Believer's Authority

Objective of the sermon

Type of Message - Teach or encourage, make aware/raise awareness

Where do i want to take them? The church must be aware of the God given incentive to be fruitful and use our authority.

Intro

Genesis 1:28 “28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Being in the year of fruitfulness, we cannot but dig into the first incentive or command God gave man: be fruitful and multiply, subdue and have dominion. He created the first man and commanded man to be fruitful and multiply. i came to note few things wrt to this:

In this context, to be fruitful makes allusion to giving birth to others and become a great nation. But the fruitfulness we are referring to is in producing fruit in life.

The command was not given to man alone. In Genesis 1:22 “22 And God blessed [fish and fowls] them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.” , he commanded also fish and fowls of the air to be fruitful and multiply.

So, man had to multiply but then also to rule and subdue. Difference between us and animals is not on fruitfulness but ability to rule and subdue [replenish and subdue].

I get to understand that the more the animals multiply, man also needed to multiply, and subdue. Animals today can be represented by challenges in life, oppositions, barriers. Hence God implied authority to subdue, to reign and dominate over our enemies.

In Exodus 23:27–29 “27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee. 28 And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee. 29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.”

God warns Israel he will not drive their enemies out for fear that when the land is empty beasts of the field will take over and become their enemies as well.

What is important for us to know is that we live in an hostile environment that could hinder your fruitfulness. We are in the world but we are not of the world (John 17:15-16) “16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” . And God has made provision for our life in the midst of the enemy. David saysGod prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies (Ps 23:5).

What do they need to know

Authority is the right to give orders, to exert influence on something, a person, an area, in a company (CEO, management etc..).

Every believer has received authority from God - Gen 1:26-28; Luke 10:19

Jesus operated under divine authority (Mark 11:29-30; Mat 3:17; Matthew 17:5 “5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” , He was given all authority in heaven and earth (Mat 28:18-20; Psalm 110:1–2 “1 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, Until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.”

Disciples operated in authority - Acts 3,4

Pophets operated in authority - Elijah, Elisha, Joshua, Moses

All authority comes from God - Rom 13:1

Conditions for Authority

Obedience to God -

Lamb & Lion - the lamb’s character gives the lion’s authority

lambs are kind, soft, obedient, sacrificial, submissive, Luke 10:3 “3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.”

Revelation 5:6–10 “6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

lions are agressive, oppressive, fearless, courageous - Proverbs 28:1 “1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: But the righteous are bold as a lion.”

Why do they need to know

The enemy only answers to power, when power is demonstrated, the enemy flees. Every time Jesus sent his disciples, he gave them power (Luke 9:1 “1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.” then he gathered 70 (Luke 10:1 “1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.”

Why do they need to do

We bring joy to God - Jesus rejoiced that this was revealed to babes

Reiteration