Most of us here don’t struggle with the fact that Jesus Christ is King and has authority, but many of us here today struggle with the fact that Kingship and authority has been given to every Christians – staggering thought, isn’t it?
Luke 10:19 “I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy.”
“Authority” = special rights
“Power” = strength, dominion and dominance
The word “authority” is used 105 times in the N.T.
In the year 1940 a physicist working in a garage in Chicago developed the process of splitting the atom, which started the atomic age we live in today. They realized that they could unleash the power found in the atom and then multiply that power! This has changed the world forever and America is now a superpower. About 30 A.D. some folks in a borrowed room in Jerusalem tapped into something that you can’t even see under a microscope - an invisible power that established the church age and because of the power of God, it has changed the world even more than the tiny atom!
My prayer for each of us is that we too allow the power of God to consume our lives everyday! While America is a superpower because of the power in a cruise missile, a Christian is a superpower because of the power of Christ the Messiah!
I’m here today to remind us that as believers in Christ, we are kings and priests because of His redemption!
Verse 15-20
Paul said to the Ephesian church back then and reminds us in this church today – we need to open our eyes and realize our authority and dominion as a child of God and as the church of God!
3 Facts About The Believer’s Authority
1. It Was Freely Given To Man.
Genesis 1:26, 28
Notice 4 key words that were freely given to man to exercise:
• “Dominion” = authority
• “Fruitful” = productivity
• “Multiply” = creativity
• “Subdue” = intensity (management, reliability)
LifePoint: Authority was given to Adam to help control life and complete his life.
Psalm 8:5, 6 “For You have made him a little lower than the angels, You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet…”
Caution: don’t let any New Age Guru convince you that this is where man get’s his godhood! Rather this verse is highlighting our placement in creation and honoring our position in Christ! (The physical realm and the spiritual realm)
2. It Was Legally Lost By Man.
Ephesians 2:1, 2
What happened? Satan tempted Adam and Eve with the same sin that destroyed his relationship with God – the desire to be God!
And what Satan failed to do in heaven, he now tries to get us to fail on earth! Both Adam and Eve believed in the lie and were deceived by the lie and that messed everything up for everyone since then!
Romans 6:16 “Whatever you choose to obey it becomes your master. You can choose sin, which leads to death or you can choose to obey God…” NLT
Listen - the war that started in heaven has now moved to another geographical location: earth and specifically in the hearts of mankind!
Luke 4:6 “The devil said to Jesus, all authority I give You, for this has been delivered to me and I give it to whomever I wish.”
This scene is played out everyday in the lives of millions! God legally gave all authority to Adam and then Adam gave it to Satan. Think about it – Satan would not have the authority he has today without the help of man! In turn Adam became a slave to Satan instead of Satan being a slave to Adam!
2 Corinthians 4:4 “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” NASB
So Satan is masterful at blinding the minds of people and blurring the message of God!
So we’ve learned our authority was freely given to man, and then our authority was legally lost by man – wouldn’t it be terrible to end the sermon right here, close our Bibles and went home right now? Sadly millions are already defeated in purpose, defective in prayer and depleted in power! Don’t let that be said of YOU!
3. It Was Righteously Regained By Christ.
Ephesians 1:17
One of the most incredible tasks Jesus did for us when he left the splendor of heaven was to regain our authority!
“Authority” (exusia) ex = out of (usia) = right
1 Corinthians 6:12 “I will not be brought under the authority of anything.”
But the big problem for us is that we legally lost the authority, so how do we get it back? Think carefully about what I’m going to say – a member of Adam’s race had to regain what Adam could not do for himself! And since one man lost his legal authority and it had to be regally regained by a man! That’s what is so valuable about the virgin birth of Jesus Christ! This member of Adam’s race must be one who Satan has no legal claim on – Jesus was not the son of Adam but was Son of God in human flesh!
1 Corinthians 15:21, 22 “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” NIV
Hebrews 2:14 “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death- that is, the devil.” NIV
“Power” = authority (spiritual authority he claimed at the first sin!)
So the writer is saying that flesh and blood lost the authority and it had to be flesh and blood that regains it! Jesus was divinely conceived and that puts Him in a whole different realm from Adam. Had Jesus been conceived as Adam was, at that very moment Satan would have laid claim on Jesus. Jesus would have inherited sin and then been a slave to sin and Satan!
Jesus was 100% man and 100% God! But you say “Why is this so important?” Because Jesus did not defeat Satan as God, but defeated Satan as man! That’s incredible!
Here’s a key that is worth coming to church for - KEY: When Jesus defeated Satan, He used the resources and authority that were available to Adam back in the Garden.
So Satan knew that just as he defeated the first Adam - he had to defeat the second Adam or the second Adam would strip him of his authority!
Satan tried in the wilderness to make Jesus an egomaniac – and failed.
So Satan tried in the wilderness to make Jesus a law breaker – and failed. So Satan tried in the wilderness to make Jesus a pleasure seeker – and failed! He underestimated Christ’s authority!
Then on the cross, Satan laughs at Jesus and mocks him because if he dies that’s it! “It’s all mine!” I think old serpent Satan said to his despicable demons, “If I can make sure He’s dead and buried, he’ll be forgotten! If I can get a whole garrison of goons to guard that gloomy grave – I’ve won!”
Folks everything was on the line – come back from the dead and its curtain for Satan’s authority over man! But what Satan didn’t realize is that Jesus was more potent than 3 days of death and more powerful then 3 days of decay!
Ephesians 1:19-21
Verse 22, 23
Now I give you permission to go out of this auditorium and use this awesome authority to be the person God wants you to be, claim that wayward child back, destroy the curse on your marriage and finances.
