Taking Authority (Part 2)

Back in the late 80s I met with a high school student who was down and discouraged is got to be redundant, discouraged once he made first. II couldn't ascertain the reason why he was so down and I kept asking questions and quizzing him tried to do my best with a quiet young man and I finally got to the bottom of it. After a great deal of trying in the bottom line was this his parents were pressing him to play a certain sport in which he did not excel in the parents want their son to be popular and in their mind. This is a way for him to get the popularity they want for him. They thought if he excels in this particular sport to accomplish the goal for him. I must confess to you that was really an eye-opener for me.

Bagram as a father of young children see the need for popularity really emanates not from the children but from adults. In fact, parents communicate that message in some subtle and not so many subtle ways, the ultimately the transfer of those desires for popularity to the younger generation is not affected some time ago I read the story about a mother who was having a hard time getting her son to leave for school in the mornings and one day he sipped his mother why should I go to school.

No one likes Mueller. The teachers don't like me. The kids don't like me. The bus drivers don't like me and even the custodians have it informally and the mother persisted, you must go to school. Why should I said.

She said well you are healthy, you've got a lot to learn. You want a leader you've got something to offer and furthermore your 49 years of age and you are the principal. I think after agree that this culture is fixated is infatuated by popularity.

Some people do all kinds of crazy things to get what they need your call 15 minutes of fame. But the drive for popularity has now invaded our politics and our political life. Many political leaders lead, not out of conviction but out of opinion polls relationships are not built on commitments anymore, but on convenience friendships are no longer built on genuine caring about networking politicians who do legislate. They legislate based not on principle but on pleasing their pressure groups and some interest groups popularity became everything to many politicians today and that is why it's not by accident that the second temptation that Satan tempts Jesus with in the wilderness has to do with popularity we saw in that first temptation how our Lord took authority over Satan, and he defeated him when he tempted him with pleasure. And when Satan tempted him to place his desire above the father's will. He took authority of over him just as he tempts everyone of us every single day to get things our way, not his way to please ourselves not God to take shortcuts to get to where we want to go to circumvent the word of God and the will of the father and Jesus took authority over Satan by trusting in the word of God and so must we. Having failed miserably to induce Jesus to use his divine power to serve his own self interest, and thus acting against the father. He gives it the second shot don't ever think that once you have victory over Satan that this is over.

He will come back again and again and again as he gives her the second shot Satan that conniving miserable creature. This time he tries to get the sun to put the father's love to the test.

Satan tempted Jesus like he tempts every one of us and that yours truly included he is constantly attempting extending us to do what he is constantly attempting us to exchange the approval of God for the approval of people to exchange the applause of heaven for the applause of men to exchange the supernatural for the sensational. Now I want you to turn with me to the Scripture Matthew four we gonna look at verses 5 to 7 then the devil took him to the holy city, and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. If you are the son of God, he said, throw yourself down. For it is written, he will command his angels concerning you and they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against the stone Jesus answered him, it is also written. Do not put the Lord your God to the test. What is this temptation all about. Satan is trying to get God the son to force the hand of God the father force his hand forces him to do what force his hand to put the father to the test by the sun which immediately would have meant that Jesus is doubting and distrusting the father's love and the first temptation he failed to get Jesus to distrust the father's timing. Now he pushes the envelope. He is not only trying to get Jesus to express distrust of his father's love that Satan gets spiritual on Jesus this and he gets very spiritual. He quotes the Scripture. Be very careful when people twist the Scripture when people take the scripture out of context for evil purposes and that's what is doing here. He takes the text out of its context, and he twisted in order to suit his purpose to entice Jesus. What the Satan doing his quoting Psalm 91 verses 11 and 12. It begins, but he will dwell in the shelter of the most high will rest in the shadow of the Almighty and diverse immediately prior to the one that Satan quoted verse nine of Psalm 91.

He said if you'll make the most high your dwelling even the Lord, who is my refuge then no harm will befall you see see how the devil twist the Scripture.

This Psalm says nothing about jumping from a 450 foot clinical of the temple. Nothing it says that those who trust in the Lord. Those who put their confidence in the Lord, not those who doubt him, not those who distrusting mother's always trying to test his love another.

Those who are really not sure none, I said, those who trust him then once a protected no matter what happened, but Satan deceptively says to Jesus if you're really really really meant what you said to me earlier of trusting in your father's word.

If you really, really, really meant that you feed upon every word that comes out of the mouth of God.

The improvement is doing the miserable creature. In fact the first century Jewish historian Josephus tells us that it is the distance from the pinnacle of the temple to the valley below Swanton 50 feet. Don't underestimate the wickedness of the evil one. So many Christians are falling for these temptations day after day and then literally living in defeat. When God wants you to take authority over Satan he wants to take authority over temptation. He wanted to be victorious in Jesus name we see if he cannot stop you from going to prayer meeting. He'll join you. He will come as a how long have you been praying for this thing wanting God answer you do still believe that God can do these finger got an answer prayer.don't get me wrong I'm not against prayer but give up already. God might have answered prayers of people in the past. As you read in the Bible he doesn't do that now. Or if you're making an effort to bring some nonbeliever the church with you. He will come to you and you say you know this is really a noble thing you wanted but you really do you really want your unbelieving friends to know that you go to a rambunctious church like this all what about your preacher, or again whether your preacher he'll scare the hell out of them. Amen. And he would constantly constantly hammer away at keeping you in the state of defeat. While at the same time Jesus said, as we saw in the last message I give you authority.

Just think of the craftiness of the devil and what he really is saying is what he say is if you don't want to use your divine power for personal pleasure to help yourself then let the father use his divine power to help you. You should have enough confidence in your father proves you on him. Have you ever presume that God I have this terrible is it when you don't take your medicine, your presuming on God when you don't make plans for your family and provision for your family, your presuming on God.

Those who jump into matters in major decisions without praying and spending time with God and listening to godly counsel there.

Presume longer. Those who deliberately go and marry nonbeliever and be unequally yoked. They are presuming on God presuming on God's testing God distrusting in the promises of God. All of that place us in a superior position to God. It really because did you know that I'll explain it to does the teacher administer a test on the student as a student of medicine test on the teacher imagine a student walking to class tomorrow and an inside teacher. I'm going administer a test on next are being kicked out of the class. He is placing himself or herself in a superior position to the teacher around trying to get you to see the regular witness will ask you some questions and I wanted to answer loudly. It doesn't matter. Had Jesus jumped and became popular with the crowd.

How long would the popular have lasted you got it. Let me ask you a question, please feel free to answer me with that popularity have redeemed us with that popularity have convicted us of sin without popularity have humbled us before God without popularity have assured us of our salvation and the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life in heaven.

But with that popularity have created temporary sensation but would that have captured the headline news would that have bedazzled people absolutely. But remember this sensationalism is always short-lived sensationalism does not last.

Sensationalism is only temporary, but above all, sensationalism does not save people from the judgment of God that is coming on the world. Although it may have entertained the crowd but not save them.

It might have created excitement for a moment, but would not have led them to eternal life. Had Jesus fallen for the temptation of Satan and God is 15 minutes of fame. The whole plan of salvation where you and I are sitting here today would have been foiled. How did Jesus take authority over Satan temptation because that's really the theme in which we focusing on how did he do it and how can we learn from him to take authority over Satan and temptation and all of the fodder.certifies artist and all the harassing demons that harasses how the Jesus take authority. How did he become a victor. Another victim listen and learn so that you and I can win the victory listen and learn so that we can take authority over the harassing demons in our I don't do this very often, but I know you will forgive me.

Okay guys every now and again, the Lord just lay something on the hearts of the men okay so ladies, you can eavesdrop, but I'm just speaking to the men okay just a few minutes many men when it comes to their business. They are aggressive. They are disciplined in their business that they are all serious to some man when it comes to their favorite sport all my goodness they are aggressive their discipline. I did not miss again. I mean even if the out of range there constantly calling what's the score what's the score, but when it comes to spiritual warfare when it comes to taking authority over evil one on behalf of your family when it comes to standing in the gap on behalf of your family. There are many men who leave that to their wives. Many men let their wives do all the praying that the wives do all of the spiritual leading that their wives do all of the interceding that the wise drawl of the spiritual warring. They let their wives to do all the spiritual resisting of the devil. And that is why men need to learn from Jesus how to take authority and defeat the evil one, not only on your behalf, but on behalf of your family. Learn how to stand toe to toe against Satan and his attacks upon us and upon our families like Jesus we need to spare him down and defeat him in Jesus name we need to learn how to have victory in Jesus name when it comes to stirring Satan down. Jesus did not let his mother do it for him.

He did not let the disciples do it for him. He personally took authority and defeated that miserable for, and the blessing is that you and I do not do it in our own strength. We do not do it in our own flesh, but we do it in the power of Jesus and in the power of the word of Jesus the victory and his authority that is given to us that can only come from the power of the word of God and beloved, listen to me. I do not know any other way to learn how to take authority over Satan using the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God without the discipline of obedience without time in learning and spending time with the word of God without willingness to walk in the spirit it takes time to learn how to use the sword of the Spirit.

I want to show you how confused our culture is not talk about churchgoing folks… People outside of the Toronto Raptors people only show you how confused men are. We have churches are stacked with men who confused Randy Alcorn wonderful writer and the pastor. He he tells a story of a man who came to his office and he said to him, he said Randy I am angry with God.

Razor will tell me about it. He said the I'm angry with God because he allowed me to commit adultery puzzle and confused Randy looked at the man and he said look, I understand if you said to me that you may think that God is angry with you, but how in the world can you say that you are the one is angry with God. He said because he did not stop me is how confused people in the churches are. But here's the truth God wants to equip you for the battle God gave us the armor for the spiritual warfare. God wants us to take ownership of the battle God gave us authority over demons. God gave us the power to resist temptation.

God wants us to be victorious in Jesus name. His biblical truth.

The blessing of victory when you stand toe to toe on behalf of your families when you take authority over Satan on behalf of your family and when you receive the victory from Jesus's hand. That blessing is not only yours is going to bless everybody around you. Jesus did not only personally take authority over Satan, but he confidently took authority over Satan. Listen, whether we face the temptation directly from the devil or through one of his satan's notes of those whom I call themselves friends, but forever trying to entice you to get away from the Lord is the one who tells you. Come on just one joint is not going to hurt anybody. Just one Luke will not hurt anybody.

Just one drink will not hurt anybody. These are Satan's notes and you need to run away from. But here's the promises of God for you is the promises of God.

For everyone who understand firms.

Everyone who wants to stand firm and claim the victory and take the authority of Jesus in Isaiah 5417. He promised no weapon forged against you will prevail in first John four for he promised the one who is in you is greater than the one is in the world in first Corinthians 1557, he promised thanks be to God who gives us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ and second Corinthians 214 he promised.

But thanks be to God who always always always always leads us in a triumphal procession in Christ Jesus.

In first Corinthians 1013 he promised no temptation has seized you except what is common to man and God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it some promise of God. God promised victory, but you and I have to take authority. We have to claim the authority to win the scrimmage. He won the battle. He won the war but you anonymous when the skirmishes look again how Jesus resisted because this is how we learn. He said Satan you shall not tempt or test the same word the Lord your God. You know where those words are there in the book of Deuteronomy not going to give you the background to those words because you will understand the context you see when the people of Israel came out of the slavery of Egypt and they saw with their own eyes. One miracle after another, one deliverance after another, one victory after another. I mean, they saw the Red Sea party.

They saw all of the stuff and you know the moment they ran into the slightest problems.

This is where it is God. Moses finally had enough and so in Deuteronomy 616. He gives them a warning gives morning do not test the Lord your God as you did at NASA is a very very stern words this a final warning stop moaning, stop complaining, take authority, you and I attempted every day to do that which is popular. You and I attempted every day to compromise our convictions.

You and I attempted every day to presume on God's grace to try to force his hand you on. I attempted every day to fulfill our own ambitions. Every time we fall in that temptation.

We are putting God to the test we are forcing God's hand to deliver us, but when we are willing to risk everything prestige money and even life itself. In obedience to the word of God we can be confident of his divine power is defined authority to give us victory every time every time Penny stayed with me every time a thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org@LTW.org