One of the least discussed aspects of Christ’s ministry is the single question that He refused to answer. For the most part, Christ answered nearly every question presented to Him. Even while He was before Pilate and the Jewish leaders, He responded to their questions, albeit discreetly, with wisdom and candor, and sparingly. Yet, there’s one question He refused to answer: “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” Mark 11:28, NKJV. To the Jewish leaders, for someone to minister, they had to be authorized. Jesus stops that question with His one question: “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!” Mark 11:30, NLT. And when they refused to answer that question, He refused to answer their question on His authority to minister.
I’m going to say this as plainly and as clearly as I can: the authority to minister doesn’t come from man; no, it comes from God. John the Baptist, when asked by his disciples about the rise of Jesus’s ministry in comparison to His own, said, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.” John 3:27, NLT. Let that sink in for a second. No one needs the approval of others to do what they do. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be proper protocol in churches. Yes, we should follow proper protocol in churches, as we would when we enter someone else’s house, office, or building. We have authority over what we build and not what someone else builds. When we enter someone’s else’s house, we ask permission to do things, even when using the bathroom — it’s the proper protocol.
Yet today, it seems everyone is trying to tell everyone else what they should and shouldn’t do. Again, if it’s not your house, behave yourself. I shouldn’t need to say that, but I do, because people are ignorant of the right way to behave in God’s Church. Pastors are the ones who oversee what happens in the church they care for. That’s proper protocol. If you come in and try to tell the pastor what to do, even if you’re a member of that church, you’re out of order. Now, I’m not saying we can’t make requests. We can. Yes, we receive permissions. Now, the closer the relationship, the less we need to ask for permission. Why? We’ve built a relationship with those who’ve built the house, whether by birth or friendship. That’s protocol. But telling others they don’t have authority over what they do outside our sphere isn’t proper protocol. It’s Pharisaical!
The Jewish leaders held control over all ministry taking place in Israel. They had a monopoly. And through human nature, they sought to preserve it. The Pharisees and Sadducees each had carved out their own sphere of authority to minister to people. The Pharisees had authority over the synagogues, and the Sadducees had authority over the temple. Clearly defined authority for each group enabled them to operate without violating the place of the other. John the Baptist stepped into that world steeped in tradition and nullified their authority by establishing his own authority — an authority given to him from heaven. As in the prophet Daniel’s day, so it was in John the Baptist ‘s day, “the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.” Daniel 4:17, NLT.
Today, as with the Pharisees and Sadducees, there are certain ministry paths carved out by some. We see those authorities in denominations, networks, and churches. And I do not take away the authority they’ve established. Nevertheless, neither can they take away the authority of God to establish brand new authorities outside their control. This goes to the heart of what we’re discussing in this post: it’s God who anoints, appoints, authorizes, and approves. That’s the way it was under Moses. That’s the way it was under Jesus and John the Baptist. That’s the way it was under the Apostles of the Lamb and the Apostle Paul. And that’s the way it is today — a man (or woman) can receive nothing unless it’s given to them from heaven.
“Every member of Christ’s body is anointed, appointed, authorized, and approved.”—Scott Wallis
What am I saying? Our preoccupation with the ministry of others is unhealthy, divisive, and likely proceeds out of jealousy and envy rather than a genuine concern for God’s people and God’s purpose. It’s self deception to think anything else. The Apostle Paul said about his own ministry and churches he established: “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.” 2 Corinthians 11:2, NIV. But he wasn’t jealous of other ministries and he only publicly confronted ministries when they were in serious error, as with the Apostle Peter over circumcision or the Apostle Barnabas over John Mark’s lack of commitment to Christ’s mission while on the mission field (an area he had authority over as a fellow apostle to the Apostle Barnabas).
Let me get back to the subject matter of this post: it’s God who anoints. And God anoints whom He will to do what He wills. His anointing is unmerited and freely given by Him to those He chooses. Further, God has anointed every part of Christ’s body, even those parts of the body we don’t like to see. God’s anointing on their life or ministry authorizes them (and us) to minister. Those ministries don’t need special letters of approval from anyone to minister. Further still, it’s God who appoints whom He will. God doesn’t need our approval to appoint others. God is God. And God authorizes those whom He approves by and through His anointing (or lack thereof). Lastly, if God has anointed, appointed, authorized, or approved of someone, even if we disagree with them, who are we to tear them down?
Let us pray!
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