Bringing Heaven Home

08 Moral Authority (1)

Hi. Welcome fathers, mothers and grandparents to ‘The World Needs A Father’, Bringing Heaven Home series. We are now on chapter six, part one, looking at the first pillar of ‘The World Needs A Father’ on moral authority, taking the low road the high ground.

Previously we covered what it means to be a real man, real manhood and real fatherhood, what it's all about. And the significance of what it means as fathers, as young men to come to accept our special privilege and position as a Godly man and a Godly father, and to allow God the Father to be the king and Lord of our lives and learning to submit to Him. Then we will be able to exert what today's topic is all about – moral authority. So let's move on.

When we talk about moral authority, what then is moral authority? To make it straightforward, when there is no morals, there is no authority. A trustworthy person is a person with moral authority. Means what? Means he’s the one who is able to make decisions that are right and good for the benefit of everyone. When we say a person has moral authority, is a person with a moral compass, who has the conviction, who believes in moral truth. Walks uprightly, is reverend pious, loves goodness, and he walks the talk, he lives it out. This then, is the man who walks the talk, who lives by example. You look at the four leaders, four prominent figures in front of you. Mohammed Gandhi is a leader of independence, peaceful revolution movement. He led in India. And successfully because of his peaceful revolution, he influence the world. Martin Luther was a social activist and Baptist minister, who play a key role in American civil rights movement. Mother Teresa is very famous, who led exemplary, how she helps the poor in Calcutta. Nelson Mandela was the president of Africa. But before that, he was fighting against the apartheid movement even when he was in prison, and became the first black president.

So when you look at all these men, these are people with high moral grounds who has earned the right to be heard. And they are definitely a man of moral authority, who walks that straight and narrow pathway that God talks about as in Micah 6:8, speaks of such a man or such a woman. And God says, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Definitely all the figures before you are such a man of character. So what is moral authority? Means your uphold the morals with conviction in your life. If not, when there's no morals, there's no authority.

So this is a realization. And a father who fears the Lord, who loves the Lord, who obeys the Lord, and he walks in a straight and narrow pathway of righteousness, surely will know what it means to exert the mantle of authority and become victorious.

There are three verses that I’d like to share, one of which is Matthew 28:18. Many people knows about the great commission, 19 and 20, but 28:18 is so significant. When Jesus came and spoke to the disciples and saying all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. All. And in the same spirit, it commands them the mandate “go and make disciples of all nation.” And then Luke 10:19, again repeated, “Behold, I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Just as what you have seen before you, the feet of us, we stamp the devil on his head, defeated, because Christ has given you and me the victory. And we need to take up this mantle of authority. And finally, James 4:7 brings forth the picture of submission, as in terms of authority. Therefore, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

So what is the model of moral authority none other than our Lord Jesus Christ himself. What kind of model did he demonstrated? He demonstrated a humble servant leadership. He washed the disciples feet, He displayed submission and obedience to God the Father. And lastly, we talked about him, calling upon us to listen to God the Father just as he had listened to God the Father. So pure authority comes from a self-denying submission to a higher mission to a higher person. In this case, God the Father, in your case, God the Father and to Jesus Christ himself. So those who are the greatest among you, in Luke 22:26-2 7 says should be – Let me repeat, Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” Moral authority is not from above, not lording, not bossing people around, but from underneath, serving others, lifting others up. It’s a different concept from the way the world see.

And the authority given to us must always benefit others, must always benefit those who are below us, our children, our wife. It comes from a tireless intention to bestow benefits to those below us. A leader will always seek ways and means to lift others up. A leader will always seek ways to seek and to help others succeed. As in the concept of the way mosses and Joshua led the children of Israel, bringing them from Egypt, from bondage, to the promised land flowing with milk and honey. And that is significant. The many commandments God has given in Deuteronomy chapter 6:1-9, it is given to the children, and as a leader, we will give to them so that when they follow in obedience, they will experience God's full blessing upon their lives. And that's what we need to do. Encourage, lead as a servant, serving them.

Moral authority again, has clarity to it, because the leader knows exactly the true north. He has a moral compass, a strong moral conscience of right and wrong, and in no way will he deviate from truth, from the true north. He is a man full of conviction and whatever decision that he make, it will not be illegal, it will not be immoral, it would not be unethical. It will be based on the authority of the word of God implanted in his heart for him to obey.

Again, the father of a Godly man moving towards moral authority means, he'll avoid ways that create a soft mind. A father who walks in moral authority is not one who is soft minded, as you see the picture behind, spineless, without conviction, weak like a jellyfish, mindlessly just follow the crowd and then not make decision. He’s easily shaken by the wind, easily influenced by the media, and he has a lot of fear. A real Godly man, a Godly father is a tough-minded man, stable, convicted. Jesus is his foundation. Jesus is his rock. He will be geared to the times, but he will also be anchored to the rock. He is a man who is unshaken, unafraid, unashamed. And he will proudly proclaim to the world that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, fearless. The only healthy fear is the fear of God moving, driving his life. He knows who God is. He knows the word, he knows the truth, and he knows the conviction that God has placed in his heart and he will walk in that. He will walk in the truth.

A man who is God fearing, a man of God who is full of authority and moving towards authority, will always be attentive to the inner voice of God. He will choose every day to listen to the inner voice of God, that will take him from a just ordinary, mediocre life, to a life of greatness and empowerment in God. So he will not walk in the road of mediocrity. If he does that, he is allowing the media, the outside to influence him. He will walk in the Spirit. He will walk from inside out, to a life of greatness and an empowerment because he has learned to tune his ears, tune his heart to that still, small voice of God that is calling him to live out Christ values, kingdom values, in his life here on earth.

So he will be a man that walks towards the truth. These are two concepts, wisdom and knowledge. You know in the world there is so much knowledge, google and you have all the knowledge and answers you need. It is centrifugal. It is moving in a circular way, directing away from the centre, because there's so much knowledge you are lost. But the wisdom centripetal. It moved in a circular path towards the centre of the truth. It will point to the way, the truth, and the life, and that is Jesus Christ. And the bible also say when you know the truth, the truth will set you free. There are only two words to describe wisdom, and to describe knowledge. Knowledge just informs, but truth, as in wisdom, transform. Because it hits your heart and you have the uh huh, I know exactly what God wants me to do, and that life is transformed. That is truth. That is what truth does to a person's life. Stir him to make immediate changes, and that is important.

These are some significant discovery questions that you may be prepared when the children ask you, or even your wife. Dad why do you work? Dad what is life all about? Daddy what are the five most important things to know in life? Daddy or mummy, why do you love mummy, why do you love each other? Simple questions, but if we can answer this from your heart, from the word of God, you have hit the truth of what God wants you to know in your life.

So the reflective question that I would like all of us to consider when you take time to talk, to discuss, to interact, to fellowship. What is authority? What is moral authority? How am I leading my family as a servant like Christ? Question three is, how do I express moral authority with clarity and convictions without compromising? Thank you, mothers and fathers for listening in. Thank you.