ALL AUTHORITY

ALL AUTHORITY:

Then Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” -Matthew 28:18

All authority

Every victory is Yours

All authority

Every victory is Yours

Savior

Worthy of honor and glory

Worthy of all our praise

You overcame

Jesus

Awesome in power forever

Awesome and great is Your Name

You overcame

-New Life Worship: Overcome

In what areas of your life do you have authority? Are you a project manager, a team leader, a restaurant or business owner, a judge, a police officer, a parent or maybe a teacher? We all tend to look at our relationships as ladders or totem poles, and when we do - we see ourselves in a slot or spot with people above and below us. Often, our motivation for climbing the ladder is to minimize the number or “idiots” above, in order to bless those below with our wit, charm, and panache… not to mention the overdue pay increase that accompanies the new elevated position.

With this “around the corner” mentality, we have willingly, and strategically, placed contentment and joy like a carrot at the end of the stick of life. It’s our stick, our string, and our carrot. But what we fail to realize is that we readily make ourselves the donkeys of our own lives. The sad part is that we literally and willfully sell our souls and potential ministries into bondage for a few pieces of silver… not unlike Judas.

The primary issue is that we don’t really believe what Jesus had to say. We truly believe that we can have status, power, prestige, influence, accolades and authority apart from Jesus. Sure, we aren’t that openly honest about it, but that’s the bottom line. We’ll look at a job that pays the bills and reckon, “Jesus provided.” We say it, but we don’t tithe to the church or pass that blessing on to others. We figure, “Jesus meant this all for me” because that’s how Jesus operates (not). But as soon as the new boss comes in, whom we don’t care for or whose expectations force us out of cushy cruise-control mode… then we jump ship and reconcile it as “a sign from God” to move on to greener pastures.

We don’t like being bullied, and we’d certainly never call ourselves bullies, but when we exert authority based merely on positional, expertise, or reputational status for personal gain or profit - that’s exactly what we are. Sure, we disguise it as being “for the good of the team” or something with some real superficial appeal to it, but down deep we know it’s really just about me, myself, and I.

We know we don’t really believe Jesus because He made it crystal clear, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” I’m not a wiz when it comes to mathematics, but I can understand words like “all.” See, Jesus, God, told us that ALL authority in heaven and on earth is His. There’s no other place where authority resides. There’s not a pocket of authority on Mars, or on the astral plane, there’s not a cube of sparkly blue authority in Asgard or Valhalla. There's not a wellspring of authority under a boulder or rock somewhere.

We know this because in Genesis 49:10 it tells us, “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes. To whom will the obedience and tribute of the nations be.” That was a prophetic message (issued by Jacob to his son Judah) that simultaneously identified the Shiloh as God’s promised serpent crusher (Genesis 3:15), the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:3), and as a future descendant from the tribe of Judah. This “Shiloh” would be the one to whom all authority, obedience, and tribute belongs - inherent, eternal, everlasting authority. The only one to adequately fulfill that description - is God Himself.

Jesus came and lived a perfect, holy (set apart), and obedient life. Before the Cross, Jesus wanted His disciples to get it. So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…” (Matthew 20:25-26).

Later, on the way to the Cross, He was brought before Pontius Pilate. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" Then Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over Me unless it were given to you from above…” (John 19:9-11).

Like Pilate, we have no authority (John 15:5) except that which has been given from above. Remember, Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” Jesus followed that last statement up with, “Therefore, having been brought through, disciple all nations… And in doing so, surely I am with you always, to the very end!”

Jesus, God, has all authority in heaven and on earth. He commissioned His friends with a simple (not easy) command: Disciple all nations. In humble obedience to that privileged call (as His ambassadors) we are given the greatest promise ever issued by God Almighty… “And in doing so, surely I am with you always, to the very end!”

What about you? Are you exerting authority that is exclusively sourced in Christ or are you chasing and building your own kingdom? Are you leveraging everything that God has blessed you with for the advancement of His kingdom through the promotion and proclamation of His gospel? Or, like Ananias and Sapphira, have you kept a little security stash for yourself?

All authority is His alone. There are the Pharaohs, Pilates, and Judases to whom He grants it for a season to accomplish His will. There are also the Noahs, Abrams, Davids, Pauls and Peters who willingly give up everything for Him - not in pursuit of authority to climb a social ladder or other vanishing vapors, but because they have found life - real authentic joyful eternal life - in Him alone. That fact compelled Paul to write:

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

-Philippians 3:8

Jesus said it this way, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” -Matthew 16:25

Does that describe your walk and ministry?

Hear New Life Worship’s song, Overcome, by clicking HERE.

Blessings,

-Kevin M. Kelley

aMostUnlikelyDisciple.com