SESSION 03 - AUTHORITY GIVEN TO ALL BELIEVERS - COMMISSION & KINGDOM
ARRIVAL
Arrival, sharing life, munching snacks.
SESSION 2 - GROUP VIDEO
Watch 10-20 minutes of a GROUP video teaching, that correlates with the full Workshop semester topics.
GROUP CONVERSATION GUIDE
STORY: Evan Norris' IEP Story
1 CORINTHIANS 1:7 NKJV …so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 CORINTHIANS 1:7 TLB Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing his will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 CORINTHIANS 1:7 AMP That you are not [consciously] falling behind or lacking in any special spiritual endowment or Christian grace [the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating in your souls by the Holy Spirit], while you wait and watch [constantly living in hope] for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and [His] being made visible to all.
DECLARATIONS OVER EVAN
- My children will be mighty in the earth!
- They will be successful everywhere they go!
- They are the generation of the upright and will be blessed!
- Wealth and riches will be in their house and their righteousness will endure forever!
- They will be known among the peoples and the people will say “they are the seed the Lord has blessed!”
- My children are taught of the Lord and great is their peace!
- In righteousness they are established!
- They are far from oppression and fear or terror will no come near them!
- No weapon formed against them will prosper and I condemn any tongue that rises up against them!
- My children obey me, honor me and things are well with them, so they will live long on the earth!
- They will be “full of blessing” and “live a happy life.”
- My children pursue God, His love and relationship, His calling on their lives, more than anything they desire!
- They are divinely enabled to live out their callings and come behind in no good thing!
- They have the grace to do everything they need to to fulfill their calling on this earth!
- I refuse to worry about my children’s future, their weaknesses or strengths, for God is their defender and promoter. They are equipped with everything they need to be mighty in the earth!
- My children know God’s voice and the voice of a stranger they won’t follow!
- My children are ten times greater in health, wisdom and understanding than those who follow the culture of this world!
- My children will rise up and call me blessed, happy, fortunate and to be envied, simply because I trusted in God as my parenting hope!
QUESTIONS
- Does such activation of spiritual authority REALLY AFFECT changes and outcomes?
- WOULD IT all have worked out anyway?
- How do we really KNOW if spiritual authority is causal? How do we know it isn’t just a COINCIDENCE?
- If we DON’T ACTIVATE spiritual authority WILL WE be living under the reign of a fallen world, and victims to its degeneration?
THE SAME QUESTIONS WOULD APPLY TO...
- PRAYERS - Do our prayers have a direct impact on outcomes? OR, Are our prayers simply a way to defer to God’s predetermined and arbitrary “will?”
- EVANGELISM - Does our evangelism efforts have a direct impact on the salvation of sinner’s hearts? OR, Does God already have it all controlled and our efforts are merely an act of submission to God, having no direct impact at all?
- HANDS LAYING / MIRACLE HEALINGS - Can we lay hands on the sick and have effective management of the miracle healings? OR, Is it more like playing the lottery… if we lay hands on someone that God has predetermined to heal they are healed, if NOT they are not? We are playing against the odds.
- THE NAME OF JESUS – Does the name of Jesus give us expansive and effective authority over circumstances, demons, deadly attacks and more? OR, Is the name of Jesus simply a way to nurture the humility of our heart before God as we accept whatever happens next, as a show of God’s command?
- DEMONS AND DEVILS – Do Christians have expansive and effective authority over demons and devils? OR, Are demons simply playing out God’s will in the earth, making God the real manager of all demonic action?
REVIEW OF PREVIOUS SESSIONS
BIG IDEA QUESTION AGAIN:
Does God use human agency to fulfill His purposes,
OR does God arbitrarily dictate outcomes via His sovereign determination?
DEFINE SOVEREIGNTY:
God can do whatever He wants, whenever He wants,
without being accountable to anyone.
CONSIDER THE QUESTION:
If God delegated His rule on earth to His people,
and His people are delinquent to those responsibilities,
how much pain and sorrow have we unduly endured,
and how much of our understanding of God has been skewed?
WHAT IS SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY?
SHORT DEFINITION:
The responsibility to rightfully govern and enforce justice.
7 STAGE TRANSFERENCE OF AUTHORITY
- GOD GAVE MANKIND AUTHORITY OVER THE EARTH AT CREATION
- ADAM SINNED, SURRENDERING TO DEATH AND SATAN
- SATAN LEGALLY BECAME THE GOD/RULER OF THE EARTH
- JESUS’S OBEDIENCE/INHERITANCE QUALIFIED HIM FOR THE ORIGINAL AUTHORITY GIVEN TO ADAM
- JESUS IS ANOINTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
- JESUS RESTORES ALL AUTHORITY AT THE CROSS AND RESURRECTION
- JESUS DELEGATES THE AUTHORITY TO BELIEVERS
THE GREAT COMMISSION
COMMISSION DEFINITION:
- The act of committing or entrusting a person, group, etc., with supervisory power or authority;
- Authority granted for a particular action or function;
- Delegation of business;
- Body of persons charged with authority.
MATTHEW 28:18-20 NKJV And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “ALL AUTHORITY has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 GO therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
MARK 16:15-20 NKJV And He (Jesus) said to them, "GO into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 "And THESE SIGNS will follow those who believe: In MY NAME they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 "they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the LORD WORKING WITH [THEM] and CONFIRMING THE WORD through the accompanying SIGNS. Amen."
OTHER COMMISSION REFERENCES
LUKE 24:45-49 NKJV And He (Jesus) opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 "and that repentance and remission of sins SHOULD BE PREACHED IN HIS NAME to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 "And you are WITNESSES of these things. 49 "Behold, I send THE PROMISE OF MY FATHER upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are ENDUED WITH POWER from on high."
JOHN 20:21-23 NKJV So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! AS THE FATHER HAS SENT ME, I ALSO SEND YOU." 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on [them], and said to them, "RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. 23 "IF YOU forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the [sins] of any, they are retained."
ACTS 1:3-5, 8 NKJV … to whom (apostles) He (Jesus) also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during FORTY DAYS and speaking of the things pertaining to the KINGDOM OF GOD. 4 And being assembled together with [them], He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the PROMISE OF THE FATHER, "which," [He said], "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT not many days from now." ... 8 "But you shall RECEIVE POWER when the HOLY SPIRIT has come upon you; and you shall be WITNESSES to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
AUTHORITY CONFERRED ON ALL BELIEVERS
- THROUGH THE GREAT COMMISSION
- THROUGH REDEMPTION: THE KINGDOM
- THROUGH REDEMPTION: THE GRACE OF GOD
- THROUGH REDEMPTION: RAISED TO SIT WITH JESUS
- THROUGH REDEMPTION: THE NAME OF JESUS
- THROUGH REDEMPTION: THE WORD OF GOD
- THROUGH REDEMPTION: THE HOLY SPIRIT
GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Take a few moments to discuss your answers to these questions with the Group.
ICE BREAKER
What’s one of your favorite childhood memories?
MY MEMOIR STORIES
IMPORTANT: If the Group would like to continue telling one Memoir Story per week until they are completed, that might allow for a more congruent transition. Please be sensitive to the Science of Freedom content and discussion. It is important that our people are exposed to the possibilities in their potential that this content will provide. Please take no more than 20-25 minutes for the Memoir to leave time for the rest of the content below.
MEMOIR: PREPARING TO TELL MY STORY (Scope Timeline) worksheet to help you think through your story. You can download the SCOPE TIMELINE WORKSHEET at the link. There is a longer version of the worksheet, that gives an extra step to dig deeper into your story, which can be downloaded at LONG VERSION WORKSHEET (RECOMMENDED). You can also watch the WRAP UP video from last week that explains how to use the worksheet. Each person's Memoir should be 10-15 minutes long.
QUESTIONS
- After watching this session’s video, what is your biggest takeaway, “ah ha” moment, or challenging thought? Why?
- Pastor Patrick opens the session with a story of Evan’s IEP and learning disability. How would you answer the following questions:
- Does such activation of spiritual authority REALLY AFFECT changes and outcomes?
- WOULD IT all have worked out anyway?
- How do we really KNOW if spiritual authority is causal? How do we know it isn’t just a COINCIDENCE?
- If we DON’T ACTIVATE spiritual authority WILL WE be living under the reign of a fallen world, and victims to its degeneration?
- Why do you think people have extracted real spiritual authority from the Great Commission, especially when the word “Commission” literally means a transference of authority?
- If the word “Kingdom” (i.e. "Kingdom of God") refers to a conferring of authority on all believers, how does it inspire you in handling human suffering, difficulties and challenges?
SESSION 3 - WRAP UP
This is a 5-10 minute section for MOVING FORWARD, GOING DEEPER, use of worksheets and periodic church-wide announcements.
MOVE FORWARD
Receive the challenge to “move forward” by applying what was learned this week.
SUGGESTIONS:
- IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, PREPARE TO TELL YOUR STORY, your MEMOIR, to the rest of us over the next few weeks. Use the MY MEMOIR: PREPARING TO TELL MY STORY (Scope Timeline) worksheet to help you think through your story. You can download the SCOPE TIMELINE WORKSHEET. There is a longer version of the worksheet, that gives an extra step to dig deeper into your story, which can be downloaded at LONG VERSION WORKSHEET (RECOMMENDED).
- PRAY FOR GROUP MEMBER - Pray for at least one person in the Group. Try to identify someone who hasn't been prayed for, or given an encouraging Scripture. Don't worry about feeling inadequate as a prayer. No one feels like they are professional prayers, at least not when they look into eyes of the Almighty God. Praying the Scriptures over people is the best way to learn how to pray effectively. Simply find a Scripture, put the person's name in the text, and pray those words out loud. Then ask the Lord to help you think of things to say to Him about them that would help their lives.
- ASK FOR A SCRIPTURE WORD - Ask God to give you a Scripture to give them to encourage, comfort and edify them. You can Google search "God's Promises" and find a plethora of appropriate texts. Look for one that seems to give you a spark of energy as you think about the person you have been praying for.
- DELIVER THE WORD TO THEM - Then send them an email, text or phone call to encourage them. This is how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. As you practice these movements you will expand your own capacity with God, all while giving people much needed hope and strength.
GOING DEEPER
Encouragement to engage the FULL WORKSHOP SEMESTER experience. While this is not required, nor is the Group discussions connected to the full workshop, it is an option for everyone.
PRAYER / DISMISS GROUP
Prayer time with the Group.