The authority of the believer

When asked at elders meeting last week for my current reflections, I could do no more than quote this title of a booklet that has been on my shelf for the last 40 years, as evidenced by its two shilling price tag. It is a seed thought that sits on the surface of my mind at present, with echoes of Genesis, where Adam is given authority over the earth (subdue it), and more specifically of Jesus' issue of authority to his disciples in realms of binding and loosing, healing, evil spirits, and his final command "all authority has been given to me, go ye therefore".
The source of authority is well taught by the Roman Centurion who recognised that to be in authority, one had to be under authority. And Christ himself reminded the Roman Governor, Pilate, that "you would have no authority over me unless it was given you from above."
Our present age shies away from authority, for the fairly obvious reason that they do not wish to be under it themselves. But such thinking should not be allowed to infiltrate us as church. I am not denying the place for concensus (the place of unity where God commands the blessing; Psalm 133), but let us not be ever seeking that place and failing to act with God given (and not concensus given) authority, that comes from true submission.
Mike's sermon last Sunday was a powerful statement from the story of David and Goliath of the power of one smooth stone in God's name, not a hail of stones, nor a fight fought with the weapons of others, not one side or argument ranged against another. This David faces his Goliath, but we all have our own to face. Whose armour are we trusting in? Have we faced the lion and the bear in the hidden place guarding our own sheep, to be able to stand in the public place when God so calls us? I've got a story about one smooth stone, but I'll give you space to think of your own first. Dave