Theme: Spiritual Authority (1)

Matthew 28: 18 – 20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

REFLECTION

The spiritual governs the physical, this is where I want us to start. This explains why when Jesus went into the synagogue and found a woman who had an infirmity that had bent her for 18 years healed her by rebuking the evil spirit. The evil spirit was not visible, but its effects were visible (causing the woman to live bent).

Most of the times I hear people saying, “stop being over spiritual”, “not everything is spiritual”, “not everything is a prayer item”. I want to put it to you that things are created in the spiritual world before they can be seen physically. This is a secret that I would like you to embrace with both hands, a truth that will give you an edge in life.

Proverbs 25:2

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.

Proverbs 25:2 explains why spiritual matters are hidden. Life is full of secrets and that’s why making it is not an A,B,C thing. Kings search out matters. Are you a king? I pray for the grace to search out matters that you can rise to your kingship.

Our God is a God of order. Jesus being God submits to His father. The bible says he did not consider godliness as something to cling on, but He humbled Himself to the point of God. Matthew 28 is a chapter written after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. After he had finished His work the bible says He was given a name above all other names. The fruits of submission are sweet.

Before we can continue, I want you to understand you need to submit to an authority before God can make you one. The first authority is obedience of Jesus Christ, by surrendering your life to Him through salvation. The bible urges the wives to submit to their husbands just as the church submits to Jesus Christ. The second submission is to the physical authority; you need to have a spiritual authority over your head (covering). Respect your pastor and the other leaders that God has placed in charge of you, if you don’t you will not be able to walk in spiritual authority.

Jesus said all Authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me. This implies He has a head over His head. There is an authority that gave Him that authority. I think this explains why the devil in His temptation told Jesus to bow to him and he will give him everything in this world; the devil wanted to replace God in the life of Jesus. The devil is a liar, he wanted to give Jesus what His father created? What a shame!

The bible says our lives are hide in God in Christ meaning Christ is in God and we are in Christ. I hope you can see hierarchy here.

Verse 29 above explains what Jesus did with the authority that God gave Him; He commissioned us to preach the gospel in that power. NOW GO; we need to carry this authority as we go to the nations.

There people who begin engaging in spiritual battles without a cover, the result of this is hard labour with no success or mental disorder if not a replica of the sons of Sceva biting and tearing of their garments.

Spiritual dwarfism is dangerous. Jesus gave us the authority and we need to make maximum use of it. The bible says we make disciples of all nations, having people to believe in what you do is not easy, you need power to do it. Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy spirit; this tells me our business is propagating the Kingdom of heaven not our own agendas and ideologies. This authority has terms of service; direct people to God and not to ourselves.

Then Jesus promises to be with us to the end of age. As we serve Him we have the assurance of His presence.

PRAYER

Oh Lord God almighty, I come before your throne this morning to ask for insight over spiritual matters so that I can begin walking in the authority you have given me. Open my eyes of understanding that I can perceive the things of the Spirit and the Spiritual world will stop being a mystery. Give me the grace to be a king by searching out matters, those that are hidden in the spiritual realm. This I pray in Jesus name, amen.