CHRIST’S AUTHORITY AND THE SPIRIT’S POWER
LESSON # 4
THE AUTHORITY CHRIST GAVE THE CHURCH
  1. The Authority given to those who would believe — Mark 16:15-18
    • Signs that would follow those who would believe the disciples’ message:
      1. In Christ’s name…
      2. They would cast out demons
      3. They would speak with new tongues
      4. They would take up serpent and not hurt by poison
      5. They would lay hands and the sick and the sick will recover
    • Important to observe: These signs were not only for the disciples, but for those who would believe them; and for the next group of believers; and for the next group, and so on throughout the two thousand year history of the church.
    • The authority was there from the beginning of the church since it was in the commission, and it has been throughout the church history, and it is there today, and it will be there until the rapture when Jesus returns to take the Body of Christ before He administers the wrath of God upon a world that is in rebellion against God.

    • Today, the church has the authority to cast out demons and heal the sick — the church must begin to operate in that authority.

    • But where is the power to proclaim the gospel?

  2. The Power to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom — Acts 1:8
    • Jesus told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. At that time they would be endued with power from on high — Luke 24:49
    • They were going to be Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the outermost parts of the world — Acts 1:8
    • The disciples waited in the upper room praying in one accord and on the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit came upon then. They were filled with the Spirit and they received the power to proclaim the gospel — Acts 2:1-4
    • After Pentecost, the disciples, and especially Peter, began to proclaim the gospel with great power and thousands came to the Lord and were added to the church.

  3. The disciples working with Christ’s authority operated with signs and wonders :
    • Peter and John in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth told a crippled man to walk and he did — Acts 3:6-8
    • Through the hands of the apostle and in the name of Jesus, many signs and wonders were done among the people. Multitudes gathered from surrounding cities to Jerusalem bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed — Acts 5:12
    • Philip went to Samaria escaping persecution in Jerusalem. He preached Christ to the people and they listened to him because of all the authority that he displayed with signs and wonders. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice came out of many who were possessed and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed — Acts 8:5-7
    • A slave girl with a spirit of divination followed Paul and his companions and Paul told the spirit to come out of her in the name of Jesus Christ, and it came out — Acts 16:16-18