Delegated Authority Part 5 (Audio) Resist the devil on all fronts as much as possible!
Suggestion: To maintain your focus listen to the audio teaching and take some notes as you go. Thank you.
Introduction
1. This last week all of us partook in some type of activity.
2. Some are planning an activity to partake in even today.
3. Think for a moment.
4. How valuable is the activity?
5. If the value of the activity is high enough we will have the determination to do it.
6. Listen to this account about Paul and his determination.
7. Turn to Acts 21:10-14.
(Highlighted text added)
Acts 21:10-14
10 While we were remaining there for some time, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11 And coming to [see] us, he took Paul's belt and with it bound his own feet and hands and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit: The Jews at Jerusalem shall bind like this the man who owns this belt, and they shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles (heathen).
12 When we heard this, both we and the residents of that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul replied, What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart like this? For I hold myself in readiness not only to be arrested and bound and imprisoned at Jerusalem, but also [even] to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And when he would not yield to [our] persuading, we stopped [urging and imploring him], saying, The Lord's will be done! AMP
8. Why was Paul so determined?
9. The answer, the value of God’s will for him was very high.
10. Realize what Paul said in Romans 12:2.
Romans 12:2
2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. RSV
11. Do you think Paul renewed his mind? Do you think Paul was feeding on God’s word? (Yes)
12. Paul knew the value of God’s will for him.
13. Therefore he was determined to fulfill it. (Even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus)
14. On another note, there are things in the world competing with our time to renew our minds. (Media, electronic devices)
15. If those things are more valuable than prayer, study, and exercising our delegated authority our priorities will not be correct.
16. The question, where is the value of prayer, study, and delegated authority in our life?
17. Will the bad things that come up in our life dictate to us the importance of prayer, study, and delegated authority?
18. If the things we are engaged in are hindering our time in prayer, study and delegated authority something needs to be lowered or starved.
19. If we feed an activity (with information) that is hindering us it will grow and overcome us.
20. (Wisdom) We need to discover what to starve or lower. (We cannot afford the world to control us)
21. We need to increase God’s word in our life including the subject of delegated authority to lift the value.
22. If the value is high enough we will have the determination to understand, develop, and utilize our delegated authority and any subject in God’s word.
23. Consider these next verses in God’s word.
John 6:27
27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." NKJV
24. What has more value, the food which perishes or the food which endures to everlasting life?
25. How much time is spent on physical food vs. spiritual food?
John 4:34
34 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. RSV
26. The Father's will for Jesus was to accomplish His work. (The Fathers work)
27. To accomplish His Father's work He needed to exercise authority in the spirit realm against the kingdom of darkness to set people free.
28. My emphasis is on delegated authority.
29. Feeding on the word of God provides motivation (because with the food we have the strength to move forward) (We need fuel, energy)
30. Feeding on the word of God lifts the value of God’s will in our life.
31. If the value is high enough we have the determination to do His work.
32. To do His work we need to use our delegated authority as Jesus did.
33. We need to exercise our delegated authority in the spirit realm over the kingdom of darkness.
Reviewing from part 4
34. We learned in our last session together that there are at least three things needed when using our delegated authority. (Mark 11:12-26)
(1) Faith (Be convinced) (Romans 4:20-21)
(2) Prayer (Communication with the heavenly Father) (John 16:23-24)
(3) Forgiveness (Keep clean as we go) (Ecclesiastes 9:8)
35. We also learned that there are three levels of learning. (Example of baking bread)
(1) Understanding (To be established) (Proverbs 24:3)
(2) Developing (Takes time, patience and work) (Ecclesiastes 3:1, Romans 8:25, Hebrews 6:12, James 2:22)
(3) Utilizing (Using delegated authority outside these four walls) (Matthew 25:14-30) “The Parable of the Talents”
1. Home
2. Jobs
3. Stores
4. Entertainment centers
5. Planes
6. Trains
7. Ships
36. A key statement as I teach.
37. As we keep the value of something high we will have the determination to fulfill it.
The Believer and Delegated Authority Part 5
38. The “something” I am talking about to keep high is the believer's delegated authority.
39. Again, if our value of this subject is high enough we will have the needed determination to operate in it everywhere we go.
40. Weeks ago there was a very severe tragedy.
41. It was about a 10-year old boy who stabbed a 12-year boy to death.
42. I am mentioning this situation to help us realize that Satan’s agenda is to steal, kill, and destroy.
43. Plus, to prevent this from happening to one of our children or grandchildren.
44. (My perspective) The child was stolen from his parents, he was killed, and his body was destroyed.
45. I do not know all the details of how this happened, however, a killing took place and I believe that the kingdom of darkness had something to do with it.
John 10:10
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. RSV
46. We need to resist him on all fronts. (As much as possible)
James 4:7
Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. AMP
47. To resist#436 the devil we need to exercise our delegated authority by using the name of Jesus and His word rightly divided. (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
48. Greek definition for the word “resist”: NT:436 To stand against, resist, whether in deed or word (From the Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament)
49. NT: 436: to resist by actively opposing pressure or power (From Greek-English Lexicon Based on Semantic Domain)
50. Listen to this situation about not rightly dividing God’s word and using the name of Jesus wrongly.
Acts 19:11-16
11 And God did unusual and extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 So that handkerchiefs or towels or aprons which had touched his skin were carried away and put upon the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.
13 Then some of the traveling Jewish exorcists (men who adjure evil spirits) also undertook to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, I solemnly implore and charge you by the Jesus Whom Paul preaches!
14 Seven sons of a certain Jewish chief priest named Sceva were doing this.
15 But [one] evil spirit retorted, Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped upon them, mastering two of them, and was so violent against them that they dashed out of that house [in fear], stripped naked and wounded. AMP
51. For me personally, this tragedy (about a 10-year old boy who stabbed a 12-year boy to death) is heartfelt when I heard about it. (Especially when I heard what I am going to say next)
52. Recently I was told that the mother of the young boy (only child) who was stabbed to death could barely get out of bed to live her life as we do.
53. The 10-year-old boy who did the stabbing was trembling as he waited for his future. He is being held in Juvenile Hall.
54. The children who saw the stabbing are suffering great distress.
55. Ryan Carter’s classmates are devastated as well as the teachers, parents, friends, and the community.
56. This was a tragedy for many people.
57. Some of these I knew personally who knew the young boy.
58. This situation was close to me. The boy that was stabbed to death attended my daughter Julie’s class.
59. Julie helps as a teacher’s assistant at Foothills Christian School. She gave me a first hand of how devastating this situation is.
60. I heard one good report that the mother of the child that died is receiving some counseling.
61. Therefore the value of praying, studying, and exercising my delegated authority continues to rise.
62. Realize that we live in a world that is not perfect.
63. The people in this world are not perfect.
64. Realize also we have a rear guard.
Isaiah 52:12
12 For you will not go out with haste, nor will you go in flight [as was necessary when Israel left Egypt]; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard. AMP
Isaiah 52:12
12 You shall not leave in haste, running for your lives; for the Lord will go ahead of you, and he, the God of Israel, will protect you from behind. TLB
65. Yes God is our rear guard.
66. However, we need to exercise our God-given delegated authority against the kingdom of darkness as Jesus did.
Click here for part 6. (Final part)
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