Apostolic Authority
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· 4 viewsMentoring Ministry, posted into Timothy Project and TLC: In the Know
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8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Thank you to Elder Showalter for putting this event together.
The lesson he taught on Praying Effectively showed his personal experience on the subject.
Pastor Anthony’s lesson on Practical Ministry - Masterpiece
I am asked to teach on “Apostolic Ministry”.
Of all the things that I would want to teach on well, this would be one of the subjects.
I have longed all my life to be apostolic.
I have wrestled with the idea, prayed, fasted, rubbed up against great men of God who were what I wanted to be…
I want to be Book of Acts!
I want to start by simply defining what Apostolic is.
In the world we are called Religious or spiritual
That can be anyone - Muslim, Hindu, Christian, mysticism, new age
In the Religious world we are called Christian
Christ follower - most are unsaved.
In the Christian world we are known as Pentecostal.
Deals with our style of worship.
Deals with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost
Many have been filled with the Holy Ghost and are unsaved (have not come under covenant)
In the Pentecostal world we are known as Apostolic.
Apostles doctrine - Mighty God in Christ, Baptism in Jesus Name and separation
Deals with out relationship with and consecration to God.
BUT what does that really mean?
I fear that within the realm of the Apostolics, there is a lot of confusion.
If don’t figure out who we are, then we will never become who God wants us to be!
But we can’t define ourselves!
Problem is that we are trying to define ourselves.
I’m prophet _____________!
I’m Bishop ______________!
I’s Apostle ______________!
This indicates to me a greater desire to impress our fellow ministers and even ourselves more than impressing God!
God spoke to me years ago that he would not reveal to me the magnitude of what he would do in my church and ministry because if showed me I would be able to define it.
If I could define it, I would control it!
I decided at that point that I wanted God defining and controlling me, my family and my church!
So what is it to be Apostolic?
We know the early church was:
Fervent in prayer
Feeders/protectors of the flock
Teachers of Doctrine
Apostolic authority
Miracles, signs and wonders
Angelic visitations
Flow of the prophetic
In short; the Gifts of the Spirit
Elder Showalter taught on prayer.
Pastor Anthony taught on Practical Ministry
You want me to teach on Apostolic Authority...
These four things are not quarters that make up a whole.
Not, well I have 3 of the 4…
Must have all four of these things if we are going to be Apostolic!
Bro. Jerry Dean story of one hour dry cleaners
Puzzled person “Oh, that’s just our name...”!
I just don’t want the name of being Apostolic!
I am going to be Apostolic!
Prayer, practical ministry, moving of the spirit!
So why do we not see more of the miracles, signs and wonders?
Why don’t we operate at a greater level of Spiritual Authority?
Here is what I have come to believe.
We do not understand what we have been given...
Genesis 1:26 (KJV 1900)
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Dominion: rule
We know that what God gave us, Adam gave to Satan.
Humanity went from being under God to under Satan.
Then Calvary happened!
When we repent - rebel against Satan - forsake your old way
When we are Baptized in Jesus Name - sign new contract with a new army
When we are filled with the Holy Ghost we are empowered to fight in the army
That dominion has to be reasserted!
Just because you are armed does not mean you are ready to fight!
Satan don’t care how much you speak in tongues.
Satan don’t care how much you pray.
Satan don’t care that your teaching SS, ushering or even teaching a HBS.
But all of a sudden he takes a keen interest when the report comes back to him that you have been at the range practicing!
We are commanded over and again to walk NOT after the flesh but after the spirit.
You want to walk in dominion power and authority?
Start walking after it!
Start pursuing it!
It is yours if you will just go get it!
There are so many ways of achieving Apostolic ministry...
Moses and the burning bush
Jeremiah from birth
Proximity - receive a prophet in the name of a prophet and receive a prophets reward!
Impartation -Paul told Timothy I know you have a gift because I laid hands on you and put it there!
Inheritance - 2 Tim 1:5 ...which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also
GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO WALK IN DOMINION/AUTHORITY!
Here’s why people don’t have authority...
The authority you have in operation in your life is in direct correlation to the submission you have in your life!
Is submission all that important?
Does God know everything?
Did he always? No!
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
For God to be the High Priest touched with the feeling of our infirmities, he had to learn submission, obedience, humble himself.
This is why the trinity don’t work…
God could not send a separate co-equal and know what submission was!
No he had to robe himself in flesh and allow himself the be sacrificed in order to learn the humiliation of the cross.
If you are struggling with why you are not walking in more authority than you are then the first place I would start looking at is the submission in your life!
Sub mission: when I take my mission and make it second to his mission!
When I bring my mission comes under his mission - I can then fulfill the commission!
Conclusion:
Cycle of Apostolic Authority
Apostolic prayer - not Catholic prayer - an Apostolic told me the other day that they would say a prayer… add a rosary to that? Maybe a hail Mary?
Apostolics don’t say prayers we get on our face and intercede until heaven intervenes!
As our relationship grows, practical ministry develops
Starts small and grows - Stephen was faithful, became a deacon, preacher, martyr
God increases authority
See letter a - starts again
Questions:
1. Anointing vs Authority
Answer one: anointing an OT word, authority a NT word
Answer two: anointing = ability, authority = right
For example:
Chuck Noris tell me to come here I will obey him! Why? He is anointed with special ability to make me obey.
My 65 year old mother tells me to come here, I will obey because she has the authority or right to tell me to obey!
Jesus dealt with this in
19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
1st power (ours) = authority or right
2nd power ((enemy) = ability or capability
So we have authority over the ability of the enemy.
This explains why great men of God fall...
They have mastered the anointing (God given ability)…
So even though they have lost their right (authority) they continue in there ability (anointing)!
It’s God intent that we have both an anointing on us and the authority!