The Church has been given authority by God to reinstate His Kingdom on earth. We are His agency.
He has given us authority in:
- the spiritual realm
- in the proclamation of the gospel
- in the discipline and ordering of our own lives and the church
What do we mean by ‘authority’?
- A given right to do something on behalf of a superior
- The right to have an influence
Not only does the church collective have a mandate from God,
But we as individuals also have a mandate from God
This series looks at:
1) What authority have we been given?
2) How do we exercise the authority we have been given?
3) What is our authority based upon?
4) What is the motivation and nature of a Kingdom Agent?
5) Where is that sphere of influence to be?
1) What authority have we been given?
We have been given the authroity by God to:
A) Re-instate the rule of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth
B) To Reconcile that which was lost
C) To Restore what Satan has destroyed
John 14:12 – We have been called to continue the work Jesus started
A) To Re-instate the rule of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth
Jesus came to re-instate the rule of His Fathers Kingdom on earth
Mark 1:14-15
We have been called to continue the re-instatement of the kingdom in
the hear and now
- To Bring in the Kingdom:
Matthew 5: “Let Your kingdom come, let Your will be done”
Matt 11:12 “the violent take the kingdom by force!” it breaks the status quo.
Romans 14:17 “the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the
Holy Ghost”
- Starts in spirit realm
Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities & powers….in the heavenly places”
2 Cor 10:3-5 “Weapons of our warfare – mighty for the tearing down of strongholds”
B) To Reconcile that which was lost
Jesus came to:
Luke 19:9,10 – “For the son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost”
2 Cor 5:19 – “…God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself…”
John 17:1-5
We have been called to:
To introduce people to Jesus through the gospel
To be agents of Change
2 Cor 5:18-20
The Greek possess the idea of a “complete change”, “to change thoroughly”,
“to change thoroughly from one position to another”
So 2 Corinthians 5:18,19 can be read:
“Now all things are of God who has thoroughly changed us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of ‘thorough change’, that is, that God was in
Christ thoroughly changing the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to
them, and has committed to us to the word of ‘thorough change’.”
Therefore Reconciliation means that someone or something is completely altered and adjusted to meet a required standard.
C) To Restore – to bring Life
Jesus:
John 10:10 – “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that may have it to the full!”
Isaiah 61:1-3
We have also been called to bring Restoration to peoples lives –
Isaiah 61:1-3
- Authority to undo the works of Satan in individuals lives:
Restore broken marriages
Heal the sick
Over demons – to set captives free
To release the life and potential!
- 2 Corinthians 10:8 - For building people up –
2) How do we exercise the authority we have been given?
A) Through Prayer
Re-instating God’s rule in spirit realm – obtaining occupation of the spiritual air-space!
Eph 6:10-13; James 5:16 “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails
much!”
B) Through Proclaiming the Gospel
authority of word and power of action
Luke 9:1,2; Romans 1:14-16
C) Through Serving and meeting the needs of people
Luke 10:8,9 – getting involved and among people and their lives
Luke 22:26,27 – “Yet I am among you as the one who serves”
D) Through being a living example!!
Eg Acts 4:13
E) Through operating in the gifts of the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
Faith – seeing what God is wanting to do - and Obedience – taking risks!
Application:
What did you get out of this session?
What would it look like to see the kingdom re-instated in your place of life?
What is it going to take to see something like that happen?
As an agent of change and restoration what is the first step to begin to see this become a reality?
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