I Will Build My Church (Part VIII)

January/25/2010 04:49 PM

The Church Has the Keys!

Ephesians 1:19 “That power is like the working of His mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.”

That's Jesus we are talking about! Think about it. If everything is under His feet, Him being the head of the body (and we are the body), then everything is under our feet as well. Jesus has been given the highest authority and title in the entire universe, now and for eternity. This is the Mighty Jesus that we belong to and serve! Glory to God!

We, as the body of Christ, have been given that power and authority to do His work on the earth. Jesus as one person, when He walked as a man on this planet, could only be one place at a time. Now, as His body multiplies, His works go forth and cover all corners of the globe.

John 14:12 "Most assuredly I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to My Father."

Some may have the thought, "I believe Jesus healed people and drove out demons and calmed the raging sea, but that was Jesus. I'm not Jesus!" No, we are not Jesus, but Jesus gave us permission, backed up by his authority, to do everything that He did!

Matthew 10:1 “He called his twelve disciples to Him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”

Luke 10:19 "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you."

This reveals to us another way the church is strengthened and built up through the power and authority He has given us.

The next time peace has been stolen from your mind or from your household, there is something you can do, and must do! Whenever you sense the enemy has entered your territory and is trying to disrupt, take authority over him and his works in Jesus name! Now if there is a person that the devil is working through, I wouldn't recommend that you bind up Satan directly to the person! That would probably be an unwise move. Remember, our fight is not against flesh and blood (people), but principalities, powers, rulers and wickedness in high places that influence and work through those people.

The best thing to do is go somewhere alone or with an agreement partner and take authority in the name of Jesus. Start releasing the power of God to go to work at the same time to bring peace, resolution, restoration and answers.

When sickness attacks, take authority. When the enemy is stealing from you, command him to release it! Tell the devil he is bound and powerless because he has touched God's property and that he has no rights here!

I remember once early in our marriage, I fell sick. My fever was running very high. I had to stop everything I was doing and lie down. I spoke with my husband on the phone and he immediately began commanding sickness to leave my body and told the fever it had to leave. Just as we hung up the phone, I realized I felt better right away. I got up and took my temperature and it was back to normal!

A few years ago, I had been diagnosed with a golf ball sized growth on my ovary. Jeff and I were attending some special meetings one night at a dear Pastor friend's church. After service, as we finished our meal, we shared my diagnosis with our Pastor friend. He said to us, "I am going to pray for you right now." He laid his hands on me commanding the growth to leave in the name of Jesus. I immediately sensed the power of God in my body. Shortly thereafter, I went in for a follow up x-ray and the growth was completely gone! God is so faithful and good all the time!

These are a couple of personal examples where someone commanded the works of darkness to flee and I am so thankful! But let’s not forget that we can take this authority for ourselves as well! Don't let the enemy push you around. Don't let him steal, kill or destroy for another day!
We can all cast out devils and bind up his evil works if we are born again. As a matter of fact, Jesus said we have the power to bind and loose.

Matthew 16:19 " I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

He has given the church the keys to drive out darkness and usher in light. Keys represent authority. We must realize that God has given us the keys and then we must actually use them to see the results!

The motivation behind this power is never to show off or for personal gain. It is not there to abuse or neglect. The godly motivation behind using the power of God is love. It's simple. God loves people. He desires for them to be saved, healed, set free, and full of unspeakable joy and peace. That's why He has given us the keys to the kingdom. He has given us the job to boldly proclaim and show His love to people who are pressed down and bound up. We must never lose sight of what we are here for and to see people as Jesus did. We need to reach out and touch lives like He did.

Matthew 9:36-37 “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

We were once all the harassed and helpless, bound by the enemy. Thanks to God that Jesus reached out to us with compassion through someone who was obedient to the call. Someone believed in Jesus and His power and dared to boldly step out and use their keys. We are the church, and when we understand our purpose and what Jesus will do through us we are a mighty vessel for God's power! Then the captives are set free and the church enlarges her borders!

Jesus said: "I will build My church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

kimconnor@whwc.org