Intimacy = Power (Soul Care)

Matthew 10:1–8 (NLT)

1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.

Goes on to say in verse 7

7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

State: The Jesus sends out 72 people

I think Jesus knew these 72 people well enough to trust them with the mission

Luke 10:1–18 (NLT)

1 The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.

Goes on to say in verse 17

17 When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!” 18 “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!

State:

The 12 disciples and the other 72 disciples had real success - even Judas

But then this happened......

The Boy with the demon

Mark 9:14–29 NLT

14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” 19 Jesus said to them, “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. 21 “How long has this been happening?” Jesus asked the boy’s father. He replied, “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. 28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” 29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.”

State:

The disciples had already been given authority

They knew how to do it

Yet they could not deliver this particular case

Why did this happen?

What did they need to learn?

State:

There is more to having spiritual authority than knowing Jesus has given us this authority.

Someone may give us a car, that does not mean we know how it works.

To know how a car works we need to ask the person who made it

Remember the disciple’s excitement when they told Jesus that even the demons obey us in your name

Too often we make it too much about us.

We make it about our words, our prayers, our gifts, our talents, our actions.

We need to make it about Him, and who we are in Him and to Him.

Luke 10:18–20 NLT

18 “Yes,” he told them, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! 19 Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. 20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

State:

Here Jesus is shifting their perspective about what was important

From what they were able to do......to.....their names being registered with God

Their identity

Rob Reimer says this: (Soul Care)

Spiritual authority is rooted in identity, expanded in intimacy, activated by faith......Rob Reimer

State:

If you don’t believe or understand your identity before God

It will cause doubts about your authority

Ask:

How many know they are loved by God?

How many think of themselves as someone who is dearly beloved by God?

Identity test:

If I say to you

You are beautiful

You are complete

You are sinless

You are righteous, good and holy

God delights in you, likes you and thinks you are wonderful

You are capable and gifted and important

If you hear or feel this is not true about you

That is not the voice of God

You need to find out where that voice is coming from.

Because that is who you are believing…

That is your truth....and it is not God’s truth about you.

Rob Reimer says this:

Spiritual authority is rooted in identity, expanded in intimacy, activated by faith......Rob Reimer