Ever get stuck in a storm without an umbrella? Wet, cold, miserable? As we continue our Change Your City series – todays message, “Under Authority” is about getting under the authority of God. Like an umbrella.

Matthew 8:5-13

5 When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer[a] came and pleaded with him, 6 “Lord, my young servant[b] lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.”

7 Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”

8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel! 11 And I tell you this, that many Gentiles will come from all over the world—from east and west—and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven. 12 But many Israelites—those for whom the Kingdom was prepared—will be thrown into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

13 Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.

The servant had palsy – we know this from Luke 7 and the research of theologians.

Palsy is when the head gives a command the body doesn’t listen to or act on. One symptom is the body has tremors – meaning that the body acts on its own accord outside of what the head speaks.

The reason this story is critical – 

1. It not only demonstrates that Jesus divinely heals…. but 
2. It shows the state of the Church. The head (Jesus) has been speaking but the Body (humanity) is not listening or acting on it.

The Church had or has an authority issue. 

Luke 7 gives additional background on the Centurion…

Luke 7:4-5

4 So they earnestly begged Jesus to help the man. “If anyone deserves your help, he does,” they said, 5 “for he loves the Jewish people and even built a synagogue for us.”

The body failed to build the church… the centurion saw the need of the body to be under authority of the head and begin restoring it.

Matthew 28:18

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Acts 5:29

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

*Doing life together*

Have you gone beyond acknowledging Jesus is your authority? Are you taking action on all that the head is speaking? What area of your life do you need to come under the authority of Jesus? 

 

How to start getting under authority…

Mark 8:8

8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.

• Centurion didn’t need Jesus to physically show up in his house…. he needed the Word of God to say it is so….
• The centurion knew wherever Jesus was, His word is the authority….
• Jesus is sitting alive in heaven on His throne – the head – in full authority.

Do you have the faith that His word has full authority? 

Picture the authority of Jesus as an umbrella….(the head, the covering)

Are you holding the authority above you? 

Like an umbrella it’s up to you to remain under that authority.

Jesus is speaking are you, as the body – acting, moving, participating in the kingdom of God??

You cannot change your city if you are outside of the authority of Jesus. 

When you leave the covering of Jesus:

• you will leave His favor, 
• you will leave His protection.

Insight: I believe Jesus allows failure or the taste of failure to linger in our lives at times, to know what it’s like being outside of the authority of Jesus.

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!

Jesus was amazed another time… remember

Mark 6:1-6

Jesus left that part of the country and returned with his disciples to Nazareth, his hometown. 2 The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” 3 Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

The people saw Jesus not as an authority, but as common everyday Jesus.

Have you allowed yourself to see Jesus as your authority or as ordinary? Your faith and the potential faith of others around you is dependent on you coming under authority.

NEXT STEPS – Take a good look at yourself and repent of any area you’re keeping outside of Jesus’ authority. Then purposefully submit to the fullness of Gods authority.

What the three little words you hear right before someone does something crazy? “I got this” – is typically the attitude, mantra, or phrase uttered moments before something crazy or awesome happens. In changing your city, there will be obstacles – fear, nerves, distractions… we need to have an attitude of “I got this”  that takes us beyond our comfort and into our calling.

Mark 2:1-12 – 2 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Changing your city starts with going beyond your comfort..

Capernaum means village of comfort. Here, in the middle of comfort… was a group of 5 friends. And one of those friends was paralyzed.

Here we are back to those 3 groups of people around Jesus – 

1. The friends placing complete faith in Jesus above their own comfort, taking next steps.
2. The crowd listening and not doing anything – not taking next steps
3. The Pharisees – watching and judging and pushing back trying to stop any next steps.

We need to have the attitude of “I Got This”.

When you begin changing your city – you will face obstacles on the way. Here’s 4 we see in this passage:

CROWD – people will unknowingly or unconsciously block you or prevent you. Have you ever had someone say something like oh thats dumb. or why would you do that. They never give what they said a second thought, but for us its something we can dwell on. Wow, they don’t think I can do it, maybe I shouldn’t.

ROOF – every year had to be redone right before winter. It was something that was easily removed and replaced. I see the roof as our own self worth, or insecurities. Something that only blocks you and no one else. 

Jeremiah 17:7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.”

Doing Life Together –

What is your roof? How are you going to trust Jesus? How are you going to place confidence in Jesus? What does the verse Jeremiah 17:7 mean to you?

PHARISEES – judgement (first public confrontation with the teachers of the law). The enemy intentionally trying to block or prevent you.

BELIEF –  was an obstacle – belief that your sin, or pain, or situation is greater than Jesus.

9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

How do we overcome obstacles?

1. Jesus – He is in your corner. He is speaks on your behalf. What this looks like is proclaiming the word of God in front of the enemy, during healing, through salvation.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:57

2. Doing life together – Friends. Interesting the friends faced obstacles before getting to Jesus. The obstacle of people. The obstacle of self worth. Jesus and doing life with other people will help you when you face mental and emotional obstacles.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – 9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

NEXT STEPS – Bring your city to Jesus. Is there someone like the man on the mat? Someone who doesn’t know Jesus, or needs Jesus? I challenge you to have the attitude of “I’ve got this!” and message them, mail them a card, call them, something to initiate the conversation this week.

How do you find hope in a hopeless situation? It is so hard to keep hope alive when it feels like there’s no way out, no other side, or no possibility for a good outcome. We are continuing in our Can’t Cancel Hope series. That’s why it’s so important to be tethered and connected to HOPE. Like an anchor. During this series we will explore characters in the Bible that have found themselves in caves, caverns and dark places. Today we visit Lazarus.

Follow along here:

John 11:11 – 15

11 He said these things, and then announced, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I’m going to wake him up.”

12-13 The disciples said, “Master, if he’s gone to sleep, he’ll get a good rest and wake up feeling fine.” Jesus was talking about death, while his disciples thought he was talking about taking a nap.

14-15 Then Jesus became explicit: “Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn’t there. You’re about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let’s go to him.”

Disciples – Their hope was based on perspective, not Jesus

John 11:17-22

17-20 When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house.

21-22 Martha said, “Master, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you.”

Mary – Her hope was based on results, not Jesus

Martha – Her hope was based on her timing, not Jesus

John 11:41-44

41-42 Then, to the others, “Go ahead, take away the stone.”

They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, “Father, I’m grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I’ve spoken so that they might believe that you sent me.”

43-44 Then he shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him loose.”

Lazarus is all of us. we are dead without Jesus.

Let’s look at the 4 things Jesus did for Lazarus.

1. Gave a New Life
2. Removed His Obstacle.
3. Called Him to Next steps.
4. Vulnerably connected

•   Lazarus is all of us – and we are called to be the Church, take the next steps, and do life together.

•   When we have these 3 things happening in our lives. we will find hope in any hopeless situation.

Have you ever been stabbed in the back? How do you hold onto hope when you feel betrayed? We are continuing in our Can’t Cancel Hope series. It is so hard to keep hope strong when someone close to us betrays us or stabs us in the back. The enemy uses other people and situations to try and get us to lose hope. That’s why it’s so important to be tethered and connected to HOPE. Like an anchor. During this series we will explore characters in the Bible that have found themselves in caves, caverns and dark places.

Follow along here:

Genesis 37:5 Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 

Genesis 37:23-28

23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore. 24 And they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.

25 Then they sat down to eat. And looking up they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. 26 Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? 27 Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And his brothers listened to him. 28 Then Midianite traders passed by. And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. They took Joseph to Egypt.

• The tactics of the enemy are actually pretty simple…affect you externally, in hopes of hurting you internally. 

• • They stole his robe – his public identity.
  • His robe represented a special relationship to the father. 
  • Your identity represents a special relationship to the Father.
• Your identity is a child of God. Friend of Jesus. Hope filled believer. 
• Your identity is your special relationship to the Father. its found in 2 places in your life…on the outside and on the inside.

• The enemy will try and steal who you are on the outside in the hopes that you lose your identity on the inside.

1. They threw him in a pit – or empty, dry well.
   • An empty well is a prison
   • A full well is a source of life
2. They sold him into slavery – get others to lead you, another word is servant. Someone else was in-charge of his life. 

• • The enemy wants to lead you in your life.
    • your decisions
    • your actions
    • your mind

How did Joseph stay strong and hope filled all those years?

Genesis 50:19-20

But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 

• How do we deal with identity?

1 – I am not God

• How do we deal with feeling like the world threw us in a pit?

2 – God is in Control

• How do we deal with loss of control?

3 – He brought me