Who's the Boss
WHO’S THE BOSS?
November 11th and 12th, 2000
Review:
We spent some time now looking at Hebrews 5/6.
Repentance from dead works
Faith in God
Instruction about Baptisms
Laying on of Hands
Resurrection of the Dead
Eternal Judgment
On to Maturity
Maturity-Dressing for success
We have looked at you role in following Jesus to put off the old man and put on the new man.
I am taking my time to give you a firm foundation of who you are in Christ that is going to end with a prayer for deliverance from oppression. I believe you need to be able to withstand the enemy.
One of the keys to being free from the enemy is to be more God-conscious than devil conscious. Sometimes it can be assumed that the devil is a formidable foe to God…that isn’t true. He is a formidable foe to you until you realize that you are supposed to deal with him as a representative of God.
Today we are going to look at: WHO’S THE BOSS?
-This is looking at the truth about God, the devil and you.
-GOD IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS. /HE CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS HE CAN DO.
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM. /I CAN DO WHAT HE SAYS I CAN DO.
Matthew 8
5 ¶ When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
6 "Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering."
7 Jesus said to him, "I will go and heal him."
8 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, `Go,' and he goes; and that one, `Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, `Do this,' and he does it."
10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
-Jesus called this great faith because the man understood the principle of authority.
-He knew who fit where.
-Little kids are preprogrammed at some point in their childhood to say, “YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME.”
-We all struggle with who’s in charge and can I have my own way.
1. IS GOD THE BOSS?
-In order to understand where everything fits, we are going to have to look at some background.
God is the creator.
He is all-powerful
He is present everywhere at once
He created the angels, of which satan was one.
He speaks and planets come into being.
Psalm 8
3 ¶ When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honour.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Psalm 145
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no-one can fathom.
4 One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.
5 They will speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.
10 ¶ All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.
11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,
12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendour of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving towards all he has made.
-God created angels and satan rebelled. He cast him out of His presence. Instead of destroying him, He created men and women to be vessels of His mercy. By responding to God, they would be examples for eternity of the love of God.
-They would demonstrate that love never fails and God doesn’t exist and rule with fear and politics but with justice and mercy.
-Jesus conquered satan and took the keys of death and hell.
-Jesus gave that victory to us.
2. IS THE DEVIL YOUR BOSS?
-Satan was a created being. He was similar to Michael and Gabriel.
-His name was Lucifer. He led a rebellion in heaven and took some of the angels with him.
-They lost their place in heaven and came to the earth.
-They deceived mankind into giving up the dominion that God had given them.
-When they went along with the devil, it gave him the power on the earth that God intended for man.
-He has followers called demons.
John 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(NIV)
-We know that satan is a liar, murderer, thief, and that he is only the temporary boss of the planet.
-I could spend a lot of time talking about him, but it isn’t necessary.
Lu 10:18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
3.ARE YOU THE BOSS?
Col 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
2 Corinthians 4
4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
-Satan is not the god of this world but the god of this age.
-When you became a Christian, JESUS CHRIST’S VICTORY BECAME YOUR VICTORY.
Romans 16
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
-You are only the boss if God is your boss.
Ro 13:1 ¶ Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
(NIV)
-If God is your boss/if Jesus is your Lord, satan has to obey you.
-You have the Word of God, the Name of Jesus, and all of God’s weapons to demolish strongholds.
-If we had a policeman directing traffic out on the service road after a drama, he could step out in front of a semi and stop him with the authority of Warren County. Without the badge and uniform, I wouldn’t recommend it.
-That is because the driver of that truck knows there is a judge somewhere behind this officer who can throw him in jail.
-Someone else will enforce the law and authority of this man.
-The name of Jesus is the badge of authority.
-I used to go shopping for clothes for school and my parents would let me use their credit card. The merchant didn’t care about me much; he just wanted to know if the card was good.
-A newly saved kindergarten child has authority over the devil.
-If you submit to God, you have authority over the devil:
In your mind
In your body
In your family
Anywhere else where you have responsibility.
-I heard someone use the example of knocking on your door instead of just walking in….its your house.
-Even Jesus knocks at the door…He gave you authority.
Ephesians 1
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfilment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.
15 ¶ For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
20 which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
23 which is his body, the fulness of him who fills everything in every way.
Ephesians 3
14 ¶ For this reason I kneel before the Father,
15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fulness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
(NIV)
-You and I have to learn that God has given us authority but we have to exercise it.
-Make sure that he knows that you know he is defeated.