Kingdom Authority
"God's kingdom is a kingdom of unity."
The Corinthian church was divided over…
Which leader or apostle they should follow [ch. 1-3]
The limits of their freedom in Christ [ch. 6-8]
Social and economic status [ch. 11]
Spiritual gifts [ch. 12-14]
1 Corinthians 1:10-13 [TPT], I urge you, my brothers and sisters, for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree to live in unity with one another and put to rest any division that attempts to tear you apart. Be restored [fully equipped] as one united body living in perfect harmony...having a common perspective with shared values. 11 My dear brothers and sisters, I have a serious concern I need to bring up with you, for I have been informed by those of Chloe’s house church that you have been destructively arguing among yourselves. 12 And I need to bring this up because each of you is claiming loyalty to different preachers. Some are saying, “I am a disciple of Paul,” or, “I follow Apollos,” or, “I am a disciple of Peter the Rock,” and some, “I belong only to Christ.” 13 But let me ask you, is Christ divided up into groups? Did I die on the cross for you? At your baptism did you pledge yourselves to follow Paul?
"We need to set aside our preferences, pet doctrines, denominations and list of preferred preachers so that we can boast in Christ alone."
Experience a level of unity in...
• Regional churches
• Church family
• Friendships
• Marriages
• Families
• Within ourselves
Benefits of unity...
• Joy of community [Acts 2:44-46]
• Increased anointing [Ps. 133]
• Blessings [Ps. 133]
• Answered prayer [1 Pet. 3:7]
• God’s presence [Mt. 18:19-20]
• Signs and wonders [Acts 2:40-43]
• Release of power and authority [Mt. 12:22-29]
Kingdom Authority
1 Corinthians 4:20 [NIV], For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
Q: Why have we been given power and authority as believers?
"If you want to defeat your enemy, distract him."
Whatever we've lost, it was part of our kingdom inheritance and we have a God-given right through Christ to recover it.
Matthew 12:22-29 [NASB], Then a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. 23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” 25 And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? 27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? For this reason they will be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Acts 10:38 [NKJV], ...God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit, and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
Jesus has positioned us for freedom and victory.
Luke 10:19, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions [demonic spirits], and over all the power of the enemy..."
Matthew 28:18, Jesus says, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth..."
"We can't walk in true authority unless we are first under God's authority."
Q: What do we need to recover from the enemy?
Do you need to recover...
A relationship [Is. 58:12]
Personal promises [2 Cor. 1:20, Heb. 11:33]
Prophetic words [Ps. 105:19]
Faith [Mt. 9:29, Rom. 1:17]
Health/freedom [Jer. 30:17, Acts 6:8]
Financial freedom [Ps. 129:8, Prov. 10:22, Mal. 3:10]
The joy of the Lord [Neh. 8:10, Ps. 30:5, Ps. 51:12]
Wasted years [Joel 2:25]
Blessing on home/family [Deut. 11:18:21, 28:2-4, Prov. 3:33]
Region [1 Sam. 7:12-14]
1 Samuel 30:18-19, So David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away... And nothing of their's was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all.