Authority

Luke 4: 35-37  “Be silent, and come out of him!” When the demon had thrown him down before them, he came out of him without having done him any harm. They were all amazed and kept saying to one another, “What kind of utterance is this? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and out they come!” And a report about him began to reach every place in the region.


Authority is a powerful word. What have you ever been given authority for? Have you ever been in that position that what you say goes? I mean like me it might be over things that don't matter all that much, but have you had that whatever I say goes authority? Jesus showed that authority over evil, over disease, over death, over wind and other things. He said at the end of his ministry that all authority had been given to hum in heaven and on earth, and he sent us to spread the good news. 


Believers have shared this authority for centuries. Once the Holy Spirit was poured out on all those that believe in Jesus, they shared the authority that Jesus possessed. He sent the Holy Spirit so that this power and authority would not be gone when he ascended to heaven, but rather would be spread from just one location, Jesus, to many locations, believers. 


We all have some authority, but if you are really a Christian, you don't just have authority that doesn't matter much, you have authority that can make a profound difference in peoples lives. China has been called the sleeping giant, but it is nothing compared to the Christian church.