Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)
I have not called my church to exercise authority over others. Whenever my people are tempted to exercise power over others, through legislation or politics or even religious doctrines, they are trying to bring secular solutions to a spiritual problem. These solutions will never work in the long run and will in fact do great harm. But you must also remember that my church has indeed been called to exercise great authority under others. Choosing to serve, not be served. This means that you must lay down and renounce what you see as your “religious rights” and use the authority and power of my Holy Spirit to change the hearts of people through loving service. Hearts, not laws, must change if a nation is to change. I have allowed this pandemic to force a “pause” in church life that there might be a re-examining of your understanding of how authority is to be used. Pray that my church will not return to “business as usual” after this pandemic, but there will emerge a new philosophy concerning how to make disciples of all nations.
— September 16, 2020