Sermon Central
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You Have The Authority, "So Why Aren't You Using It!
Contributed by Charlie Roberts on Apr 11, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: God hears us loud and clear the first time when we call on Him, He is ready, willing and able to help us, the moment we do. The thing is though, we don’t have to pray pleading, desperate prayers all the time to get His attention.
You have the Authority “so use it”
Exodus 14:15–16 NKJ
15. And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
16. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it...
The issue with Christians today is not that we are not praying.
Christians are praying all right, but it seems like people only pray when its necessary.
This stems from not relying on God 100% all the time, but instead only when we think that we can’t handle things on our own, it seems we pray.
We are praying, “God I need this, God I need that, God, please… God, do something about my situation by tommorrow, God I need you now, God can you hear me!
Or how about this one, God if you get me out of this jam I’ll promise to?
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
No doubt, we have all been there and probably prayed more than one time like that before ourselves.
God hears us loud and clear the first time when we call on Him, in fact He loves it when we call on Him.
He’s ready, willing and able to help us, the moment we do.
The thing is though, we don’t have to pray pleading, desperate prayers all the time to get His attention.
He wants you to use the authority He has given you to pray powerful, expectant prayers,
To plainly speak to your mountain and expect it to step aside.
to boldly command and to “stretch out your hand and your faith” and see miracles happen.
When Moses stood at the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army right on their heel’s,
the Bible tells us that he prayed desperately and cried out to God, just like we‘ve been talking about.
But what did God tell him, “Why do you cry to Me?” Why are you whining to me?
There is a time for you to cry out to God and there is a time for you to step out in faith and use your authority.
God told Moses, “Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it.
I wonder if God was thinking, Seems like I have to do everything around here.
In essence what He was saying was, you know what to do, just do it!!
While we don‘t possess a rod like Moses had, we possess and have access to something far greater than he ever had.
”The “rod” we have today is the name of Jesus.
As you take authority and command in Jesus’ name, your “sea” will open, your mountain will bow down and your problems have no choice but to flee from you.
A lot of believers don’t realize that Jesus didn’t say, “Go and pray for the sick”?
He said, “Go and heal the sick.”
He wanted us to be able to walk in confidence, He wanted us to focus on what we possess through our relationship that we have with Him.
That’s why He spoke the words, “Greater works shall you do, then I have done”
He wanted us to know and realize, see all I’ve done, pretty amazing huh?
But the greatest thing is, you are capable of this and a whole lot more!
Jesus is our power source and if we abide in Him and abides in us, then we can walk in confidence, knowing we have access to
what He has access to!
Matthew 10:8-10 MSG.
Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here.
Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
9-10"Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment!
Christians need to stop pleading when their asking all the time when they pray, and start using the authority that they already have in Christ.
The last thing Jesus told the church,
Mark 16:15-18 NIV.
15. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.
16. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18. they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
