People tell us that there are pastors who consult sangomas to help them obtain authority and power. We do not know if this is true. What we however have experienced ourselves is church-people who have tried to intimidate us by telling us how powerful and politically connected they are, so that we would give in to their demands.
Power and authority are important. Won’t you read, listen to, or watch Prof Möller’s address about authority and power of God in your life. It is a Christ-centered perspective with significant implications.
I trust you will enjoy this Biblical perspective especially in our power crazy world.
The Authority and Power of God in Your Life
This sermon was preached by Prof. Francois Möller at ATS’ virtual graduation of 2022.
I would like to speak to you today about the authority and the power of God in your life. To do that, let me take you to Hebrews 1:3. You’ll notice that this verse is all about Jesus Christ.
Let me read it for you:
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
This verse tells us that Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God in exaltation, acting from that position of the throne of God. He holds the highest authority conceivable, and it is from this exalted position that the glorified Christ sustains all things in the universe. Everything on earth and beyond is sustained by Him.
In short, this verse emphasises that Jesus Christ is indeed Lord. If we examine the Greek word for “Lord”—Kyrios—it indicates the highest power imaginable. Throughout the New Testament, this truth is repeated: Jesus Christ is Lord. In fact, it is declared more than 700 times, far more than references to Him as Saviour. The principle that Christ is Lord runs throughout the Bible.
In this verse, we also see a distinction made between who Christ is and what He does. First, the verse tells us who He is:
- He is the radiance of God’s glory.
- He is the exact representation of His being.
- He is seated at the right hand of God, in majesty and exaltation.
It’s essential to understand who Christ is. But the verse also speaks about what He does: He sustains everything—every law of the universe and everything on earth—by His powerful Word. Creation itself declares His mighty deeds.
Although these aspects of who Christ is and what He does are closely linked, it’s crucial to grasp the distinction. Why? Because it is terrible to sin against God’s power and might—His deeds. However, it is far worse to rebel against God’s authority—against who Christ really is. Rebelling against God’s authority is rebelling against Christ’s lordship.
The authority of God is the highest principle in the universe. Nothing is greater than that, and nothing can surpass it. If you want to serve God, you must first acknowledge His authority and power of God in Jesus Christ.
Think back to the sin of Satan. His rebellion was against the authority of God—against who God is. For this, he was cast out of heaven. In Matthew 6, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Why? Because Satan tempts us to be like him—to rebel against God’s authority against who Christ is. This is the greatest sin we can commit, and it’s logical that the Lord’s Prayer follows with the words: “For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever.”
God is the highest authority, and we must never forget that, especially in a society that constantly rebels against authority and replaces it with radical individualism. Radical individualism is all about me. Today, people are focused on themselves. “I sit on the throne of my life” they say. “I do what pleases me. What God says, if He even exists, is irrelevant.” But no—God is the highest authority. The kingdom, power, and glory belong to Him, not to us.
It’s essential to understand this truth and live accordingly. The kingdom, power, and glory are God’s. Not yours.
Therefore, I urge you today: Acknowledge God’s authority and power. Resist the temptation to rebel against higher authority, as Satan did. Believe me, this is a real temptation, even in ministry. The call is to submit. Submit to the highest authority and power. Submit to the glory of God. You will find that this submission leads to a successful ministry.
Submission leads to two superb outcomes:
Spiritual Strength and Authority in Your Ministry
When you submit to God, your words and the proclamation of the Gospel become spiritually strong and authoritative. Why? Because you have submitted yourself to God, and therefore, you are backed and supported by His power and authority.
Think of a referee in a sports match. A referee has the power to send the strongest athlete off the field. Why? Because the referee has submitted to the governing body of the sport. When the referee speaks, it is with authority, because they are backed by that governing body. This principle is also illustrated in Luke 7 in the story of the centurion whose servant was sick. When Jesus was on His way to heal the servant, the centurion sent a message saying, “I do not deserve to have You come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” He explained: “For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes.” In verse 9 it is said “he was amazed at him”. I think this is the only place in the Bible where Jesus was really amazed about a human being and he was amazed because this centurion has understood this principle to bow and submit to authority, gives you authority.
Because he was under the authority of the Roman Empire, when he spoke, people listened. Similarly, Christ was under the authority of God’s kingdom, under God himself so when He spoke, it was with absolute authority.
If you, as a pastor or servant of God, wholeheartedly submits to God’s authority, your words will be supported by the kingdom of God. Then, for the first time, you will truly speak in the name of the Lord.
I think this is also the way to understand James 4 : 7 “submit yourself to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” We cannot overcome the devil by ourselves but if you submit to God you are backed up by the kingdom of God, by God himself and then when you resist the evil one, he will flee from you.
Authority and power in your ministry exists in submission to higher authority and power, to Him who sits on the throne of God. There is no other way. This is the first superb outcome of submission.
Safety and Comfort in Submission
Submission to God not only gives you authority but also keeps you safe. We live in a world where authority and power are often misused for selfish purposes and with devastating consequences. This misuse of power often leads to rebellion against authority. Be sure you’re going to experience it, you will experience the misuse of authority and power and it will really hurt you. But your safety doesn’t lie in rebellion—it lies in calling upon the highest authority, God. When you submit to Him, you can come to Him with boldness, and He will give you justice.
My prayer for you is this: Do not submit to the temptation of Satan, which leads you to become your own authority. Instead, live under the authority of God.
The Bible is clear: submit to God, for He is the radiance of God’s glory. Submit to Christ, the exact representation of God’s being, seated at the right hand of the Majesty.
For His is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen.
Leave a Reply