DO as He did and Oppose the dark forces. Over the next 3 weeks were going to talk about what it means to be sent out with the authority of Jesus. We are going to talk about what it means to proclaim the kingdom to people. And doing the works of Jesus. Luke 9:1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. Jesus is telling his disciples that wherever they show up he will show up. That whatever is happening in the space and the place where they are, he will be there with them by virtue of giving them his authority. And then Jesus stripped them down to the bare essentials. Jesus is divorcing them from everything else they trusted and wanted them to trust him. But don’t miss the big point; Jesus wanted them out there doing something. John 14:12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. Matthew 28:18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations… John 20:21 As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Growing up in the church there seems to be a lot of emphasis on learning and knowledge but not a lot of emphasis on doing. Jesus said we will go out and do. We will do what he did. And we may wonder what greater things mean, but one thing he doesn’t mean is that we will do lesser things. A new thought… And this becomes crucial for the next couple of weeks… 2 Corinthians 5:18 And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. Ambassadors for Jesus. Ambassadors of God is making his appeal through us. Our message is, “come back to God.” We are reconciling the world back to Jesus. It is the job that he gave us. When Jesus sends out his disciples, he is sending them out as ambassadors of his kingdom. He is essentially telling them that they are authorized to act on behalf of the kingdom of God. To go represent the king. To give out the king’s message. To use the king’s authority. To give out gifts from the kingdom. I don’t know how you think of yourself, but if you follow Jesus, you are an ambassador of Jesus Christ in this world right now. Luke 9:1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons… How casually Jesus mentions this. Demons. Dark powers who inflict harm. Dark beings who come from another realm to this earth and hate those who are created in the image of God. Wherever these dark powers appeared there was always confusion. Chaos. Violence. Hopelessness. Darkness. Medical conditions that had no cure. Mental torture. Emotional bondage. Lies. Bad habits. Wrong beliefs. Addictions. Division. Discord. Broken families. Drama. Divorce. Abuse. Physical harm. War. Moral insanity. Twisted truth. And death. These dark powers regularly showed up during the time of Jesus. And these dark powers are still at it today. Jesus took upon himself the anointing and the mantle to take on and destroy the dark powers. Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.” 20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, 14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. 1 John 3:8 The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus came with a greater power. Power to release. Power to set free. Power to restore. Power to redeem. Power to forgive. Power to save. Paul paints a picture of a life lived under the dark powers. But then he paints a picture of what God does. Ephesians 2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) And now Jesus hands that very power over to his followers. Luke 9:1 And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons… Here’s what I want you to know today. If you’re a follower of Jesus and filled with the spirit, wherever you show up, whatever space that you are inhabiting, then the heavenly anointing and authority to defeat the dark powers is with you. You will meet the dark powers. Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Our posture is to be strong and stand. Be strong in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord’s strength. Be strong in it how strong God is. Be strong in the might of the Lord. You keep praying because God is stronger. You keep fasting because God is stronger. Let’s see what GOD can do! Pastor Brian Harrell