The Chairman of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, has said that authority is given to leaders, particularly church leaders, to build others up and not for tearing them down.
According to him, people are not placed in positions of authority to lord themselves or undermine those under them, but to exert special influence over their subordinates and inspire them towards the realisation of permanent beneficial goals that fulfil real needs.
The Chairman said this on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, during an orientation programme for newly appointed/called Apostles, Ministry Directors and Area Heads at the Pentecost Pension Guesthouse, Gbawe.
Speaking on the topic: “Power and Authority,” Apostle Nyamekye explained that although power and authority are sometimes used interchangeably, they are both distinct in meaning.
He noted that whereas “Authority is the mandate to perform, Power is the ability to perform or cause effect.” Another difference he pointed out was that whilst authority is given, power is generated by the individual.
Expounding more on the former, he explained that authority is given by a higher authority (Numbers 27:20), and for this reason, the leader to which the authority has been given is always accountable to the source of his or her authority. He, therefore, emphasised that authority is measured (Ezra 7:24) and could be taken away when not effectively exercised (Daniel 4:31).
The Chairman further noted that since authority is conferred, people are always curious to find out or question its source. He cited an instance in Luke 8:1-8 when Jesus Christ was questioned by His hearers on whose authority He was teaching.
“This was a legitimate question the people asked Jesus. They wanted to know by whose authority he was operating. Jesus knowing this responded with another question because He did not want to respond to them,” he said.
He said that the Lord Jesus has conferred on believers the authority to drive out demons, cure diseases, preach the Good News and to heal the sick (Matthew 28:18-20, Luke 9:1-2, Philippians 2:9-11) and should, therefore, exercise this authority in His name.
Apostle Nyamekye noted that people always want to test the authority of a person to prove the amount of power they carry. “Hence, authority should be able to answer questions, solve problems and meet needs. When authority fails to do these, then, it lacks power, and this creates dissatisfaction and all sorts of chaos,” he cautioned.
Buttressing this assertion, he quoted 2 Chronicles 9:1-6 and pointed out how Queen Sheba, having heard about the wisdom of Solomon, went to him to test him with hard questions in an attempt to find out whether the report she had heard about him was valid. Solomon, however, was able to answer all her queries to the extent that she became overwhelmed by his wisdom.
He, therefore, urged church leaders who have received this authority to work to generate power to affirm the calling which they have received. “A man’s physical appearance may give an impression of him but what he carries on the inside will define his or her destiny; real power is within, it is found in the inner person,” he asserted.
He reiterated that “unlike authority which can be taken away, the power generated can never be stolen or lost because it comes as a result of one’s effort.”
To generate enough power for effectiveness, the Chairman avowed requires that they wait upon the Lord and seek His knowledge through the consistent study of His word, stressing that: “Authority is earned or conferred, but you need to back it up with power to be effective.”
He also urged them to seek to learn of Jesus, drink on the Holy Ghost and feed on the Word and work hard at increasing their capacity.
He said that when church leaders undertake such spiritual exercises, streams of living water will flow from within them so that their followers who thirst for God could drink (John 7:37-38) and be happy.
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