This sermon emphasizes the importance of living a life of faith as Christians, highlighting that all aspects of our lives should be governed by faith in God. The sermon discusses the authority and power given to believers by God, stressing that faith is essential for this authority to be manifested. It encourages believers to understand and operate in the divine authority given to build the kingdom of God, emphasizing that faith is the key to seeing God's power at work in their lives.

We've been speaking about faith for three weeks now, of need for us Christians, the Word of God teaches us clearly that we used to live a certain lifestyle before, but today the life of a Christian is a life by faith. Do we agree with this? Are you there guys? There is no other means for us to live than by faith. This is how the Lord has instituted our lifestyle. All our life is a life by faith. And the moment we stop being in faith, nothing works. We miss many things. We lose so many blessings. The Word of God tells us that the righteous will live by faith. This is how we receive from God. This is how we grow. It's by faith that we serve the Lord. It's by faith that we expect from God for all things. It's not in our reasoning. We are going to carry on on that theme. And this morning we are going to speak about the kind of authority that God gives us as Christians. And even if we recognize the authority that God has given us, it will never work without faith. We can have all kinds of teachings about the authority of the Christians. We can understand everything about that, but if there is no faith in our hearts and that we don't walk by faith, that will stop right there. We become like rusted Christians, handicapped, paralyzed. What is authority? We are going to go slowly and we will see what happened since Jesus came on earth. When we speak about the authority of the Christians, what are we speaking about? It's not an authority in the flesh. It has nothing to do with our tone of voice. We can shout as much as we want, but if there is no faith in our hearts, the authority that God gives us is in vain. We must come to a place that everything we have from God and everything we can offer from God and everything that is manifested through us from God can only be at work when the Christian has faith in his heart. Therefore, it has nothing to do with an authority in the flesh. Absolutely not. It's an assurance in the spirit. The authority that God gives us takes into consideration spiritual things. Do we understand that? We have come out of a kingdom and we have entered into another kingdom and that new kingdom in which we have entered is a spiritual kingdom. In the world, it's another authority that is manifested. But when we speak of spiritual authority, divine authority, it's an assurance in the spirit. It's a strength. It's a position that God gives us in the spirit. It is something that we carry within us. This is where we make the difference between a carnal authority and a divine authority. We will see that the authority that God gives us is to build the kingdom of God. For no other reason. For no other reason. If we want to give a little illustration, in a family, there's a father and there's a child. Who is the authority? The father of the child. And this is something natural that the child should be able to feel from the father, a natural authority even if it's brought by God himself, to educate, to raise the son so that the father can cause the son to grow the way he should. But what happens if that authority that God gives us is never used? Or is used in the wrong way, by anger, and not in the right way? Or the child will feel, will be afraid of his father. Or if the authority is never used, it's the child who will take the authority. It's a bit like when we consider our relationship with God. We know what our authority is in the spirit. And we know what God gives us according to the word of God. It's up to us now, by faith, to use what God has given us. And we know where our authority is. We know that everything that we possess, that everything that has been invested in us comes from God. I like to try to show by different steps how that whole thing started. By the coming of Jesus. What do we see? Let's turn our Bibles to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 9. Jesus chose his disciples. He chose 12. He was exercising his ministry. In the book of Acts, we saw that he went from place to place, doing good, healing all those who were under the power of the devil. We see all kinds of miracles that he did. We see that the Lord had the desire to manifest the compassion, the grace, the mercy of God, and the love of God towards all those who were living in those days. We see in verse 1 of chapter 9, then he called his 12 disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. We see the same scripture in Matthew, chapter 10. Luke now, chapter 10, verse 1 and 2. After these things, the Lord appointed 70 others also and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to go. The harvest, he said to them, is truly great, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest because God wanted his people to know that the kingdom of God had come. Through Jesus, he wanted to manifest his love, his mercy, his goodness towards men. Not only Jesus was operating in that authority that came from his Father, but we saw in these two scriptures that we read that he transmitted his authority to his 12 disciples to ask them to go to heal the sick and to cast the demons and to do good. But the 12 were not enough. He chose another 70 and he told them the harvest is great but very few laborers. So he did the same thing. He sent them two by two and we see in verse 8 So in whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat such things that are said before you, heal the sick and say to them this is a transmission of the authority of God to Jesus his Son to operate in that dimension and then he transmitted this authority and this power to the 12 disciples and then he transmitted this same power to the 70 disciples to go do what? To proclaim the Kingdom of God to heal the sick to cast the demons and to do the work of a ministry Do we agree with this so far? Jesus worked in that authority he transmitted it to the 12 and then he transmitted it to the 70 Are you with us? Now we go to Mark chapter 16 We are going to jump into something else now In verse 16 It is written he who believes and is baptized will be saved but he who does not believe will be condemned and those who have believed in my name they will hunt the demons they will speak new languages they will seize the serpents if they drink some deadly drink it will not harm them they will impose their hands on the sick and the sick will be healed In fact what Jesus is saying to his disciples after the resurrection he died on the cross he did everything on the cross he resurrected the dead he appeared to his disciples and he gave them this commission a commandment he gave them this authority and this power and he said not only for them not only for them but he says now for all those who will believe the one who believes he who believes in my name they will cast out demons they will grab serpents if they drink any deadly drink this will not harm them they will impose their hands on the sick and they will recover and now we are speaking of faith for everything that is happening here and everything that we hear we need one thing for all that to be manifested we can receive all authority that comes from God but if there is no faith nothing will happen nothing will take place it will be something that we read and that we know but where there is faith these things that Jesus promises it will have to come to pass it will have to come to pass where there is faith this is what we read in the word of God let's turn to Matthew chapter 16 we are going to read from verse 16 Jesus speaking I read from verse 15 And I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven In fact, what Jesus was speaking about to his disciples and to Peter, he was speaking about the time of the church. I will give you the keys of the kingdom, whatever you will buy on earth will be loosed in heaven. When we look at that verse, we understand that somewhere the Lord is entrusting his church. He entrusted it to his twelve apostles, he raised ministries to join to the apostles, to build the church of the Lord, and he gave them authority, this is what we see here, on that rock I will build my church, he says that first of all the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, and he says, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, in other words, what the Lord is doing is giving to men the authority to build the kingdom of God on earth, and this is what Paul says in the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 11, the Bible says that God gave keys to the church, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and he equips them with an authority, with an anointing, to be able to build the kingdom of God. He says, I will give you the keys of the kingdom of God, and whatever you will bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven, many Christians see in that scripture as if a Christian must fight against demons all day, every night, every day, and they interpret that verse as if the Lord has given authority to bind and to loose demons all day. Can we open our hearts and try to understand even a little bit more what the Lord wanted to entrust to his disciples, and for us to understand, I think that in the scripture the Lord is teaching his disciples about the building of a church, and not only of a spiritual fight against the devil, that text corresponds clearly to the ministry and the authority that God gives to build the church, and it's incredible how when God gives us his authority he entrusts to us, he trusts us to build his church with him, he trusts us to take decisions by the Spirit for his church, and he confirms that in the chapter 18 of Matthew, and now he speaks, he's talking about if a brother has sinned, how he must deal with it, if he doesn't want to hear, if he decides not to hear, and to carry on in sin. Jesus teaches his disciples that something must be done, we can't just let things happen and go, and allow sin to dwell in the midst of the church. What did he say to them? If your brother has sinned, go and rebuke him between you two. Verse 15 of chapter 18 of Matthew, if he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not hear, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established, and if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church, tell it to the church, but if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be like a heathen and a tax collector. And Jesus is repeating here the same thing he's told to Peter. He says in verse 18, I shall say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. He confirms the authority that God has given us to build the church, to take decisions for the goodness of the kingdom of God. In this context, the Lord is saying, whatever you shall bind on earth, I will bind in heaven. In other words, whatever you decide, according to the direction of the spirit, all the decisions you will take for the good of the kingdom of God, I'm going to back up that decision. What you bind on earth, I bind in heaven. What you loose on earth, I loose in heaven. It's wonderful to understand how when we are led by the spirit, and we want to serve the Lord, and we want to build the kingdom of God with Jesus, he has given gifts to the church, and he's transmitted his authority to the church. He has transmitted his anointing in the lives of people, so that by the spirit they will take decisions for the interest of the kingdom of God. And the Lord says to them, everything you will do and decide, I'm going to back it up. You bind, I bind. You loose, I loose. He's scared that God is trusting us, for he's investing in us different degrees of authority in the lives of many of us. This is why when we look at the five ministries of Ephesians 4.11, we realize that the Lord has made gifts, and through these gifts, he's manifesting his authority, he's manifesting his anointing for the church, to build the church. We see clearly even in the epistles of Paul, how Paul acted. Corinthians chapter 5, verse 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. How Paul in the authority of God acted towards that believer, and spoke to the people of God with a certain authority. Why? Because he had received that authority from God, and he was ready to build the kingdom of God with God himself, and God had placed him there, to take decisions according to God. Somehow he applied the divine authority in his life, to take decisions, and that decision that Paul took in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, was backed up by God himself, was backed up by God. Because Paul was acting by the Spirit, and manifesting divine authority, to put things back into place in the church. Everything that we are going to bind on earth, by the Spirit, led by the Spirit, directed by the Spirit, God will back it up. God supports it. And when we read the second epistles of Paul, we see that Paul will speak about that situation, and we see the fruit it brought in the church, all the good it brought in the church. Because while the authority that God gives us, we must be very much aware that we cannot manipulate it. We can't manipulate the authority that God gives us. When the disciples went to heal the sick and cast the demons, they understood it was a God-given authority. Let's go back to Mark chapter 16. We will read the same verses. From verse 16, he who believes that he is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe. In my name, they will cast out demons. They will speak with their new tongues. They will take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly, it will be by no means hurt them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. And here, the Lord is talking to all of us. There is a certain level of authority that God invests in the life of some ministries. Do we agree with that? A certain authority, a certain anointing that the Lord places in the life of some ministries for some more than others. Now, we come back to the life of the Christian, to you and to me, all of us. And Jesus says, the one who believes, what will happen? What is he able to do? What does he carry in him? Remember, he said to his disciples, I give you authority and power, the power to go, to lay hands on the sick and they will recover, to cast demons, and to do great things. Do we agree? And now, Jesus is risen from the dead, he appears to his disciples, and he gives them that instruction, not only for them, but for all those who will be saved, all those who will be saved, all those who will be born again. That same power, that same authority that Jesus gave to his disciples before the resurrection is the same power and the same authority that the Lord gives to each and every one of us. This is why he says, the one who believes, this is what will happen. He will lay hands on the sick, he will cast demons out, and many other things. Jesus even says, the one who will believe in me will do greater things than I did. This is why we are all called, by faith, to recognize and acknowledge what God has given us. What he has invested in us, the power and the authority that we have in us, by faith. This is why we can all lay hands on the sick. It's not reserved for some people only. If you have faith, and that you lay hands on the sick and that they are recovered, and if I walk in unbelief, and I lay hands on the sick and they are not healed. This is why that commandment, that mission, if we can say, that Jesus entrusts, he gives it to us all. And if each of us, we understand what God has invested in us, to resist the enemy, what James in chapter 4 verse 7 says, resist the enemy and he shall flee from you. And if we don't resist the devil, the devil will resist us. If we don't realize our victory, if we don't have faith in our hearts, we shall not walk in victory. And we'll be able to do nothing for others. Because we are not looking at ourselves, we are looking at the Kingdom of God. We look at others who need to taste the goodness and the love of God. And if God puts an assurance, a power, an authority in us, it's for others to taste what we have tasted. It's the goodness of God that is manifested. This is why the authority of God should be used with humility of heart. Because it doesn't come from us. It comes from God. It's a gift that God has given us. We read in the epistles of Corinthians, the spiritual gifts. We have the five ministries that carry authority from God. The Lord gives the spiritual gifts to who he wants. And one of the gifts of the spirit is healing. It's to lay hands and to heal the sick. The gifts of miracles. The gifts of healing. We don't have. We all have the gifts of healing he gives to whom he wills. And when the gift of healing is being manifested, it's somehow the authority of God that is being manifested in his power. It is manifested in different ways. That authority is manifested in different ways. There is a different kind of authority for the ministries. There is an authority of God for different kids. And there is also a level of authority for every one of us. And when we operate in faith, all that authority of God is put together for the building of the kingdom of God. That it be for the five ministries. Added to that the spiritual gifts. Added to that for each of us all that we are called to do for the Lord. This is how we see the kingdom of God being built. This is why we have our share. When we speak of faith, it's faith for everybody. When we speak of God's authority, it's the authority of God for everyone. Different. But the same thing. The same means the authority of God is the same. The power of God. For all of us. And it's manifested in different ways. Through the ministries, the authority of God is manifested in this way, in this natural way. Because it's something we carry within us. Different ministries carry different anointings and different authorities. This is why the different gifts also carry different authorities. And the same for you. We must realize that what Jesus says here is for all of us. It's for all of us. He says, the one who believes. I don't ask you to look at the authority that God places in the lives of those who are called in the different ministries. But simply for each of us, what God gives us as authority. That we are called to transmit. And I remind you that this authority can only be manifested only by faith. It's not different for anything we do. Everything I do. All my life. All your life. You need to have faith. It's linked to faith. To everything. This is why when the word of God says that the just shall live by faith. It's all my life. And all your life. Everything. And this is what God wants to see. And that authority of God will be manifested by faith. It's not a theory. It's not a technique. It's a power of God in us. Which is manifested by faith. There is no other way for it to happen. No other way. Do you see that there is no other way? It's by faith or not at all. This is the difference. Faith makes the difference. We are all called. To go. Because we all believe. To lay hands on the sick. Don't wait for your wife to come to church for somebody to lay hands on her. Don't wait for the pastor to come and pray for your child if he's sick. If there is faith in your heart. And that you are a believer. Lay hands. Lay hands on your child. Why should we have to wait for Sunday morning? That's over and above. It's true as we mentioned earlier on that the gifts of healing and miracles is given to some, not to everyone. And it's true that the church is the place which is called for these gifts to be manifested. It's one of the places. This is why when God gives a gift to someone, maybe for the gift of healing or to operate miracles. It's a grace to be found in the place of these people where these people are. But we are not always where these people are. You are not always near to an elder or somebody that God has given a gift to. It's not always the case. But we are still a believer, aren't we? You always have your wife who believes, your husband who believes, your child who believes, a brother, a sister who believes. And this is where we need to allow the Lord to revive that faith in us. So that wherever there is a need, we are there. We manifest faith. And when that faith is exercised, there will be the power of God, the authority of God that will be manifested. Everything has been given us to build the kingdom of God. And if we add everything that God has given to each and every one of us here, the mysteries, the spiritual gifts, and all of us together, with faith, that authority of God, that power of God, manifested in our lives, and we are the same at doors open for all of us. We can go because we believe, we have faith. And this has been given us. That authority and power has been given us. And if we allow our faith to grow, and that the door opens, we will go. We shall not go and look for somebody special to go and pray for somebody who is in need. Because it will be the one who believes, who will lay hands on the sick, the one who believes. He will cast out demons. The one who believes can step in for God to meet the need of that person. Can you imagine how the kingdom of God can be built? How the church of Jesus Christ can move forward? How we can benefit on the life of each and every one of us? The different ministers, the elders, the deacons, those who have spiritual gifts, and each of us. But what is lacking in the house? What is lacking in the kingdom of God? Nothing should be lacking. We have everything in the corporate body. The different ministries, the spiritual gifts, and all of us included. There is in us a different authority, a different level of authority, according to the gift of God to each individual. And the only difference between you and your neighbor is that maybe he has faith and you don't. Or maybe you have and he doesn't. Because what we carry all of us, let's forget the spiritual gifts, let's forget the ministries, but all of us, simple Christians, there is no ministry in our midst. It was just good Christians, that's all that we have. Only that is not enough. Because we also need the rest. But what can happen only with us just as simple Christians if you have faith, if I have faith, if she has faith, if we have faith. Wow. Add to this the spiritual gifts that God gives to some of us. Healings, miracles, faith, and if on top of all, God gives us gifts which are ministries. What is lacking? What is lacking? Nothing should be lacking. It's a matter of activating only a question of faith. Because you can know everything. I can teach you the authority of a believer for three weeks and if you leave here with all knowledge, without faith, you are useless. If you only have knowledge and you don't have faith, you are cooked. If only half of us had faith, can you imagine? Okay, let's go 25%. Okay, one-eighth, that section. Come on, guys. Can you imagine what could happen? Just faith. Authority from God. What we carry in us in the name of Jesus. Let's turn to Philippians chapter 2. We're going to read Philippians chapter 2, verse 9. The verses that come before that speak of the attitude of heart that Jesus had. The humility that Jesus had to go to the cross. And then he was obedient to the point of death. Therefore, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of those in heaven, of those on earth, and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father. Colossians chapter 2, verse 10 says, And you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power. In other words, there is no authority in heaven and earth that can measure with the Lord. No authority. Neither on earth nor in heaven. Can measure with the authority of God. And this is this authority that you and I, that we carry. Because in the name of Jesus, that all power of God is invested. And the authority that is being manifested in the name of Jesus, is all invested in the name of Jesus. We read it, that God has exalted him and has given him a name above every other name. We just read it. Above every name. So that in that name, every knee should bow. Every tongue should confess that Jesus is Lord. So what am I saying? That there is no authority that can resist the authority of God. This is why James says, resist the devil and he will flee away from you. In other words, there is no reason for us to constantly be in conflict and in a battle against the devil. We just need to resist him when we need to. Simple. In the name of Jesus. Because all the authority of God is invested in the name of Jesus. This is why God has exalted him and has given him a name which is above every name. There is no power that is not authority that can measure up with the authority of God. And now we need to understand and be aware of a grace. The grace that we have as believers. What we have, what we carry. And that can be manifested in the name of Jesus by faith. This is why Jesus says, the one who believes, he can do great things. He can do great things in the sense that our faith needs to be awakened. And to understand that we are not like everyone else and that it is just our faith that is different. It is not just our faith that is different. Because the authority that we carry cannot be measured and nothing can come up and measure to that. It is beyond the belief. Now it is what Jesus said to his disciples. Have faith in God. And we saw that. Our faith in the sacrifice of Christ. All of us. Can you understand? We are not normal people. I can understand why people think we are a bit funny. Because we dare to do some things. We dare to speak in a certain way that doesn't match up their language. We dare to say to somebody who is sick to come to church and we will pray for him. Are you crazy? According to the standards of this world we are abnormal. People of the world do not carry what we carry. And we act in the name of Jesus. What represents all of the authority of God has been invested for us in that name. This is why when we speak in faith in the name of Jesus it disturbs us. It disturbs. It rocks up the spiritual world it even upsets people. Do you understand why it is upsetting people? It confronts. And to understand that the Lord trusts us for his church. This is why titles have got no value. You can call yourself apostle or prophet or evangelist or pastor. That should be represented by the anointing of God and divine authority. And when we put all that together the five ministries all this together we put all the elders together all those to whom God has given a gift and all of us who carry somewhere the divine authority because we believe and in the name of Jesus we put all that together everybody shake because of the shaking government everybody shakes everybody are scared everybody persecute us they will all be opposed what triggers all that often we don't understand why we are persecuted for this, for that but we are threatening people the whole system is threatened by what we carry God has exalted him and given a name above every name faith in our hearts in the name of Jesus this is how the kingdom of God is built that's the way by me by you by all of us together the kingdom of God is established is built by faith and the authority of God and the power of God manifest by faith Amen you agree? we are not going to stop there we are not going to allow ourselves to be dominated I'm not talking of fighting back or rebelling I'm talking about our position that's all when the father walks in the house he doesn't need to shout or do all kinds of circus but his presence should be enough and the children to acknowledge that they should walk in submission and this is what we carry and the enemy should know Amen is that ok? are you ok with that? the enemy must know who we are in Jesus what we carry in us can only be manifested by faith it can only be manifested by faith are you ok with that? come on let's stand we need to bless the Lord this morning Lord we thank you this morning for all that you have prepared for us women and men who are simple who are nothing who are nothing who are at the mercy of the devil building everything else the kingdom of this world you have called us and you have chosen us it's time for us Lord to acknowledge who we are by your grace it's time for us to acknowledge what you have invested in us what you have given us as a gift it's time for us to acknowledge the power of the name of Jesus the authority that is manifested in the name of Jesus Lord you confront us concerning our faith not only our dependency on you but faith to build with you the kingdom of God faith to take to others your love your compassion your goodness Lord we are only men and women but you have invested in us as you said to your disciples you have sent them two by two you have given them authority and power to cast out demons Lord you did the same thing with us as you said to the disciples you have given them we are all labourers we pray that we should rise up and not allow ourselves to be dominated by circumstances by plans or strategies of the devil we want to rise up in faith we want to dare to make a step of faith where we hesitated we pray Lord that you will give us faith to make that step we were timid but Lord give us your assurance your assurance your authority for your power to be manifested through us Lord we believe that in the name of Jesus we are sending you not only in our own strength but in the name of Jesus we give you grace Lord we praise you Lord for your calling us to share your word to share your love we shall face all kinds of situations all kinds of infirmities of sickness of sickness of illness we are possessed by evil spirits Lord you have equipped us and you desire to find faith in us and you ask us Lord to simply pray in your name Lord and we shall see great things become done we want to be those who have got faith Ready for everything. At all times. Help us Lord. To walk by faith. For your just shall live by faith. We praise you Lord. Thank you for all that you have invested in us. Thank you for all that you have done. The work of your spirit. We praise you Lord. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for your name Lord. The wonderful name of Jesus. We want to praise you. We want to pray in your name. We want to praise your name. We want to cast demons in your name Lord. The name of Jesus. The name of every name. In the name of every knee shall bow and tongue shall praise. We praise you Lord. We praise you Lord. We praise you Lord. We praise you Lord. Thank you for faith Lord. In our hearts. We bless you Lord. We praise you Lord. Alleluia.