Ministering; Apostle Joshua Selman
Topic; Authority, power, and Jurisdictions
Text; 1st Chronicles 29:11 & 2nd Chronicles 20:5-6
There are things that can only be found in the house of God that are rare in any other institution, and that is transformation.
The average Christian understanding as far as the subject of authority and power is concerned is largely vague. It is true from the scripture that man has been given power and authority. Having this knowledge is not enough time to walk in power.
Power is the capacity to influence outcomes. It is the force that compels compliance.
Authority means the right to represent. It is the legitimacy to use power. Authority comes with a predefined jurisdiction. Most believers are only power conscious without the awareness of the jurisdiction that comes with it.
Jurisdiction represents the sphere where the use of power is allowed, beyond which, it becomes illegal.
THINGS YOU MUST UNDERSTAND ABOUT POWER
Man does not have absolute power. The power that man has is derived and limited. God is the only being that possesses absolute power, and He is the exclusive owner of all power(1st Chronicles 29:11 & 2nd Chronicles 20:5-6).
God Almighty does not have authority, He gives authority. The nature of authority is that you must be under authority to have authority. God cannot be obedient because He doesn’t submit to any being. With authority, penalty can follow disobedience, and thus authority can be withdrawn from defaulters (Isaiah 40:14).
When God speaks, what makes his word powerful is not just that He is God, it is that He is the only one.
The power of God operates at three levels
1. Intimacy.
2. Principles.
3. Covenant alignment
God is the only being that has the capacity to withdraw the power of anything that finds itself on the earth. God’s existence transcends above all gods. Every time you believe that God’s word will not come to pass, it shows the level you put the ranking of God.
To walk in dominion, you must need power and authority (Luke 10:19 AMPC). When God gives authority, he defines the jurisdiction the authority can be operated in. God has given man power and the authority to walk in dominion.
JURISDICTION OF MAN’S OPERATION OF POWER
1. Man has been given power over elemental forces (Gen 1 vs. 28)
2. In Matthew 10:1, God confers authority to man to have power over unclean things.
3. Man has the power to change negative circumstances (Matthews 8:27)
Whoever perpetually becomes a hindrance to God’s Will is God’s enemy. When God speaks, the words spoken becomes the assignment of power. Before the power of God acts, there’s a verification. The power of God is to bring all things to His will. Favor works in accordance with God’s will, not lustful desires.
Man’s operation of power must be consistent with the will of God.
ASSIGNMENT OF POWER AND AUTHORITY
Matthew 6 vs. 10. The reason God conferred power and authority to man is for His will to be done. Whatever God says is His will. The moment your heart becomes hinged on the will of God, you have come to a place of the genuine use of power.
God’s refusal to give certain believers power is as a result of His mercy. Some believers use and abuse power without operating in the wisdom of God. You know how powerful you are to the degree you are constrained by authority.
God is the originator of all spirit. One of the ways we execute power in the kingdom is through prayer. Looking for power is useless until you understand the will of God.
What God has said about you is in alignment with His will. The moment the will of God is about to come to life, the power of God will depend on the wisdom of God. Wisdom gives beauty to the correct use of power (Ephesians 1:16-19).
The desire to have power must be accompanied by the desire to have the wisdom of God. When you have the power of God and the wisdom of God, you will manifest dominion responsibly. A person who has power without authority does not have jurisdiction.
