13 Oct Badge (discovering that authority is the channel through which God’s power flows): Part 9

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Here at Joy Church we have three live services every week.  One on Wednesday, the second on Saturday and the third on Sunday.  At each of these services we have hired a policeman.  He helps direct traffic and obviously brings an element of protection to every service.  We have thousands of people who come to Joy Church and they all have vehicles bigger and stronger than our policeman.  However, when he holds up his hand it’s amazing how all of these big vehicles come to a screeching stop.  Why?  He has authority!  So do you!  Let’s talk about it.

Over the last number of months, we began our discussion with “Six Submit Standards”:

  1. There is a difference between submit and surrender. (Mark 8:34-35)

Remember this:  Always submit yourself to God, but never surrender to the devil!

2. You must get under what is over you, in order to get over what is under you!  (James 4:7)

Remember:  If your “resister” isn’t working….check up on your “submitter”.

3. There are certain things you should submit to and there are certain things you should resist. (John 10:10)

“3 Resist Reasonings”:

  1. Anything that steals, kills or destroys…resist!
  2. Anything Jesus bore FOR you on the cross…resist!
  3. God is good….He does good things.  The devil is bad…he does bad things.  They never swap jobs.  They never work together.  PERIOD!  (see James 1:13-17)!

4. Just because it happened, does not automatically mean it is the will of God.  Just because it is the will of God, doesn’t automatically mean it will happen!

5. If you believe everything that happens is the will of a sovereign God, it will put you in a state of non-resistance to the devil.  (James 3:13-17)  

This month let’s continue….

6. You can’t leave up to God what He left to you. (Mark 16:15-20)

After Jesus was crucified He revealed Himself on the earth for 40 days making various appearances to His disciples.  Have you ever noticed that for those 40 days He never healed anyone?  During His three and a half year ministry He healed great multitudes.  Literally, Jesus conservatively healed tens of thousands of people.  However for the 40 days He did not heal anyone!  Why?  Because He clearly delegated that to His disciples (Mark 16:15-17).  You can’t leave up to God what He has left for you!

Have you ever heard the phrase “Let go and let God?”  This is a very popular statement among Christians.  While it does have some truth to it, there is a portion of the phrase that is very unscriptural.  I completely agree with this phrase when it comes to worry.  Worry is simply bringing tomorrow’s clouds into today’s sunshine.  When it comes to certain things you can’t control…by all means, let go and let God! (see I Peter 5:7)  

However, when it comes to things that God has delegated to us, remember this:  Trust is relinquishing to God what you can’t control.  Delegated authority is taking responsibility for what you must control.  Do you have children?  While God has given us wisdom and instruction in His Word on how to raise our children and we must certainly trust Him in this, He will not raise our kids for us!

Remember this:  Many people are waiting on God, what if God is waiting on you?