Understanding Spiritual Authority

Dr. Tony Evans talked about why the Lord offers something that amazing what you can make make.

This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. Having access to God's power is one thing. Putting it to work in our lives is another. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 1 as Dr. Evans explains why the difference between the two comes down to understanding and then exercising our spiritual authority series has been called, is called a series is connecting you with your authority with your spiritually invalid authority granted to you by God.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ. But for far too many of us, we do not see clearly because we do not understand that it is our shaded view that's keeping us from experiencing what God offers. God wants you and me drab kingdom authority kingdom authority is the divinely authorized right and responsibility that's been delegated to believers in God's behalf in spiritually ruling only gives creation underneath the lordship of Jesus Christ in verses 15 to 18 Paul prays that they will bring him what they have. He says in verse 1817, God will give you a spirit of wisdom, a spirit of revelation prays in verse 18, that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. All that pleases. So did you start seeing things as they really are and not as you think they want God to clarify, so I want you whisper in your mind… As I'm speaking to you today. I simply want you to ask God to help you see that the eyes of your heart might be illuminating to see clearly what authority that you possess.

I possess. We possess as believers that use an interesting word and begin the verse 18 which the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints on the credit you you are rich. He says I want you to understand how rich you all in the spiritual realm that you have inherited by virtue of your faith in Jesus Christ. There is not a poor person here spiritually.

As far as joint evidence is considered so if we are spiritually poor. We don't know how to withdraw because he says I want you to see how rich you are spiritually speaking, a college student one day called his mom and stepmom him run out of money before it's time for me to come over for the break.

I'm running out of money of mama please send me some money.

He received the package in the mail. It was a Bible.

It was with the know.

It said son pray and read your Bible because it stepmom. I know you love the Lord know that but I need some money before spring break will run out.

She said son pray and read your Bible got frustrated and called her back mama please let's get practical. I'm in a situation I need you to send me some money. She said what I told you, pray and read your Bible few weeks later he came home mad at his mother. I called you because I was in a practical need you sent me the Bible that a prayer vigil, but she said did you pray and read your Bible, yeah, pray and read my Bible, but that address my real knee.

She said giving a Bible. She gave her the Bible that she said to him, she open up the Bible to the Psalms that was five $100 bills in this part you didn't pray and read your Bible because if you would've prayed and read your Bible, you would've understood as boy you could ever imagine what God wants you to know need to know and us to know that there is more in to be experienced, not just to be held in your hand but to be experienced. He says I pray that your eyes might be enlightened but our problem is we've got five on eye glasses just like pesticides being put on fruit and vegetables, producing another kind of problem. No matter how good it takes many of us to put pesticide on what God has for us and is contaminated that pesticide is called human wisdom that is man's point of view, the human way to go. The natural way to think and we have sprinkled pesticide on God's organic truth and wonder why we are spiritually sick, even though we still chewing on the word now having to establish what he's praying for what you and I should be praying for clear glasses so that we can see it goes a little bit further. What does he want us to see. Well, he says, verse 19. What is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe. So guess what he wants you to see he wants you to see you spell it want you not to talk about it brag about it. You want to see. He says God wants to show you his muscles.

God wants to show you his potency. God want you to experience his power while how big is this power well he tells you which verse 20 brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above rule, authority, power and dominion, every name that his name not only of this age, but in the age to come. While he want you to experience heritage. Rather, direction, he says it's the power that raised Christ from the dead. Resurrection power demonstrates a written parcel of fortune. If your dad one day and if you allow two days later. That's a reversal of fortune. That's all hundred and 80° turn how things were and how things are. What kind of power does God want you to see it want you to see the power that reverses things that can take things that are dead and make them online. Take things that are bad and make them good.

Take Diffie make victory lost and wind up with want you to see what this study can change the natural order of things. Resurrection is changing the natural order of things. Now that's what happened to you would be physically like it happened Jesus when we given our new bodies at the resurrection. But he's not talking about when believers.talk about what was still alive.

He says I want you to see it now.

I want you to put on glasses so that you get to see resurrection power. Now let's go little bit when he raised Jesus from the dead. It says that Jesus being raised, seated him at his right hand in heavenly places. Jesus rose on Sunday. Then we ascended 40 days later through the clouds into heaven where he sat down. Now you sit down when you finish. The Bible says he sat down on the right hand of the father. The father's right hand is his power when the Bible talks about the right hand of God about his so he sat in the seat of power cables calls it the throne. So he's sitting in a powerful suite on a powerful throne because he is a powerful person.

So now the reversal of fortune from Friday to Sunday that could be ascension which led to him being seated on a throne, who sits on the throne sits on the throne.

So Jesus Christ is ruling stay with me here Jesus Christ is in a ruling position having experience the physical resurrection from the dead, but where exactly is this throne. He tells you he says this throne is located in heavenly places heavenly places is a euphemism for the spiritual realm.

When the Bible says heavenly places is talking about the spiritual realm. Paul uses this phrase a lot in Ephesians and 13 said your blessings on spiritual realm. He says here Jesus as spiritual room with a look at a moment at chapter 2 verse six we are in the spiritual realm. He says in chapter 3 verse 10.

The Angels are in the spiritual realm and then he says in chapter 6, verse 12, the devil and his demons are in a spiritual room in heavenly places.

These heavenly places. So when you hear the phrase heavenly places.

Think about the spiritual realm, so follow this Jesus Christ is now seated in the spiritual realm rolling on the throne. Jesus Christ, having risen, ascended in seated on a rolling throne in the spiritual realm.

He's not stated in the physical realm where you and I are today.

He is seated very much alive in the spiritual realm called heavenly places. But what is he doing in that spiritual room. He's rolling because he seated on a throne so want your eyes to be open that you got this wealth available to you to experiences, and that power is demonstrated in the person of Christ.

Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14, which says that in Jesus's death and resurrection. Satan was defeated. Let's get this straight. You cannot now be defeated by Satan, unless he's allowed to do it and he does it now by deception because Jesus took away his fangs. Bible says he took away the power of death. So Satan now must trick us to defeat us.

If you can't just overpowers to the fetus if you're a believer in Jesus Christ's gotta do. That's why he wants your eyes my eyes to be open that Satan is now under Jesus's feet will find out how Jesus victory over the devil gives him the resources to assure our victory. Dr. Evans comes right back with more of this lesson from his powerful series igniting kingdom. Prayer as we the learning kingdom. Prayer isn't just any prayer. It starts with understanding God's comprehensive authority over every area of life. This series will help you get your mind around that idea and connected with the power available when you make the Lord's agenda. Your first priority would like to send you this two-volume collection of all 12 full-length messages on CD or digital download as a way of saying thank you. You make a donation to help us keep Tony's teaching on the station get a copy today when you visit Tony Evans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222 our resource request line is open 24 seven so there's no need to wait again that's 1-800-800-3222, or online@tonyevans.org Dr. Evans will bring us part two of today's lesson right after this and I'm standing here in Alaska. One of the most glorious places in God's great creation and I want to invite you to join me permit alternative for the Alaskan cruise going to have a magnificent time in God's word and in God's creation we going to enjoy great fellowship. Great great mood and I'm looking forward to meeting and greeting on our PUA Alaskan cruise registered to me there. Can't wait to be with more unforgettable Alaskan cruise, visit Tony Evans.org to Tony have in stock for if you gotta be nice to know you got a deposit and you have the power of withdrawal God has given every believer access to power and authority, the right to use legitimate power within the context of his will.

Jesus sits in heaven to authorize and he is now giving you and me watch this watch is coming home and all access pass certain places can only sit certain places you can go backstage.

That is unless you have an all access pass to what God has given you and me is an all access pass. Look at chapter 2 verse six, reverse 46 but God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive to gather with Christ by grace. Have you been saved and raised up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Did you just see what I just read what your eyes open. I will be probably like to read it again but God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive to gather with Christ by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. So guess what Jesus is not the only one in heaven. Somebody was with him to gather with them. Not only are there folks with him and to gather with him. They stated side. He says you have been relocated spiritually.

Even though you are physically located right here right now in charge.

He says because if you say you die with him were raised with him were seated with him.

The heavenly places. So here's the problem. If you're with him in heavenly places.

But you're operating from earthly places video functioning from the wrong location so you get to experiences okay. Is notice verse 22 and he put all things in subjection under his feet and gave him as head of all things to the church which is his body, fullness of him who fills all you will not see the connection open up in the screen, up there in heavenly places where you are down here on earthly places where you sit unless you are under Jesus's feet. That means under his authority. You and I must settle one issue and the one issue that must be settled is the Lordship of Jesus Christ over every area of life. That is, you must get settled when you trust Christ for the forgiveness of sins. You are now on your way to heaven. But when you submit to the Lordship of the rulership of Jesus Christ over every area of your life that's would happen to visit you and Heather will not visit you if you're not under his feet, until he is messed final decision-maker dictate meeting your under his foot. Unless you are willing to say yes Lord to his authority unless you and I are willing to say I am not my own. I been bought with a price. We will not see his authority manifested in our experience, we won't see us, we won't see change sink, the way you know that this Christian thing is working as God demonstrates his file to when Jesus was on earth they know he was the Messiah, because of his powerful demonstrations. So if you really want to know how it really is plugged into his, but you can plug into is powerless you under his foot.

You gotta be only as a function of what he must have the right to veto, he must have the right to overrule you must have the right to consume you because he died and rose to be Lord, not just to be safe.

He died and rose to take you to happen, but also rule you on earth. And if you want to see his rule on our vision must be Lord over all of life.

If I am Lord that we final say so.

Veto power and then become something to do some thoughts and you sit next to just already sit next to me in the spiritual route, but if you're not operating from that realm. You don't even hear them talk. You don't see the riches you don't experience the power and Jesus just becomes a religious experience that encourages you that inspires you, but you never see the authority but I will tell you there's nothing like seeing it when he shows up and you get to see well I just saw God to us, which only God Takes out and Raise It from the Great I Just Saw That I Was Situated God with This Problem Die with. The Reason Wasn't Valid and I Just Saw God Flip the Natural Sink, You Will Have the Legal Somebody Else Because You Bear Was Asking Dr. Evans Will Come Back in a Moment with the Closing Thought about Why We Might Want to Reconsider the Word Christians Use Pretty Often. First, so Today's Message Is Called Understanding Spiritual Authority, and It's Available As a Part of Tony's Current Series Igniting Kingdom. Prayer. There Are 12 Messages in This Two-Volume Collection Packed with Material We Won't Have Time to Bring You on the Air, and Yours Is Our Thank You Gift When You Make a Contribution to Help Support This Ministry. There's No Way We Can Continue This Broadcast without the Faithfulness of Listeners like You and We Truly Appreciate Your Partnership and What We Do.

Just Visit Tony Evans.org to Get the Details and Make the Arrangements or Call Us at One 800 832, 22, and One of Our Helpful Team Members Will Assist in Getting the Special Package Headed Your Way Again That's Tony Evans.org or by Phone at 1-800-800-3222. The Bible Tells Us One of the Attributes of God's Holy Spirit Living in Operating inside of Us Is Kindness. And That's Something We Can Never Have Too Much of Share, a Kind Word or Gesture with Someone Today As You Seek to Carry God's Light to a World in Need of His Love Tomorrow. It's One of Those Things Christians Do, but Don't Always Understand. I'm Talking about Wrapping up Her Prayer with the Words in Jesus Name. Join Dr. Evans As He Talks about Connecting with the Power in That Name. When We Use It the Way God Intended to Wrap up Today's Message Though His Back with His Final Thought. In Closing, I Want to Switch to Change out the Word. Now What I Want to Change That Is a Great Word. It's a Good Word but It's a Problem for Natural the Word I Want to Switch out Is the Word Commitment Six We Call People to Make a Commitment That the Problem with the Good Word. The Problem with the Work Commitment Is Still in Control.

See When You Make a Commitment You and Controls like Leica. We Committed to Lose the Weight. We Gained over Christmas We Committed We Committed I'm Gonna Die, Lose That Which We Committed to Start Working out.

We Just Committed.

We Committed We Committed to Read Our Bible Every Day Wants to Pray More and We Were so Sincere When We Made Those Commitments, I'm Telling You We Was so Sincere, but Then Life Happened in Distractions And Our Commitment Began the Way, Not Because We Want Sincere. We Were in Control and When the Control Got Weak. The Commitment Got Weak. So When We Do We Walk and Commit That We Recommit We Recommit the Recommitment We Made When We Committed Because Commitment Is Tied to Our Control.

So I Want to Switch the Word out. I Want to Switch the Word out from Commitment to Surrender When You Surrender Somebody Else Is in Control, Somebody Else Is Calling the Shots so Commitment Is a Great Learning. That Way We Get Shaky. What Commitment so Let's Go to Surrender so That Is Not up to Is Whatever You Say about You Bossman Whatever You Say Yes Surrender You Will Be a Far Now Depend on My Commitment. It Depends on My Obedience to the Authority Telling Me What to Do Last. Want to Surrender And Wakes up and Say We Got One Week Job on My Alternative Rock You Made Possible by the Generous Contributions of Listeners like