Text: John 1: 12-13 Date: 14/9/24
INTRODUCTION
Our anchor for September is remembering my identity. Last Sunday, we identified four key characteristics of a believer’s identity:
Child of God
Believer
Ambassador
Winner
Today, we look at Believer’s Authority.
BELIEVER’S AUTHORITY
Authority is very important, and its utilisation is crucial to the survival, stability and growth of individuals, organisations and society.
In many instances, authority is conflated with power hence it is always necessary to distinguish authority from power. Power is the ability to control or direct others while authority is influence that is predicated on legitimacy. It is clear that power is necessary but insufficient for authority.
An everyday illustration is the difference between a police officer and an armed robber. An armed robber with his or her gun has the power to stop you on the highway and ask you to lie down. But he has no authority because that power is not legitimate. But a Police Officer has the legitimate authority to stop and search you.
Authority is the lawful right to enforce obedience. The Believer has authority. The Believer is one who has accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour. It manifests in the 2 great Bs- Belief and Behavior.
The Nature of the Believers Authority
Over Demons Mark 16:17-18- And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Speak in new tongues
Power over harmful substances
Power to heal James 5:14- Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. (KJV)
Power over poverty: Deut 8: 18; 3 John 2
THE REALITY OF THE BELIEVER’S AUTHORITY
The believer has authority. For the believer, It is : I decree, I declare and I prophesy.
Job 22: 28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. (KJV)
Ez 37: 1-10- The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. (KJV)
The believer knows that he/she has authority from God
Acts 4:19 – But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. (KJV)
He acts as one with authority
Acts 13: 6-11- And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: 7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him. 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
Eccl 8: 4a- Where the word of a king is, there is power: (KJV)
Rev 5: 10 -And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (KJV)
Others testify to this authority and respect the anointing
Acts 4:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. (KJV)
He is protected (Paul and viper)
Acts 28:4-6 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. (KJV)
BELIEVER’S AUTHORITY OVER FEAR
One of the greatest killers of destiny in the world is fear. Fear is one of the greatest problems in the world. Many people have fear of failure; fear to give their life to Jesus and become committed; fear to give and fear of what people will say.
3 kinds of Fear
Phobos – unreasonable fear of a particular thing
Natural fear
Moriah – fear of God
Prov 9:10 – The fear of God is the beginning of ……
Ps 128:1 -Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. (KJV)
Fear of God – Reverence, submission, Lordship, Obedience
Three Examples
Saul – His kingdom was taken from him because of fear 1Sam 13:5-14
Peter – Focused on circumstance and was afraid Matt 14: 30
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego Dan 3:17-18
Challenge
Are you a believer? Have you given your life to Jesus? Are you exercising believers’ authority? Are you tormented by demons? Are you afflicted with sickness?
Conclusion
You are a believer. You have authority. The authority you have is legitimate. You have authority over demons, harmful substances and sickness. You have power to decree, declare and prophesy. You should know that you have authority. You should act as one with authority. God has not given us the spirit of fear. (2 Tim 1:7). Go out and exercise your authority as a believer.
Prayer Point
Father, help me to exercise my believer’s authority