The Final Authority
I.
Theirs is no verse of
scripture that exempts the believer from experiencing pressure. There are however many verses of
scriptures that exempt the believer from experiencing defeat in the pressured
situation.
A. We have an adversary who
comes to steal, kill, and destroy-1 Peter 5:8, John 10:10
B. We should not be
surprised or think it to be strange when we experience pressure-1 Peter 4:12
1.
The
righteous will experience affliction, persecution, and pressure, but if they
will live by faith and obey God they can experience victory no matter what they
may be facing-Psalm 34:19
2.
John
16:33-Be of good cheer, you can have victory in the middle of a pressured
situation
C. Psalm 40:1-3-God is a God
who delivers people from the pit, the dark place, the pressured situation
1.
In
the midst of pressure it’s your responsibility to resist the enemy steadfast in
faith, standing on God’s word refusing to cave in under the pressure-James 4:7,
1 Peter 5:9
II.
The Word of God has to be
the final authority in your life-Matthew 8:1-29
A. Speak the Word
only-Jesus’ words are the final authority to this man
1.
This
guy is paralyzed, distressed, and in intense pain; This is what his body is
saying
2.
Speak
the Word only-I know what the circumstances are saying, I know what his body is
saying, I know what the doctor is saying, but your words is the final authority
and you have the final say
a. The moment you say He his
healed all other voices cease to carry weight
3.
13-This
guy took Jesus’ word for it and headed home (If you say he’s healed, he must be
so let’s go home)
a. Can you imagine if this
guy said, “Well Jesus I know you said ‘so be it done unto me,’ but I just don’t
feel like he’s healed.” --- To his guy it didn’t matter how he felt or what
anybody else said Jesus’ words were final authority
B. You have to submit to the authority of the Word of God-What
it says is so no matter how I feel or what it looks like
1.
The
working authority action of the Word-V3,V16,V26,V32
2.
What
has God’s word said about you? (“Yeah but” is a sign the Word of God is not the
final authority in your life)
a. John 14:27-You have
Jesus’ peace
b. John 16:22-Your joy no
man can take from you
c. 2 Timothy 1:7-You don’t
have the spirit of fear
d. Ephesians 6:10-Be strong
e. 1 Peter 2:24-By his
stripes you are healed
f.
Philippians
4:19-God meets my needs according to his riches in glory
C. What does it mean to have
the word of God as your final authority? For the Word of God to be final
authority means: ---- (2 Corinthians 4:13-This is the Spirit of Faith)
1.
That
the Word has final say and once the Word has spoken it is the end of the
discussion
2.
That
you need no other evidence or the sort because God’s words are final authority;
they are the governing body over my life
3.
That
you honor it more than any other voice; it means the Word of God carries more
weight in your life than anything else
a. Honor-To honor something
is to value it, to hold it especially dear, precious
b. Honor (Hebrew Kabad)-Weight,
heaviness, To be heavy, be weighty (Scale)
4.
That
you make decisions and conduct your life based on what the Word of God says and
not based on anything else
a. It’s this revelation: I say to this man, Go, and he goes. If
he doesn’t feel like going, he goes; if the circumstances say he shouldn’t go
or that he can’t go, he goes; if other people say don’t go, he goes; The words
of this person in authority have become the final authority for his life and
therefore he conducts his life based on these words and nothing else
D. In the dark place, in the
pit, in the troubled time, there are two questions that we need to ask
ourselves:
1.
What
does God say about me in His Word?
2.
Have
I allowed that Word that be the final authority in my life?