths of what it means to be great in the kingdom of God. The world will be promoting one philosophy, as always, while the kingdom demands another: of humility, hearts that are full of service, obedience, and submission to prepare ourselves for the coming of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the recognizing of His ultimate authority. We are constantly being bombarded with this. We have to find the biblical balance of how to relate to authority while understanding that as Christians we are not to just go about submitting to every force that promotes itself as some kind of an authority. God has already recognized the authorities that you and I are to subordinate to, and He tells us what the limitations are. We're going to talk about that somewhat: always recognizing that the ultimate authority is God Himself.

Chapter 13, verse 1 reads, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God." We have talked about the secular power, the domestic authority in the home (husbands, parents, and those that are in authority like the kids over the dog). I love it when the kids come over. "No, Diamond!" They have to boss somebody, right? They're the lowest on the totem pole. Everybody is looking to be able to exercise that authority. There's Diamond--she's the dumb dog, and she catches it. Hope will put her in place, "No!" Diamond is trying to recognize the powers that be. We realize that there is domestic authority, then. We realize that there is ecclesiastical authority. We have the secular, the domestic, and the ecclesiastical. It helps us to visualize all three of these as we're doing our study, because so often we get perverted if we are only looking at one aspect of authority.

God tells us in this thirteenth chapter that the powers that are ordained of Him are there for our good. They're ministers for good. The Scripture tells us that this authority is very real, for they don't bear the sword in vain. This is not token authority. The husband's authority in that home is not just token. God has placed it, and He will back it. He will also hold it accountable, and there will be greater condemnation for those of us that are in the mastery--the teachers, those of us that are in authority. It's very real, and we need to take it seriously.

When you're found resisting authority (whether it be children with their parents, wives and husbands, those within the community of believers here and false doctrine and heresy are being propagated) and the authority comes against that and marks those that are among us, don't you think for a moment that is some type of ecclesiastical ceremony. These people have been turned over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh; and those that resist the power resist God. It's very real.

Tragically, in the secular there is mockery of authority because the state has been given power to bring about justice, but they have refused to do that. Because of it, we face anarchy in our society. If they would show themselves the power, they would have the backing of God. Because they choose to worship the creature, God allows this chaos and the fruit of the worship of man to continue to escalate and evidence itself.

When we look at this thirteenth chapter, we need to understand that God has called each one of us to "put ourselves under." Verse one says, "Let every soul be subject," which means putting oneself habitually under. You're not to be put under by the power. They shouldn't have to pull the sword; they shouldn't have to pull rank. They shouldn't have to bring out the Scriptures and use them like a hammer to break your hard heart into pieces. You ought to be putting yourself under, the Scripture says, if you are in right relationship with Father. If you are refusing or unable to put yourself under, then you need to recognize what the dominant force is in your life: sin, or self.

Look over at Romans, five for just a second, and let me show it to you in verses 17 through 19. "For if by one man's offence [Adam] death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one...." I want you to see that twice the word "offence" is used. What is the offence? What is the sin of Adam? It is disobedience to God, rebellion. It is a refusal to rank under, and to do one's job. Adam, willfully choosing Eve over his Creator, elevated his will to companionship with Lucifer. That brought him under the authority of the original rebel and the power of the original sin, which is broken order. When we talk about rebellion, we are talking about broken order. When we talk about disobedience, we are talking about broken order: putting oneself above the ultimate authority of God's Word and truth. This is what Paul is speaking of here. He says, "Look, you've got to understand. We are a generation of rebels. We've been born into sin. We've been born with self as the focal point. It's in our members." You watch little children, how selfish they are. Even in their innocence, in their little unprogrammed minds, selfishness just oozes out of them--as well as other things. We realize that this is natural. We are born of Adam's seed; because of that, it is natural to man, and it's in every one of our members. We need to realize, beloved, the power of this force that you and I are contending with.

Now, when Paul is speaking here there are a couple of things that he wants us to realize. One is that the offence that came upon us because of our Adamic nature can only be broken by one thing. Look at verse 19: "For as by one man's disobedience many [all] were made sinners, so by the obedience of one [Jesus] shall many be made righteous," or, able to subordinate ourselves. Because the Captain of our faith lived a life of obedience and purchased our deliverance from self, from sin, if He truly reigns, we will be seekers of order in our lives. We'll be looking to put ourselves under, and be followers of those who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises of God. We will no longer seek--as Eve did, and as Adam subordinated himself to--to be in control of our own lives. "For the moment that you eat of it, your eyes will be opened. You will be as gods!" "I want to know for myself; I want to know good and evil. I want to be able to make that decision for myself. I don't want a set of rules called the Ten Commandments. I don't want the epistles that were written to dictate my life. I want to be able to make that decision for myself. I will choose what's right and wrong for me."

That's why you hear the phrase so often. You make a pure biblical statement; you quote Scripture, and you'll hear Christians say, "My God would never do that." They're right. They have set themselves and their perception as truth. Oh, beloved, see this spirit for what it is, and see how powerful it is. Realize that it's still in your members here this morning. It is alive and well. It has to be recognized. It has to be dealt with on a daily basis and destroyed through our obedience.

Let me show you something over in 1 Samuel that I think will be helpful for us. We looked at Isaiah 14 concerning the original sin, as Satan violated authority. It never ceases to amaze me. Stop and think who this creature, Lucifer, was for just a moment. No creature was as beautiful. He was literally second in majesty, a true authority. The Scripture even recognizes Lucifer's authority to the point where Michael the archangel did not rebuke him but only said, "The Lord rebuke thee" (Jude 9). These creatures have true authority--not just power, but authority, majesty. All of this was conferred upon him. He was not eternal; he was a creature. How is it that we get so high an opinion of ourselves? God said, "I'll share some glory with you," and He conferred upon Lucifer a position of majesty. It rose up in his heart, "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God...I will be like the most High" (Isaiah 14:13-14). That's the dogma of the doctrine of darkness. It stands in direct opposition to the lordship of Jesus and the majesty of our Father. Its decisions are calculated to destroy truth. Some will try to tell you, "Well, I didn't really realize the magnitude of it. Well, it wasn't really in direct rebellion to God." Yes, it was--by plan. You need to understand it for what it is.

Lucifer exalted himself as he played upon mankind, drawing Eve away. She made a decision without the covering of her head, Adam, and chose to become an authority unto herself: "I will not submit to God who walks with us in the cool of the day. I will not submit to him from whom I was taken and given to be a helpmeet, for whom I was created. I will become an entity to myself, and my eyes will be opened. I will be as God!" She ate, and her eyes were opened, and she saw there was an alternative: she embraced her own lordship. She gave the fruit to the man, and then we see the two sides to broken order: those who refuse to submit and those who refuse to rule. It is tragic today that there is so much broken order--children who are refusing to obey, and wives who are refusing to submit--and I believe it is the consequence of those who refuse to rule. What are you doing in your homes today, men? Do you understand that one of these days you are going to answer to God? Special music just came forth talking about the fact that we're going to hear, "Well done." Are you? Can you say that you've stood and represented God before your flock? Has the standard been the authority of the Word of God and the holiness of God, or has it been some type of an existential truth? Does it flow with the tides? Does it flow according to how tired you are, how much you want to get involved, or how much flack you're really receiving? The powers that be are ordained of God. Are you faithful to your calling this morning?

It is tragic. I don't know what would have really happened. We can only present hypotheses. What if Adam had refused? Would there have been a redemption for Eve? I believe so. I don't know exactly how God would have pulled it off. What if Adam had refused, and God had provided a redemption? We could have been born into innocence instead of hating our brothers, instead of being jealous over our brother's sacrifice and worship. Oh, the power of self-exaltation and sin, and the need to habitually put ourselves under. It needs to be a choice. It needs to be something where you recognize it in you and say, "It's in me. It's in everybody around me. I choose to put myself into God's plan. I want to find--listen--biblical authority, and be safe."

We know about all the perversions of authority. We know how people think that any application of it is perverted. I shared with you the other night that one of the things that is most understood about this fellowship is this very subject right here--not the fact that we teach it, but that we practice it. Everybody says "amen" to the teaching. It's just doing it that's bizarre. "I just can't identify with that. I don't understand that;" people tell us that in every area. I can remember some of my family when I first got saved. They could not understand that I would be obedient and tithe. "I don't understand that! What are you doing going down to that place? That guy is robbing your money!" "You don't understand; it's foolishness to you. I choose to obey."

Let's take a look at this practical example of broken order. I think it will help you out. 1 Samuel 15--have we gotten there yet? 1 Samuel 15 is a classic passage. We talked about Lucifer's fall in Isaiah 14. We talked about Adam's defection and Eve's rebellion. We get even a little better picture of it here in this very classic passage, 1 Samuel chapter 15, of the anointing of Saul. You remember the story, that Samuel comes down to anoint Saul as king and sends him to destroy the Amalekites (verse 3). He says, "I want you to utterly destroy the Amalekites."

I don't have time to get into this, but if you look over at 2 Samuel, chapter one, you will find out that he didn't utterly destroy them; and one of them ultimately killed him. Obedience is better than sacrifice. I think that's pretty ironic. I think that's how the justice of God really works. You know those people that you want to give all of the exceptions to, and those whom instead of stoning you just want to kind of live beside them? They will kill you! You know those whom God said you are to be the first to take up the stone against, those of your own household? Those who are trying to draw you away from God (whether mother or father) and you are to be the first one to destroy them? I want to tell you something: they will kill you if you choose to disobey.

The Scripture, as it speaks to us here, is very clear. He said, "I want you to utterly destroy them." We know the story. Saul goes out, and the battle ensues. Verse 9 says, "But Saul and the people spared Agag [If you spare Agag, he will destroy you.], and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every think that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly." They just kept the good stuff, just in case. "You never know. You don't want to burn all of your bridges. Let's hold onto something to fall back on. You never know how much latitude God will give us." "Then came the word of the Lord unto Samuel, saying, It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments" (verses 10-11). This is interesting. Samuel goes to confront him. Then Saul begins to make excuses (verse 15): "The people made me do it." God's response to him was this--and I want you to see this as one of the critical truths. It doesn't have anything to do with the people or the pressure; it doesn't have anything to do with the value of all of that was spared. The problem is this--look at verse 17: when you were little in your own eyes, I made you the head of the tribes of Israel and anointed you king. "When you were little in your own eyes, I could use you," God said.

In verse 19, Samuel begins to question Saul. "Why didn't you obey? What caused you to be moved by lust, and greed, and self-glory, to where you flew upon the spoil?" Do you want to see one of the scariest things of all? Saul looks at him and says, "I've obeyed." If your light be darkness, how great is that darkness! When you think you've got it together, and the man of God is pointing out to you the Word of the Lord, and you're saying, "No, that's not me; that doesn't apply to me. You don't understand. You don't have the full picture here." Who is it that doesn't have the full picture? The one who is trying to justify himself, the one who can look at absolute truth. "It can't be any clearer than this. Why didn't you obey?" "I obeyed! Who are you, prophet of God, to be telling me that I'm not doing it right? I've obeyed. I went and did what the Lord told me to do--I just modified it a little bit. What's the big deal? Okay, Agag is still alive and we've got a few bucks stashed over here on the side. What is the big deal? I don't understand it."

What Saul was saying was (like one when they are caught doing wrong), "Let me tell you what I'm doing here. We were saving this stuff to use it for God. We were going to sacrifice it to God." Samuel responds in verse 22, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold [say it with me], to obey is better than sacrifice." "To obey is better than sacrifice." Why is that? Listen--because in sacrifice, there is still self-will. Here's how sacrifice takes place. God gives me the standard; I choose to rebel against the standard. I go partake of that, and then I determine whether or not (for my good) I ought to repent and come back to God. Therefore I think, "I've already partaken of the sin, but I'd rather not go to hell. I think I'll come back to God and see if I can somehow slip into heaven." What is the common denominator to all of these decisions? Self-will. Even in sacrifice, it's self-will. In obedience is the denial of self-will. "I want to do that. It's in my members. I'd like to have that. I choose not to obey self, but to obey God."

That's the real issue that we're dealing with here. We see the consequences of it, as I shared earlier. It ultimately brought about the demise of Saul in his role of authority. Ironically, it was the Amalekites he spared that brought him to his death. To obey is better than sacrifice. We say, "I understand that, but there ought to be something in our lives that gives us the right to make some kind of decision. There should be children's rights." We talked about that a little bit on Wednesday. You see it rising in our midst to the point of stupidity. Now we have the "children's rights". They've tried to kind of make a joke of it, but I don't think it's funny. Children have come to the place of knowing that they can just make an accusation against an adult, and they'll end up in jail. "They beat me;" and they lock you up. "They assaulted me sexually," they say, and you're locked up--no questions asked! We need to begin to see the secret power of lawlessness. It is supernatural in our midst.

Somehow, we think there's some kind of virtue in empowering the weak. God speaks to us and shares something in Matthew 8, in the ministry of Jesus, which I think is very important for us to look at. Do you remember the teaching where the Lord marveled, it says, at a man's faith? What is it that caused Jesus to marvel? Was it that he stepped out of the boat, like Peter did, and walked on the water? That's pretty cool stuff. How about the ability to believe, like James and John, that they by faith could move in the same spirit as Elijah and call fire out of heaven? That's a proclamation of faith and power. How about the ordaining of the twelve as they went forth and in His name cast out devils, and healed the sick, and raised the dead? Jesus didn't really marvel at that; but the Scripture tells us here in Matthew chapter 8, as you look down to about verse 10. He talks about the power of God, and the authority of God.

He brings about the parable of the seed that was sown. In the parable is the message of the authority, or the power, within the Word of God itself. It's not in the soil; it's not in the vessel. The power and the excellency is of God. When you begin to realize that, you no longer look at the vessel; but you look at the real source, the ability of God. These are powerful, powerful principles of where real authority is. Listen and see whether or not that person standing before you is speaking the Word of God. It's not that they have a title, "Father." The Word of God places standards upon those that are in authority, and it gives us the ability to recognize that. Even in the military, there's the code of conduct. You don't have to do everything a commanding officer tells you to do. He cannot ask you to do things that are immoral. Your commanding officer can't turn you into a murderer, even though you through submission have killed hundreds in warfare. They have no right to make you a murderer, to bring about malice. So, we recognize the real authority: it's the seed, the Word of God. Doesn't the Scripture give the limitations this way as it deals with parents and children? "Children obey your parents [say it] in the Lord." We see that there are limitations given. It has to be representative of God's purpose and of His majesty.

Let me show you something in Leviticus. This will help you. We'll be back here in just a second. Over in Leviticus, I think, is one of the clearest renderings of this. Leviticus 10, I believe it is. We all remember the story of Nadab and Abihu. God's presence had just manifested, as revealed in the ninth chapter. Verse 23 tells us, "And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: which when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces." The fire from the heart of God supernaturally manifested itself and consumed the offering. Kind of cool, really!

Look back at Leviticus 6 for just a second, verses 9 and 13. Verse nine says, "Command Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering, because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it." "The fire of the altar shall be burning in it." Verse 13 says, "The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out." This is what God initiated. His presence ignited this fire. It was a holy fire. God also gave different requirements on how this was to be administered and who was to oversee it. It was the responsibility of the high priest. The Scripture says in chapter 10, verse 1, "And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire." There is a lot of debate as to what was going on here. Some people seem to think that it was where they had obtained the fire. I believe that. I don't believe that they received it from the altar of God, from the perpetual burning, which was--listen closely--initiated of God. One of the passages that we've tried to hammer home over the years: "Without Me, you can do nothing." If it doesn't initiate with God, it's not accepted of God. A lot of us want to go out and do things in our own strength, interpret things our own way, and apply them in what we perceive to be greater wisdom, more humane, or whatever it might be. You are going to see that God speaks here very clearly of keeping Him holy in the midst of the people through our obedience. Some believe that they were drunken, because as you read the context, it goes on and makes it very clear that the priests who administered these offerings were not to drink strong drink. I think there is probably some truth to that. The one thing that we know for sure is this: it wasn't acceptable to God, and God identified it as strange fire.

Let's see what it is that made this "strange." It says they "offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not." That's why I think it didn't come from the perpetual burning. Verse 2 says, "And [because of that] there went out a fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." If you study this out, you will find out that Nadab and Abihu were invited to come up onto the mountain when Aaron came; but he said, "I want them to keep their distance." You see, there is an order in the kingdom of God. We don't all have the same role and responsibility. We are not all recognized in God's presence with the same access as it pertains to, not individual worth, but to responsibility of administering the kingdom. Every child is as valuable to God as the parent. Every wife is as valuable as the husband is, but with different spheres of responsibility and authority--not different worth, but responsibility and authority. Once we begin to realize that, it will keep us from offering strange fire.

I talked about the strange fire Wednesday night of a wife who goes out to interpret her husband's directives. You're not given the latitude to interpret, to change, to add to, or take away. Your personality is different, but you are there representing the authority that sent you. I wonder if ever there is resentment in women that these husbands have this kind of an authority, while you have been created a beautiful helpmeet and only second to that man. I wonder where that resentment comes from. I wonder if it might not be Lucifer: "I will ascend; I don't appreciate my position and how God created me." How real is this in each of our lives? I think it is very real on a daily basis. We want to interpret and apply what God said, and we come offering strange fire. We are close enough to the authority that we think we have some kind of rights now. We are close enough to the authority that we even begin to resent it somewhat. We see their feet of clay. Even when you see their feet of clay, you have no right to cut the hem off their garment. David found that out. I'm not talking about our President alone. I'm not talking about the Pastor and the overseers of this flock alone. I'm not talking just about your individual homes and recognizing that authority. I'm talking about in every aspect of our lives, because we're touched by all of these, every one of us.

Write it in your notes: "Submission must be absolute; obedience is relative." Submission must be absolute; obedience is relative. Submission is an attitude. Obedience is a choice. The attitude of humbling ourselves and not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, this is absolute. It's something that we have to deal with. Obedience is relative. It has to do with whether or not it's lining up with God's Word, not with whether or not the person asking us is doing it themselves. "When you start to do it, then I will do it." That's not the issue. The only time obedience is relative and not absolute is when the authority moves outside their representation of God, the ultimate authority. I like to use the word (we've used it so many times in our teaching) "designated" authority. There is ultimate authority, God; and there is designated authority, kings, princes, pastors, husbands, and parents. Every one of us wants to be an authority to ourselves, and we have to then habitually put ourselves under. If we don't, we're going to by our familiarity with that authority--I get familiar with my husband, I get familiar with my parents, I get familiar with that authority--I begin to think, "Hey, I'm as good as they are! I'm as smart as they are!" What is really sad is when it's true, that the kids are smarter than their parents are. That happens. They are not always more experienced, but sometimes they are smarter.

How many of you were in the military under somebody that wasn't real sharp, and you knew it? I mean, this guy not only didn't have both oars in the water, he had half of one--and he was just going in circles! You had to follow the directives unless they were contrary. You just stood at attention, saluted, said, "Yes, sir," and dealt with your attitude. It's in every area of life. I really think that's one of the sad things in our country today, that we don't have the military service for that very reason. For many of our young people here that are growing up under true authority, we don't really need that. The environment that we live in here is the same. The environment they live in your homes is the same. It's very important to make it real.

Look what God says here in this tenth chapter of Leviticus. "I will be glorified." That's what it's all about. If you resist the power, you are resisting the ordinance of God, Romans 13 says. God said, "I will be glorified. For you to refuse to recognize these standards is to deny My lordship." Now a very interesting thing happens. The kids get smoked, and God says to Aaron, "Don't you mourn." His kids just got toasted by the Lord; and the Lord says through Moses, "Don't mourn." "Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all of the people." Verse 7 says, "And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: for the anointing oil of the Lord is upon you." Do you realize that those who recognize their position, that they represent God, have an obligation to Him first? My obligation is to the Lord first. It's not to my wife; it's not to my children. If God is going to be separate in their eyes, if God is going to be holy in their eyes, then they have to see it as a reality in me. If there is going to be a fear of God, then those that are in authority in their midst had better fear God.

Do you want to see the tragedy of this thing? Look down at verse 10. God is saying, "Don't get caught up in over-evaluating the temporal. Don't get caught up in supporting and mourning for these rebels to whom I've just administered justice. Don't you get involved in the same things that caused them to defile Me and to fall: the strong drink. Here's what I want out of you. Here's what I expect out of you: that you may put a difference between the holy and the profane. I am looking for somebody that will see a difference between the holy and the profane, the standard of God of absolute obedience, of death to self, of honoring God first. If you don't love Me more than mothers, and fathers, sons and daughters, wives, houses, and lands, you're not worthy of Me." You see, beloved, when God is holy in your life and you are jealous for Him, then you are fit for authority. You are fit to stand up and say, "As for me and my house, we're serving God." You are fit to stand up and say, "Choose this day whom you're going to serve."

The real issue this morning is that so many people want to be in authority, but they want to be an authority unto themselves. "I want to be the head of my house with the buck stopping here!" It doesn't. It doesn't stop in your house; it doesn't stop at this pulpit; it doesn't stop in the White House. The powers that be are ordained of God, but now we have to represent Him properly. Nadab and Abihu didn't; they took the cheap way out. They exalted themselves. They thought they were in the same role as their father Aaron. They thought that whenever they wanted to, they could go in and make these offerings before God. They were acting frivolously before the people, and God brought judgment upon them. It's very important to understand the holiness of God.

He talks about the sacrifices as you read on in the chapter. He said, "I want you to realize that when these offerings come in, they're for you and your sons. I want you to eat this certain offering in the Holy Place. I want you to have the wave breast and the heave shoulder; and you'll eat of it in a clean place. It's what belongs to you; it's your due; but don't you share it with anybody else." Do you understand that it was holy, separated of God, that which was given to the priests? The priests didn't have any right to give to the common people. Do you realize that there are certain things in the priest's house that even the daughters of the priests could not partake of? The sons could, but the daughters could not--their own children--because it was holy unto the Lord. Yet, we want to make everything common. It's not common. The children and the wife want to come in and determine how things are administered, how things are spent, and what's going on. It's not common. That is not your role.

It is very important to see what's in the world, what's secular, what's humanistic, and then see the role that God has established. It sure is viewed as weird in our society, isn't it? We stand up here, and we talk about these things, and to those of us who are versed in the Scriptures, many times even we say, "Whew!" I wonder if we have been vexed. I wonder how much time we spend out there in the propaganda of the kingdom of darkness, of the kingdom of Lucifer, the prince of self-exaltation, and how it has affected our lives? The fact is, we just don't want to submit ourselves.

As we look at the Scriptures, we see the admonition to put ourselves habitually under, and then we realize the importance of that. It is so important for us to realize that God has established order. For it to be broken in any area is just as severe as what took place that day in the heavenlies in Isaiah 14, in the Garden of Eden, in the confrontation with Agag, and at the offering of strange fire with Nadab and Abihu. It's only a different name, a different face, and a different application.

Go back to that Matthew 8 passage. We see in Matthew 8, verse 5, the centurion. He asked the Lord to come and heal his servant. The Lord said, "I'll come and heal him," in verse 7. The centurion answered and said--here's the key to seeing the authority and the power of God--"I knew You'd respond to my faith; I knew You were obligated to do Your Word; I knew I was worthy because of all my almsgiving; I knew You would recognize the need." No, that was not his response. The Lord said, "I'll come and heal him." The man's response was, "No, I am not worthy that You'd come into my home. I'm not worthy that You would come under my roof. Just speak the word only, and my servant will be healed. I don't need self-recognition. It's not about us here; it's about Your glory. We recognize You as Messiah; we recognize You as the Son of Righteousness rising with healing in Your wings; we recognize who You are. Just speak the word. You are the Creator of heaven and earth. Just speak the word, and he'll be healed." It says that Jesus marveled. When He heard it, He marveled. Then He said to those that followed Him, "I have not seen such great faith in all of Israel." What was it this guy said? He said, "For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth [imagine that!]; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it." That's authority.

We had a dog named Lady. I had her right out here on this street one day. I called her. She looked at me, and then looked up the street. I called her again. She looked at me, then looked up the street, and ran up the street. So I didn't call her anymore; I called the pound. I had her picked up, and I never saw her again. "You're an austere man!" No, we were getting ready to go somewhere that there were no fences. We were getting ready to involve ourselves in something such that if this animal couldn't be obedient, it was going to be a detriment. When authority says, "Come," what do you do? You come. Do you really believe that? How many times do you have to say "Come"? "Go to bed...go to bed...go to bed...go to bed. I really mean it! Go to bed...go to bed...go to bed...go to bed...go to bed." What are you teaching? When I say, "Come," and they don't come, you think I'm strange. You are strange! You don't understand authority. When that Chief Petty Officer says to me, "Come," I don't say, "Okay, I'll be there in just a second." When the Captain gets on and says, "Man battle stations!", we don't say, "We've got to finish this checker game." "Come" means come; "Go" means go. When they say, "Jump," you just ask, "How high?"--and don't come down until they tell you! Doesn't your flesh hate that? Your flesh just goes, "Grrrr!" Your spirit's going, "Amen!" and your flesh is going, "Grrrrr!"

The flesh wars against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. You are no different. We are all like that. What are you going to do with it in this hour that we're in, when the secret power of lawlessness is on the rise, and disobedience to parents is common, and the hatred of parents? What are you going to do in this day of "children's rights", and ERA, and all of the different things that are manifesting themselves? What are you going to do, Adam, cop out? I mean, she's willing to run the house. Why not let her? You can stay on the couch. "Go for it! Knock yourself out!" It's not what God called you to do. If you break order, you are rebelling against the ordinance of God and the power of God.

Jesus marveled at this man's perception of his role. Clearer than anybody had ever spoken it, this man said, "I know who You are; and when You say to disease, 'Go,' it goes. When you say to devils, 'Go,' they go. When you say to Matthew, 'Come; follow Me,' he follows. I know who You are." Let me ask you this morning: Do you know who Jesus is, and do you know what His Word says about your role in His kingdom today?

Father, we thank You for the Word of God. We just ask that as You speak to us, we would be a people willing to hear and obey. We're not naive; we know what's in our members. It's very easy to declare the doctrine, but when all of those lusts begin to rise up in our members--when we have to contend with slothfulness, when we have to deal with covetousness, when it comes to making the choice to put ourselves under--it's not as easy. Father, help us to recognize it and understand that You're looking for a people who will put themselves under that You might raise them up; for those that humble themselves, You will exalt. We can never be in authority if we are not under authority. Give us ears to hear, Father, the dangers of this spirit that lurks among us, that would express itself in every layer of the fiber of this community. It will be dealt with in the home, and it will be dealt with in the community. For the kingdom of darkness, and its elevation of self, is enmity with God. So, we choose, Father, to find the role that You have ordained us to. We choose, Father, not to elevate ourselves as Nadab and Abihu. We choose to make You separate and holy and to do it Your way, that You might be honored among the people. Give us the ability, Father, and we will give You the praise, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord this morning. As Gary plays, we come to grips with the fact that as children, when we're disobeying our parents, we're as Nadab and Abihu, and God takes it seriously. When we're wives that are moving outside of the authority, it's the spirit of Nadab and Abihu. It's the spirit of your mother, Eve, and of her lord, Satan. The powers are for our good. The powers that are ordained of God are there to help us be more like Jesus. They don't ask us to do things contrary. The power has no right to move you outside of your domestic sphere, of your care for the house, provision for the children. The power has no right to deny your personal access to the kingdom, to the throne. The power had better not become a stumblingblock to the little ones; for it'd be better that a millstone be tied around your neck. Let me tell you something, power: you'd better not offend the little ones. They'd better be able to just follow you into the kingdom. Don't you be leading them to the idols of this world. You'd be better off to lead them in a one-bedroom rental than to a palace where self is lord.

Just worship the Lord this morning. Take a moment and declare His majesty. We delight in You, Lord. We're so thankful for Your mercy and Your grace toward us. Help us, Father, to be children that would honor You through our obedience; for obedience is better than sacrifice. Father, make us a people that humble ourselves with an attitude of absolute submission and a determination to obey, Father, the truth of Your commandments. For it, we're going to give You the praise and the honor, in Jesus' name. Amen. Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." Go in peace; God's love go with you.

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