AUTHORITY AND SACRIFICE

Authority and Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15:22-23 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

Authority is greater than sacrifice – even the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus’ obedience to the Father was more important than His sacrifice on the cross. If the cross wasn’t God’s will, even though Jesus died on the cross, it would mean nothing to the Father. The only reason why the cross has the power it has is because, it was God’s will for Jesus to die for man. Hence authority gives power to sacrifice.

Sacrifice without authority is useless and without power. Before there was a sacrifice, there was authority. God never asked Adam for a sacrifice but to submit to His will. In 1 Samuel 15 something interesting happened. Saul was given assignment by God through the prophet Samuel to go and smite all the Amalekites – not leave anything breathing whether man or beast. But the Bible says “Saul spared the best of the sheep and cattle and even brought the king Agag alive. On Samuel’s arrival to meet Saul from battle, Samuel realized that Saul has not fully obeyed the Lord. Samuel made it emphatically clear to Saul that God delight in obedience than sacrifice. This implies that when it comes to God, obedience comes before sacrifice. Sacrifice without submission and obedience is rebellion against God.

Watchman Nee said “Everything we do must be done out of submission to authority”. Sacrifice in this context is likened to the things we do for God in His kingdom – these are services we render in the house of God. And it include preaching of the gospel, administration, giving, taking care of the house of God etc. All of these things must be done out of submission to God’s authority.

We should not do anything that we don’t have the authority to do. In a local church, everything must be done with the approval of the under- shepherd overseeing that assembly. If the Pastor there is a branch Pastor, he cannot wake up to do whatever he or she likes. He must receive approval from the General Overseer before doing things that are out of his normal responsibilities. In so doing, we bring order into the house of God and set godly examples for others to follow.

Nadab and Abihu are a typical example of people offering sacrifice without authority. Leviticus 10:1-2 says “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD”.

These two young men were sons of Aaron and they were priests, for the Lord gave the priesthood to Aaron and his sons. Every offering was to be performed under Aaron’s supervision; and without that nothing was done. These two young men thought they could do what their Daddy was doing hence they went ahead and offered a sacrifice unto God without authority. The end result was death. A sacrifice without authority is strange fire. What gives power to every sacrifice is authority.

There are folks in the church who probably are operating in measure of an anointing and are seeing miracles just like their senior Pastor or leaders. This makes them feel that they can do anything they like. Such folks are in the devil’s deception waiting to be destroyed. Nadab and Abihu overstepped their bounds and fire went from the Lord and destroyed them. Spiritual matters are weightier and it takes a lot of wisdom to handle these things.

The key is in doing what you’ve been authorized to do. No one wants to deal with unauthorized dealers. Why? It is dangerous! Church leaders and Pastors, undershepherds and overseer; make sure you do what you have been given to do. Know your limits and function accordingly and God will bless what you do.

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