Policemen in a certain town were called to a house where people were found to be stealing possessions from that house.

Surprisingly, the policemen stayed on the footpath outside of the house and began to sing about the authority that had been given to them to arrest lawbreakers.

As they declared their authority to one another, the robbers completed the task at hand of robbing the house of all its possessions and departed the scene.

This illustration is taken from a book written by YWAMer Dean Sherman called Spiritual Warfare For Every Christian. He goes on to say how we in the Christian world talk about authority and sing about authority, but often fail to exercise that authority that has been given to us.

There is a great difference between having authority and exercising authority.

Even Satan knows of our authority but hopes we will stay ignorant of the resources we possess.

It has been said that Satan’s primary area of attack on Christians is to prevent them from discovering who they are and the resources that have been entrusted to them.

Authority and power

Whenever Jesus sent His disciples out on mission, He always entrusted them with two resources.

Without them, it would have been impossible for them to live out the words of which He spoke to them at the Last Supper: “Whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask for anything in My name and I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)

There are three recorded occasions in the Gospels where Jesus entrusted His followers with these two indispensable resources when He sent them on a mission.

Scene 1: “When Jesus sent out His disciples, He gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure all diseases, and He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” (Luke 9:1)

Scene 2: “After this the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them out two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go … And they came back and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.’ Jesus replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven. I have authority to overcome the power of the enemy.’” (Luke 10:1, 17-18)

Scene 3: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you and surely I will be with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Our true identity

On each occasion Jesus gave His followers two indispensable resources, authority which is the right to use power and power itself and he told them that “as the Father sent Me, so I am sending you”. (John 20:21)

They went with the same authority and power He had possessed in His ministry on this earth. Jesus only promised His power and authority to His followers who were obedient to that which He asked them to do. He gave authority to those who came under His authority.

Could this be a reason why many of our best efforts lack power and relevance today and why we choose to depend on the latest marketing techniques and corporate models of doing ministry?

The New Testament missional church had none of these things.

The apostle Paul said that the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power (1 Corinthians 4:12). He explained that the gospel came not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with conviction.

And it didn’t take long for Jesus’ disciples to step out in the authority and power of Jesus, following Jesus’ ascension to His Father in heaven.

So much so that just as with Jesus so the religious leaders were amazed at what happened when Peter and John were going to the temple to pray one afternoon.

They came to a man who had been crippled from birth who asked them for money. They responded by not giving him what he asked for, but by giving him what he needed.

Peter replies with a command of a person with authority: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!”

And we read: “Instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.” (Acts 3:6-7)

The command of authority released the healing power of the Holy Spirit and the man was healed.

The religious leaders were offended at the display of authority and power that these two uneducated ordinary men had displayed. And notice when they questioned Peter and John, what was it that attracted their attention?

“By what power or what name (authority) did you do this? Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit (power) said to them, ‘It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (authority) whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you today.’” (Acts 4:7,10)

Peter and John were walking in obedience and intimacy with the Father, conscious of the fact that the Father was always at work.

They were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit and stepped out to obey His prompts in the name of Jesus.

They understood their true identity and were living out the words of Jesus: “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.”

And nothing has changed. Jesus’ purposes for us are just the same as they were for Peter and John. So wherever you go, don’t forget to take the two indispensables that Jesus gave His disciples.

This article was first published on Rod Denton: Equipping The Next Generation and is republished with permission. 

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