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