Authority That Makes a Difference

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!””

Last week, we talked about how we are called to be Ambassadors for the Kingdom. God has called us to use our voice, but we were confronted with the hard truth that sometimes we don’t always give our glory to the right things. Those things can taint our voice.

This week, I want to talk about authority. Authority is a word that is a part of our culture here at Generations Youth, and not just because we chose it to be a part of our culture, but because it is a part of Kingdom culture and we are rooted in His Kingdom.

We believe God has given us authority as His people to carry the message of Jesus forward to all the Earth.

Jesus did this first to His disciples…

Luke 9:1–2 “One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”

So what is the message we are supposed to carry?

A message of hope because the Kingdom of God has come to redeem people from the burden of sin to the forgiveness and mercy of Christ

A message of freedom that causes all demonic powers to flee (depression, fear, anxiety, etc.)

A message of healing that ALL diseases can be healed in His Name

You may say that, “That was just for the disciples of that day”.

Mark 16:15–18 “And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.””

These verses are known as the Great Commission.

How can we accept His Great Commission for our lives without His authority to accomplish it?

Authority = Power and Permission

With this power comes territory, wealth, and a dominant presence

US Ambassador example

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 “Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

What controls us authorizes us.

Paul speaks of being controlled (or compelled) by Christ’s love for Him (Paul’s past)

Control: seize, hold together, confine

Paul’s purpose went from killing Christians, being controlled by his purposes and desires to being controlled by the love Christ extended to Him on the road to Damascus

He went from living for himself to telling people to die to themselves to live for Christ

WHAT CONTROLS YOU?

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

1 Corinthians 6:15–17 “Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.”

When you give permission to sin, sin then begins to give you permission on what you will do and will not do. It becomes the master. (Sin was crouched at Cain’s door waiting to subdue him, but God told him to subdue it)

Sin will not allow you to live a life pleasing to God and that includes being an ambassador that is called to represent God to the lost world.

What controls us authorizes us.

Tonight, if you find yourself submitted to sin or a stronghold (depression, anxiety, etc.) in your life, take comfort in this that we just read:

1 Corinthians 6:11 “Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

It took an encounter with Jesus for Paul to be set right on the journey God had planned for him. Paul was even religious! However, religious duties are not your purpose. Relationship with Jesus is your purpose.

Freedom can be brought to you tonight. Freedom came to some in the Corinthian church all because they called upon God. They were made right because they called for help.

God’s mandate for revival has invited you become a part of a story bigger than you. Will you lay down what controls you to be controlled by His authority?

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!””

And God sent Jesus to teach with real authority that was unlike any other religious teachers of the law (Matthew 7)

And that same message of reconciliation, the message that offers the greatest exchange ever created, was entrusted to us.

And the same authority Jesus taught with, ministered with, healed with, and walked with is transferred to us by the power of the Holy Spirit to us when we call out to God

We can’t cry out “Come back to God” if we have never went to God ourselves.

Your personal story of reconciliation is what God will use to bring others back to Himself.