Matthew 16:19-21
Bible Fact: Jesus expects all of His disciples to demonstrate the authority and power of His kingdom as a witness to a weak and wicked world.
The Big Idea: To get Christian disciples to surrender their faith beyond the traditional to be offered the opportunity to engage with God without restrictions to do miraculous works that represent God.
I. The SOUL ONLY is the lone citizen that lives in the kingdom of heaven.
- On the Cross Jesus suffered for me
- In me Jesus saves me
- Around me Jesus secures me
- By my side Jesus sustains me
- For me Jesus sanctifies me
II. 7 Keys to unlock kingdom authority and power within you:
III. Kingdom citizen rules Jesus taught that release His keys of authority to His disciples; Matthews 5:1, 2
A. Teaching and demonstrating what is learned is the beginning of authority.
AUTHORITY: The one officially in charge.
A power or right…This concept of authority as something that causes another person to “do what you want him to do” is reflected in most definitions. For instance, the Random House Dictionary of the English Language speaks of authority as “a power or right to direct the actions or thoughts of others. Authority is a power or right, usually because of rank or office, to issue commands and to punish for violations.” Again the root idea seems to be control or direction of the actions of others.
We see this same idea even in sophisticated examinations of authority. For instance, William Oncken, Jr., in a 1970 Colorado Institute of Technology Journal, gives an analysis of authority that suggests it is comprised of four elements:
1. The Authority of Competence: the more competent the other fellow knows you are, the more confident he will be that you know what you are talking about and the more likely he will be to follow your orders, requests, or suggestions. He will think of you as an authority in the matter under consideration and will feel it risky to ignore your wishes.
2. The Authority of Position: This component gives you the right to tell someone, “Do it or else.” It has teeth. “The boss wants it” is a bugle call that can snap many an office or shop into action.
3. The Authority of Personality: The easier it is for the other fellow to talk to you, to listen to you, or to work with you, the easier he will find it to respond to your wishes.
4. The Authority of Character: This component is your “credit rating” with other people as to your integrity, reliability, honesty, loyalty, sincerity, personal morals, and ethics. Obviously you will get more and better from a man who has respect for your character than from one who hasn’t.—William Oncken, Jr., Colorado Institute of Technology Journal 22 (July 1970): 273.
B. RULES FOR KINGDOM CITIZENSHIP that release authority (official eligibility) of true Christian disciples: (John 3: 3,5) Are you official?
- Rule #1 Jesus releases authority to His disciples that display an humble spirit;
- Rule #2 Jesus releases authority to His disciples that take humility seriously with the attitude of one who visits a “shiva sitting”.
- Rule #3 Jesus releases authority to His disciples that demonstrate meekness;
- Rule #4 Jesus releases authority to His disciple that hunger and thirst after righteousness (righteousness is the way or the lifestyle for the Godly or the believer);
- Rule #5 Jesus releases authority to His disciple that displays mercy;
- Rule #6 Jesus releases authority to His disciple that act with a pure in heart
- Rule #7 Jesus releases authority to His disciple that invest their energy in peacemaking;
- Rule #8 Jesus releases authority to His disciple that endures adversity and opposition for righteousness’s sake and He blesses them with a kingdom of heaven behavior;
- Jesus gives authority to withstand false accusations against Christianity;
- Jesus gives authority to sustain joy when things are negative and makes the reward great;
- Rule #9 Jesus releases power to disciples that are strong enough to value and reconstruct human relationships; Matthew 5:22-24
- Rule #10 Jesus releases power to disciples that can display true humility expecting no gain or nothing personally in return but only to represent God; Matthew 5:39-42
- Rule #11 Jesus releases power to disciples that can demonstrate perfect and pure love (mercy, honor, respect, etc.) to people that hate or oppose them; Matthew 5:43-48