Bill Johnson talks about the purpose of authority and God’s value for justice. As sons and daughters of God, we have been given authority and favor. Authority and favor are to be used for the benefit of others. The Queen of Sheba recognized the favor of God on King Solomon “because of God’s love for Israel”. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of God’s throne (Psalm 97: 2), and contending for justice is a huge part of what it means to exercise the authority God has given to us. Jesus came to set captives and prisoners free, and now we are called to do the same. Bill’s message follows a ministry time of prayer for healing. 0:00 Introduction & Jokes 3:24 Ministry Time: Words of Knowledge and Prayer for Healing 15:25 Testimonies of Healing 22:50 Sermon: The Purpose of Authority and God’s Value for Justice Subscribe for weekly videos: https://bit.ly/bjmYoutube
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Scripture References: Psalm 107: 20 Luke 9 Acts 1 Matthew 28 Psalm 97: 2 Isaiah 1: 17 Proverbs 24: 11-12 Jeremiah 22: 3 Proverbs 31: 8 Amos 5: 24 Hosea 2: 9 Ephesians 4: 29 Isaiah 61 Originally shared at Bethel Church, Redding California, on February 25, 2024. Bill Johnson is a fifth-generation pastor with a rich heritage in the Holy Spirit. He is senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and is passionate about seeing Revival and God’s Kingdom established and revealed in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Bill’s teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, hosting the Presence, and the renewed mind has helped thousands around the world to step into their true identity in Christ, God given purpose, and walk in a supernatural lifestyle displaying both purity and power. #BillJohnson #BethelChurch #Justice #Authority #Power
contending for justice is a huge part of
what it means to exercise The Authority
that God’s given to us Justice
Begins by protecting and defending those
who have no voice Justice is actually to
put yourself at risk to defend those who
can’t fight for
[Music]
themselves thank
you thank you
[Music]
I love you too thank you thanks thank
you my
goodness there’s a lot of train wrecks
in this
room
wow she asked for something that comes
in a little box and goes around her
finger so I got her a box of
[Music]
Band-Aids that’s just
[Music]
bad
there’s another one where
uh guy says my wife kept
leaving magazine jewelry magazines open
all around the house so I got her a
magazine
rack I tried donating blood today never
again so many questions whose blood is
this where did you get it why is it in a
bucket sorry
that’s that’s
uh apparently I haven’t had the mic in a
while so I’m I’m making up for if you’re
fasting and still gossiping go ahead and
eat re research shows that laughing for
two minutes is just as healthy as a
20-minute jog so now I’m sitting in the
park laughing at all the
[Applause]
joggers the B the Bible mentions
vegetables 13 times mentions meat 290
times I’m on the biblical
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
diet
if your wife says she will be ready in
five minutes she will be there’s no need
to remind her every 15
[Applause]
minutes how strong do you like your
coffee I want it to show up on a drug
test one more one more then we’ll get
serious this morning I accidentally
changed the GPS voice to mail now it
just says it’s around here somewhere
keep
[Applause]
driving oh I I’m going to need this
tonight all right all
right um we’re going to I had a sense
earlier that there’s uh there’s several
women in the room that have
um ongoing problems because of either
pregnancy and or delivery of a child and
the Lord’s going to heal and restore so
if that you just put a hand up so I can
see how many there are that you just put
a hand up yeah yep there’s there’s a few
here yep okay um it’s a it’s a it’s a
strange thing but I I’ve seen through
the years uh quite a few that broke the
actual tailbone in I believe it was in
delivery and uh and Jesus heals those so
commonly um that uh it’s just become
expected there’s also some uh some folks
here male or female and there’s only two
kinds
[Applause]
nobody gets to vote on this
one um it’s the lower part of the back
right I would say probably right in this
area a little bit above the the uh the
belt line all the way to the tailbone
there’s a whole section there of ongoing
issues who is that that has uh problems
in that area okay we’ve got several
okay all right um there’s
also is there someone here that has a
problem with the the inner ear something
to do with the
bone of of the inner ear either it’s
missing or it’s damaged or something is
that you is there is there more yeah
right right ear by right here yeah yeah
well this tonight’s your night good okay
all right we’ve seen we’ve seen the Lord
Heal this before for um well all these
things we’ve seen them heal before um
there’s also somebody that has an issue
at the right at the base of the skull
the top of the neck there’s a problem uh
there’s a problem there I don’t know if
it’s a degenerative condition oh
goodness we got like six
or yeah that’s amazing whenever I see
that many in a group it doesn’t mean
nobody else gets healed it just means
it’s a it’s it’s an unusual coincidence
which is is the language of the spirit
so you’ll see unusual things stand out
to you and they’re just supposed to get
your attention and uh so put your hands
up again here right right here there’s
like 1 two 3 four five six seven in a
just a small section isn’t that unusual
uh the rest of you sorry you missed out
you if you would have followed the Lord
you would have sat over here
no third third grade sense of humor
sorry um so the Lord’s going to uh bring
healing to that so all of you that
raised your hand for any of these things
go ahead and stand
up
yeah y thank you Lord um let’s let’s add
something uh to this anybody who has any
kind of a joint disease it could be
arthritic condition it could be uh some
kind of a degenerative thing anyone who
has any in any joint in your body if
that’s us stand stand up right now stand
up quickly yeah and there’s specifically
there’s somebody with that right hip is
that you all right all right that right
right in the right right in the hip
joint there that socket there’s a
healing happening right there so Lord we
just invite you to come we thank you
that you’re here but demonstrate Holy
Spirit demonstrate the Wonder the
loveliness the beauty of Jesus by
touching these people’s bodies right now
in Jesus
name we declare the healing Grace of
Jesus over
you the healing Grace of
Jesus church just extend I’m going to
have you actually lay hands on them in a
moment but right now just extend your
hand towards them and just begin to pray
just declare the healing word over
them uh I believe the Lord is going to
reset uh bones that didn’t heal
correctly if you broke a bone I don’t
care if it’s 50 years ago um if you
broke a bone ever and it didn’t heal
correctly or maybe it’s not healed now I
I want you to stand up too uh just do
that quickly
yeah thank you
Lord just increase that healing Grace
now all of you that are standing check
yourself out right now uh before we
actually lay hands on you and pray check
yourself out and if you’re at least 80%
better already then I want you to wave
both hands like this over your head and
we’ll just C that wonderful come
on your hand like
that yeah check yourself out don’t wait
to feel heat or tingling or anything
don’t don’t wait to do that because only
half the people we see he will actually
feel it happen so check yourself out for
another about 15 seconds just keep
moving it around yeah just simple simple
Act of Faith Jesus sent a blind man to
the pool of silom and and it was in the
going and uh sometime there’s an action
involved so all right you you got you’re
pretty you’re completely healed how long
has it been there um it’s
been one and a half years the last
weekend I wasn’t able to get out of
of year and a half last weekend she
wasn’t able to get out of bed because of
the pain in the back and uh Jesus just
healed her tonight so it’s thank
you okay here’s here’s what I’m going to
do um any anybody else uh at least 80%
better already before we lay hands on
you wave your hand at me so I can see
yor there’s another one in the back
there another one here another okay we
got about five or all right now all of
you that are standing put a hand up and
leave it there till someone comes to you
those of you that are sitting you just
got drafted you got drafted into the
military into the army of God I want you
to go to them find out where the problem
is pray a very simple prayer and command
speak declare the healing
word you can put your hand down when
some he comes to
you yeah those who are online we just
declare the same healing Grace over you
let bones be reset now in Jesus
name we declare healing over that hip
joint in the name of the Lord Jesus
right
now
thank you
Lord now speak to the condition speak to
the condition command the bone to be
reset um arthritis to leave the joints
whatever it might be to speak to the
condition we declare in the name of
Jesus he sent his word and healed him he
sent his word and healed them so we
declare that over your bodies right now
in the name of the Lord
Jesus thank you
Lord okay you got about 10 more seconds
then we’re going to check it out
again thanks
Lord Wonder all right good end your
prayer end your prayer but stay with
them don’t leave them please sh all of
you that receive prayer please examine
yourself at least 10 or 15 seconds
examine yourself and anyone who is at
least 80% better wave both hands over
your head like this so we can see who
you are yeah we got some more over here
over here is another another one there
thank you another one here there
beautiful another one
there excellent several more over here
wonderful all right one last time turn
and Pray Again One Last Time Jesus
prayed for a blind man twice before he
could see clearly so we declare that
over you in Jesus name full
restoration thank you
God
thank you
Lord thank you
Lord all of you that are receiving
prayer why don’t you just conf confess
Lord Jesus I receive your gift of
healing for me I receive your gift of
healing Jesus became a curse that we
would not have to bear the
curse so we received that okay everyone
who received prayer check yourself out
again uh those who are online uh put it
in the chat box or something uh as uh
Jesus heals your body check yourself out
again how many of you were healed this
last time we prayed at least at least
80% wave both hands over your head like
this so we can see who you are wonderful
we got quite a few more so
beautiful so beautiful thank you
[Applause]
Lord all right go ahead and take your
places go ahead and find your seats if
you
would
I believe more and
more will more and more we’re going to
see people actually healed delivered and
born again at the most awkward times of
a meeting actually in in the
teaching um I I feel like we’re supposed
to uh build some sort of an expectation
zero hype just declaring this is what he
does yes sir and uh we’ve I’ve seen this
for years that when something is
declared at the beginning of a meeting
it’s it’s much more likely to
happen not because we’re making
something happen but because we pick up
on the heart of the Lord and we declare
nothing happens in the Kingdom till
first there’s a declaration so I just I
just want to say that when uh as the
word is taught I’m I’m hoping I I this
is my expectation I I believe it’s
supposed to be that whenever the word of
is taught that people are actually
healed because there is a connection
between the word of God and healing it
says he sent his word and healed him
Psalms
107:20 and uh so I’m I’m expecting that
uh even tonight you have permission at
any moment to get healed it’s it’s
possible it’s possible how many of you
uh just stand up if the Lord just healed
your body in the last this uh little
10-minute thing we just did stand up
just stand up where you are look around
the is that wonderful my
goodness
amazing
that’s
amazing
wow thank you uh how how many of you you
had uh like a anybody have like a Bo a
bone that once broke that either didn’t
heal correctly didn’t heal at all or
reset how how many of you had had that
happen my goodness two back over here
right here yeah that’s amazing yeah what
what
happened when I was a kid you you know
what let’s let’s get a microphone going
here this is this is worth we’ll we’ll
we’ll try to get uh two or three of you
anyway um just
uh yes when I was a kid um my rib broke
over here and when it healed it got
calcified and this big lump came over it
yeah it’s down like a good 60% like from
what it was yeah but it’s like led to
all sorts of like
and was there any pain involved in that
thing or as as people were praying I
could literally feel it moving awesome
it was so oh
cool like you can feel it moving yeah
that’s amazing phenomenal that’s amazing
so good so good anyone else uh Jesus did
something for you tonight you you’d love
to just boast in the little re over
there’s a Ben I’m just going to make you
run all over this room
yeah what what did Jesus do for
you yeah he’ll he’ll hold the mic that’s
fine I uh I hurt my back back about 30
years ago and it never healed correctly
wow and tonight when they started to
pray the pain instantly went and I felt
this I I felt the vertebrae just kind of
going back in order wow you know so like
like all the range the range of motion
is back I won’t be able to play
basketball but you
know that’s awesome
beautiful thank you
Lord thank you I’m just curious about
the bones that got reset what what part
of your body yeah right there yeah your
your arm your yeah um thanks Ben just
run run Ben
[Applause]
[Music]
[Laughter]
run so tell tell us what happened well
um I broke my arm when I was 16 years
old uh both of the bones in my arm and
the result of it was that it grew back
together but I couldn’t hold my hands
like this and relax wow it it would if I
would relax it would go like that yep
and now I can just relax and do
this that’s so
wonderful
oh thank you Lord I I love that I love
that did you feel anything happen did
you hear a pop or feel anything move no
I I felt it like uh a burning a burning
yeah hot is good hot is good yeah that’s
awesome good any anyone on this side of
the room so I can have Ben run okay
right over here
Ben run Ben run sounds like a children’s
book right over there right there right
there right there right there
it’s a new it’s a new children’s book
series run Ben
run what did Jesus do for you um I had
broken these fingers when I was a kid
and they the top part of them had healed
at a 45 degree angle like they just had
never sat right and literally felt like
pain and shaking and I looked down and
they completely straightened out oh my
goodness oh my goodness come
[Applause]
on
that
[Applause]
awesome that is so
cool like at a 45 degree angle there
were and now they’re straight that
beautiful all right we can do another
one one more is there one more right
over here yeah all
right oh we okay two more we’ll do this
one here and this one here all right all
right go ahead yeah um so from the age
of like 8 to 14 I skateboard a lot and I
fell in my butt a lot of times so my
tailbone over that years my tailbone
like curled and then went sideways to
45° angle and while people were praying
for me I felt it like Lally straightened
out and then go to like the time it was
supposed to like that’s awesome did it
did it hurt I mean normally when you sat
for a while did it hurt or it hurt a lot
when I sat for a while it felt like
something like someone was sit on hard
right now check it out sit on
hard do it
again how is it isn’t her at
all one more run one more right here
she run then
run hi in 2001 they discovered I had
tumors in my pelvis and so they removed
my sacrum my ilam ilam and part of my
saarc joint and they just stuffed me
with donor bone and so I don’t like
rotate on one side and so as these guys
were praying I just like picked my knee
up turned it out I
mean this is something I mean I wouldn’t
know until I have an x-ray but this is a
rotation that I could not do that’s
amazing come
on that’s
beautiful let’s give a shout of thanks
to the Lord come on we bless you guys
wonderful
Jes
wonderful wonderful
Lord wonderful Jesus
wow wow wow wow awesome yeah it’s also
pretty cool that some of you don’t know
you’re healed yet and you’ll you’ll find
out in the morning and those are fun too
make sure just make sure you tell
someone just make sure you tell someone
now how many of you gave God praise you
gave him glory because of these stories
you just heard you you actually gave him
a gift
yes had they not shared their testimony
you never would have been able to give
them that
gift it was their willingness to share
what God had done that liberated
something in you to bring him a gift you
couldn’t have given him
otherwise it’s the it’s the power of
your story keep it clear simple honest
but let’s give glory to Jesus so that’s
that’s wonderful all
[Applause]
right um I have a really long
[Applause]
teaching you’re not supposed to react
like
that you usually somebody gets up and
says I’m going to keep it short and then
they don’t I’m just telling you ahead of
time I’m going to try to keep it short
shorter than normal but u i I’ve got a a
huge subject and uh that I’ve talked
about about a month ago and I don’t
remember I think it was Sunday morning I
don’t remember sometime with this group
and you may not have been here but I
talked it was actually on one of our
missions of weeks where I talked about
power and authority and what I want to
do is I’m going to I’m going to address
what I’ve already addressed briefly and
then go off into to an area that I I
think is is uh pretty important pretty
critical for
us in Luke chapter
9 first part of the chapter we find that
Jesus brings his disciples together and
the Bible says he gave them power and
authority to heal the sick Luke chapter
9 we we studied it years ago maybe we’ll
do it again sometime soon but it’s a
very fun chapter on the Lord
empowers if I could use a more modern
term he he
deputizes 12
guys to go to six different cities in
pairs and they go and they actually do
the same things that they had been
watching Jesus do he commissioned them
to step into his assignment and heal the
sick raise the Dead cast out devil
Devils cleanse the lepers all all the
same stuff and so in this chapter he
gave them power and authority it’s
important that you remember those two
terms because they are critical for us
today he gave them power and authority
and they went out and they did exploits
it’s kind of the funny part of the story
is when they came back they were arguing
as to who was the greatest so apparently
God used them so powerfully it boosted
their ego and uh the Lord is not afraid
of doing that because he has a great
pruning instrument to prun egos uh he
does it well but he would rather have
have you experience something in him and
then have him Whittle it back down to
its place of strength than to have you
theorize everything and think you have
to become perfect before he’ll trust
you he empowers and so he does so with
power and
authority fast forward when when Jesus
died
he rose
again he reappeared several times over
40 days to his disciples and he would
talk to them about the kingdom Acts
chapter one tells us some of the subject
matter a road to EMAs some of these
various stories give us some glimpses
some details of what was on his heart so
he would he would visit the guys again
and he’d visit he he met uh he was
visibly seen by at least 500 people um
in in after his resurrection and so he
would come and he would talk to them
about their assignment and very
specifically in Matthew 28 the passage
that we call the Great Commission he
stands before the 11 remaining and he
says all authority has been given to me
therefore go and disciple
Nations baptizing them name of the
father Son and the Holy Spirit teaching
them all that I’ve taught you just a
little
reminder Jesus taught them to heal the
sick raise the Dead cast out Devils
cleanse lepers that was a part of his
instruction for them that was always to
be a part of the Great Commission to go
and bring converts but in getting those
converts disciple them to do what you’ve
been trained to do that Jesus trained
you to do and that cycle was never to
have been
broken the illustration that I I use um
a number of times through the years is
that I I remember I remember hearing a
pastor uh so many years ago uh telling
us um that when he they were doing a
building project he just wanted to be
involved in the building and so he would
uh he would come to the contractors
every evening and say is there anything
I can do and he didn’t have any building
skills but finally the contractor had
mercy on him one day and and said yeah
he says we need these I’m just going to
give you I forget the exact number and
size but I’ll just give it to to
illustrate it says we need a 2x4s cut to
8 foot in length and so he was excited
he finally got to do something so
everybody left they went home and he’s
there with his saw and he’s cutting 102
by4 is at 8 foot length so he takes his
tape measure out he measures 8 feet he
he marks it he cuts the 8ot he puts his
tape measure away and takes the 8ft
board puts it on top of the next board
marks it and cuts it and then takes the
newly cut board puts it on top of the
next board marks it and cuts it and he
does this for 100 boards well every
board is about an eighth of an inch
longer than the previous one which is
not a problem if you’re cutting three or
four boards but when you’ve cut a 100
you end up with some boards that are 9
ft long at the end of of the deal and
some that are like 8 feet long so what
happens is in church life we tend to
compare ourselves with previous
generations with only an e/ inch
difference and at the end of it all
2,000 years will find out that we’re way
different than the
original the original standard is the
life of
Jesus oh
wow he’s the 8 foot tape
measure not your favorite
Christian
[Applause]
use your use your favorite Christian for
inspiration model follow examples all of
that learn all you can but the original
standard is is
Jesus
so Jesus then comes to the disciples and
he commissions them and he says all
authority is being given to me therefore
go and disciple Nations now here’s an
important thing discipling Nations
has everything in the world to do with
the gift of authority that God has given
he says all authority has been given to
me therefore go in other words I’ve been
commissioned by the father to come
destroy the works of the enemy in fact I
need to say it this way Jesus came with
authority I don’t believe he came with
power as God he has all the power you
know as as God but he chose to live
restricted in his Earthly life
as a human dependent on the father it’s
important for us to get that because in
doing so he gave an example that could
be followed if he does everything as God
I’m impressed but I can’t follow it I’m
I’m an observer but when I find that
what he’s done he’s done as a man RT
Kendall puts it this way he says Jesus
was entirely God as though he were not
man at all and he was entirely man as
though he were not God at all it’s one
of the the most mind-boggling Myster
there is so Jesus came to Earth with
authority because he was commissioned
our Authority is in equal measure to our
yes to his mission
w we don’t have authority to use
randomly for personal uh Vindication uh
promotion any of those things our
authorities been given specifically to
enable us to carry out his
mission which is to make disciples to
raise up disciples in Nations and
literally to disciple
Nations so when Jesus comes before his
disciples he commissions them therefore
giving them Authority but in Luke 24 he
said don’t leave Jerusalem till your
clothes with power so the point was is
while they were following Jesus in their
in their three and a half years of
mentorship discipleship by Jesus they
were able to function under his umbrella
of authority and power but when Jesus
left they had to get their own yes and
so in the commission they were given
Authority but then he said don’t leave
Jerusalem till you clothe with Power
Authority comes in the commission power
comes in the
encounter power comes in the encounter
when Jesus was baptized in water the
Holy Spirit came upon him in the form of
a dove he is recorded to have walked in
Authority from that point on he goes
from that water baptism Into the
Wilderness to be tempted by the devil
the Devil comes to him the first
question was has God said or excuse me
if you’re the son of God turn this Stone
into bread what was the last thing Jesus
heard from the father in that storyline
the father said you are my beloved Son
so the Devil comes and says if so the
whole deal is to question identity and
to question what God has said it’s the
two um can I say the two uh uh the the
um the themes running deep in every
temptation is either to question what
God has said or to question who we are
and if you get those two things settled
nothing else is
appealing nothing nothing outside of
God’s purpose is attractive if you know
who you are and what God has
said
right power is to write what is
wrong the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
the baptism in the Holy Spirit is to put
Power upon the people of God number one
for
miracles without power this is not good
news it’s not a philosophy to
inspire it’s a relationship with the
allmighty
one who paid a tremendous price to make
it possible for us to taste of freedom
and liberty freedom from addictions from
uh afflictions all all sorts of stuff
demonic stuff he he paid a tremendous
price so that we would taste now not not
just in heaven the promises made were
not just made so that we would enjoy you
know freedom and liberty in heaven he
actually makes it available now it’s why
he said the kingdom is at hand it’s
within reach
now so Jesus commissions his
disciples and he says uh disciple
Nations but wait till your clothe with
power so in that context there is this
there is this element of power and
authority that rests on the church
here’s what I want to talk about
tonight
um
authority
authority authority has to be used for
justice or it’s not properly
used the Bible teaches us Psalms 97 says
that um
righteousness and Justice are the
foundation of God’s
Throne righteousness and Justice are the
foundation of his
throne
Justice contending for justice is a huge
part of what it means to exercise The
Authority that God’s given to
us and here’s here’s the most
challenging part of this is
Justice
Begins by protecting and defending those
who have no
voice amen
amen I’m I’m I’m sorry I’m really I’m
really searching for Words uh here here
tonight trying to uh try to trying to
stir up something in in us as a people
yes the most obvious perhaps would be
The Unborn they have no voice they can’t
speak for
themselves and Justice is actually to
put yourself at risk to defend those who
can’t fight for
themselves um let me read just some
random verses for you that I’ve I’ve got
printed uh or put on my iPad it says um
Isaiah 1:17 says learn to do good seek
Justice reprove Pro the ruthless defend
the orthen plead for the
Widow Justice targets those who really
don’t either have the position in life
the strength sometimes just the voice to
defend
themselves and Authority in the kingdom
is not just to cast out Devils which
thankfully I’m I’m glad that that’s our
privilege and
assignment but sometimes it becomes very
very practical where we we see people
that have been abused they’ve been taken
advantage of and they’ve suffered so
many different things in life and they
need someone to stand up for them
because they cannot speak for
themselves um Proverbs 241-12 says
deliver those who are being taken away
to death and those who are staggering to
slaughter or hold them back if you say
see we did not know this does not does
not does he not consider it who weighs
the heart and does he not know it who
keeps your soul will he not render man
according to his work what he’s saying
he say you you can’t say we didn’t know
they couldn’t speak for themselves and
do nothing because if you actually saw
for example The Unborn and you say
nothing then your silence in that moment
is a misuse of
authority authority is not to punish and
Destroy people Authority is to defend
those who are in in
need and it’s the Widow it’s the orphan
it’s The Unborn
In some cultures that certain races have
such a harder time just making it in
life and standing on behalf of group
people groups to protect and defend and
to to promote and to work to give
opportunity it’s our responsibility is
the biblical use of authority is to make
sure that people have opportunity to
thrive and to be liberated in
life
amen Jeremiah 22:3 says thus says the
Lord do justice and righteousness
deliver the one who has been robbed from
the power of His oppressor do not
mistreat or do violence to the stranger
to the orphan or the Widow do not shed
innocent
blood
um
this troubles me
um I watch powerful
people treat non-powerful
people with
sometimes sometimes it’s out that
disgust but not usually it’s usually
indifference
it’s usually indifference it’s usually
uh when it’s done improperly um because
so many of you I I watch you rally to
the people that are in greatest crisis
and need but when it’s done improperly
it’s usually indifference because they
don’t have the well as James would say
they come in they don’t have the gold
ring they don’t have whatever the nice
clothes and so they’re put off to the
side and yet there’s great value for
certain classes or certain groups of
people I don’t see that a lot here and
I’m thankful for it but I I did see it
today day and it really troubled me when
I saw it I saw I just saw someone who
just kind of put aside that uh that just
doesn’t have that much going on for them
in life uh by someone who did and uh
when I see that it just it hurts so bad
because that’s it’s it’s an improper use
of authority see if I use my position
here’s the deal we are called Priests of
the lord we represent God before people
and people before God I represent people
before God in prayer in intercession I’m
praying on behalf of I represent God
before people trying to bring the best I
can his love his word his touch
everything I can if I misuse that and I
I uh point the finger we sang a song
tonight about Clean Hands and a pure
heart clean hands are no pointing
fingers hands that don’t
accuse if I if I accuse people before
the Lord I am misusing my position as a
priest and he will then instead of
instead of attending to the concern that
I have that I have put in accusation
form instead of attending to my concern
he now Rises up to defend them against
me because I’m misusing my
authority authority is supposed to be
used for their benefit our Authority is
never used for self-promotion it’s never
used for
Vindication anything you obtain through
self-promotion you have to sustain
through
self-promotion it’s like a a beach ball
with a leak in it you have to keep
pumping the the air in to keep the thing
alive and it’s it’s a disgusting way to
do
life yes we’ve had uh well let me read
some more verses then
no open your mouth for the mute for the
rights of the unfortunate Proverbs
31:8 um let Justice roll down like
Waters and righteousness like an Ever
flowing stream Amos 5:24
how blessed are those who keep Justice
who practice righteousness at all times
what I want you to see is these two
terms
Justice rights a
wrong
righteousness is what you build with um
picture it this
way a nation a holy nation the people of
God have been commissioned to disciple
Nations how do you disciple a nation you
don’t just point to what’s broken and
wrong you actually lead the nation into
building something where communities
Thrive businesses Thrive families are
healthy education is strong science
medicine all these things are healthy
that’s what it is to disciple you
actually take them into something that’s
positive so what what what this uh means
is Justice gets us out of the red
righteousness brings us into the
black does that make any sense in
culture and Society The Authority we’ve
been given for the area of Justice
specifically Justice and righteousness
is to bring them out of the red in other
words fix the stuff that’s broken deal
with the those who have been
disadvantaged those who have been uh
abused those who have been rejected and
all all the stuff that goes on in life
get them out of the red but then
righteousness takes them into a
lifestyle where they get to experience
what they were designed
for it’s all a part of the authority
that we’ve been
given in recent days we’ve had so many
reports of tragedies among
great leaders and failures and stuff and
I I remember when this happened back in
the 80s we had just a series of national
crisis that hit the church and and we
were faced with the same dilemma that we
have today and I I just I’m so I’m so
troubled by first of all uh because sin
is so
unnecessary and uh and to see uh see
what happens to people first of all when
when you give yourself to Justice the
first thing you have to do is give
attention to the
victims the first thing you do is give
attention to
victims victims don’t need you to fix
them most of the time a victim needs a
friend an ear somebody that will
listen honoring them enough to listen to
their
story and if you’re like me I’m I I’ve
been in working with people for so many
years even even after this many years my
first response is still to try to fix
something instead of realizing most of
the time what people need is a friend
they need somebody in my case somebody
in Authority who actually just will pay
attention to them and listen have value
for their experience have value for
their for for for what they’ve kept
secret I just I I just had uh a
connection with somebody who who just
had horrible horrible experiences just
recently and spent a a couple hours hour
and a half couple hours just listening
to their story
just to be honest just apologizing on
behalf of spiritual leaders spiritual
fathers forgive us for for really uh you
know taking I I didn’t take advantage of
her I didn’t do anything improper but
just sometimes you stand in that place
and you say just forgive us those of us
who are in these positions like this uh
I am so sorry that you that you that you
not only were abused but I’m so sorry
those that you sent the signal out to
didn’t respond and didn’t care for you
and it’s this is what Authority does
Authority is never used for for
ourselves it’s never used to say well
I’m right and you’re wrong it’s not a
position to say all right uh yeah you’re
you’re just bitter or whatever you know
what there could even be bitterness but
let’s get the reason they’re broken
first healed and uh and I I I believe
everybody needs to walk in forgiveness I
get that but this issue of authority is
actually to bring people into into
wholeness it it is not to establish your
great ministry it is to bring people
into wholeness and that requires Justice
and righteousness there’s a couple more
verses I’ll read and then uh and then
I’m going to just preach no Pro probably
not probably some of you got your hopes
up you were you’re were
hoping it’s interesting in hoseah 2:9 it
says um I will betro you to me forever
yes I will betro you to me in
righteousness and in Justice in loving
kindness and in compassion just think
about that I will betro here’s the Lord
saying to the people of God I will
betroth you to me forever in
righteousness and Justice even in the
intimacy of a relationship with the
almighty God he has woven the theme of
justice of righteousness into that
relationship the
willingness some I believe this is
prophetic so I’ll just throw it out and
you you do with it what you want I think
some in this room who have needed great
great breakthrough won’t have it until
you stand up for somebody who’s
hurting it’s it’s in the posture of
protection using what Authority you have
to protect and defend and to stand up
for them stand up for the rights of the
person sometimes you you you work in a
in a a place and you’ve seen it I’m sure
as I have where there’re just certain
individuals they just get picked on a
lot and it’s almost like they have a
Target on them I’ve I’ve watched it for
years they just get it’s not because
they’re weird it’s not because they did
anything wrong it’s not because they
don’t aren’t good workers or whatever
they just seem to attract that stuff and
I I personally think it’s just a demonic
thing to isolate them and to and to
really U for them to live under that
that thing of rejection and stuff and
where Authority comes is where you come
and stand alongside of that individual
where you you not only uh become a
friend but you speak words of
affirmation encouragement bring them out
of that cycle I think we have the
authority to break the cycle to break
the cycle I I watched this for a number
of years if I I I would have like a
business person oh I’m going to get
phone
calls I’m going to get invitations for
lunch I can feel it coming right now do
not call me do
please but I watched for years if I
would take time with a certain uh
individual businessman or whatever we
would have lunch together we’d share and
there would be this prayer for their
personal breakthrough something would
happen one guy whenever I had lunch with
him he’d go back to work and get a raise
and it was it was yeah yeah you want
lunch now yeah let’s let’s just eat
right now just eat right now this is it
all of you get a raise all
right I
I I know that I know that sounds I know
that sounds
strange I know that sounds strange but
but follow follow this biblical
Concept in Ephesians 4 says let no unh
wholesome word proceed out of your mouth
but only such a word as is good for
edification according to the need of the
moment listen to this that it might give
Grace to those who hear what is Grace
Grace is divine
favor and here he says don’t speak words
of of death speak Words of Life pick
somebody bring an encouraging a
affirming word to them according to the
situation they’re in and God will add
his Touch of Grace on what you’ve just
said you can break Cycles in people’s
lives by just selecting them just
selecting them just taking time with
them just taking time to listen you’d
rather be with this exciting friend and
with that exciting friend but sometimes
it’s just looking into their eyes and
taking just a few moments just that with
that one individual that breaks a cycle
of collapse where the enemy has come to
kill steal and destroy for so long and
every person in this room has the
capacity for this I realize that there
are some things that have to be dealt
with with Spiritual Authority in the
body of Christ I get that and that’s
that’s needed right now I I I I hear the
cry for that right now but a lot of
things can be taken care
of by a
friend that just stands in there to
listen to hear to pray to
support be slow to give answers be slow
to give counsel be quick to listen be
quick to love be quick to embrace and
and let’s watch and see what happens I
believe that the Lord is going to
elevate the the uh the realization or
the felt uh impact of authority on the
body of Christ in this season it looks
like the opposite is happening but to me
that’s an indication of what God wants
to heal in us something a course
correction that he wants to to do for us
to where where we we are looking for
those who need just that extra attention
that extra word that extra moment that
extra prayer the willingness to listen
to their stuff without without unloading
on them and listening to their stuff and
just helping helping them to stay in a
place where they’re where they’re
healthy stay in a place where they’re
connected to people I remind you that
the disciples belonged before they
believed it’s one of the most
extraordinary things is they actually
belong they were a part of this
community of 12 and Jesus 13 so this
this community the small community they
belong before before they knew before
they knew who he was you know I’m I’m
thinking if I’m putting together a group
of 12 guys I’m going to put out a
questionnaire 10,000 people can apply
for this position at the top of the list
do you believe Jesus is the Messiah
number one question you you you can’t be
a part of this group if you don’t
believe he’s the Messiah but Jesus
didn’t start that way he just spoke he
said follow me and there was something
in his voice that made them curious
enough to leave family to leave jobs to
leave everything to be with this guy and
they didn’t even know who he was but
there was something there they belonged
and our our intentionality to help
people to belong I don’t mean that we
accept you know the the the sins and the
all that I I don’t I I don’t I don’t
like that I know that there’s so much
junk going on in people’s lives right
now that are just trying to say well the
grace of God covers it no no Grace is to
get you out of it it’s not to it’s not
to keep you safe in it
[Applause]
so u i maybe I will preach
no no no stop
stopes the raises you want to talk about
the
raises let’s get down to the important
stuff the the increase in income and all
that
um I let let me just dabble for a minute
and
and how you relate to
people here’s what fathers do fathers
and mothers all right fathers
bring
identity purpose
Destiny and a consciousness of unlimited
resource you didn’t know the last
one but that’s what our father does
which means that’s what this father and
this father and this mother are supposed
to do to do that you have to live
conscious of a world that is superior to
this one yes we actually are seated in
Heavenly places it’s not just a point of
theology to encourage encourage us it’s
actually a place of seeing it’s a place
of thinking it’s a it’s a it’s a reality
that shifts how we think and how we
perceive what we’re
facing when you’re in that position you
can actually increase the Bounty and the
blessing in other people’s lives I don’t
mean that you and I fiction repair
everything I just mean that there’s
there’s
something there’s something about the
favor of God on a person’s life that
benefits everybody under their
influence and that’s it’s just a fact
you know I I remind you of this part of
the story often with Solomon where the
Queen of Sheba in fact it was spoken to
him twice but the Queen of Sheba was one
of them she said to Solomon God has
highly favored you because of his love
for
Israel think about that statement he has
highly favored you because he loves the
people around
you in other words the favor is not for
you not the favor is to equip you to be
a resource for the people that you
influence and when we use the favor can
I use the word now Authority when we use
these things for ourselves then we we
cut off the flow and we we not only
cheapen what God is doing in the earth
we actually restrict our own personal
development Hallelujah much more would
flow through us if we realize the
position that God’s put us in to be a a
people of resource people of strength uh
you know we we we don’t have to have be
quick to give Counsel on answers we need
to listen but there are times where you
just speak those life-giving words
sometimes it’s a sentence that changes a
person’s life I’ve watched this for so
many years just stepping into a person’s
life for a
moment can change anything and
everything and everybody in this room
has been given Authority and power for
that so power and authority is what
every believer has to walk in to
accurately L demonstrate our heavenly
father who he is what he is like power
confronts the stuff that’s wrong the
second part of power I don’t think I
mentioned that I should have is there’s
two parts of power in in in the in the
book of Acts powers for the miracle but
Power also enables one to
endure until the miracle
comes the dunamis power of God enables
Graces a person to endure through
hardship yes you see extraordinary
miracles in the gospel extraordinary
miracles in the book of
Acts but you all see also see crazy
crazy
endurance the power of God that was on
Stephen as he’s mured it’s just
bizarre I’m not prophesying to you I’m
just I’m just saying that power element
is so
huge that walking in the power of the
Lord yields yeld it to the power of the
Lord is so huge because then nothing is
impossible but it’s not just a
demonstration of power I I I uh I don’t
know that I ever thought through this
but I I know that in my lifestyle I lean
towards the demonstration of power more
than the demonstration of authority I
know there have been seasons in my life
where I would lean towards the
demonstration of power more than
Authority and I’m I’m just saying again
I I never would have said that out loud
because it wasn’t conscious but I’m
saying now the release of authority is
absolutely critical and vital power
starts the
Revival Authority sustains it it’s walk
it’s knowing how to live in the Justice
of the Lord gives a credibility to the
work of the spirit of God to where
people become whole and all of us are in
the all of us are broken I don’t know if
you noticed that I’m here to give you
good news all of us all of us have
issues and and Jesus is working on every
one of us and uh and walking in that
kind of authority standing up for those
I I forgot to mention when there’s a
crisis like we have going uh right now
we have to give attention to victims
number one number two we’ve got to give
attention to those who it’s it’s almost
like the collateral damage you know
you’ve got you’ve got let’s say let’s
say you’ve got a woman but then they’ve
got a sister and they’ve got a brother
and they’ve got a cousin there’s this
collateral damage that happens
and we’ve got to listen to them too
we’ve got to pay attention to them
too and then finally and this is the one
that bothers the most people is uh is
you got to give attention to the
victimizer I was going to read I was
going to read the entire chapter of
Isaiah 61 man I missed it completely so
let me just quote one one part of the of
the passage actually that’s what I was
going to study
tonight I don’t know what happened I
just got rambling just God
talking Jesus announces the spirit of
the Lord God is upon me and he he
describes what he’s going to be doing in
his
ministry and which’s interesting he said
to give recovery of sight to Blind he he
makes these decrees before any Miracles
happened he declared it before he did
it he declared it before he did it
that’s
right it’s it’s not hard to declare it
after you’ve done
it amen some of you will do more if
you’ll declare
[Applause]
more thank you I I was I was trying hard
I was trying hard all right let me get L
this thing um this in In this passage
Jesus says that he’s going to set
captives free and he’s going to set
prisoners free there’s the difference
between these two
groups captives are those who are
imprisoned because of what was done to
them
prisoners are captive because of what
they
did are you with me so in this room
there are people who are captive because
of something was done to you stepfather
abused you captive Jesus came to set
that person free but then there’s people
in here here that you’re bound you know
because of something you did it was you
were the one you were the you know not
the victim you were the victimizer
you’re the one who who who gave the
abuse and he’s here to set you free too
and the wonderful thing about our father
now we got to take this in sequence it’s
what’s important is we work with the
victims we work with the Fallout in
family and friends but we don’t ignore
the
victimizer because that’s the part of
the Gospel makes this thing go full
circle yes because then you’ve got like
an apostle Paul who was responsible for
the martyrdom for the death of Steven
comes full circle he is now the great
proponent of the gospel and so we need
that kind of Hope regardless of what
situation you’re in all right I’ve
rambled long enough I just
understand all
right
I I had such good plans you know such
good plans I I apologize for not uh I
did read some scripture to you so that
helps but uh but uh yeah righteousness
righteousness and justice is
righteousness and
Justice man this been a long
day how many of our uh our visitors here
for the conference you fly home
tomorrow extend a hand towards these
look at all them they’re flying home
tomorrow and they’re here late tonight
extend a hand towards them bless them
just do it right now extend hand start
praying for safe travels let them take
home more than they thought was possible
let them take home more than they
thought was ever possible let a spirit
of breakthrough rest upon them each one
of them Spirit of
breakthrough every Pastor every leader
carry the wisdom of God the presence the
power of the Lord into your church into
your city we pray in Jesus
name amen amen