Part VIII:Powers & Authority Over Us:

How Do We Respond?Ecclesiastes 8:1-9 & Ephesians 6:1-9

Powers & Authority Over Us: How Do We Respond?

1. Obedience– Ecclesiastes 8:2,4

2. Resign or Stay– Ecclesiastes 8:3a

3. Bow or Not to Bow– Ecclesiastes 8:3b– Acts 5:29– Daniel 3– Daniel 6– Deuteronomy 22:5

Powers & Authority Over Us: How Do We Respond?

• 3. Bow or Not to Bow

- Leviticus 18:22 - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - 1 Corinthians 6:20

Powers & Authority Over Us: How Do We Respond?

4. Discernment– Understand the times and culture.– Before we do anything, we have to exercise

wisdom and seek to find the right thing to do and the right time to do it.• Nehemiah 1 & 2• Daniel 1:8-17

Scriptures

Ecclesiastes 8:22 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God.

Ecclesiastes 8:44 Where the word of a king is, there is power; and who may say to him, “What are you doing?”

Ecclesiastes 8:3a3a Do not be hasty to go from his presence.

Ecclesiastes 8:3b3b Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.

Acts 5:2929 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.

Daniel 1:8-178 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

Daniel 1:8-1710 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? Then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Prove thy servants,I beseech thee, ten days;and let them give us pulseto eat, and water to drink.

Daniel 1:8-1713 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.” 14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.

Daniel 1:8-1716 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. 17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

Deuteronomy 22:5

A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.

Leviticus 18:22You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination

1 Corinthians 6:9-119. Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,[a] nor sodomites, 10. nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spiritof our God.

1 Corinthians 6:20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Ecclesiastes 8:1-9

• Who is like a wise man?And who knows the interpretation of a thing?A man’s wisdom makes his face shine,And the sternness of his face is changed.

• 2 I say, “Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. 3 Do not be hasty to go from his presence. Do not take your stand for an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him.”

• 4 Where the word of a king is, there is power;And who may say to him, “What are you doing?”5 He who keeps his command will experience nothing harmful;

Ecclesiastes 8:1-9

• And a wise man’s heart discerns both time and judgment,6 Because for every matter there is a time and judgment,Though the misery of man increases greatly.7 For he does not know what will happen;So who can tell him when it will occur?8 No one has power over the spirit to retain the spirit,And no one has power in the day of death.There is no release from that war,And wickedness will not deliver those who are given to it.

• 9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

Ephesians 6:1-9

• Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”[a]

• 4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

• Bondservants and Masters• 5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your

masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ

Ephesians 6:1-9

• ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.

• 9 And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.