1/29/12 JESUS’ POWER AND AUTHORITY
1/29/12 JESUS’ POWER AND AUTHORITY
Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF Sunday, January 29, 2012
Luke 9:1-9 Key Verse: 9:1
“When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,”
Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for your love and mercy on us to forgiven us of our sins and call us into a rich inheritance in the kingdom of God. I was like an orphan until you came to me and made me part of your heavenly kingdom and part of your family. I thank you and I pray that you extend that grace to others around me. I thank you for blessing the Sunday worship today. Continue to create and mature an atmosphere of worship among us. Please help me accept one word today. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!
1. Jesus gave them power and authority (1-2).
Verses 1-2, “When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.”
Jesus did not keep the Twelve only as his immature followers. Rather, he let the apostles learn independent lives of faith. He gave them power and authority. They had to learn independent faith and the power and authority that comes from Christ and is manifested in the work of God. We give our lives to Christ and his work and he reveals his power through us. We must find how and where to serve God as his servants.
God wants me to mature as his servant. On my own I can take care of myself only. But with Jesus’ authority God can use me to drive out demons, and cure diseases heal the sick and most importantly I can be used to proclaim the kingdom of God. This is the most important because when the kingdom of God comes to a person’s heart and life all other things will fall onto place.
It is not easy to proclaim the kingdom of God. It takes a confidence to stand up in the crowd and preach the gospel. I grew up as a man who stammered a lot. I had no confidence. I felt like I had nothing important to say to the world and I probably did not. But Jesus came to me. He taught me his word. He gave me his spirit. He gave me his authority to stand up before people and preach his word depending on his authority and power. I could be a spiritual leader for campus students only by the authority that Jesus gives. I could never convince someone to believe the Gospel of give their lives to Jesus on my own power or depending on my own personality. On my own I would drive people away from Jesus. But Jesus authority and power means that I can actually introduce the gospel to others and they will be affected by the word of God. Thank you Lord for you’re the grace of you’re your authority.
2. Take nothing for the journey (3-9).
Verses 3-9 read, “He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. 4 Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 5 If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” 6 So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, 8 others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. 9 But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.”
Jesus wanted them to learn to trust in God’s provision and leading. The future can bring hardships to one’s ministry, but God brings support. He provides for his people who go out to preach the gospel. The Twelve were free to focus on preaching the gospel and healing people.
I need to trust God. He has already provided for Jenn’s university. He has already provided for my family to preach the Gospel together. He has always provided and he always will, even on a bad economy. I thank God. I thank God for freeing me up in many ways to preach and teach the word of God.
I also learn that I need to find people who are receptive to the message. I can not spread myself too thin, but focus on the people whom God has sent for me to serve. I also must not get too caught up in their rejection. It is not me they are rejecting but Jesus. I can not let their rejection get me depressed or down. I just need to entrust everything to God and move on with the task at hand.
Prayer: Oh Lord, thank you for the power and authority to be a servant of God. Please help me trust in your provision, and lead me to humble people who will accept your gospel message. Expand your kingdom though me as I preach your word. .
One Word: Preach the gospel with faith in Jesus’ power and authority
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