Intro: every summer we visited Friendship Alabama from Maine where my Dad’s family lived. My grandfather owned a country store and he told us to get anything we wanted at anytime. I still remember the ice cold cokes in the box that burned your throat. As the owner, he gave us unlimited authority at the store. God is the owner of this world, and as His children, we have been given spiritual authority. Today, our second sermon on Spiritual Authority of the Believer--#2
1. Authority Comes From Connection---
a. John 15:4-5 Abiding in the Vine
Without me you can do nothing—if you are disconnected, you can’t operate in power
Ill) old missionaries car—pushed to get started—young missionary—cleans cables, tightens posts—car starts on first crank.
b. Acts 1:8-ye shall receive power—
c. Matthew 28:18-19 all power has been given to me—no power has been given to us until it is delegated. We must receive power, we must accept authority, we must put ourselves in the right position.
Ill) rose bowl parade-float stops, out of gas, they had to get a can of gas to get it started to start the parade back. The funny thing, it was the standard oil companies float.
That float represented a powerful gas company, but ran out of gas.
2. Authority Isn’t For Self Gratitude
a. Matthew 6:13-for thine is the kingdom, power and glory forever, Amen.
b. 2 Corinthians 4:7-so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.
God doesn’t delegate authority to bring us glory, but that we might be used to bring him glory.
Ill) Herod—Acts 12:21-23 gave an oration, people shouted, the voice of a God and not man, and because he didn’t give God the glory, the Lord smote him, and he was eaten with worms and gave up the ghost.
Anything we do, it must be for God’s glory. God doesn’t want entertainers, orators, professionals, he wants vessels to pour through, to give Him glory.
3. Authority Comes From the Spiritual Side—2 Corinthians 10:3-4 not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.
This is a warning to all of us, we cannot do anything of ourselves, only through God, to the pulling down of strongholds.
Ill) Seven Sons of Sceva—they tried to duplicate (Acts 19:14-16—the power seen in Paul the Apostle, but the spirit leaped on them, torn their clothes, and the ran out from the place naked and embarrassed
4. Ultimate Authority: over the World—John 16:33, 1 John 4:4—the great thing about this authority of the believer, it works anywhere, anytime, in any situation. Jesus overcame this world, we are made overcomers.
Ill) years ago an alcoholic came to Christ and after some time some old friends asked him if he really believed all that Bible stuff. Like Jesus turning water into wine. They were all laughing at the very thought of it. But he said, not only do I believe that, but I believe he can turn whiskey into things. He turned whiskey into food on my families table that they never had, he put clothes on my kids they never had, he turned whiskey into peace and love that my family never knew.
Close: we have been given Spiritual Authority
• It comes from staying connected
• It comes to glorify Christ
• It comes from the Spiritual side
• It comes to defeat the World
Authority, if you don’t use it, you lose it
Man bought his parents a 7 day cruise—day after day while everyone was eating the buffets, they went to their room and ate crackers and snacks. Finally a steward asked them why they didn’t come to meals, they said they didn’t have enough money for all the meals. Then they found out, everything was provided by their Son. Food came as part of the trip. Today, it has all been provide by the Son, we must accept our Spiritual Authority.
