Who is considered to have the greatest faith among the Israel?

· Luke 7:2-10 There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 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. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

6 Steps to Better Understanding Authority

1 Understand The Concept of the “Umbrella of Protection”

· “Umbrella of Protection” - Psalms 17:8-9 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

· “Hedge of Protection” - Job 1:10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

· I Samuel 15:23 … rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft …

20 Basic Questions on authority

1.1 Did God ordain all human authority?

· Romans 13:1-2 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

1.2 Is God responsible for promotions?

· Psalms 75:6-7 No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt a man. But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

1.3 Are rulers to execute His wrath?

· Romans 13:3-4 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

1.4 Does God have direct influence in the decisions of rulers?

· Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.

1.5 Can we resist God-given authority and still have a good conscience?

· Romans 13:5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.

1.6 Does God teach that there is a structure of authority in marriage?

· I Corinthians 11:3 Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

1.7 Must all leaders give an account to God for the way they use their authority?

· Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

1.8 Has God established a balance of power?

· Elders, priests, and kings

1.9 Are those under authority left with no power?

· I Peter 3:1-2 Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.

· Daniel, Esther, Joseph, …

1.10 Do Christian wives have protection under unsaved husbands?

· I Corinthians 7:14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

1.11 Is the primary purpose of authority to punish evil and to praise good?

· I Peter 2:13-14 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

1.12 Must every leader also be under authority?

· Ephesians 6:9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

1.13 Are there times when those under authority should refuse to obey?

· Acts 4:19-20 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

1.14 Is there a proper way to appeal to one in authority when asked to do evil?

· I Timothy 5:1-2 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

1.15 Can wise appeals be nullified by wrong attitude?

1.16 Should those under authority expect their leaders to quickly see their point of view?

· Proverbs 25:15 Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.

1.17 Are we obligated to obey an authority who has an offensive disposition?

· I Peter 2:18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.

1.18 Is it right to join a crowd to forcefully remove an evil person from office?

· Exodus 23:2 "Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,

1.19 Are there times when a person should separate from his authority?

· Matthew 10:23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

1.20 Must we continue to respect an evil ruler as a minister of God?

· I Samuel 24:10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord's anointed.'

2 Determine Who Your Authorities Are

2.1 Family

· Ephesians 6:1-2 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother"--which is the first commandment with a promise—

· Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

2.2 Government

· I Timothy 2:1-2 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone-- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

2.3 Church

· I Timothy 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.

· Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

3 Discern How God is Using Authority in Your Life

· Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

· Difficult situation with authority teaches:

Truthfulness / deception	Obedience / willfulness	Sincerity / hypocrisy	Virtue / impurity
Boldness / fearfulness	Forgiveness / rejection	Persuasiveness / contentiousness	Alertness / unawareness
Hospitality / loneliness	Generosity / stinginess	Joyfulness / self-pity	Flexibility / resistance
Availability / self-centeredness	Endurance / giving up	Self-control / self- indulgence	Reverence / disrespect
Diligence / slothfulness	Thoroughness / incompleteness	Dependability / inconsistency	Security / anxiety
Patience / restlessness	Wisdom / natural inclinations	Discernment / judgment	Faith / presumption
Discretion / simple-mindedness	Love / selfishness	Creativity / underachievement	Enthusiasm / apathy
Resourcefulness / wastefulness	Thriftiness / extravagance	Contentment / covetousness	Punctuality / tardiness
Tolerance / prejudice	Cautiousness / rashness	Gratefulness / unthankfulness	Orderliness / disorganization
Initiative / unresponsiveness	Responsibility / unreliability	Humility / pride	Decisiveness / double-mindedness
Determination / faint-heartedness	Loyalty / unfaithfulness	Attentiveness / unconcern	Sensitivity / callousness
Justice / fairness	Compassion / indifference	Gentleness / harshness	Deference / rudeness
Meekness / anger

4 Identify Situations in Which You Must Appeal to Authority

4.1 Am I being required to do wrong?

· Daniel 1:8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

4.2 Will there be damage to life or property if I do not appeal?

4.3 Will my ministry be hindered?

5 Learn How to Prepare and Deliver a Wise Appeal

5.1 Talk to the person in charge

· II Samuel 20:16-17 a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him." He went toward her, and she asked, "Are you Joab?" "I am," he answered. She said, "Listen to what your servant has to say." "I'm listening," he said.

5.2 Establish your position under his jurisdiction

· II Samuel 20:17 … She said, "Listen to what your servant has to say." …

5.3 Discover the basic intentions of the one who gave the command which is being appealed

· II Samuel 20:18-19 She continued, "Long ago they used to say, 'Get your answer at Abel,' and that settled it. We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord's inheritance?"

5.4 Design a creative alternative

· II Samuel 20:21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bicri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I'll withdraw from the city." The woman said to Joab, "His head will be thrown to you from the wall."

5.5 Quickly follow through on your alternative

· II Samuel 20:22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.

Daniel 1:3-16 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility-- young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you." Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

6 Be Prepared to Respond Quickly and Correctly to the Results of Your Appeal

An appeal must be quickly followed with the creative alternative.

· Inability to follow-through à lack of future trust

· Ability to follow-through à freedom and easier future appeal

6.1 Identify the cause of a rejected appeal

Failure in you à clear conscience and work through with authority
Failure in appeal à review steps and try again

Paul – 2 Corithians 12:9
Widow – Luke 18:2-8

Fault in authority

6.2 Give God time to change his mind

Moses leading Israelites out of Egypt

6.3 Know how to appeal to a higher authority

6.4 Recognize when God is calling you to suffer for righteousness’ sake

6.5 Discern when it is wise to flee

I Corinthians 7:10-11 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.