Sunday January 5th, 2003
River of Life Ministries Pastor Michael West
Series: Spiritual Authority Part One
Sermon: Acting Like Jesus
Scripture: Romans 12:21 / Ephesians 2
Greatness does not come from position and titles. True greatness comes from being a servant.
Romans 12:21
Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good. We are told not to do evil to those who do evil to you Be good to our enemies, Bless them, it’s the most unnatural thing to do for us, but we overcome evil and it’s effects by being good to someone else,
When the devil comes against you, go out and do good
When your down, call someone and encourage them
If you had a blow to your finances, go find something in your house and give it to someone to bless them. But for it to count, you must do your good works out of a genuine sincere heart.
We don’t see enough good works in the body today. All we seem to have is what’s in it for me Christianity. If your petition outweighs your praise, you need to reevaluate some things like the definite killer of prayer called selfishness. We don’t defeat the devil by acting like him, WWJD? Do that and you will be an over-comer.
How to have true spiritual power and authority? You are probably thinking I didn’t come here to find out how to be good to somebody else, I came to find out about the blessing for my own life…But I am telling you that, it just doesn’t come the way you think it should...
Acts 10:38
What did Jesus do? He did Good! He was anointed to do good. He was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him.
Today is a good day to examine your life and get honest with yourself, forget what everybody else is doing to you, what they aren’t doing for you, forget about what God isn’t doing for you and forget about what the devil is doing to you and concentrate on one thing today, am I making a difference in anybody else’s life, what am I doing to make somebody else’s life better? This is not under condemnation, but to stir you up to good works, to encourage you to do good works.
If your worried about being a do-gooder, being a goody two shoes and that someone might say that, then say thank you, that is what I’m striving for! Why do you think Satan does that? He doesn’t want you to do good. We all want to be anointed, but do we really know what we want to be anointed for.
Here’s 5 things that prove we have the Holy Spirit in our life:
It’s not how many TV preacher names you know, authority is not charisma or drawing large crowds, it’s not loud speaking or who sits on the front row or has the front parking space.
1) People’s lives will change for the better wherever you go you don’t have to be a preacher
2) Your prayers are answered—when you pray something happens—
It’s fun to hear someone say what God did because of your prayer whether you get the credit or not, it’s not about you getting the credit, it’s about what God has done, so what if someone else gets the credit. When are we going to learn to live before God. He sees everything. Doesn’t the Word say what we do in secret, God rewards us in the open?
3) You won’t be dominated by the devil—
Your talk about the devil will change from what he is always doing to what God is doing. We miss too much when we are always giving the devil the credit. We are known by our fruit, not our gifts. Sometimes we are too concerned about spiritual gifts rather than spiritual fruit.
I don’t have much to say about the devil anymore and I don’t mean that in a prideful way, I have a relationship with Jesus and don’t have time to waste on the devil anymore.
Let’s talk about what God is doing! Well, the devil stole my joy. Well, don’t let him have it. He can’t have it if it isn’t misplaced. He can’t get our joy unless it’s tied to something else—like the world.
Joy is not happiness because Happiness is based on what happens.
Joy is based on Jesus—peace in the midst of the storm. Yes the devil will set you up, and you don’t have to be upset, but you don’t have to give it to him unless your peace is misplaced.
You don’t have to be saved to be peaceful if your circumstances are right. It takes the power of the Holy Ghost to have a big problem and still remain peaceful. That’s dominating the devil, when he comes at you with everything he’s got and you remain stable—He that dwelleth in the secret place, That’s real spiritual authority.
A big meeting doesn’t mean there is spiritual authority, shouting and hollering doesn’t mean you have spiritual authority, but your changed lives do.
Me growing to the point where I am pretty much the same, not moved by my circumstances, but remaining stable, that proves spiritual authority. It takes power of the Holy Ghost to be stable in this world.
4) Spiritual authority is seen in the ability to walk in the fruit of the Spirit. Especially love.
5) true authority is seen in gladly being a servant to everyone, without any ulterior motive.
John 13:1-10 —The highest degree of love.
Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. He did it willingly. He didn’t have to wash feet. He had authority, but became as a servant. He did it out of love.
There’s a lot of people who will go to heaven who will not have enjoyed the trip.
Like me before—being so selfish and self-centered, having only one person on my mind—me! Anybody know what I mean?
To be set free from ourselves is the greatest freedom we can ever have!
For me it took dying to self, growing up with real compassion allowing God to remove the stones from my heart!
If you are only a taker, not giving but always taking, there is no partnership. We aren’t called to always take, we are to give and more so.
Just remember, your flesh doesn’t get excited about the will of God. If you don’t need this message that’s okay. I can use it for myself!
I really want spiritual authority, how about you? When I put my feet on the floor in the morning I want hell to quake and shake and the demons shout, he’s up again! How many of you want that.
Everything in the kingdom of God is upside down—first is last, last is first—try to make something happen in the flesh, God will make sure you don’t have it. If you want more money, you have to give away some of what you got regularly—He gives seed to the sower not seed to the selfish!
Phil 2:4
Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. We would be light years ahead if we would get interested in other people.
Phil 2:5-
When we are willing to go lower, God will lift you higher!
Jesus was interested in people, doing good, healing, serving, taking the anointing of God for the right purpose—not occasionally doing something good to impress His friends in church—-it was who He was!
How many want to be a great man or woman of God? I will tell you what it takes—Matthew 20:25-28
Become a servant—-Jesus, Others, You, —look around and ask, what can I do for them today.
