4 Levels of Authority
No one will argue the fact our world is upside-down! This upside-down world has been thrust upon us. We did not get a vote in the matter. No one asked our permission to start this crazy making. Social Distance, Shutter in Place, Coronavirus, Mask Mandates, Necessary Workers, Pandemic, Election Fraud, and Political Corruption are all terms and concepts that are now familiar expressions in our daily communication. This upside-down world is revealing the need for the sound of Leadership that speaks with Spiritual Authority.
Max Weber gives us a matrix in which to think about the voice of Leadership Authority. He suggests the following ………..
When you consider communication voice in a national crisis or seasons of peace you hear the following ……..
Traditional – The Kings says so – little or no outside opportunities for debate
Legal – The elected individual; Government, Corporate, or Denominational; communicates vertically because of the elected position that is held. Change is brought about via elections. This function operates within a prescribed legal documentation that grants authority and function.
Charismatic – These captivating personalities are your modern-day YouTubers. They gain massive following because of their compelling personality and story they share. These individuals speak horizontally; person-to-person, outside the boundaries of governing documents that may otherwise give them their voice.
There is one concern regarding Max Weber’s matrix – TRANSFOMATION! In times of national peace or crisis, transformation is limited to the system of authority, time, and geographical boundaries. The weight of limited transformation is most severely felt in times of national or global crisis. There is an additional type of authority that is needed – SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY!
The voice of Spiritual Authority is first represented by the Old Testament character of Moses. He ascended up the mountain with the smoke, lightening, thunder, and trumpet blasts. Moses returned with a fresh Word from God to a troubled nation (Exodus 34:29-35 ESV). Immediately the people notice his countenance shown to the point he had to wear a face mask. The New Testament character to illustrate Spiritual Authority is the Apostle Paul. In the Bible book of 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (ESV) Paul states; And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
How do we apply the function of Spiritual Authority? First of all, this authority is for those who have dared to acknowledge God’s calling upon their life no matter what their trade or craft may be. The voice of this authority is first vertical – I must go to Him! Once a fresh message is received that is Biblically sound and eternally focused, our message then must be horizontal – reaching people with a message of hope in the face of a crisis. Understand that I am not suggesting a hyper-spiritual experience! I am suggesting that God’s message in us will sound different than the current series or methodology that everyone is using. While our nation is on fire, our message cannot be lofty speech and worldly wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that our faith will not rest in the wisdom of men, but the power of God!
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