Blessed Under Authority

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Blessed Under Authority
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Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to
them, for they keep watch over your souls as
those who will give an account. Let them do this
with joy and not with grief, for this would be
unprofitable for you. Hebrews 1317
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I. The SOURCE of all authority A) JESUS
CHRIST reigns on high as Lord of all, leading
through His church. In accordance with the
working of the strength of His might which He
brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from
the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the
heavenly places, far above all rule and authority
and power and dominion, and every name that is
named, not only in this age but also in the one
to come. And He put all things in subjection
under His feet, and gave Him as head over all
things to the church, which is His body, the
fullness of Him who fills all in all. Eph.
119-23
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B. In addition, God has established HUMAN
authority structures.
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FOUR basic authorities ordained by God 1.
FAMILY Children, be obedient to your parents in
all things, for this is well-pleasing to the
Lord. Col. 320 2. GOVERNMENT Every person
is to be in subjection to the governing
authorities for there is no authority except from
God, and those which exist are established by
God. Romans 131 3. EMPLOYER Slaves, in all
things obey those who are your masters on earth.
Colossians 322 4. CHURCH Obey your
spiritual leaders and submit to them. Hebrews
1317
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II. The PURPOSE of authority for God to
accomplish His GOOD in your life. A. Romans
131-7 1 Every person is to be in subjection to
the governing authorities for there is no
authority except from God, and those which exist
are established by God.   2 Therefore whoever
resists authority has opposed the ordinance of
God and they who have opposed will receive
condemnation upon themselves.   3 For rulers are
not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for
evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority?
Do what is good and you will have praise from the
same   4 for it is a minister of God to you for
good.
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But if you do what is evil, be afraid for it
does not bear the sword for nothing for it is a
minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on
the one who practices evil.  5 Therefore it is
necessary to be in subjection, not only because
of wrath, but also for conscience' sake.  6 For
because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers
are servants of God, devoting themselves to this
very thing.  7 Render to all what is due them
tax to whom tax is due custom to whom custom
fear to whom fear honor to whom honor.

Romans 131-7
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The PURPOSE of authority for God to accomplish
His GOOD in your life. B. Obey your
spiritual leaders and submit to them, for they
keep watch over your souls as those who will give
an account. Let them do this with joy and not
with grief, for this would be unprofitable for
you.
Hebrews 1317 AUTHORITY God loves
you!
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III. What if the authority is acting UNFAIRLY?
Slaves, in all things obey those who are your
masters on earth, not with external service, as
those who merely please men, but with sincerity
of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you
do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather
than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will
receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the
Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who
does wrong will receive the consequences of the
wrong which he has done, and that without
partiality. Colossians 322-25
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Do not lift up your horn on high, do not speak
with insolent pride. For not from the east, nor
from the west, nor from the desert comes
exaltation But God is the Judge He puts down
one and exalts another. Psalm 756
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You be driven away from mankind and your
dwelling place be with the beasts of the field,
and you be given grass to eat like cattle and be
drenched with the dew of heaven and seven
periods of time will pass over you, until you
recognize that the Most High is ruler over the
realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He
wishes. Daniel 424,25
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A. How to APPEAL to an authority 1. Check our
ATTITUDES. 2. Clear our CONSCIENCE. 3.
Discern their INTENTIONS. 4. Design creative
ALTERNATIVES. 5. APPEAL to the authority with
4. 6. Give God time to CHANGE the authoritys
MIND. 7. Suffer the CONSEQUENCES for not doing
what is WRONG.
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B. The faith of ESTHER. Go, assemble all the
Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me do
not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I
and my maidens also will fast in the same way.
And thus I will go in to the king, which is not
according to the law and if I perish, I perish."
Esther 416 "If I have found favor in
your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king,
let my life be given me as my petition, and my
people as my request for we have been sold, I
and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed and
to be annihilated. Esther 73,4
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Are you living under Gods authority?