Page 102 - The Christian Life and the Church Life_Government of God

Living under Authority and Representing God 101

A New Covenant Minister Being One Who Has Been Authorized with the
Heavenly Authority to Represent the Highest Authority

A new covenant minister is one who has been authorized with the
heavenly authority to represent the highest authority (3:6; 5:20). He does not
have the authority in himself. He represents it.
Paul Exercising His Apostolic Authority Not for Ruling over the Believers
but for Building Them Up
Paul exercised his apostolic authority not for ruling over the believers but
for building them up (10:8; 13:10; 1:24). So really, authority in the form of
the iron rod, that is for the enemy. The exercise of the authority representing
God in the church is for building up.
Paul Exercising the Authority Inherent in His Apostleship by Teaching,
by Engaging in Spiritual Warfare, by Moving within the Measure of God’s
Rule, and by His Jealousy for Christ over the Believers
Paul exercised the authority inherent in his apostleship by teaching, by
engaging in spiritual warfare, by moving within the measure of God’s rule,
and by his jealousy for Christ over the believers (1 Cor. 4:17; 2 Cor. 10:3-4,
13; 11:2). In 2 Corinthians 10, he speaks of this—the measure. I cannot just
go anywhere and you refer to God as the God of measure. He limits me. I can
testify to you, by the Lord’s training and His mercy, in the twenty-five years
that I have been traveling, as other brothers do, to minister, I simply minister
truth and life and have fellowship with the saints. That is all. I never touched
anything in the churches. I never expressed any opinion. I never touched
the work here. I have no opinions about the work in the Philippines. The
fact that I worked on Life-study messages, as many co-workers of Brother
Lee, the fact that I have been here for a long time, does not mean anything,
does not give me any entitlement. I am glad to be under a measure. When I
went to Russia and fellowshipped with brother Benson, he asked me to go,
some brothers went there, co-workers, and they stepped into the work, tried
to change things. But within me was this restriction—a blessed restriction.
I am just here to serve in spirit, and life, and truth, and to fellowship, and
maybe there might be some shepherding, if there is an opportunity for that.
That’s it. I do not want to know anything about the churches. I do not want
to know anything about the work. Do not ask me, refer it to Brother Benson.