Allen Jackson - Expressions of Spiritual Authority - Part 2
It’s not uncommon for people of my generation to go, «Thank God we didn’t have social media when we were young». Well, I have an announcement. God did. Oh, you hadn’t deleted anything. Oh yes, I’ve been forgiven, I understand you’ve been forgiven. Thank God for the blood of Jesus. But we will give an account, he’s the boss. He’s the boss of how we are, and who we are, and what we do. And the fact that the culture says you don’t have to believe that doesn’t set us free. That’s the reason Isaiah was saying woe to you. It’s the reason Jesus was so intense in his rebuke of the leadership, because he understood they were extending license to the people that was promoting godlessness, and it was gonna bring judgment upon them. He wept over the city because he understood what was coming, he could see it. And when he got a chance to speak to the people who were initiating the leadership, he was scathing in his words for them.
Folks, the church would be that group in today’s world. We’re the salt and the light. Are we going into the marketplace and into our schools and into our neighborhoods? Are we telling the truth that we know? Are we yielded to the authority of God? Do we live as if he’s the boss? Have we accepted his boundaries around family and morality and immorality and how we handle our resources and what we do with our time, do we really live like he’s the boss? Well, some. And I believe another expression of that is how that authority is expressed, we live it out. It’s not just a Bible study or a theory.
In Matthew 7 and verse 28, «When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law». Jesus demonstrated what he talked about. You understand Jesus would have been capable of leading a Bible study like none they’d ever heard. He could have described Moses because he knew him, you with me? Well I mean, I’m a part of this. I’ve had lots of extensive training on cultures of the first century or tenth century BC and what were the cultural norms that help you understand your Bible, not inappropriate, but if we stop there, if we camp there and trying to understand the world of Nineveh that Jonah walked into, you understand Jesus could have done that better than anybody ever.
And he said, «You’re a bunch of whitewashed tombs, a brood of snakes». He didn’t choose to give fancy historical references. He taught with an authority they weren’t used to. In Luke 4 and verse 31, «He went to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he began to teach the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority». But Luke doesn’t stop there. The very next sentence it says, «In the synagogue, there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit, and he cried out at the top of his voice».
Jesus is gonna rebuke the spirit, the demonized man will be set free, and the man stays in the synagogue. The demon had to go. You see, we would have a Bible study and spend weeks, weeks, weeks discussing whether or not we believed in the reality of demonic activity. Can a Christian be possessed, oppressed, suppressed, repressed, depressed, or just dry cleaned? We’ll spend all of our time on the semantics and the background of the theology, and we will very seldom venture into the practical expressions of it. Jesus gave us something different. He understood he was under authority. Why would he behave that way? Because he had an assignment. He said, listen, my words aren’t my own words. I’m here, I have a short period of time, I know I have something to accomplish, I’m gonna give an account for how I do it, I’m gonna be… I’m under authority.
Our lives would change if we understood that yes, we go to work to earn a check, it’s a part of our provision for our families, it’s a part of our assignment, but we also go as a kingdom ambassador, as light in the darkness with a message that’s desperately needed by some in that environment. Do we have the courage to deliver the message? Not in anger, not in condemnation, it could be a let’s pray moment, it could be a thank God moment, it can be a willingness to acknowledge that you believe there’s a God. It’s a willingness to be different, to stand apart a little bit. We’ve got to become, we’re under authority, folks. I know we’ve been coached to walk the aisle and say, «I believe in that stuff,» but the follow up on all of that is who we are and how we live, the difference we make in our world. It’s important.
Luke 8:25, Jesus asked his disciples, «'Where is your faith? ' And in fear and amazement, they ask one another, 'Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water and they obey him.'» We’re reluctant to pray. We’re certainly reluctant to engage others in prayer. What if nothing happened? I think far more intriguing is what if something did. So why would we submit to authority? I think, you know, this is one of those topics where we all kind of go, yeah, I mean, it’s like the right answer is always Jesus, we’re at church, yeah, Jesus. You know, why should we submit to it? Well, because Jesus said to. But that isn’t enough to affect our behavior. We don’t hold him in high enough esteem.
Well, we got ample evidence that that isn’t enough, there’s some practical reasons I would submit why we submit to authority. The potential for my life and yours is determined by the authority in our lives. If you work for the city of Murfreesboro and you have credentials, I have the authority vested in me by the city of Murfreesboro, there’s a block of authority that goes with that. Maybe you work for the state of Tennessee and you have credentials that says, well, I have a grant of authority that’s given me by the state of Tennessee, and on most issues, the state would trump the city. Some of you might have credentials that go with the United States government, if you haven’t been DOGE’d. Oh, stop. It’s a higher block of authority. It could have to do with an organizational chart where we all understand this, levels of authority.
Well, the authority in your life determines the potential for you. And when it comes to a spiritual discussion, there’s one of two authorities that are in play in your life. There’s no middle ground, you’re not segmented, it’s not like God’s in charge of this part of my life, but something else, I’m in charge of this part. There is a spiritual authority over your life. And it determines the potential of your existence in time and eternity. And you can’t segment or compartmentalize, it won’t work. Jesus is either Lord of all or he isn’t Lord at all. The greatest authority and power available to any person is a relationship with Almighty God. It should be the most coveted opportunity of our existence. It’s not burdensome, it’s not loathsome, it’s not intrusive, it will not diminish you.
The more fully you can yield to the authority of God, the greater the potential for your journey through time and for your eternity. We should be desperately helping one another, how we could more fully embrace the authority of God in our lives. If you see some place where I’m not yielded, help me see that, and you’d be extending a reciprocal invitation. We should be desperate for God’s authority to be more fully expressed in our lives. It’s the best way to travel, but we struggle with it. That’s the awkward reality, because there’s something in us. We’ve got an old nature, a carnal nature, an Adamic nature, an earthly nature, whatever you wanna call it that says, «No, I wanna be in charge. I’m happy to be born again, but I wanna be in charge. I wanna do what I want, when I want, the way I want, this is what I think. This is how I feel, oh, I know what the Bible says, but let me tell you what I think. I mean, I kind of know what the Bible, but, I mean, I feel…»
That is a very, very powerful motivation in us. And then you can begin to cast about to find people of significance or accomplishment or education or authority that agree with what you think and you feel, and you think you can get a committee together that will outweigh what God has said. I promise you God is not intimidated if you and I get a big group of people to agree with us in our selfishness. Why submit to authority? Because it changes completely the potential of our lives. Look in Philippians chapter 2, said «Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus». Your attitude, did you know God cares about your attitude? You’re not one of those positive thinkers, are you?
Well, and then Paul describes for us Jesus’s attitude, «Who being in the very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped». That is humility. «He made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness». He had the attitude of a servant. Who’s he serving? God. The people were ungrateful, uncooperative. He was rejected frequently, mistreated on many occasions, falsely accused, ultimately tortured to death, but he’s serving God, not people. The beneficiaries of his service to God were people. So you and I, we don’t serve the church, we serve God. But my expression of the service to God is borne out in the midst of the people.
«Well, I’m not gonna serve them, they’re a bunch of ungrateful, oh». We’ve had it, you know, anybody would… well, most of us would serve somebody who applauded and said thank you every time. We get bent out of shape in so many of our own, «Well, I’m not, I’m not, no, ungrateful». Jesus was serving God, we spit in his face. We blindfolded him, hit him over and over again and said, «If you’re so special, tell us who hit you». We serve God. «And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross». But the next portion is the why, and you see, we’re so hyper-spiritual we act like I just wanna serve the Lord, I don’t care if there’s a reward.
Well then, it’s a messed up system. It’s like, you know, I just wanna plant a garden, I don’t care if any vegetables grow. We use words in the church that are… it’s nonsense language. Jesus did all of those things because he entrusted himself, we just read it, to the one who judges justly. He knew God was a just judge. So if he pushed everything into the middle of the table and said, «I’m all in on obedience, not my will be done, but your will be done. I’m not here to deliver my message, I’m here to deliver God’s message. I didn’t come to do what I wanna do, I came to do what God wants me to do,» because he knew from that position, God would respond to him. That’s where we’re not certain. We think it might be better off if we stay in charge. «Well, how much do I have to give? How often do I have to serve? I don’t have to be there for every service, do I»? Watch what it says. «Therefore, God exalted him».
Therefore is a summary word, it means because of everything that was just said. See, the instruction was that you and I should have the same attitude as Jesus, and then we’re given these components of the attitude, but now we’re given the motivation. Because Jesus adopted that attitude, «God exalted him to the highest place and gave him a name that’s above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father». That’s not nepotism. Jesus wasn’t given that because he’s a part of the Christ family. That’s God’s response to Jesus’s attitude, and so we’re being invited to have the same attitude that Jesus had, so that God can pour out his goodness in and through our lives. He’s the boss. We get to serve at his pleasure.
That’s what Romans 8 says, if God is for us, who cares who’s against us? If he’s the one that justifies, it doesn’t matter who condemns because the creator of all things is our advocate. He’s our high priest, he’s our intercessor. I want to please him. Think of what you know about Jesus’s life and his ministry, he’d make one of these challenging presentations and the disciples would go, «I know you were busy, you didn’t notice, but you offended them». «Get behind me, Satan. I got some hard work to do, and I’m gonna do it, get behind me. 'Cause I know who the boss is and I’m gonna please him. I didn’t come here for my comfort or my convenience or my ease. I’m gonna honor the Father».
And God says because he did that, every knee will bow and every tongue confess. Because he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly, I’ll entrust judgment to him. It’s amazing, it’s a biblical principle. Who’s the boss in your life? Don’t answer, I want you to think about it. Because you see, if God’s the boss, then we have to think about all those places where God has given us direction and insight. We can’t say he’s the boss and then live in disobedience. We can’t say he’s the boss and then ignore his directions. It’s important, but again, it’s not oppressive, it’s not, it will not diminish you, it will not limit your opportunity or rob you of something, and that’s the messaging that has washed over us, I have to fight for my rights and assert my rights and demand my way, and if I don’t, who will? And blah, blah, blah, blah. It is so baked into us. We’re a race of rebels, and the spirit of this age has fueled the rebellion in the midst of the people of faith to the point that our light is small and our voice is small. And I believe God is breathing new life into his church. He’s shaking us, he’s awakening us to be a people under authority again.
We’re gonna close with Communion, where Jesus gave expression to this theory in the ultimate way, if you’re on campus, as you entered the sanctuaries, you should have received the elements of Communion, there’s some ushers in the aisles if you missed that, if you raise a hand, they’ll share with you. If you’re at home, you’ve got a moment, go grab a saltine cracker and a glass of water. I meet people regularly now who join us with live stream in various places, and they say, «We keep Communion ready by the place where we watch because you never give us enough time».
Well, a part of Communion is forgiveness, so. But in the bread, in the cup, we have a tangible reminder of what Jesus did for us. That he shed his blood and offered himself ultimately as a sacrifice. His body wasn’t just broken, it was completely shut down for you and for me. That’s the point, I’ve told you many times that the cross is about a divine exchange. Jesus took upon himself all the punishment that was due divine justice for our ungodliness and rebellion. He exhausted the curse of sin so that in turn you and I might receive all the blessings that were due his perfect obedience.
So as a matter of routine as a community of faith we come together because we need the benefits of that exchange. Certainly that’s the entry point into the kingdom of God, but to lead a triumphant victorious life we have to continue to come back to the power of the blood of Jesus to be forgiven, not because we’re being sloppy, because God continues to show us how to walk more fully in the light of his truth. It’s not because we’re casual with our faith or we’re disrespectful, it’s because we understand more fully that this week we could honor the Lord in a way the last week we didn’t even understand. God, help me, give me the strength to do that. And that life presents us with challenges. You’ve read the Gospels many times.
The first chapter of Mark, Jesus goes into the synagogue in Capernaum and a demonized man interrupts him. I travel, I’m thinking, gee, my my first presentation in a new place with a new group of people and some demonized person’s gonna interrupt me, you know, couldn’t we have had a little better start, Lord? He goes to his hometown and they try to kill him, you know, Lord, in my hometown. Played soccer with these kids. Living Bible. We come to the Communion table because life presents us with things that we didn’t anticipate, we would prefer not have to deal with. And we can be angry about it, we can be belligerent about it, we can withdraw, we can sulk, we can pout. We can do all sorts of things or we can come to the Lord and say, Lord, I need your help, your power.
So today we come as disciples to the Communion table. Some may need forgiveness and mercy. Some may need expressions of the power of God to heal or to deliver, to provide or to open a door, we may need wisdom beyond ourselves. We’re not alone, we are under the authority of the King. We’re the sheep of his pasture. He knows us by name. He knows the hairs on our head. We’ve been hiding from him. Acting like he’s gonna take something away from us, folks, we don’t have anything he needs. Jesus with his disciples just before he’s to be arrested shares a meal, at the end of the meal he takes bread and says, «This bread is my body broken for you. As often as you eat this, do it in remembrance of me». Let’s receive together. Then he took a cup, he said, «This cup is a new covenant, sealed with my own blood. As often as you drink it, you proclaim my death, until you see me again». Let’s receive together. You stand with me for this prayer.
Heavenly Father, we need you. Our strength is limited and our awareness often seems so small. We’re easily distracted. Lord, we need you. And we come tonight, Lord, to acknowledge that we are frail, we are like the flowers that arrive in a moment and disappear almost as quickly. But I thank you for your great love for us. I thank you for the provision of Jesus. And Lord Jesus, I thank you that you humbled yourself, became obedient even to death that we might have life. And as we have received the bread and the cup tonight, we receive your life. Forgive us, forgive us of our sin as we forgive those who sinned against us. And we invite your power into our lives in those places where we are frail and weak. We face great needs or great challenges. I thank you that you’re a God who heals and a God who delivers, a God who restores, you’re a God who opens doors of opportunity and possibility. You said if we lack wisdom, we could ask, Lord, we ask for your wisdom. We stand in your authority against the principalities and the powers and the rulers of the darkness of this age that would diminish the opportunities of the kingdom of God, and we ask you to open wide and effectual doors for ministry. May the barriers come down. May the opposition relent. We praise you for it tonight that we’re not in retreat, that we are on an assignment for the Creator of all things. That you have called us to this unique time and place and we gladly, willfully submit to your authority in our lives. Holy Spirit, help us. If there are places where we have been rebellious and stubborn and we have rejected your truth, give us the awareness to see it and the humility to turn away from it. I thank you tonight, I thank you tonight for your goodness and for what you’re doing in us, in Jesus’s name, amen.