[This is my ninth post of ten in my “Vintage Wednesday” series on “Leadership Authority,” re-written/updated from a blogpost back in May of 2011.]

The ninth of Watchman Nee’s Ten Commandments of Spiritual Authority states that:

9. A person in spiritual authority does not have to insist on obedience—that is the moral responsibility of the follower.

When a leader has to remind followers to obey his or her authority it may be a sign that the leader is no longer in authority. True followers who submit themselves to God’s authority will remove themselves from the influence of those who are simply blowing their own trumpet and seek out another leader where’s God’s authority is clearly evident. Consider David's anointing and replacement to Saul as king (see 1 Samuel 16:1-13, 1 Samuel 18:6-16 & 2 Samuel 2:1-4).

If we recognize someone legitimately living under God’s authority and choose to follow that leader, it is on us—not on the leader—to live in obedience to God. Ultimately any leader is simply a channel of God and not the one we are following. If we think we are okay because our actions have not been judged by our leader although we are out of alignment with God’s requirements, we’re only fooling ourselves.

Also noteworthy is that David removed himself from Saul’s authority, though perhaps more so for the preservation of his life than for anything else. While running from Saul, 1 Samuel 22:2records that those “in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him.” Can you imagine leading a group of disgruntled, reactionary rebels? David certainly had some serious challenges in leading this group as is seen in 1 Samuel 30.

Not only did some of his men talk about stoning him at one point, but they also had some serious unity and community issues (see 1 Samuel 30:21-25). First, note that David did not attempt to force his men into submission; scripture records that he “found strength in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6b). Second, observe that he appealed to his men as brothers with a wise response to their self-centered perspective: “‘No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us. Who will listen to what you say? The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.’ David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this” (1 Samuel 30:23-25).