ACCESSING YOUR AUTHORITY IN CHRIST (4)

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Matthew 18:15 ESV
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew 18:16 ESV
But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.
Matthew 18:17 ESV
If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Matthew 18:18 ESV
Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 18:19 ESV
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:20 ESV
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
WHEN JESUS TELLS US THAT WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO BIND AND LOOSE, WHAT IS HE SAYING
WHAT IS JESUS SAYING THEN
· “Jesus talks about authority to prohibit and permit (things),”
· “Jesus tells the disciples they have authority to allow or stop things on earth,”
· Or…“The disciples will have much authority.”[1]
THIS IS SERIOUS WHAT JESUS IS SAYING TO US:
ILLUSTRATION
LIKE WHEN MY DAD GAVE ME THE KEYTSM FOR THE FIRST TIME, TO HIS XR4TI (TURBO 5 SPEED). I HAD THE KEYS AND THEY WERE REGULAR KEYS, BUT WHEN MY DAD SAT ME DOWN AND GAVE ME SOME INSTRUCTIONS; THE KEYS FELT WEIGHTY
· His instructions were simple: Son, this car is powerful. It is turbo and so, it can get away from you. SO make sure you always understand the power of this car so you treat it with thr respect it deserves
· Well, that’s not really what he said: WHAT HE REALLY SAID WAS THIS
o SON, IF YOU WERECK MY CAR, FIND A CLIFF AND DRIVE IT OFF!!!!
o I UNDERSTOOD HIM TO BE SAYING: SON, THIS CAR IS POWERFUL, IT CAN GET AWAY FROM YOU….
WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN IN CHRIST IS POWERFUL. AND UNLESS YOU UNDERSTAND IT YOU WILL MESS IT UP AND FORFEIT ITS POWER IN YOUR LIFE

I. WE MUST BE CHRIST CENTERED

A. We Must Be Living In Christ Alone

WE MUST BE LIVING IN AND LIVING OUT HIS WORD
IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS ONLY WHEN ONE IS OPERATING IN Christ alone CAN THIS AUTHOETY TAKE PLACE
IN OTHER WORDS WE MUST LIVE OUR LIVES CENTERED ON CHRIST AND HIS WORD
WHY?
BECAUSE TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THE DEVIL AND SIN UNPROTECTED AND UNCOVERED BY CHRIST IS DANGEROUS
THERE IS A STORY IN THE BOOK OF ACTS THAT DESCRIBES PAUL AS DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS:
HANKJERCHIEFS
Jewish itenerant exorcists STARTED TO USE THE NAME OF JESUS IN SPEAKING TO THE EVIL SPIRIT’S IN PEOPL SAYING
Acts 19:13 ESV
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”
BUT LISTEN TO THE EVIL SPIRIT’S RESPONSE:
Acts 19:15 ESV
But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?”
The evil spirit’s knew Jesus because He was God centered
The evil spirit’s knew Paul because He was Christ centered
Evil spirit’s will not and do not, ever recognized those who are man centered
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE DEVIL DID NOT KNOW WHO THEY WERE. IT MEANT THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES THE EVIL SPIRIT’S SAW?
ILLUSTRATION
WHAT THIS MEANS IS THIS
ONLY THOSE WHOSE HEARTS ARE ORIENTED AND SITUATED AROUND HONORING THE LORD WILL BE ABLE TO EXERCISE THIS AUTHORITY OF BINDING AND LOOSING
WALKING IN THIS BINDING LOOSING AUTHORITY IS NOT WALKING IN YOUR OWN AUTHORITY; ITS NOT LIVING LIKE YOU HAVE WHAT JESUS HAS BY YOURSELF. YOU HAVE WHAT JESUS HAS ONLY WHEN YOU ARE LIVING A CHRIST CENTERED LIFE
SO BE CAREFUL ABOUT ALL THIS “REBUKING OF THE DEVIL”
Jude 9 ESV
But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.”
B. For Christ Alone
YOU SEE STUFF HAPPENING THAT IS BLOCKING THE GLORY OF THE LORD IN YOUR LIFE OR IN ANOTHER PERSON’S LIFE
YOU CAN’T BIND DEBT SO YOU CAN GET IN MORE DEBT
YOU CAN’T BIND SICKNESS IN ORDER TO KEEPING EATING POORLY
ETC..
i. For His honor and for His glory and for His fame
SOME PEOPLE ARE BOUND TODAY:
BOUND TO A PARTICULAR ACT OF SIN
BOUND TO A PARTICULAR AFFECTION TOWARDS SIN
BOUND TO A SPECIFIC MINDSET OF SIN
YOU ARE BOUND AND CANNOT GET FREE ONLY BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT LIVING THE WHOLE OF YOUR LIFE ORIENTED AND SITUATED AROUND THE GLORY OF THE LORD

JESUS CANNOT HAVE A MARGINAL PRESENCE OVER YOUR LIFE AND YOU EXPERIENCE HIS MANIFEST PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE

II. WE MUST BE EMPOWERED BY COMMUNITY

A. The People of God Unified

The place of community in in the power to bind and loose is pervasive
IN VERSE 18: WHATEVER “YOU” BIND/LOOSE: YOU IS PLURAL
FLOW
FLOW 1 - Intro to point (community: see above)
FLOW 2 - Gates of hell (church will not be prevailed against: not you)
Matthew 16:18 ESV
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:19 ESV
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Jesus said upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevaiL against this Church:
the ecclesia of God
the place where God promised His presence and therefore His power
This is where the gates of hell will not prevail
Do not think Jesus is speaking about YOU:
He is ONLY speaking about the CHURCH
1. The relationally unified people who are connected by faith in Christ and a desire to live like Christ: THAT IS THE CHURCH!!!!
iii. THE DEVIL WILL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST THAT
The person needs to be a part of a church where they are invested, involved, relating, etc.
When you disconnect from the body
1. not simply the Sunday morning experience
2. but the relational connection with the people of God
you are putting yourself in an extremely vulnerable position
THEREFORE, BINDING AND LOOSING NEEDS TO BE SEEN AS ONLY BEING ABLE TO TAKE PLACE FOR US AND IN US WHEN WE ARE ACTIVELY CONNECTED TO THE BODY OF CHRIST
FLOW 3 - authority to bind sin and loose righteousness
Context is about this (explain briefly)
What is amazing is this reality:
John 20:23 ESV
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
Leaders have the ability (as long as they are walking and living a Christ centered life, to bind and loose: to protect the holiness of the church by removing those who are unrepentant and by readmitting them back upon repentance. Jesus says: GOD MOVES AS THE LEADERS MOVE
Context about you
Inherent in every believer who is connected to the church is the ability to bind sin that is taking place in his or her own life:
WE CAN DO THIS IN THE CHURCH WHEN SIN IS TAKING OVER ONE OF OUR BROTHERS/SISTERS
WE CAN DO THAT IN OUR OWN LIFE AS WE EXPERIENCE THE MANIFESTATION OF SIN IN OUR OWN LIVES. WE CAN DO THIS BY:
repentance and confession (binding or halting the progress of the particular sin)
James 5:16 ESV
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
1 John 1:9 ESV
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
loosing righteous living
BUT NEITHER OF THESE CAN BE DONE APART FROM A RELATIONALLY, AUTHENTIC AND HUMBLE CONNECTION TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE CHURCH
repentance and confession (binding or halting the progress of the particular sin)
loosing righteous living
BINDING COMES BEFORE LOOSING. YOU CANT LIVE FREE UNTIL YOU BREAK FREE And you cant break free BY YOURSELF

B. The People of God Praying

Matthew 18:19–20 ESV
Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
PRAYER IS SIGNIFICANT TO BINDING AND LOOSING
See Acts 1:14- Praying
Acts 1:14 ESV
All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
Led to Pentecost Power: The coming of the Spirit of God
Peter in jail
Acts 12:13 ESV
And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer.
BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS VERY IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT PRAYER:

THE POWER OF PRAYER IS NOT BASED ON LOCATION BUT AGREEMENT

AGREEMENT: HARMONY
· SYMPHONY
o BUT NOT SIMPLY PEOPLE GATHERED, BUT PEAOLE GATHER WITH THE INTENT OF PUTTING ON A PERFORMANCE THAT CREATES THE KIND FO MUSIC THT MAKES MOUNTAINS MOVE
o YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HEAR GOOD MUSIC; THE SOUNDS ALL WORK TOGETHER IN CONCERT TO MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL AND THEN, SO MOVED BY THE SOUND ; YOU PURCHASE THE MUSIC.
o HEAVEN MOVES TO BIND AND LOOSE WHEN THE CHURCH IS SO TOGETHER THAT THE MUSIC IT MAKES
§ IS NOT A NOISE
§ IS NOT A DISTRACTION
§ IS NOT MERELY PRACTICE
§ BUT THE REAL DEAL
o HORNS CAN MAKE THEIR OWN BEAUTIFUL MUSIC BUT ALONE THEY COULD NEVER BE A SYMPHONY
§ YES, YOU CAN PRAY AND PRESENT GOD WITH MUSIC THAT IS BEAUTIFUL
§ BUT WHEN YOU WANT SOMETHING BOUND AND WHEN YOU NEED SOMETHING LOOSED, YOU NEED THE BAND – THE FULL ORCHESTRA OF THE CHURCH YOU ARE CONNECTED TO.
· GOD ONLY BINDS AND LOOSES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CHURCH.
o SOME PEOPLE ARE BOUND TODFAY BECAUSE THEY ARE DISCONNECTED
o SOME PEOPLE ARE SEEKING TO LOOSED BUT RUNNING FROM THE BODY
o SOME PEOPLE ARE PLAYING THEIR INSTRUMENT BUT SOUND IS NOT AS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING SOLO
o GOD LOVES HARMONY
o GOD IS MOVED BY HARMONY
o GOD’A KINGDOM AUTHORITY DOES NOT MOVE WHEN THERE IS A SOLO BUT WHEN THERE IS AT LEAST, TWO PART HARMONY
§ WHEN YOU DON’T LET SOMEONE INTO YOUR DILEMMA OR INSIDE YOUR STRUGGLE YOU ARE SINGING SOLO
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