Authority that Serves: Rethinking Power in the Kingdom

In our world, authority usually means leverage. It means position, who gets the final say, and who gets noticed.

But Scripture consistently presents authority in a different light. Biblical authority is never about dominance; it is always about service. It exists for a functional purpose: so that others can be helped, protected, and built up in love.

1. Authority is Given, Not Taken

In Luke 9:1, we see Jesus call the Twelve and give them power and authority. They didn't campaign for it or earn it through status. It was given to them for specific purposes: to heal, to restore, and to confront what destroys people’s lives.

• True authority moves toward people in compassion.
• If it doesn't heal, serve, or restore, it isn't being used as Jesus intended.

2. The Purpose: Order and Care

Hebrews 13:17 reminds us that leaders are entrusted with authority to 'keep watch over souls.' This isn't a call for blind obedience, but a description of a protective, accountable responsibility.

• Biblical authority is protective, not possessive.
• It creates space for people to grow, to be safe, and to flourish spiritually.
• It quietly carries responsibility, often unseen, always answerable to the Lord.

3. Authority Begins with Surrender

Before authority can flow through a person, it must be submitted by that person (Job 22:21). Authority not rooted in submission to God will always drift toward control, pride, or fear.

4. The Ultimate Picture: Authority on a Cross

No one held more authority than Christ, yet He expressed that authority not from a throne, but from a cross. At the cross, we see what godly authority truly looks like:

• Authority that lays itself down.
• Authority that absorbs pain rather than inflicting it.
• Authority that creates space for forgiveness, healing, and new life.