Understanding Spiritual Authority Part 4

The Blessing of Spiritual Submission

-I want us to understand the implications of this truth. We have a right to operate under his authority. When we live in obedience to God. When he calls us, when he chooses us, he vested us with his authority. We do not stand in our own strength. We do not speak on our own behalf. We do not operate in our own anointing. We operate under an umbrella. We stand in his stead. We speak on his behalf. We are called and commissioned by God. We are appointed and anointed to operate under his authority. Think about these verses with this in mind: Read References. That is the blessing and benefit of operating under spiritual authority. We operate on God’s behalf and he operates on ours.

Luke 10:19 ¹⁹Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Jam 4:7 ⁷Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Mark 16:17-18 ¹⁷And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ¹⁸they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

John 14:13-15 ¹³And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. ¹⁵If you love Me, keep My commandments.

-Look at the result from our story.

Luke 7:10 ¹⁰And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.He understood spiritual authority and that understanding worked a miracle in the life of those he loved. Submitted to spiritual authority is where our true strength lies. Many professing Christians are living broken, beat down, empty, weak, and weary lives devoid of spiritual power because they do not understand spiritual authority. We are weak and our words without weight because we live in rebellion to God. Hell does not fear our prayers because words carry no weight if we are not living in harmony with God. We live by our own rules. We serve God on our own terms. And yet we wonder why we live desperate and defeated lives. We wonder why it seems our adversary is running rough shot in our families. We wonder why our children have gone astray. We wonder why we no longer see the supernatural. We only have authority when we are submitted and surrendered to his authority and the spiritual authorities he places over us. Ultimately this story is about understanding the key to having authority is living in submission to God’s authority.

 

Understanding Spiritual Authority Part 3

Understanding Our Authority

Luke 7:7-8 But say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁸For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

-He speaks of his authority and illustrates it. He says, “I understand authority. I illustrate it every day. As a centurion I receive orders, I give orders, and my orders are obeyed. I command people to go, to come, and to do and they do what I say.” And because of his grasp of authority he says to Jesus there is no need for you to come to me but if you will only send the word it will be done. He understood authority and how it works. I wish the average Christian could get a handle on this concept. It would absolutely change your life. You could live a life of power, blessing, anointing, and authority if go could capture this truth. I’m going to break it down for you.

-He shares one of the most powerful pieces of truth you will ever hear. He exposes the misconception about authority. It is a misconception about authority that most fall prey to. Authority is not obtained by imposing our will upon another but instead by surrendering our will to one more powerful than ourselves. His word to Jesus was, “I am a man placed under authority.” Not I am in authority but I am under authority. Most want to operate in authority but have no desire to operate under authority. But, you can only be in authority as often and to the degree that you are willing to be under authority. My JROTC instructor Colonel Kennedy always said, a good leader must first know how to be a good follower.

-Here is what the centurion meant. He knew the real power in his commands were not that they came from him. He was a man under authority. He was placed by order of Caesar and as long as he operated in harmony with and under the authority of Caesar his command was as good as if Caesar himself had spoken it. That is the benefit and blessing of operating under the umbrella of authority. Can you imagine your words carrying that kind of weight? This is the power of vested authority. He stood, he spoke, he commanded on behalf of Caesar himself. To obey him is to obey Caesar and to disobey was death. But, here is the thing about vested authority, it is only valid as long as we remain in harmony and under the authority of the one who granted it. He says to Jesus, “if I give a command it is as good as if Caesar himself said it. Give the word and it will be done because you are a man sent and operating under the authority of God. If you speak it, it will be done!” That’s the power of understanding authority. Jesus confirmed his conclusion:

Luke 7:9 ⁹When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”

-The spiritual implication of being under authority. This Roman gets it. He understands what my people can’t wrap their head around.

Understanding Spiritual Authority Part 2

The Attitude That Attains Authority

-We have a mindset of how to obtain and maintain authority. In our world, in our culture authority is given or granted to those who impose it. Power and authority are given to those strong enough to take it. Corporate heads, world leaders, and military generals are all known for there strength and it is often the imposition of this strength that has promoted them to a position of authority. But the kingdom concept is completely contrary to this. In the kingdom it is in submission, surrender, and service that real strength can be seen. Remember the words of Jesus:

Matt 20:25-28 ²⁵But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. ²⁶Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ²⁷And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave– ²⁸just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Matt 23:11-12 ¹¹But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹²And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

-The Centurion is the perfect example of this complex contradiction. This centurion, as his title would indicate, had been promoted to a position of power. His military skill, leadership capacity, and faithful service had granted him a powerful promotion. He was a commander of a Roman century, a roman military unit of between 200-1000 men. His position of authority granted him a rate of pay as much as 17 times that of an average legionary. He is a man of power, prestige, wealth and authority. But he refused to let his position or power to allow pride to creep in. He understood that pride is the primary stumbling block of spiritual leaders. His heart was humble:

Luke 7:6-7 ⁶Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. ⁷Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.

-His self-estimation caused others to esteem him. He who humbles himself will be exalted. While he abased himself others built him up. I think its beautiful. Others sing your praise when you resist pride

Understanding Spiritual Authority Part 1

Ministry Is About Serving Others

Luke 7:1-3 ¹Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. ²And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. ³So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.

-The setting of our story provides us with a powerful ministry principle. Jesus has finished speaking and has entered Capernaum. This city had become the base for his ministry operation. He has just finished preaching and is probably ready for some respite. But as was the case with many of his miracles, Jesus finds himself inundated and interrupted with the needs of others. A man, a centurion, who had a servant that he cared deeply for was sick. Matter of fact, he was at the point of death. This centurion had heard about Jesus, about his healing anointing, and his many miracles. So he sends the elders of the Jews to petition Jesus to come and heal his servant.

-There are so many levels of service in this story. Look at it from this lens. It is a servant who is sick. It is a centurion, a servant of Caesar, that calls for Jesus. There are Jewish elders willing to come to his aid. This is no small feat seeing that Jewish people usually viewed Romans with animosity. These Jewish leaders are willing to plead on his behalf. Why would Jewish leadership care for a Roman occupier and oppressor? The key is found in our text.

Luke 7:4-5 ⁴And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, ⁵“for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”

-He is worthy. Whet made him worthy? He had shown himself willing to serve and sacrifice. He had used his wealth to benefit and bless others. Serving softens hardened hearts. His service transformed their animosity to appreciation. There is no faster way to win the hearts of people then by serving them! They said, “master he is worthy.” Serving makes one deserving of honor, respect, and authority. I’ve said it before but let me say it again. When serving is beneath you then leadership is beyond you. Ministry starts with serving others. Leadership is about serving others. Paul points out how essential service is to effective ministry:

1Cor 9:19 ¹⁹For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;

-Ministry is about compassion and care. I can’t help but recognize the great degree of Love this centurion had for his servant. Luke 7:2 says, “he was dear to him.” There is an undeniable affection present here. Most might think this is strange. They might ask why would a man of authority, prestige, power, and wealth care deeply for a servant? But the answer is simple: there is nothing in this world more valuable than an individual with a heart to serve and do so faithfully. But the Centurion also brings us to another point that simply put is this: ministry comes down to caring for people. It is compassion for people that propels us to serve others. If one does not have a heart for people they do not have a heart suitable for ministry. One thing the Centurion and Jesus had in common was their heart to serve and their heart for those willing to serve.

Faith vs. Doubt Part 4

How to Win the War Within

-Victory is possible.

Mark 9:25-27 ²⁵When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” ²⁶Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” ²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

-So how was Jesus able to do what his disciples could not? The obvious and easy answer is to say that he was Jesus and they were not. That would be faulty because Jesus made it clear that his followers would do greater works then those that he did (John 14:12). It’s not about who he is and who we are not. Even Jesus’ tone helps us to understand that he expected his disciples to be utilized to heal this child. Listen! We are living in a world that needs us to stand up and be a church of the supernatural once more. So how come he could and they couldn’t? They had the exact same question:

Mark 9:28-29 ²⁸And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁹So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”

-There it is. This is war, a battle, or a struggle. Faith and doubt, belief and unbelief, and the victor is determined by which of the two is stronger. We strengthen doubt through worldly exercises for doubt is born of the carnal mind. It is born from the selfish and fallen nature. The carnal mind is the essence and author of everything that is against God. Faith, however, is of God. He gives it to us. We are given the measure of faith. Our faith, because it is spiritual in nature, can only be strengthened through spiritual exercise. When we forsake prayer and fasting as well as other spiritual exercises over time our spirit man becomes weak as does the faith that originates within our spirit man. The church is experiencing a loss of power because of a lack of spiritual discipline. I’m not saying we have earn the miraculous but I am saying a weak faith will never overtake doubt and secure the supernatural.

Faith vs. Doubt Part 3

There Is a Battle Between Faith and Doubt

-We see it throughout this story.

• First when Jesus responded to the disciples. They couldn’t cast the demon out, the boy is still suffering, and his Father approaches. Hear the first words out of Jesus’ mouth:

Mark 9:19 ¹⁹He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me.”

• When Jesus first encountered the young man. We just read in verse 20 that when the demon saw Jesus immediately he convulsed. There is a conflict there. This demon is “bowing up” if you will. There is a battle about to take place. It’s a conflict between the natural and the supernatural.
• When Jesus responded to the father. The father begs him to heal his son and what does Jesus reply? (Read Reference) It is about belief and faith once again. It is always about faith. The struggle is to sustain our faith.

Mark 9:23 ²³Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

-But this story takes it a step further and allows to see the struggle with clarity. Early in my ministry I had been of the school of thought that we either have faith or we don’t. If we get healed then we had faith and if we didn’t get healed then we didn’t have faith. I now believe that thinking is somewhat faulty. (Thank God for growth, right.) You see God has by grace given everyone of us a measure of faith: Read Reference. It is not the measure of faith that is missing but something that abides alongside it, that goes undetected. It constrains and constricts our faith. There is a tug of war going on inside. There is an internal conflict in each of us. We see it in the disciples, in the young boy, and in the heart of his father. The outcome of that conflict often determines the result we receive.

Rom 12:3 ³For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

–That conflict is made clear in the Father’s statement. Jesus tells him to believe. He goes on to say if you can believe anything is possible. Most of us in that moment would cry out I believe but we would miss one important part of the equation. Listen to the father:

Mark 9:24 ²⁴Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

-It is not the absence of faith that hinders but the presence of doubt. We have made faith and doubt absolute. We have made them black and white as if to say you either have faith or you have doubt but you cannot have both. If you have faith you are healed. If you doubt you are not but it is not that simple. The human heart is too complex, too wonderfully made, and full of emotion to be that simple. We are an array of emotions and thoughts and feeling all wrapped up in one being. Faith is the essence of the spirit man. Doubt is of the flesh and these two are constantly warring within us (Gal 5:17). The scripture goes on to say that is why we can’t accomplish the things we wish we could. The measure of faith and the measure of doubt are warring within all at once. Both are struggling for supremacy.

-An application to drive the point home. Have you ever found it easy to pray and believe for the healing of others? Yet when it comes to your own healing, you struggle to believe. There is an overwhelming feeling of oppression that hinders you and holds you back. See, when it is someone else’s healing there is no personal investment, very little hindrance to faith, and belief comes easy. But what about when it’s our healing and sickness afflicts us. The symptoms feed our doubt, it becomes stronger in our hearts, and it becomes harder to believe. This is the essence of the battle with in: It is belief vs. unbelief. It is spirit vs. flesh. It is faith vs. doubt. It that inner conflict that caused the father to cry out, “I believe! Help me with my unbelief.”

Faith vs. Doubt Part 2

Sincerity Often Secures the Supernatural

-Look at the child’s condition.

• Look at the severity. It is described as demonic. He is deaf and dumb. He exhibits seizures, foaming at the mouth, grinding his teeth, rigidity and tension.

Mark 9:17-18 ¹⁷Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. ¹⁸And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

• Look at the longevity. He has struggled with this most of his life. Remember the longevity of the malady can often be a distraction to the supernatural. It can strengthen our doubt and disbelief that healing is possible. It so severe that this demon had chosen opportune times to cause him to seizure in an attempt to kill him. The father has seen first hand the destructiveness of this demon. So he cries out please have compassion on us.

Mark 9:20-22 ²⁰Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. ²¹So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²²And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

-Severity often produces sincerity. There is something about being desperate that moves the heart of God. This is a great example of how severity produces sincerity and sincerity produces the supernatural. Too many preachers would have made it this man’s fault that his son had not been healed. They would have blamed it on his lack of faith, his lack of righteousness, or his lack of a seed offering. But you would have a hard time convincing me that he is not invested 100% in seeing his son delivered. He is not the problem. I want to make that clear. I’ve seen too many people walk away without healing only to have their sincerity or heart questioned. He is as sincere and hopeful as a person can be. There are very few loves stronger than that of a parent. His heart is pure. His love is strong, but there is an unseen battle going on. That battle is the source of this stalemate.

Simply Supernatural Part 3

There Is No Substitute For Simple Faith

John 9:24-25 ²⁴So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” ²⁵He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

-This young man had an answer for the critics. They call him again after having harassed his parents. They cannot discredit his identity as the man born blind. They cannot discredit the miracle itself. The young man can see. They cannot discredit the method, strange as it may have been. All of this has been scrutinized and verified. The only opportunity they have to continue to question is the fact that the miracle was done on the Sabbath and by their estimation that makes Jesus a sinner. At this point the young man has had enough.

-He puts the questions in proper perspective. He replies, “I don’t know if he is a sinner and frankly I don’t care. Here is the one thing I know. I used to blind but now I can see.” Don’t ever forget what God has done for you. You can sit around and speculate and stipulate but you will not steal this from me. You can doubt and you can debate but you cannot change the facts. You can look for a loophole and come up with all kinds of reason why my miracle does not make sense in your eyes. But, that does not change a single thing. I still once was blind but now I see and that much you can’t change no matter how you question me. Personal experience trumps personal opinion every time. Cling to your confidence.

Heb 10:35-36 ³⁵Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. ³⁶For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

-He stuck with what he knew and remained steadfast in it. He refused to let his faith be shaken. That is how you silence the critics. Watch what happens when they ask him yet again. He replies:

John 9:27 ²⁷He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

-How to defeat the questions that breed doubt and disbelief. There will always be certain things about the supernatural that we cannot understand. That is why faith is a necessity. There will always be pieces of the puzzle that you cannot put in place. If we could put all the pieces in place we could explain it, understand it and manufacture it. If you could measure it and manufacture it, it would not be supernatural by definition. That’s what makes it miraculous and there will always be a measure of faith required for the miraculous to take place. Some things are simply supernatural and they take simple faith to secure. Believe and receive what he has done in your life and do not allow the devil to take that away on the basis of things you don’t know. Stick with what you do know and stay steadfast and unwavering.

1Cor 15:58 ⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Simply Supernatural Part 2

Doubters Will Try to Discredit the Supernatural

-Satan will try to rob you of anything God has blessed you with. He comes to still, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). That is his purpose. He is your adversary and he will use any means necessary to rob you and swindle you out of what God has done for you. Look at parable of the sower in Matt 13. Satan is depicted as the fowl of the air who swoops in soon after the seed is sown to steal it away. (Matt:13:4,19) He wants to rob you of what God has given you long before it has a chance to take root. He will use any means necessary to negate God’s gift to you.

-I have seen it so many times. God does something in someone’s life and the Devil uses doubt. It creeps in. It starts to steal and undermine our faith. Doubt tries to take away what has already been accomplished. And often it is successful. We see someone come and receive their healing, they profess it and claim it while in service, but on that car ride home doubt comes knocking. Something they were so sure of is now in question. Matter of fact, I believe almost every conversion comes under this attack. You get saved, washed in the blood. Satan tries to convince you that nothing has changed and many who once cried out to God walk away in disbelief. They can’t fathom faith, grace, forgiveness or unconditional love. So they walk away from something they cannot wrap their head around.

-Everyone questioned and came against every aspect of this miracle. The whole purpose is to undermine the miracle. Satan will use people to second guess and solidify the suspicions of doubt.

John 9:8-12 ⁸Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” ⁹Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said, “I am he.”¹⁰Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” ¹¹He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.” ¹²Then they said to him, “Where is He?” He said, “I do not know.”

-Here is everything they questioned: They questioned the identity of the recipient. They questioned the method behind the miracle. They questioned the location of Jesus. Where is he? Does he exist? Where is he? Who can verify this? We are not even sure you are the guy. They are looking for a loophole to discredit what God has done in his life. When they can’t succeed they call in the Pharisees, some of Jesus greatest critics. Haters are going to hate and doubters are going to debate!

John 9:13-16 ¹³They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” ¹⁶Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

-He endures a second round of questions. The enemy is relentless. He will revisit a thing until he can discredit a thing. He won’t stop until he has planted the seed of doubt. He will question again and again trying to trip you up in your own mind. That is how doubt is born. At this point they can’t question the validity of the miracle. The man is no longer blind. Since we can’t question that, let’s question everything else. They questioned the when it occurred. You can’t do that on the Sabbath. They questioned the method. Next they question the vessel. That preacher isn’t from God. He is a sinner. Then they question his parents. Is this really your son? Was he really blind? How does he now see? They even use intimidation to try and get them to recant, threatening to throw them out of the church. Whatever it takes…. You have to see this. The enemy wants to steal what God has done in your life. Can he truly take away what God has given you? He can if you willingly hand it him. He will even let you keep the miracle as long as you don’t give God the credit.

Simply Supernatural Part 1

Some Things Are Simply Supernatural

-In our first message we covered the source of sickness. We established that all sickness was the result of sin. Adam by choice caused all of humanity to slip into a state of sin and transgression. As a result sickness and death have imposed their tyranny upon each of us. But, we also took the time to make it clear that personal sickness wasn’t always the result of personal sin. Jesus makes that emphatically clear. Let’s start our story: (Read Reference) Can I give you a nugget? Sometimes our situation has less to do with what we have done and more to do with what God wants to do through us.

John 9:1-3 ¹Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ²And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

-Next we talked about the crucial role that obedience plays in the supernatural. Just like with Naaman, we see it all over again. Jesus tells his followers “I have to do the work I came to do while I can. I am the light of the world” At the conclusion of those words Jesus did some unique. (Read Reference) The connection between the mandate and the miracle is crystal clear. Jesus sent him with specific instructions. Go wash in the pool whose very name meant sent. And notice that it was after he obeyed that he came back seeing. I cannot overemphasize that enough. God often waits a lot longer on us than we do on him. Often we wait on God to come while he is waiting on us to go.

John 9:6-7 ⁶When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. ⁷And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

-God had done something truly supernatural in this man’s life. It was odd. It was unconventional. It was contrary to reason. It was out of the boundaries. It was the last thing anybody expected him to do. Who spits on the ground makes clay and wipes it in a blind man’s eyes? Who does that!?! Maybe the one who formed those eyes from the dust of the earth in the first place. It completely contrary to anything we can wrap our head around. But isn’t that whet the supernatural really is? Isn’t that a miracle by definition. It is beyond us: beyond our ability to replicate, beyond our ability to facilitate, and beyond our ability to fabricate. I’m looking for something so far fetched, so beyond my ability to understand that only one word can describe it: Supernatural.