Purpose: Reframe how we view authority, so that we don’t just obey the Lord; we trust him and stay close.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’ … He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler” (Ps. 91:1,2,4).

Under His Roof

• Instead of living under his thumb, God invites us to live under his roof.
• The safest place in the universe is close to Jesus.

“Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9).

Trust His Voice

• The Bible is the King’s voice!
• There’s a big difference between asking, “What am I allowed to do?” versus “What does my King want?”
• Trust that the Shepherd sees what you can’t.

“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out … and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:3-4).

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Ps. 23:1-3).

Trust His Gifts

• He’s given you a Bible. But he’s also given you his body, the church.
• To help us stay close to him, Christ gave us brothers and sisters, shepherds and teachers (Eph. 4:1-16).

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Heb. 13:17).

Good Authority: 

• Basis: Goodness & Wisdom
• Goal: Flourishing
• Way: Serving

Thought Questions

• Why is trusting Jesus essential to following him?
• Who has been an “older sibling” in your faith? What made them trustworthy?