Valley Grove Assembly of God
May 3, 2009
Keeping Our Balance in a Topsy Turvey World
Colossians 2:6-16
INTRODUCTION: There are many things that upset the apple cart in our “topsy turvy” world. One of them is the downturn in the economy with the loss of jobs. Another is health concerns and the costs of high medical care. Family relationships and conflicts is another area of concern to many people. If one worry is not enough, life often hits with multiple concerns Christians are not exempt from these stressors, but scripture teaches us how to overcome them in a better way than those who don’t know the power of Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. We just celebrated Easter a few weeks ago, and the resurrection makes all the difference in the world to us. Most of the time we are unaware of the difference, and we allow the devil to continue to stress us out and beat us down until we can hardly get our breath at times.
Several things happened with the accomplishment on the cross. We think of Jesus making the sacrifice for our salvation, for providing healing in the atonement, and for setting us free from the captivity of sin; but there is another truth that is just as important for us to remember as we strive to live overcoming Christian lives in today’s topsy turvy world. In Colossians 2:15, Paul reminds us that Jesus “cancelled the written code that hung over us nailing it to his cross and he disarmed powers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them. What this means is this:
Satan has long tried to make us believe that he still has power and authority over us and we fall for his lies. We let his “roar” scare us into believing that we “can’t” rather than that we “can.” In the scripture in Colossians, Paul uses the terminology of a battle where Roman generals used to take their captives and march them through the streets to show that they had been defeated and stripped of all their power. Paul is saying, “Jesus, through his death on the cross, defeated Satan and stripped him of his power and authority.”
Jesus completed his assignment. He doesn’t need to add another thing.
STORY: “While two visitors were touring Annapolis, they noticed several students on their hands and knees assessing the courtyard with pencils and clipboards in hand.
“What are they doing?” one of the visitors asked the tour guide.
“Each year,” he replied with a grin, “the upperclassmen ask the freshmen how many bricks it took to finish paving this courtyard.”
“So what’s the answer?” inquired the visitors when they were out of earshot of the freshmen.
The guide replied, “One.”
Jesus’ sacrifice was the one “last brick” that finished the “courtyard.”
Matthew 28:8 tells us, “Jesus has been given ALL power and authority in heaven and in earth.” If he has ALL power and authority then how much does the devil have to use against us? Does he have any? No, he has been stripped of his power and has zero percent. Nevertheless he still has us buffaloed into thinking that he has all kinds of power to defeat us and we more often than not believe it. We allow fear to take over. We shrink back. We panic.
When trouble comes our way in whatever form, we are more inclined to be like Ralph. His friends were listening to him complain repeatedly about his troubles and one of them said, “Ralph, why don’t you DO something. Don’t just stand there!
Ralph replied, “I AM!!! I’m wringing both hands.”
Well, I’m afraid that didn’t accomplish a thing. There is more we need to do about our situations than complain and wring our hands. That is why we need to know about our authority as a Christian when things come to confront us.
1. Authority and Power: What am I talking about when I speak of authority and power? Authority is the RIGHT to act whereas power is the ABILITY to act.
ILLUSTRATION: A law enforcement officer has the authority to enforce the law through being given the job, a uniform, and a badge. It is delegated authority to stop traffic, to arrest people, to act in the capacity of the law.
ILLUSTRATION: Years ago Clara Ann and I were flag carriers for our school. We had long bamboo poles that had a flag on the end and we held them out across the highway to stop traffic so that the school kids could cross the highway. I was a sixth grader, but I had DELEGATED AUTHORITY to do this. Clara Ann and I took this responsibility seriously and the cars stopped. POWER along with the delegated authority is the MIGHT to do it. We had to exercise that authority by holding the bamboo poles out over the highway so the cars would see them and stop.
Jesus gave His followers exousia –the RIGHT to preach, teach, heal, and deliver. He also gave them dunamis—or MIGHT to carry it out. That right has never been rescinded. John 14:12(NIV) He told them, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.”
The ground of this authority is established in the finished work of the cross. When we exercise authority, it is based on something that has already BEEN accomplished. Another scripture in Revelation 1:17 says, “I am the First, and the last. I am the living one. I was dead and behold I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys of death and Hades.”
2. Why Do We Need Authority and Power?:
Today’s church members are too passive. God’s people are being beat down by the economy—crippled by financial lack and sickness, depression, and discouragement. Needs exist in the world that we as Christians can meet if we believe we have authority and power to do it. We think, “well the preacher didn’t ask me to do it. I’m not trained to do this or I am not spiritual enough.” We come up with all kinds of reasons why we are not doing what God has already called us to do. Our real service begins once we leave the sanctuary.
I am not a “take the bull by the horns and go” type of person. I usually am more inclined to stand back until someone tells me it is “good to go.” Scripture tells us it is “good to go.”
Matthew 28:19 says, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age.”
3. How Do We Get Authority and Power?:
Many Christians are either standing back waiting on God to do something or are not even sure they are supposed to have it. We don’t THINK we have it. Luke 10:19 says that we have already been given power and authority but perhaps it has been lying dormant for years and we didn’t even realize it is there. “I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy.”
Matthew 10:1,2, “Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits, and to heal every disease and sickness.”
People will say, “Oh, that was just for the twelve.” Are we His disciples today? He didn’t give it to just a few special people then or now.
We need to realize that we already have been given authority and take it out of dormancy.
4.How Do We Exercise Our Authority?: James 4:7 tells us how to begin to exercise our authority over the attempts of the devil. “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Just how do you go about doing this? For one thing, you have to mean it. If we don’t believe it will do any good, it won’t work. The devil won’t stop in his tracks. The Message Bible puts it this way. “Yell a loud no to the devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time” (James 4:7 Message Bible).
ILLUSTRATION: Dog trainers tell us to give the dog a firm command ONE TIME—not several ineffective weak commands. Yooper is a little six lb. Yorkie. He likes to go to the neighbors. If he gets half way across the yard, I’ve lost him. I can’t say Yooper stop, Yooper stop, Yooper stop. He keeps right on going. When he first starts out, I have to yell a very forceful, YOOPER STOP! Otherwise, I have to go after him.
When the devil begins to come against you in your finances, health, or any other thing in your life, you can’t pray a little, weak, ineffective prayer. You have to mean business and take authority over the situation. We exercise our authority by taking it and saying it in faith.
If you are in a situation of fear say, “Fear, I resist you in the Name of Jesus. I refuse to fear. I take authority over you, fear.”
“In the Name of Jesus I take authority over sickness and disease. Sickness and disease I refuse to allow you to stay. Satan you have no right to trespass on God’s property. Now get out in the Name of Jesus.”
“Satan I take authority over you in the area of my finances. I am a tither and a giver. I claim the windows of heaven to open and pour out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it and I expect the devourer to be rebuked.”
Speak to the things that are trying to come against you. If you read the book of Luke concerning the healings—Jesus said
stretch out your hand
get up my child
stand up, pick up your mat
be silent—come out of him
spirit of deafness I command you to come out
We must have FAITH—we must take it and say it and then stand firm when symptoms and counter attacks try to come against us.
God expects us to be overcomers in our present circumstances, and we can be. Expect God to do His part as you cooperate with Him and do your part.
I John 5:6 says that “everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
We believe that!
Revelation 12:8 says, “for the accuser of our brothers [Satan]who accuses them before God day and night has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the lamb [Jesus] and the word of their testimony.”
We overcome Satan and all of his attacks by what Jesus accomplished on the cross and the word of our testimony—what we say and believe and act on.
CONCLUSION: We can keep our balance in a topsy turvy world. We are “more than conquerors through Christ who loved us.” He has equipped us to be overcomers through His finished work on the cross. He has delegated His authority—the right to act—and the power—might to act. We must use it by accepting it by faith, by taking it and saying it. We must act on it.
LET US PRAY:
