UNDERSTANDING OUR POWER AND AUTHORITY as a Believer Luke 9:1&2 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

DEFINITIONS POWER dunamis The explosive manifestation of God’s ability and might to change physical realities AUTHORITY exousia The rule of government that commands submission The highest judicial control possible that can exert rule of law and dominance Dunamis or power is the ability to do something.  Exousia or authority is the right to do it.

POWER AND AUTHORITY SEEN IN SCRIPTURE POWER DUNAMIS AUTHORITY EXOUSIA Impacts the visible world Impacts the visible and invisible realms Produces miracles Removes demons from a person Caused the loaves and fishes to multiply & opened deaf ears and blind eyes Changes weather patterns and natural circumstances & delivers people from bondage Power is when a finger or organ appears that did not exist before – muscles restored in the lame man Authority overcame death in the invisible realm & was seen in the visible realm when Lazarus and Jarius’s daughter were raised from the dead Acts 1:8 But you will receive power dunamis 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."  Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority exousia in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore ……

POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE BELIEVER POWER DUNAMIS AUTHORITY EXOUSIA Pray for miracles eg legs to grow Pray for Healing as authority removes germs, bacteria or demons Partnership with the Holy Spirit – walking in step with Him and being led by Him Partnership with the Written Word – receiving revelation, not only knowledge, of our position and identity in Christ and what He did for us on the Cross The Anointing on our lives, the Divine enabling to fulfil the purpose of God The Presence of God in our lives – His Glory (Exodus 33) Manifests through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in our lives Manifests through our character and the Fruit of the Holy Spirit Linked to our yieldedness to the Holy Spirit and ability to release His power through us Linked to obedience – level of obedience to God and His Word will determine level of authority we walk in The evidence of Grace – NOT determined by our behaviour or state of our soul The evidence of the depth of our relationship with Jesus – determined by time spent in worship, in the Word and in prayer

WHICH IS THE GREATER FORCE….. POWER OR AUTHORITY? Luke 10:19 I have given you authority EXOUSIA to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power DUNAMIS of the enemy; nothing will harm you. The authority that Jesus gave the disciples was to be able to overcome the power – NOT AUTHORITY - of the enemy. The enemy rules by power, not by authority. So we need authority!

THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS Jesus had the level of authority that He exercised in the Gospels and was able to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, doing many miracles because of: His level of submission to the Father - constantly drew aside to spend time with the Father in the secret place (Hebrews 5:7,8) The enemy had nothing in Him (John 14:30). There was no legal ground in his life that the enemy had a hold on

QUESTIONS WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES What sacrifices are we willing to make to spend time with Jesus in the secret place, to carry the level of authority that causes demons to run for cover and the negative circumstances around us to change at our command? What are we yielding our hearts and lives to so that we can walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and His power? We are the temple of the Holy Spirit and He will not share us with idols – we can’t live in compromise and complacency and still expect to move in power.

PHILIPPIANS 2:12,13 (AMP) Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).  [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.