Know Your Authority in Jesus

In Acts 19, Paul arrives in Ephesus, and ended up staying there for well over two years, building a church community, to whom he would later write one of his letters.  We learn much in this chapter about how important it is to know your authority in Christ Jesus.

The story is told of a young boy, Ben Hooper, who grew up to become a Governor of Tennessee.  Ben was born to a young woman who was not married, and as a result, Ben didn’t have many friends in his school, and in fact, endured much ridicule.  When Ben was 12 years old, a new preacher came to their local church, and Ben began attending on Sundays.  Because of how he was viewed in the community, he would sneak in after the service had begun, and then leave during the benediction.  One Sunday when he got caught up in the benediction, he found himself exiting with the other parishioners. Keeping his head down, feeling he would be rejected by the people of the church, he suddenly felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and looked up, only to be looking into the eyes of the Pastor.  Ben said, “I looked up and the preacher was looking right at me. ‘Who are you, son? Whose boy are you?’ he asked. I felt this big weight coming down on me. It was like a big black cloud. Even the preacher was putting me down. But as he looked down at me, studying my face, he began to smile a big smile of recognition. “Wait a minute!” he said. “I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.” With that he slapped me across the rump and said, “Boy, you’ve got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.”  This revelation was a pivotal moment in Ben Hooper’s life.

Many believers know about the Lord, but we must first know Him personally, and then get to know “who we are in Jesus.”  Knowing that you are a child of God, and the authority you have in the name of Jesus, is critical in being used by God.  This is demonstrated in Acts 19 in two significant ways.

Being Baptized in the Holy Spirit

When Paul arrived in Ephesus, his first encounter was with a small group of men who had heard the message of John the Baptist, and had repented, but they hadn’t heard the good news of the cross.  When Paul shared the Gospel with them, they immediately received Jesus as Savior, were baptized in water and “Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.”

You may quickly skip over this little incident, but this is a significant moment in Church history.  This was further evidence that the Gospel, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit wasn’t just for Jewish people, or just for the apostles, but it was for all people.  Going back to Acts 1:8, when Jesus was with the disciples before He ascended back to heaven, He said to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere.” 

On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit moved on the believers, all 120 of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.  It’s of note that when Paul planted the church in Ephesus, he immediately got the first converts baptized in the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had commanded.  

There are people who believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that come with His presence in our lives, was just for the Apostles – that essentially, those gifts “ceased” after the last Apostle died.  If you go back to Acts 1 however, Jesus was saying, “I need you to tell others what I’ve done, but don’t attempt to do this in your own power – wait until I’ve filled you with My Spirit, and empowered you to be My witnesses.” (my paraphrase)

The power of the Holy Spirit is just as important in 2024 as it was in the first century.  One of the things that thrills me most about leading Alpha, is watching lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and then watching people on the Alpha weekend, being filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit themselves, to be a witness of what Jesus has done.

The Authority of Jesus’ Name

Paul spent two years teaching the Word of God fervently, and “God gave him the power  to perform unusual miracles.  When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.”  There were people who were dazzled by this and tried to replicate what they saw happening through the hands of Paul.  Both in that day, and to our current day, there are people who will be awed by unique signs and wonders, and many believers have gotten into the ditch by trying to copy, or even chase after supernatural manifestations.  God’s purpose, however, was to use these miracles to draw people to Jesus, and to demonstrate that ultimate authority rests in the person and name of Jesus.  

Ephesus was a city rampant with Idol Worship and sorcery.  One particular group of young Jews were quite impressed with the authority that they saw in Paul, and even over the demonic realm.  They went about trying to exercise authority over demons, “A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” (Acts 19:13 NLT)  They were using the Name of Jesus as if that name was magical.  It wasn’t magical, and the demons beat them severely that day as, even they, recognized that these young men had no authority.  I venture to say, that in 2024, there are still people who are using the Name of Jesus in much the same way.  If we go back to the great commission, however, Jesus said,  

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

Our theme at Coastal Church this year of “GO!” is based on this command, but to have authority to carry out this commission, you must truly “know” the one who has sent you.  Your authority is in “knowing Him”, and not in using His name as though it had some magical powers.

Going back to the story we began with, about Ben Hooper, that moment changed his life, because he had a revelation of who he was.  So let me ask you the same question – “Who are you?”  To quote what the Pastor said to young Ben, I say to you, ‘Wait a minute!’ I know who you are. I see the family resemblance now. You are a child of God.’  That is where your authority rests – in knowing that you are a child of God.