Submission Authority & Protocol

Submission and authority is something that most folks in the church don’t have a working understanding of. The principle is this: “If you are not under authority, you can’t exercise authority.” This is an important Kingdom principle and it holds in many areas of Kingdom life. The Roman Centurion who came to Jesus on behalf of his sick servant is a great example of this.

 

“But the officer said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, Go, and they go, or Come, and they come. And if I say to my slaves, Do this, they do it.’” Matthew 8:8 & 9 NLT (Emphasis Mine)

 

Notice the Centurion said that he was under the authority of his superior officers, and that he had authority of his soldiers. Because he was under authority, he could then exercise authority. We can only exercise authority to the degree that we are under authority!

 

It is so vital that we learn this. We can’t afford anymore renegades or Lone Rangers running around the church who are not submitted to or accountable to anybody, and then expect that they should just be able to prophesy and speak into people’s lives. No Way! If you are not under authority, you can’t exercise authority! You are operating outside of Biblical protocol.

 

Right along this line we need to understand delegated authority too. Let’s say that the local ‘Set Man’ in the local church has turned the service over to the worship leader. Now the ‘Set Man’ is THE authority in the local church, but at that moment, he has delegated authority to the worship leader, so at that moment as long as the worship leader is operating under the delegated authority of the ‘Set Man’ everyone should be submitted to the worship leader as long as they are operating in that capacity. If you have something at that time you should be going to the worship leader because they are the delegated authority at that moment.

 

Many in this case would still go to the ‘Set Man’ because he is the supreme authority as the under shepherd in the house. But you see this is a lack of understanding of delegated authority. Even though the ‘Set Man’ (or woman, there can be ladies that are heads of ministries too), because they have delegated that authority, they are not in charge until such a time as they take it back. Folks this is part of protocol.

 

Let me take this in another direction while I am at it. I am a member of a local church called Community Church Fixer of Hearts in North Brunswick, NJ. My good friend and my Brother (not just in the Lord, but we are like real Brothers) Rev. Barry Habib is the Pastor of the church; he is the ‘Set Man’. I serve in the church as a teaching elder and am considered to be a Prophet and am accepted as a Prophet not just by Pastor Barry, but by the rest of the leadership and the congregation as well.

 

That being said, I am under Pastor Barry’s authority in that house because he is the ‘Set Man’. There are times that he has me speak or minister in the house. At those times he delegates authority to me. When I am operating under his delegated authority, folks then look to me if something is right or in order. But once I turn things back over to Pastor Barry, they don’t look to me anymore because I am not operating under delegated authority anymore.

 

Now let’s bring another scenario into this. I also operate in a parachurch ministry with my parents, Apostles Leo & Edith Fram, called Living Faith Ministries Int’l (LFMI for short). Some times LFMI holds meetings that Pastor Barry attends. Sometimes we even use the facility of the Community Church Fixer of Hearts building. When Pastor Barry comes to a meeting that we are holding, even if it is in his house, because it is our meeting, he comes in submitted to our authority. There are times that he gets ‘Words’ in our meetings, when that happens we delegate authority to him and he operates under delegated authority in our meeting (the same as we operate under his delegated authority in the local church).

 

So in the sense that we are equals and peers in the ministry with him functioning as a local Pastor, and I am operating as a Prophet, we have learned how to yield to delegated authority, and be in submission to each other’s authority depending on whose meeting it is. Folks this is a big part of protocol. If we will learn these things and practice them, we will see a much greater manifestation of not just the Gifts of the Spirit, but also of Kingdom Alignment.

The Way Up Is Down

I remember when I was student at Rhema Bible Training Center back in the 80’s; I took a course called “Submission & Authority”. I learned some principles in that class that have become a part of my spiritual DNA and I have never forgotten them. They have served me in good stead all these years since. How I wish folks in the Body of Christ would grasp some of these things today.

 

It seems most folks want to exercise authority or be the one in charge. However, in the Kingdom the rules are different than in the world. I was struck by a statement that my instructor made back at Rhema: “The way up is down.” I know that sounds a little strange to us because it goes against our natural human inclinations, but it is the way of the Kingdom.

 

In the world we do whatever we have to do to get ahead. We will step over whoever we have to get what we want. As long as we get what we want…all is fair and okay is how the worldly sentiment goes. I will exalt myself is worldly devilish thinking. I seem to recall someone who thought that same way:

 

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit.” Isaiah 14: 12-15 NKJV

 

It would serve us well to remember that Lucifer got expelled from Heaven for thinking the way he did, so we really shouldn’t think we will get very far in the Kingdom with that kind of thinking. In the New Testament in the Epistles we are given some instructions about our attitudes and our conduct that is a total contrast to the way that Lucifer acted and thought.

 

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” James 4:10 NASB

 

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.” 1 Peter 5:6 NASB

 

Both of these Scriptures are diametrically opposed to the attitude portrayed by Lucifer. In the Kingdom we voluntarily humble ourselves that God may exalt us. This is what my Instructor meant by: “The way up is down.” If you want to be exalted in the Kingdom, you must first humble yourself. The even scary verse from James’ Epistle is this:

 

“But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” James 4:6 NASB

 

It clearly states that God gives grace to the humble, but is opposed to the proud. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to find myself in a position where God is opposed to me…do you?

 

There is nothing wrong with wanting to get ahead and being exalted in the Kingdom. We just need to learn Kingdom Laws and Protocols…and they are not like worldly laws and protocols. In the Kingdom…”The Way Up Is Down!”