Introduction:  To fear the Lord is to live all of life under all His authority.  One cannot truly fear the Lord without submitting to His authority in all areas.  We must remember, if Jesus isn't Lord of everything, He isn't Lord of anything!

 

In this week's message, I would like to continue for a bit in this area of God's authority structure.  By way of a simple review, let's be reminded of what we have already covered.

 

1.         There is the authority of God. - Genesis 2:16-17

 

- God established His rightful authority from the very beginning.

 

2.         There is the authority of Christ. - Matthew 28:18-20

 

- Jesus was not given some authority (power); He was given all authority!  Authority is the right to command.  Jesus was given that right.  We should obey.

 

3.         There is the authority of Scripture. - 2 Timothy 3:16

 

- To live under the authority of Christ is to live under the authority of His Word.

 

4.         There is human authority. - Hebrews 13:7&17

 

- To be taught to "question authority," as the bumper-sticker says, is to remove the authority God has set up for us.

 

5.         There is governmental authority. - Romans 13:1-7

 

- This authority was established for our good.

 

6.         There is the church's authority. - Hebrews 13:7&17

 

- Leadership and authority within the church is very serious business.  God holds authority accountable to Himself for their roles in the lives of the people.

 

7.         There is home authority. - Ephesians 5:22-6:4

 

- If authority within the home is not recognized, neither will the authority of Christ be established.

 

I suggested three questions for each one of us to ponder and honestly answer to see if we are truly under the God-ordained authority structure He has set up.

 

- Do I wholeheartedly acknowledge God's authority in my life?

- Do I seek to live under the authority of God's Word?

- Do I resist openly or privately under God-ordained human authorities?

 

I concluded by saying that we cannot be living in the fear of the Lord while resisting the authorities He has given us.  To fear the Lord is to live all of life under all His authority.  One cannot truly fear the Lord without submitting to His authority in all areas.  This being true, let's learn the lessons God has for each one of us.

 

8.         There is parental authority. - Ephesians 6:1-4

 

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

 

- Children are the heritage of the Lord.  There is a great responsibility handed to those with children.

- If indeed "authority" is the right to command, then Ephesians 6:1 makes it clear that parents have the God-given right to do so.

- However, this is not a blank check handed to parents.  It is a list with responsibilities attached.

- Parents are to lead "in the Lord."  It is not only right for the child to obey his parents in the Lord, it is also right for the parents to lead him in the Lord.

- Fathers have the responsibility to do at least three things:

 

* Rear children in the nurture of the Lord.  This word is used six times in the Bible.  It is translated "chastening" 3 times, "nurture" 1 time, "instruction" 1 time, and "chastisement" 1 time.  Obviously, this speaks of restraint and punishment for wrong-doing.  Eli, the priest of God, lost his sons because he chose not to restrain them, "For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not."  (1 Samuel 3:13)

* Rear children in the admonition of the Lord.  This word is used only three times in the Bible.  It simply means "exhortation."  In this sense, it is the teaching aspect of child-rearing.  Teaching both by words and example.  Literally, it is our responsibility to bend our children's minds to the right.  Things they should be taught:

 

- Developing the will.

- The importance of self-control.

- Proper manners.

- Reverence for God.

- How to form proper habits.

- Work.

- Independence and self-reliance.

- His relationship with others.

- Handling money properly.

- Reading.

- Discipline and punishment.

- Telling the truth.

- Care for the body.

- Dispelling fears.

- Playing.

- Church.

- Purity.

- Respect and honor for parents.

- The Bible and prayer in a child's life.

 

* Provoke not children to wrath.  To "provoke" is to "bring out."  Anger and wrath are already built into every child.  Parents have a way of sometimes bringing out that wrath.  It means to "stimulate or incite (someone) to do or feel something, especially by arousing anger in them."  Sometimes, the unwise parent will know what rings his child's bell...and rings it!  Authority is forbidden to do this!

 

9.         There is employer authority. - Ephesians 6:5-9

 

"Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."

 

- God did not deal with the reality of the wrongness of slavery; He dealt with the rightness of relationships.

- He admonished the slave to be a good worker "as unto Christ."

- In the same way, employees are to "And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him."  (Ephesians 6:9)

- This does not speak of being asked to be dishonest or lie, rather, it speaks of working hard realizing it is for the Saviour.

- I have said it before, and I now say it again, as a Christian, you ought to be the most honest and hard working employee that employer has!

- The boss has the God-given responsibility to treat his workers with the same honor and respect they are told to give to him.

 

* The worker is responsible to his boss and to the Lord.  The boss is responsible to his worker and to the Lord.

 

Conclusion:  With these last two points in mind, let me give you those same three questions to ponder and honestly answer. They will help us to see if we are truly under the God-ordained authority structure He has set up.

 

1.  Do I wholeheartedly acknowledge God's authority in my life?

2.  Do I seek to live under the authority of God's Word?

3.  Do I resist openly or privately under God-ordained human authorities?

 

Remember, I cannot be living in the fear of the Lord while resisting the authorities He has given me to abide under.