Authority

 April 19, 2003, BERLIN, Mannheim, Germany (Reuters). Rosina was 73-year-old Vladimir's wife of 32 years. Sometimes, she had to yell to get Vladimir's attention. "He's a stubborn mule so I have to get loud." Vladimir felt like Rosina never let him get a word in edgeways. So, he started using an old 220-volt, rooftop air raid siren to stun her into submission. But neighbors complained at the noise. He told police, "I crank up the siren & let it rip for a few minutes. It works every time. Afterwards, it's real quiet again." Police confiscated it. Some people seem to think the louder & more forcefully they act, the more authority they have. Jesus' authority doesn't depend on how He acts. Yes, He's God. But He's also our pattern. We're to follow Him. There has to be a way we can exercise His authority, too. Let's look at Mark 1:21-28. Jesus has just called Peter & Andrew. That day 21athey went to Capernaum. Jesus will base His operations here. 21bWhen the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue & began to teach. This will be his practice. 22aPeople were amazed at his teaching. They're more than amazed. They're stunned. They're also more than a little frightened. Why? 22bHe taught as one who had authority, not like the teachers of the law. The rabbis? Their teaching sounded like this. "The prophet said here... or ...there." "Rabbi so-&-so says such-&-such." They keep piling up "authority" quotes until they think the weight proves their argument. Sound authoritative? No! They have no authority of their own. When Jesus teaches? He declares things on His own authority. "Blessed are..." Why does His word have such authority? Yes, He's God. He has inherent authority in a way no other human will. Ever. Jesus is also our pattern. He has inherent authority as God. But there's a way we can follow. In Lk 6:40, Jesus says, 40"everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher." Where is authority for us? Jesus is also fully human. We enter His authority the same way as a human that He did. He tells us how in Jn 5:19. 19"I tell you the truth, the Son can do (say) nothing by himself. He can do (say) only what he sees his Father doing (saying), because whatever the Father does (says) the Son also does (says)." Jesus says only what His Father says. Thus, He speaks in His Father's authority! Fully human, He has to find out what the Father is saying. Then speak. How? The same way we can. Talk with the Father. Then say what He's saying. Jesus teaches with the Father's authority. Then Jesus shows its reality. 23Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out. In church! The enemy still does his "best" work in church. In Greek the demon's shriek is grating. He challenges Jesus. 24a"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Us. One demon speaks for all of them. The demon also knows his ultimate fate. But he doesn't know when it'll happen. 24bHave you come to destroy us? Now? The Greek can also be a statement. "You have come to destroy us!" True! Unlike the congregation, the demon knows Jesus will someday judge him. 24cI know who you are-the Holy One of God!" Why say this? People thought you gained power over someone if you knew & spoke their name. (Magic.) Is the demon trying to gain power over Jesus? (Good luck!) Either way, the demon knows who Jesus is. He believes. But unless actions show our belief it's like Jas 2:19. 19Even the demons believe-& shudder. Jesus isn't ready to be outed. Not till people are ready to receive Him. 25aJesus sternly commands, "Be quiet!" Be muzzled. He doesn't need or want demon witness. In Mk 4:39, Jesus tells the storm, "Be still." Same Greek command. The demon challenged Jesus 1st. But He came to destroy the enemy's works. Exercising the Father's authority, He speaks another word of power. 24b"Come out of him!" Jesus speaks this word of power so we'll know the Father is also speaking it. We can do the same. When the Father is speaking (only then), we too can speak a word of power with Jesus' authority. Demons want to resist. But God's power is greater than any demon. 26The evil spirit shook the man violently. It came out of him with another shriek. Jesus Christ, God's Son, speaks with authority & power. It's Mt 11:12. 12The KoH is forcefully advancing, & forceful men lay hold of it. When we forcefully lay hold of His KoG, we too can confront the demons who possess our souls & rule our lives. Whenever we speak with Jesus' authority in our teaching or preaching, we do the same! If Jesus is present, demons can't stay. 27aThe people were all so amazed... Different word for amazed. They're stunned! 27bthey kept asking each other, "What's this? A new teaching-& with authority! No one else has ever spoken like Jesus. His authority is astounding. What He teaches. How He teaches. And backed up by what He does. How so? 27cHe even gives orders to evil spirits & they obey him." No one does that. Not without His authority. As a healing prayer minister, I don't have it on my own, either. Not unless, with Jesus, I've helped someone get free of all the sin-issues that gave demons the right to be there. Once we've done that, Jesus speaks through us the word of power to remove them. And they have to obey. 28News about Jesus spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. So why don't we hear more about deliverance, today? In the USA, we're blind to demons' presence. We've bought into the idea that if we can't see it, touch it, hear it, smell it, or taste it, it doesn't exist. Demons are happy with that worldview. They're equally happy if we're too afraid of them to fight. Both views are false. Our Dad is much, much bigger than their dad. In his book, God Is Closer Than You Think, John Ortberg tells what happened to a friend, Kim, as a young girl. Her dad pulled his car off the road one day to help a woman change a flat tire. While he was under her car, another car swerved to the shoulder & hit the car. The collision shoved the car onto his chest, tore off his right thumb, broke 5 ribs, & pierced his left lung, which began filling with blood. His wife, barely 5' tall, put her hands on the car's bumper & prayed. "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ," She lifted the car off his chest so he could be dragged out. (Some weeks later she found out she broke a bone in her spine when she did.) Kim's father was in shock as he was rushed to the hospital. Doctors prepped him for emergency surgery. "His thumb won't do him any good if he's dead," one said. His survival was in doubt. Suddenly, spontaneously, his skin changed from ashen to pink. He was miraculously healed. He invited a surprised surgical team to join him singing "Fairest Lord Jesus." They didn't even have to hook him up to oxygen. He found out later that at this precise moment his father-in-law, a pastor, led his congregation to pray for him. How can we pray with that authority? Another pastor was off on a spiritual retreat. A man called him at the church office. The O/A replied, "Sorry, he's gone to be with the Lord." There was a long silence. The O/A suddenly realized how her reply sounded. She added, "He'll be back next week." Another long silence. But think. Pastor was doing a very right thing. I think he was onto a secret. He'd found the hidden source of Jesus' authority while He walked on earth. Want to walk in Jesus' authority? Then let's learn how He did. Yes, He was God. He was also fully human. Being human, his authority also came from His relationship with His Father. How'd Jesus maintain this relationship? Prayer. Talking with God. What's the one thing disciples asked Jesus to teach them? "Teach us to pray!" Why'd Jesus keep getting up early to go off by Himself? Why'd He leave successful ministry in Capernaum & go to other towns where he had no following? How'd He raise the dead, heal the sick, & cast out demons? There's one answer to all "Why...?" & "How..." questions in Jesus' ministry. Obedience to His Father. Where did He learn His Father's will? Prayer. So, let's ask again. Want to walk in the authority Jesus did? Want to feed the hungry 5,000? Still the storm? Walk on water? Heal the sick? Raise the dead? Then let's learn to pray as He did. Let's learn to walk in His authority. After all, in Mt 28:18-20, He delegates it to us. 18"All authority in heaven & earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go & make disciples... 20 Teach them to obey all I've commanded you. Surely I'm with you always, to the very end of the age." Go. Walk in His authority. Bring on the KoG. Authority - Mark 1:21-28 Page 1 of 1