Message 4: Authority
God has always had a game plan to reclaim that which was taken from Him. And the game plan was always this:
• He’d send Jesus to the earth – to become a man and live amongst us – demonstrating to us what a non-sin-stained human life could be like – and then, Jesus would take on the guilt and responsibility of our sin, pay the debt we cannot pay, resurrect from the dead and return to His Father’s side in heaven.
• But then, He’d send the Holy Spirit to live within those who believe. The Holy Spirit would serve to comfort and guide us through life, but also to empower us to live like Jesus.
We are Christ to this dark, dying world. We are called to be His People and to invade the earth seeking those who are lost and helping them to find their way back home. And we’ve been given everything we need to accomplish this. We lack nothing.
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 9:35-10:8
I want you to notice two important truths:
1. Christ bestows spiritual authority upon those who believe.
10:1 says that those who are His disciples are given authority! Authority over evil spirits and authority to heal. There is no getting around this verse.
2. Spiritual authority is God’s will for your life.
Are you a disciple of Christ? If so, it is God’s will that you exercise the authority He has bestowed upon you. Period.
Turn to Genesis 1:27:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”” Genesis 1:27, 28
As the image bearer of God – you have been given an assignment:
1. Be fruitful and increase in number. (Don’t sit back and simply enjoy being an image-bearer – increase!)
2. Subdue the earth. ‘Subdue’ means… “to bring into subjection, under control, to conquer by force or by superior power.’
3. Rule over every living creature. ‘Rule’ means… ‘to control or direct, to exercise authority or power over, to play a dominant role in or exert a controlling influence over, and to hold preeminence in (as in abilility, strength or position).
Another was of expressing this is that God intended you to have power and dominance over the Creation.
• But that rule was lost when man sinned.
• Satan took what belonged to us and became ruler of the earth.
• When Christ died on the cross and rose again, he not only redeemed us from sin and removed the barrier between us and Him, but he also enabled us to become children of God. In so doing, he took the authority away from Satan and put it back where it belonged – in our hands!
Now get this: When we assume our spiritual authority by faith, we are equipped to exert authority over all the demonic forces and over illnesses and disease – just as Matthew 10:1 tells us…
“…and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness…”
A young man from a very poor family was granted a scholarship to a prestigious university far from home. Even though his tuition and board were paid in full, he had very little spending money. As part of the scholarship, the university agreed to pay his airfare to and from home three times a year. On each flight he’d bring a brown bag meal, and when the flight attendant would ask him if he’d like a drink or a meal, he’d politely decline. This went on for four years. And when he graduated, he received some very generous cash gifts. On his final flight home, he thought that he’d splurge, so he ate and drank to his heart’s content. At the conclusion of the flight he asked the attendant for his bill. The attendant smiled and said: “There is no bill, the food and drink is included in the price of your ticket.” The young man was astonished – he’d never been able to enjoy any of the meals because he didn’t know that they were free!
This is the same as many of us are experiencing – We are not enjoying the spiritual authority that is rightfully ours because we don’t know about it!
PREPARATION FOR SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
God has this church in a season of preparation. One of the vital lessons we must learn is that we’ve been empowered by God with His authority!
Where do we begin?
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:1-4
Spiritual authority comes through childlike faith. Children accept and believe with total innocence. They don’t have preconceived ideas that prevent them from believing.
It’s time for you and I to take our preconceived ideas that hold us back from believing and to repent of them!
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
If you are going to walk in spiritual authority – you’ve got to stop believing lies and begin to believe the truth.
Many try to understand the things of the Spirit through the intellect, but you won’t be able to! Jesus said in Luke 10:21…
“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” Luke 10:21
Do you want to walk in spiritual authority? Let go of your best ideas – and allow God’s Spirit to reveal the truth to you! You see, when I hold on to what I know and what I understand, it eliminates me from walking in the supernatural.
Let me give you an illustration of this from Argentine Evangelist Carlos Annacondia. They were holding an evangelistic meeting in a large city in the north of Argentina. They set up a large tent and filled it with wooden benches. A crowd gathered – and so did a swarm of mosquitoes. Everyone was slapping them and chaos was fast approaching. Here’s what Annacondia says happened next:
“God told me throw the mosquitoes out of the tent. Here is where supernatural faith was going to start working. But I said, “Lord, how do You expect me to do that? If I throw them out and they don’t go, I will be the one who will have to go.” But since He insisted, I responded, “All right, if You give me the faith to do it, I will throw them out.” I stood up and suddenly a supernatural faith came over me. Like David, face to face with Goliath, I had no doubts about victory. I said, “Brothers and sisters, stand up and let us pray and cast these mosquitoes out in the name of Jesus! Now! Right now!” In seconds all the mosquitoes were gone. The people were in awe and God’s name was glorified!” (Carlos Annacondia, LISTEN TO ME, SATAN!)
Last week we talked about how faith moves mountains – and here’s a story of how faith moves mosquitoes!
Being prepared for spiritual authority requires that we stop telling God what He cannot do and that we begin to operate in a supernatural faith that moves.
WHY DO WE NEED TO OPERATE IN SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY? Mark 16:15-18
Because signs and wonders are a sign for unbelievers!
“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”” Mark 16:15-18
Christ tells us to go out and preach the gospel. And as we do so, we are to demonstrate the reality of His Word, His Kingdom and His Message through signs and wonders! The signs are a testimony to the reality of the message!
• Drive out demons
• Speak in new tongues
• Dodge death
• Heal the sick
Only God can do these things! And God gets the glory through them!
God has always spoken to people through signs and wonders:
• Moses’ staff becoming a snake – Exodus 4:2-9
• Israel in the desert through a cloud by day and a fire by night – Exodus 13:21
• Gideon’s fleece – Judges 6:36-40
• Jesus’ numerous healings in Israel – John 3:2, Luke 7:18-22
• Tongues at Pentecost – Acts 2:4
And God has not changed.
God uses signs and wonders – done by people exercising supernatural faith in spiritual authority – so that people would come to know Jesus as Lord and be reclaimed into the Kingdom of God!
The New Christian is EMPOWERED to do the impossible by believing that ‘nothing is impossible with God’
Christ gave you spiritual authority.
Where there is illness – take your spiritual authority and go up against it!
Where there is evil – take your spiritual authority and defeat it!
We are in a season of preparation – and we now know that we have all the spiritual authority we need to live out our faith and to take back that which belongs to Christ!
It’s time to accept it and use it. And we’ve been given everything we need to accomplish this. We lack nothing. Say it outloud: “I lack nothing!” Say it outloud: “I have everything I need in Christ Jesus!” Say it outloud: “Satan, I’m coming in Jesus name to take back what it his!”
The future of this church is dependant upon you and I taking God at His Word and putting His Word into action! You have people in your life that need what you have!
What needs reclaiming today? Let’s practice what’s been preached – let’s exercise spiritual authority over the enemy and over illness. Will you believe with me? Will you put your faith into action?
• He’d send Jesus to the earth – to become a man and live amongst us – demonstrating to us what a non-sin-stained human life could be like – and then, Jesus would take on the guilt and responsibility of our sin, pay the debt we cannot pay, resurrect from the dead and return to His Father’s side in heaven.
• But then, He’d send the Holy Spirit to live within those who believe. The Holy Spirit would serve to comfort and guide us through life, but also to empower us to live like Jesus.
We are Christ to this dark, dying world. We are called to be His People and to invade the earth seeking those who are lost and helping them to find their way back home. And we’ve been given everything we need to accomplish this. We lack nothing.
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 9:35-10:8
I want you to notice two important truths:
1. Christ bestows spiritual authority upon those who believe.
10:1 says that those who are His disciples are given authority! Authority over evil spirits and authority to heal. There is no getting around this verse.
2. Spiritual authority is God’s will for your life.
Are you a disciple of Christ? If so, it is God’s will that you exercise the authority He has bestowed upon you. Period.
Turn to Genesis 1:27:
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”” Genesis 1:27, 28
As the image bearer of God – you have been given an assignment:
1. Be fruitful and increase in number. (Don’t sit back and simply enjoy being an image-bearer – increase!)
2. Subdue the earth. ‘Subdue’ means… “to bring into subjection, under control, to conquer by force or by superior power.’
3. Rule over every living creature. ‘Rule’ means… ‘to control or direct, to exercise authority or power over, to play a dominant role in or exert a controlling influence over, and to hold preeminence in (as in abilility, strength or position).
Another was of expressing this is that God intended you to have power and dominance over the Creation.
• But that rule was lost when man sinned.
• Satan took what belonged to us and became ruler of the earth.
• When Christ died on the cross and rose again, he not only redeemed us from sin and removed the barrier between us and Him, but he also enabled us to become children of God. In so doing, he took the authority away from Satan and put it back where it belonged – in our hands!
Now get this: When we assume our spiritual authority by faith, we are equipped to exert authority over all the demonic forces and over illnesses and disease – just as Matthew 10:1 tells us…
“…and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness…”
A young man from a very poor family was granted a scholarship to a prestigious university far from home. Even though his tuition and board were paid in full, he had very little spending money. As part of the scholarship, the university agreed to pay his airfare to and from home three times a year. On each flight he’d bring a brown bag meal, and when the flight attendant would ask him if he’d like a drink or a meal, he’d politely decline. This went on for four years. And when he graduated, he received some very generous cash gifts. On his final flight home, he thought that he’d splurge, so he ate and drank to his heart’s content. At the conclusion of the flight he asked the attendant for his bill. The attendant smiled and said: “There is no bill, the food and drink is included in the price of your ticket.” The young man was astonished – he’d never been able to enjoy any of the meals because he didn’t know that they were free!
This is the same as many of us are experiencing – We are not enjoying the spiritual authority that is rightfully ours because we don’t know about it!
PREPARATION FOR SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
God has this church in a season of preparation. One of the vital lessons we must learn is that we’ve been empowered by God with His authority!
Where do we begin?
“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:1-4
Spiritual authority comes through childlike faith. Children accept and believe with total innocence. They don’t have preconceived ideas that prevent them from believing.
It’s time for you and I to take our preconceived ideas that hold us back from believing and to repent of them!
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
If you are going to walk in spiritual authority – you’ve got to stop believing lies and begin to believe the truth.
Many try to understand the things of the Spirit through the intellect, but you won’t be able to! Jesus said in Luke 10:21…
“At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” Luke 10:21
Do you want to walk in spiritual authority? Let go of your best ideas – and allow God’s Spirit to reveal the truth to you! You see, when I hold on to what I know and what I understand, it eliminates me from walking in the supernatural.
Let me give you an illustration of this from Argentine Evangelist Carlos Annacondia. They were holding an evangelistic meeting in a large city in the north of Argentina. They set up a large tent and filled it with wooden benches. A crowd gathered – and so did a swarm of mosquitoes. Everyone was slapping them and chaos was fast approaching. Here’s what Annacondia says happened next:
“God told me throw the mosquitoes out of the tent. Here is where supernatural faith was going to start working. But I said, “Lord, how do You expect me to do that? If I throw them out and they don’t go, I will be the one who will have to go.” But since He insisted, I responded, “All right, if You give me the faith to do it, I will throw them out.” I stood up and suddenly a supernatural faith came over me. Like David, face to face with Goliath, I had no doubts about victory. I said, “Brothers and sisters, stand up and let us pray and cast these mosquitoes out in the name of Jesus! Now! Right now!” In seconds all the mosquitoes were gone. The people were in awe and God’s name was glorified!” (Carlos Annacondia, LISTEN TO ME, SATAN!)
Last week we talked about how faith moves mountains – and here’s a story of how faith moves mosquitoes!
Being prepared for spiritual authority requires that we stop telling God what He cannot do and that we begin to operate in a supernatural faith that moves.
WHY DO WE NEED TO OPERATE IN SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY? Mark 16:15-18
Because signs and wonders are a sign for unbelievers!
“He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”” Mark 16:15-18
Christ tells us to go out and preach the gospel. And as we do so, we are to demonstrate the reality of His Word, His Kingdom and His Message through signs and wonders! The signs are a testimony to the reality of the message!
• Drive out demons
• Speak in new tongues
• Dodge death
• Heal the sick
Only God can do these things! And God gets the glory through them!
God has always spoken to people through signs and wonders:
• Moses’ staff becoming a snake – Exodus 4:2-9
• Israel in the desert through a cloud by day and a fire by night – Exodus 13:21
• Gideon’s fleece – Judges 6:36-40
• Jesus’ numerous healings in Israel – John 3:2, Luke 7:18-22
• Tongues at Pentecost – Acts 2:4
And God has not changed.
God uses signs and wonders – done by people exercising supernatural faith in spiritual authority – so that people would come to know Jesus as Lord and be reclaimed into the Kingdom of God!
The New Christian is EMPOWERED to do the impossible by believing that ‘nothing is impossible with God’
Christ gave you spiritual authority.
Where there is illness – take your spiritual authority and go up against it!
Where there is evil – take your spiritual authority and defeat it!
We are in a season of preparation – and we now know that we have all the spiritual authority we need to live out our faith and to take back that which belongs to Christ!
It’s time to accept it and use it. And we’ve been given everything we need to accomplish this. We lack nothing. Say it outloud: “I lack nothing!” Say it outloud: “I have everything I need in Christ Jesus!” Say it outloud: “Satan, I’m coming in Jesus name to take back what it his!”
The future of this church is dependant upon you and I taking God at His Word and putting His Word into action! You have people in your life that need what you have!
What needs reclaiming today? Let’s practice what’s been preached – let’s exercise spiritual authority over the enemy and over illness. Will you believe with me? Will you put your faith into action?
posted by Doug Love at 9:33 AM
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