Reflecting God Embrace Holy Living - The Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene - "Under Authority" by Phil Pinckard - Luke 7:1-13

Reflecting God Embrace Holy Living - The Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene - "Under Authority" by Phil Pinckard - Luke 7:1-13
Luke 7:1 When Yeshua had finished speaking to the people, he went back to K’far-Nachum. ² A Roman army officer there had a servant he regarded highly, who was sick to the point of death. ³ Hearing about Yeshua, the officer sent some Jewish elders to him with the request that he come and heal his servant. ⁴ They came to Yeshua and pleaded earnestly with him, “He really deserves to have you do this, ⁵ for he loves our people — in fact, he built the synagogue for us!” ⁶ So Yeshua went with them. He had not gone far from the house, when the officer sent friends who said to him, “Sir, don’t trouble yourself. I’m not worthy to have you come under my roof — ⁷ this is why I didn’t presume to approach you myself. Instead, just give a command and let my servant recover. ⁸ For I too am a man set under authority. I have soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” ⁹ Yeshua was astonished at him when he heard this; and he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Isra’el have I found such trust!” ¹⁰ When the messengers got back to the officer’s house, they found the servant in good health.¹¹ The next day Yeshua, accompanied by his talmidim and a large crowd, went to a town called Na‘im. ¹² As he approached the town gate, a dead man was being carried out for burial. His mother was a widow, this had been her only son, and a sizeable crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her and said to her, “Don’t cry.”
-------Pharisees questioned Jesus saying, “By what authority do you perform these miracles?” Answering a question with a question, Jesus replied “John’s baptism, was it of man or of God?” Knowing the Master had caught them in their intrigue, the Pharisees said “We do not know” (see Matthew 21:23-27).
Authority is central to ministry. Positional authority, indicated by a title or name badge, is entry level authority. Professional authority comes from one’s training and education. Pastoral authority is grounded in one’s sense of calling and purpose. Moral authority is based on the quality of a person’s character and faithfulness to their commitments. Ultimately, all authority flows from one’s identity. Jesus knew from where he had come, who he was, and where he was going (John 8:14).
Have you discovered the true source of spiritual authority, your identity in Christ?"I Am Thine, O Lord" by Fanny Crosby
1. I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,
and it told thy love to me;
but I long to rise in the arms of faith
and be closer drawn to thee.
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side. 
2. Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
by the power of grace divine;
let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
and my will be lost in thine. 
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side.
3. O the pure delight of a single hour
that before thy throne I spend,
when I kneel in prayer, and with thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend! 
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side.
4. There are depths of love that I cannot know
till I cross the narrow sea;
there are heights of joy that I may not reach
till I rest in peace with thee. 
Refrain:
Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to the cross where thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
to thy precious, bleeding side.
For in him, bodily, lives the fullness of all that God is. And it is in union with him that you have been made full — he is the head of every rule and authority.[Colossians 2:9-10]
Please pray:
That many people in the Congo Republic will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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