Worship Call 0659 Authority orientation

One can choose to opt out of the plan of God for one’s life and reject the authority of Christ, but that only leaves him and her to remain under the authority of the ruler of this dark world and to Share in Satan’s future Damnation.

This is another fine day in the Lord!

The synagogue was a place of meeting on the Sabbath. And it was this particular Sabbath in Capernaum that the greatest of all teachers came to teach.

Luke 4:31 (NASB95) — 31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath.

How many times have read in Scripture?

“The word of the Lord Came.”

Genesis 15:4 (NASB95) — 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.”

Jeremiah 1:2 (NASB95) — 2 to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

Jeremiah 1:4 (NASB95) — 4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

Hosea 1:1 (NASB95) — 1 The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

Joel 1:1 (NASB95) — 1 The word of the LORD that came to Joel, the son of Pethuel:

Just to mention a few.

John tells us that the Word is God (John 1:1).

What if the Word who is the Lord did not come to Adam and Issha, our first parents after the fall? What if we never heard the sweet sound of the gospel that we might respond and enter into the family of God. What if we never heard another word from the Lord there after where would our spiritual lives and walk with the Lord would be?

Romans 10:11–17 (NASB95) — 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” 16 However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

It was this one particular day that the people in Synagogue would be hearing from the very one who embodied the words that they were hearing.

Jesus did not come to the church to organize a Sunday potluck.

Jesus did not come to fleece the flock of their money.

Jesus did not come to tell Jokes or to entertain the crowds.

Jesus did not come just as a filler to the Synagogue service to give a brief message just to tickle the ears of the restless.

Programs, meetings, entertainment, and the like did not come to that synagogue in Capernaum, but the Word of the Lord did.

How dare we dismiss God’s word so easily and look for other ways to get people into church and keep them there!

A Church without the governing authority of God’s word is no God honoring Church at all and is a cursed church.

Luke 4:31 (NASB95) — 31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath;

διδάσκω [didasko /did·as·ko/] To teach and to instruct.

Take away everything else, all else. The music, the programs the field trip, the building the property, the hymn books, but leave the teaching of the word of God, the church will remain intact.

in fact what the people possessed when they had none of this when they met in the tombs the catacombs to escape observation and persecution while they worshipped God was more of a church than most of the elaborate places of worship we see today.

for in those tombs the word of the Lord came, and believers were being taught the word.

Luke 4:32 (NASB95) — 32 and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority.

power, authority, lordship, ruler, dominion, Jurisdiction.[1]having the right and the power to do to say to accomplish within one’s office. Having the credentials to exercise the right to do, to say, to accomplish.

Remember that Jesus is the creator of the Heavens and the earth It was He who spoke the universe into being.

And in Genesis 1 we see when the Lord spoke then His creation responded.

Matthew 28:18 (NASB95) — 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

And how was that authority observed in that Synagogue? Did Jesus perform some kind of miracle? Did he heal? Did he cause the blind to see?

The authority that the people responded to was through the teaching of the word of God.

It is by that authority that Jesus himself can say

Luke 5:20 “Your sins have been forgiven you.”

The Pharisees correctly observed

Luke 5:21 (NASB95) — 21 The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”

And Jesus responded

Luke 5:24 (NASB95) — 24 “But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.”

The point of Application is the acknowledgment of the one who is sovereign over all things. He has authority over my life and dictates over my life.

Oh, don’t think so arrogantly that you are your own free agent. You, as an unbeliever who dismiss any such governess over your life are nevertheless under the authority of the Evil one as you are the sons of Disobedience. You are of your father the devil and he rules over you. You are under the dictates of the Devil, His minions, His cosmic system, and even your own carnal nature.

There is coming a time when the rebellion against the Authority of the universe will be put down.

Philippians 2:9–12 (NASB95) — 9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

There is the window of opportunity to step through door of salvation in repentance to declare homage to the one true God who is Sovereign over all.

If we fail to do so now, we remain under the dictates of the ruler of this dark world.

Point of Doctrine:

1. We chose our own authority.

Being born into Slavery under the dark lord of this world creates a default condition.

2. We can opt out of Satanic worldly control by changing our allegiance and submitting to Christ’s Authority.

3. To make no decision for Christ leaves one under the authority of the ruler of this dark world by default.

4. The Authority that you choose to yield to will determine your future destiny.

5. Those under Satan’s rule will share in his condemnation

6. Those in Christ will share in his future glory.

From what vantage point will you be when every knee bows when the rebellion is put down.

Certainly, there is a listening ear in this Synagogue that recognize the Authority as well and as people marveled the demon was threatened at his very presence and will have to speak out.

[1]Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains(electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, pp. 146–147). United Bible Societies.

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