Concept:
One of the last statements that Jesus made to
His disciples on the mountain before He
ascended was dealing with authority. His
statement was that He had all authority but
He has releasing it to us. We were to finish
the work that He started. We are to go in His
name as His ambassador. We are to represent
Him to the nations baptizing (giving people
their identity with Christ), in His name
(taking His place), laying hands as His
representative, healing as His agent of blessing,
and being able to use His Gospel shoes to
continue stomping on the head of the enemy. 

Jesus modeled this extension of His authority
in Luke 9, when He sent the twelve out in His
name. He told them to preach, heal, drive out
demons, and give evidence that the kingdom of
God was at hand. Here are six groups of men
who are not saved, not filled with the spirit,
and certainly not pillars of faith doing the
work of Jesus. Then, in Luke 10 we see seventy
sent out with the same mission statement. Jesus
amplifies this use of His authority by the
disciples in Luke 10:16, as He states that when
people listen to the 70 they are listening to
Him. Wow! Scripture goes on to tell us that not
only did they go out, but they came back with
great joy because everything that Jesus had
stated took place. They were especially excited
about the fact that even the devils were subject
to them, when they used His authority. No one
had cast out devils with the authority that
Jesus used; He attacked the spiritual dimensions
with results. The disciples emulated Him with
the same results. No wonder they were so excited.
Now, the Lord was saying at His Ascension, this
authority is going to be ours to use, not just
for a small period of time but forever. We
should be full of joy, just like the disciples,
because He has given us the keys of His kingdom
through this extension of His authority to us.
What we loose (open) He looses and what we bind
(close) He binds. We are His ambassadors that
go in His name and do His work. We are His
gatekeepers, who go and open and shut His
gates. 

Luke 16:16 says it the best. It states the Good
News of the Kingdom is preached and people of
authority are forcing their way into the flow of
His Kingdom. The fact that we can use His name
shows us of His great love that He has for us.
He desires that we push the enemy aside and take
the promise land and the spoils that He has
given us.

We know that the Lord by covenant had given the
children of Israel the Promised Land but they
had to go in and establish that covenant. They
had a God given right to the land but without
using their authority the Canaanites would have
remained and enjoyed the Israelites inheritance.
The authority that is God given gives us the
right to release the power of God into a
situation that is not lining up to the Word of
God. We are His ambassadors so we are obligated
to use His authority in every situation of
Kingdom business. 

Use your God given authority to drive the enemy
off every thing that the Lord has given you. The
enemy has no right to steal, kill, or destroy
from you any longer. When you speak the name of
Jesus at shortage, sickness, depression, fear;
watch the power of heaven back up your confession
of truth. God is waiting for us to act so He can
show Himself strong on our behalf. When David
was King, God established the throne. Solomon
took the throne and God gave him, His wisdom and
allowed Solomon to use it and rule His people.
Paul was chosen by God, anointed by Jesus, gifted
by the Holy Spirit and then his call to be an
apostle was manifested with the authority to back
it up. That is the heart of God for all of us to
have the necessary gifts and authority to walk
in the gifts that the Father has assigned to
each one of us. 

 
Definitions:
Authority: (Greek) exousia. Ability, privilege,
force, capacity, competency, freedom, delegated
influence, liberty, rights, strength, heaven is
where the authority comes from.

Authority: (Greek) dunastes. A rule or office,
mighty monarch

Authority: (Hebrew) rabah. To increase, bring in
abundance, enlarge, exceedingly full; grow up,
more in number. Proverbs 29:2 
 

Scriptures:
1. Matthew 7:29

2. Matthew 8:5-13

3. Matthew 9:1-8

4. Matthew 10:1

5. Matthew 18:18

6. Matthew 21:23-27

7. Matthew 28:18-20

8. Mark 1:21-27

9. Mark 3:13-19

10. Mark 6:6-12

11. Mark 11:22-24

12. Luke 4:31-36

13. Luke 9:1

14. Luke 10:19-21

15. Luke 17:6


16. Luke 19:17

17. John 1:12

18. John 5:24-27

19. John 10:18

20. John 16:19-24

21. John 17:1-3

22. John 20:23

23. Acts 9:14

24. Acts 16:4,5

25. Acts 26:18

26. Romans 9:21

27. Romans 13:1-3

28. I Corinthians 4:15

29. I Corinthians 7:17

30. I Corinthians 8:9

31. I Corinthians 9:12

32. II Corinthians 5:19-21

33. II Corinthians 10:8

34. Ephesians 2:2

35. Ephesians 3:10

36. Ephesians 4:11

37. Colossians 1:13

38. Colossians 2:15


39. I Timothy 6:11-16

40. I Peter 3:22

41. Revelation 1:17-20

42. Revelation 6:8 

43. Revelation 13:2

44. Revelation 18:1

Picture of Authority

1. Genesis 1:22

2. Genesis 1:28

3. Genesis 22:17

4. Genesis 41:41-56

5. Exodus 18:13-17

6. Numbers 27:12-23

7. Isaiah 22:21,22

8. Isaiah 43:25,26

9. Joshua 10:12-15

10. Joshua 11:1-9

11. Judges 11:1-11

12. Ruth 4

13. I Samuel 1:21-28


Summary:
We see the picture of authority all throughout
scripture. Sometimes the authority is used
correctly and sometimes it is abused. Satan
couldn't handle his God given authority and
Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 shows us his fall. Many
of the kings who were appointed by God started
out anointed and ended up a curse on the nation.
One of the biggest reasons was not rightly using
their authority to bless people instead of
blessing themselves. Solomon started out with
God given authority and was using it to bless
the people and bring glory to God. He ended up
bringing hardship on the people and dishonor to
God. Jesus on the other hand, started and ended
bringing glory and honor to God. That should be
our heart cry when we use God's authority in
our lives. 

We need to learn to be submissive to authority
as well as using authority properly. God honors
those who know how to stay under His umbrella of
authority and manage His manifold wisdom in a
Godly manner. Jesus emptied Himself of His
deity attributes (omniscience, omnipresence,
omnipotence, etc.) and operated under the
umbrella of His Father's authority by staying
in unbroken fellowship and always walking in
obedience to the will of His Father. The
limitation that Jesus operated with was His
human body. The body was a limitation in the
physical but Jesus was still able to move in
full spiritual authority. He was able to access
spiritual gifts and move in kingdom authority as
a King and Prophet. That is what we are asked to
do. We have been given the right to use His name
and operate with His anointing and do the same
works that He did. We see Peter and John walking
to church to pray and they come across a lame
beggar who wants money and they give him his
legs. They did that by using what they had, the
name of Jesus. Let's use what we have and give
the world back its legs!


Action:
Begin to use your authority and speak to the
problems in your life that are contrary to the
word of God. If you have any area that is
causing you to be lame spiritually, use His
name and watch the problem be uprooted and
planted in the sea. If there is any demonic
activity in your household, use that name and
watch the devil flee. Use your authority to
keep your property free from demonic activity.
Every week walk around your property and
establish the Lordship of Jesus, don't allow
the enemy to steal anything from you.