He Gave Them Power and Authority — Shane Idleman

Jesus’ Authority in the Temple

Matthew chapter 21 verse 14 and I'm going to talk about the title of the message is he gave them power and authority. He gave them power and authority. And if you remember some of you have read the Bible many times you know that they challenged Jesus in one of the stories and they said are you or who are you and what are you doing.

And whose authority are you doing this by whose authority. Who gave you this power who gave this to you. And let's talk about that tonight on this issue of authority. And it's interesting because preaching really is God's given authority to proclaim his word to proclaim his truth.

And I like what Leonard Ravenhill said many years ago probably 40 years ago that we need more prophets in our pulpits and less puppets. And what he meant by that is we need more people boldly speaking God's truth and not being puppets about what do they want to hear.

And this person gives a lot of money. I better you know please them. And just just what is the Word of God say the undiluted powerful Word of God. There's power and there's authority in that. And I'll explain why in a minute.

But Matthew 21 verse 14 then the blind and the lame came to him came to Jesus in the temple and he healed them. But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying out in the temple saying Hosanna to the Son of David they were indignant.

And they said to him do you hear what these are saying. And Jesus said to them have you. Yes I have. Have you never read out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise. Then he left them and went out to the city of Bethany and he lodged there.

So this is pretty interesting. You've got this setting where Jesus is in the temple he's healing people. The blind are made to see that death to hear. And he's healing people. And the Pharisees are getting indignant.

They're getting upset at what God is doing that how who is look what they're saying to you and you're healing these people. How could you. And it's an interesting setting there. But a few things I want to pull from this number one is we need to come to Jesus to receive from him.

Coming to Jesus in Full Surrender

Now nobody's gonna say wow I never knew that. You know we all know that. But sometimes we forget that that these people had to physically go to Jesus and he healed them. And many times as Christians we forget that that Jesus isn't back there up on the cross he's a forefront he's in our lives.

And if we need something if we it's okay say daddy I need you. We talked about that few weeks ago father I need you Jesus I need you. And you go to him to receive from him. It's that fully surrendered life.

The more you give the more you gain. The more we give Jesus everything the more we gain. And I think sometimes we forget that that we still need to come to him. Don't just grab Tylenol don't just go to the chiropractor.

Don't just do all those things which are good. Right. Sometimes we need to do that but first and foremost come to him and receive of him. And I was interesting on my way to the first service I stopped by Walmart.

I had to pick up something and it's an interesting store in itself. But we're not gonna go there. But let's just say there's a lot of ministry opportunities a lot of ministry opportunities. So as I was leaving there's a there's a he's a vet.

You know veterinary veterinary. He's a vet from fighting it in Afghanistan and and you know people like well they're not legitimate and well I mean let God be the judge. You know you got to know you got to discern a little bit.

So I pulled over and luckily he's a long red light. I talked to him for a while and and and kind of discerned a little bit. I got him a Walmart gift card and some some shoes and socks and different things.

But he said oh praise God thank you. I said man you got to give your life fully to God. He can get you out of this. I have been thinking about it. I know and I go. No really I said you've got to fully surrender your life to God after you leave here.

Tell him Lord I need you get me out of this a fully. So you have to come to him to fully receive him. He knew it intellectually. Yeah I know I've been thinking about that. I know it's funny you said that no it's not funny.

I said that that that's the answer. And I would submit to you. That's the answer to most of our problems is to fully submit to God. We have a submission problem in the church. We don't know I'm not giving him that.

I'm not fully submit everything. Well then I won't have fun anymore. No you won't be miserable anymore. There's a big difference. We think God's gonna take all the fun away from me. And really that's not the case.

He's brings in tremendous peace and joy and contentment long-suffering and gentleness and kind all the things we need. So I would just encourage you because we we need to go back to the basics. Sometimes I remember I'm talking about this.

I'm preaching tomorrow morning too and I've got this good illustration that and that I used to have up on my wall when I was younger. But it was a Vince Lombardi. Many of you know Vince Lombardi the famous Packers coach.

And I had all his quotes. You know any man's finest hours when he lies exhausted on the field of battle victorious. I'm like Paul that's really good. You know football. But he would tell he took the Green Bay Packers when they were bad losing streak.

He came he came as their head coach. And in the first practice he said gentlemen this is a football. That's how we like. Well no kidding. But it's back to the basics. And many times when you say gentlemen women this is a Bible.

There's something called prayer. There's come something called seeking God with I. We go back to the basics because there's no new truth. If it's new it's not truth. You look for the old paths you go back to and Christ is an all-sufficient Savior.

He's not a part-time Savior. He's not a partial Savior. He's a all-sufficient Savior. Everything we need everything and you must come to him to receive. So I don't know who you are what you're dealing with.

Maybe you don't have a relationship with God. Maybe you've drifted from God. All you have to do is come to him to receive him. That's it. I love that God. It's not. There's not bells and whistles and seven steps to this and penance and paying.

He just has come to me. I am the great healer. I'm the great restore this see this is Jesus healing people in the temple. This is the same Jesus. We just sang about the waves and the sea will listen to him.

You can go out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean 40-foot swells. And Jesus would walk out there and said peace be still and the whole ocean will come to a calm. He would go Jerry his daughter. He would rise her from the dead said get up little girl.

He would go to Lazarus tomb and say come forth. He would go to the demoniac on the island over there. They would sell to him and the other side of the lake and they would say come out of him. You legion of devils.

You have no power in him. I have all authority. He would walk through Jerusalem. He would blind Bartimaeus. His eyes were open. Death were ears were open. The lepers who come to him they were made as little baby skin again everywhere he went.

That's your Savior. Sometimes we need to remember that that's an all-sufficient Savior. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. There's no question mark there. There's no question mark the order.

The question mark is. Here's the question mark. We limit Christ. We limit Christ. If you think that through we limit God wants to do abundantly. No I have seen nor ear has heard nor is it entered even to the hearts of man.

The things that God wants to do for his children. You start selling Joel steam now. No. I'm starting to encourage. We need encouragement. This is an all-sufficient Savior. So I don't care what you're going through.

You can reach out and call Jesus at two in the morning when your kids are sick. You're going to the mercy of Jesus. I need you. And something's falling apart Jesus. I need you when your sanity. When you're every you're barely holding on Jesus.

I need you says good. That's what I'm here for. I'm an all-sufficient Savior. And we. But you have to reach out. If you have to reach in order to receive something you have to. Can you hand me anything with my arm.

Hands closed. Nothing. I'll drop whatever you give me. And that's a lot of times Christians walk around like that. I know all about Jesus. I quote scripture and I have a Bible. But that's not. We have to open our hands really metaphorically speaking open our hearts and receive of him.

And that's what was happening here. They were coming and he was welcoming them. It was interesting thing I noticed here to how we act after seeing the wonderful things of God reveals a great deal. These people were indignant.

They saw these wonderful works of God and we said how could they. Well it happens in the church. We see it. I've been guilty of this. You'll hear of the church down the street right. Well they've got a wonderful young adults program.

Young adults are coming. Lord. Yeah. But they're soft on this or soft on that you know. And but as long as the Bible believe in Christ Center Church we should praise God for what they're doing. I mean if we're leading hundreds of young adults to Christ I want to live in a valley where hundreds of young adults are coming to Christ because they're about ready to get on the road and date my daughter.

They're about ready to choose a party or a Bible study. So we need to start rejoicing in the wonderful things that God is doing and not get so cynical and down. I got to move out of here. I gotta leave.

I gotta. I hate this place. And if I hear that one more time I'm gonna have a fit. I hate Lancaster. I got to move to you know wherever. Well it's what. What's what you make of it God. Do you know that God calls people to the inner city in East LA.

I'd rather be there inside of his perfect will than running perfect praise. This is interesting. Jesus says out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise. Basically that is undiluted and unpolluted praise.

It's praise from a right heart because a lot of people come into church and they oh yeah let me sing those songs. Yeah it's not coming from a pure heart. It's not coming from a right heart. There'll be thousands millions of people tomorrow morning all across our nation singing praises to God.

And they are not worshiping God because they deny his truth. They reject his truth yet and they make God into whatever they want it to him to be. And then they're gonna worship songs. And it becomes blasphemy because you can't have one without the other.

You can't remove his truth and then sing worship songs. If you know what I'm talking about I'll tell you it's all over. It's been the news many years of Methodist of the Episcopalians the Presbyterians now American Baptists.

All these things are ordaining gay clergy and allow allowing a lesbian to come up and preach God's Word. That's blasphemy. You cannot sit and then hold it. Hold hold up holy hands when you're when you're outside of God's will and what the Bible calls sin.

That's just that's just biblical. That's not good. So out of the mouth of babes and infants you have perfected praise now. This is interesting. If you do a little research Jesus is actually quoting Psalm.

Go figure. So people say oh you don't need the Old Testament. Really. Well Jesus quoted Psalm and he quoted Isaiah and Jeremiah and Deuteronomy. And he would bring in the Old Testament to show us how to live.

Paul actually said that these things were written. The Old Testament was written as an example so that you might not lust after evil things as they lusted. So that tells me I better read this to see what is going on here.

It's good. It's God's full story. So don't look at the old new and that's old stuff. No that's God's heart of thousands of years of the nation of Israel. And Jesus is quoting Psalm Psalm 8 to check this out.

This is interesting. I usually go for the King James or the New King James but this is the NIV. So here's the verse. Jesus is quoting through the praise of children. You have established a stronghold against your enemies to silence the foe and the Avenger.

So the psalmist is saying out of the mouth of children of base perfected praise. There's more power in that than even their adults and their parents. You have established a stronghold against your enemies to silence the foe and the Avenger.

And I thought of why don't we bring back worship in our homes again. Have the kids worshiping God instead of Haina Montana. Turn off Facebook. Put the frozen DVD in the attic. It'll be there next month and start worshiping God and get their children out of the mouth of babes and infants is perfected praise is praised and honors God.

And that's how the enemy is. You're gonna build up a stronghold in your home. Because when little children begin to praise God it melts the hearts of their parents. And the parents begin to praise God.

And what used to become a stronghold for the enemy now becomes a stronghold for God. How do you know it's a stronghold for the enemy. Watch what people are allowing into their homes. Look what entertains us now.

Witchcraft and the occult and murder and illicit sex and vampires and all that. It entertains the church the church not the world. The world's the church entertains the world. I mean these things are entertaining us.

And they shouldn't that they're strongholds that we have to cast down. Oh I think Paul said that take every thought captive. Right. Cast down strongholds and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God bringing every thought into captivity into obedience to Christ.

So does our thought life is their obedience to Christ. Verse 18. Before I keep upsetting you. Oh he's off of that subject. Hmm. Now in the morning as he returned to the city he was hungry and seeing a fig tree by the I'm sorry seeing a fig tree by the road.

He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves. And he said to it let no fruit grow on you ever again. Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it they marveled saying how did this fig tree wither so soon.

Bearing Fruit Instead of Maintaining Appearances

So Jesus answered said to them as surely I say to you if you have faith and you do not doubt you will not only do what was done to this fig tree but also if you say to this mountain be removed and cast into the sea it will be done.

And whatever things you ask in prayer believing you will receive now. This was a challenging sermon because that passage I just read right. There could take up a sermon or two. This could do. This could be a two part series just on that on that paragraph.

But I just want to pull a few things from this. He found nothing on it but leaves. So he curses a fig tree. And you might think well that's a little bit mean. But no but see it's not supposed to bear leaves.

It's supposed to bear fruit. The tree. The whole point of a fig tree is to bear frigs as they're walking by. Oh there's some you know 300 grams of carbohydrates to get me through my next 20 mile journey.

Let's oh let's put figs in our pouches and figs. And then we have dried figs. You know dried fruit. And they so they would have so that's the whole point of the fig tree. So it's really it's a fruit that matters.

So a lot of people we have leaves on we looked apart. We have a Bible we have a Bible app we have a little sign the fish on our car. But there's no fruit. There's there's just no fruit. And people say but Shane I want the fruit.

Well guess what you get. There's a growing process and it hurts to produce fruit. You have to produce fruit. And we wither spiritually when we lack the fruit. Just like this tree it withered away because it wasn't producing fruit.

You will die spiritually. You will wither away if you're not producing fruit in your life. Well what that looks. What does that look like. Well a couple things. This is why I mentioned often the hospital homes that we have.

We have four homes throughout the yellow valley where there's patients in there. A lot of them many of them die months later and some of them are there for long term and and they just want people to come and read to them the Bible or or talk.

Which could you stop by and talk. I mean every time I leave there it's are you coming back. Right. I mean there's just that's fruit. You go. So if you want to sign up for that if you want to invest in many of you're saying right now I know that would be challenging.

I'd be hard. Yeah it is fruit hurts. It's hard if fruits never comfortable and never comfortable fruit hurts. But things like that or if you if you say Shane I want to invest here's my gift and we could get you plugged in with.

I can list right now on my hand six marriages that are falling apart but we don't have enough people mentoring or to wanting to help. I can tell you families in need right now they need might need rides they might need some work done at their house but we just don't have enough see we love to come and sit but it's the fruit that hurts because this is this is pretty comfortable.

Right. Okay I ate a couple hours ago again a couple songs. Shane's not too long hopefully. And then we'll go eat and then then there but there's no fruit to that. And then we get convicted I need to have some fruit and then I wake up tomorrow.

It's this ongoing process. So I would just encourage you. This is a challenge for all of us even me anybody in this room. It's challenging but you will wither and die spiritually if you're not producing fruit.

How do I know this. Because we were designed by God to minister to others. God blesses us. So we're a blessing to others. That's the whole point. If not you become like Mono Lake up there in the high Sierras right.

You got wonderful gorgeous rivers running in but it's dead. There's no life in that because you have to have an outlet. There has to be an outlet going out or you just you just die and you become stagnant and that's not healthy.

Prayer According to God’s Will

And then Jesus said whatever things you ask in prayer now we have to be careful here because this is where the hyper Pentecostal camp name it claim it where they'll grab something like this. You know you're gonna own that Mercedes and Ron's gonna give you three Harleys and you're gonna have this house up on Quartz Hill Mountain all for God's just gonna bless you and bless you and bless you.

And God listen whatever you ask in prayer. No but it's whatever you ask in prayer according to his will. The Bible also says commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established. So the more I'm spending time in God's Word the more I'm spending time bearing fruit the more I'm spending time saying Lord I want what you want for me.

He helps to shape those thoughts. So your prayer life becomes a powerful life of prayer. Prayers that are answered because now you're praying according to God's will. And here's a real quick test. Prayers that are according to God's will usually involve benefiting others not yourself.

Now of course there's nothing wrong saying Lord I need direction here I need income. We need this and this we there's nothing wrong with that. But make sure you're praying according to God's will by spending time in his word and praying and he will direct you.

You know some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. When you commit your works to the Lord your thoughts are established. How did I come up with. Why don't want to do that. Why am I being led in this direction.

Why am I being led to pray for that person. Why am I being led to even consider that ministry. Why am I being led. Why. Because your thoughts are lining up with God. God's thoughts without faith. As we know it's impossible to please God without faith.

It's impossible to please God. That's why this is interesting when Jesus says if you don't doubt. If you don't doubt whatever you ask. And at this point many people say well who in the world never doubts.

Well this is different which is important because we have our English word. But if you look up in the Greek you look at you something called the Strong's exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Very thick.

But you can find online too and you look up what the words mean. And this word Jesus is using doubt means if you do not waiver and you do not question. See there's a big difference between having an attitude of doubt.

You know that person right. Maybe you are that person sometimes. Yeah. I know God could do it but he's not gonna do it. He could but he's not. I'll pray about it but it's not gonna happen. I'm woes me life stinks.

He never answers my prayers. I know he can't. You know that kind that that's the doubt that Jesus is rebuking. But the doubt that it's okay. And it happens from time to time. Is the man who prayed and I went to Jesus and said would you kill my daughter.

Believe was his daughter's son. And Jesus said yes I will if you believe. And he said Lord I believe but please help my unbelief. See that's very healthy. It's very healthy. Say Lord I believe God I believe you can heal me.

I believe you can answer the but but Lord there's some doubt coming in. There's some fear. There's some trepidation. Could you please help me with that. See that's honest and open. That's a good. That's.

I wouldn't say a good doubt but it's a healthy doubt that we all deal with because it'll it'll help you get it out of the way. Lord I believe but help my unbelief. I believe we'll have a building someday.

But there's some unbelief coming in. I believe that we're gonna see revival in this church. But there's doubt coming in. I believe that God's gonna answer. I know of 20 prayers out there right now. But but but but God help my unbelief.

My sinful nature is causing me to doubt you. So I repent of that. But that's a lot different. You know those people I've talked to them and sometimes I want to say no wonder nothing. They're just yeah he can.

But you know it God doesn't bless me. And this is I just as this this is my lot and I don't deserve it. And you know I'll pray and but he's not gonna do that. He would never open a door like that for me.

And I don't know if he can even change my wife's heart. And I don't know. And just you would just get on to this mom. I'm Charlie Brown. Right. This just why God can't. Why God won't. Why God shouldn't.

Versus focusing on. If you believe and God's gonna do something. You pray according to his will. Jesus says just don't doubt. Just believe that God is who he says he is. And you have to fight against that sinful nature and be very careful.

Because there's a big difference between Lord praying for our needs and praying for our wants. Let that sink in. We all want certain things but God's focused on her knees. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these wants will be added to you later.

It's all these needs that what we what we truly need. What's interesting about prayer. Prayer ignites passion. Prayer ignites power prayer. Prayer pulls down heaven. You engage God's power. So we hear Jesus doing all these things.

But we can engage that same power if we spend time with God. I like what R .A. Torrey said. We must spend much time on our knees before God. If we are to continue in the power of the Holy Spirit. You must spend time in your prayer closet.

If you're to continue in God's power. Yes it's difficult. Yes it's challenging. But it can be done. It's all about prioritizing. So when he went this whole issue of power and authority that's how you get God's power.

That's how you get his authority. That's how you can walk in situations and speak truth because you spent time in the prayer closet. I think it was Calvin Miller and he was absolutely right. He said really preaching is all preaching is as you're unloading the firearm that God loaded in the prayer closet.

That's what it that's that's what this is. You're unloading that firearm. The God load in the same with our individual lives. You're unloading what God loaded up in the prayer closet. That's why I often say you come out a better husband.

You come out a better wife. You come out a better spouse. You come out a better child. You come out a better Christian because you spent time with the father. If we're too busy for him. Well we got his pop psychology on or Fox News for the Republicans and CNN for the liberals.

And you that's all we're watching all the time all the time all the time. And that's what we're gonna be filled with. So we don't have God's power. We don't got have God's authority will walk around in doubt because we're feeding that verse 23.

Preaching With the Authority of God’s Word

Now when he came into the temple the chief priests and elders of the people confronted him as he was teaching. So Jesus is teaching this is the same Jesus the same type of teaching that they said. No man ever spoke like this man.

There's power there's authority. That was the difference that the Pharisees we could talk about Gamaliel and the different Pharisees and leaders of the day. They would sometimes say well such-and-such says this and such-and-such says this and such-and-such says this.

And what do you think. And they really didn't know. But now you have Jesus coming up as it were to the pulpit saying here's what God's Word says. You brood of vipers you whitewashed tombs you hypocrite.

And he's just speaking the God's truth. They said no man ever spoke like this man. Why. Because he had God's authority. So they're asking him here by what authority are you doing these things. And who gave you this authority.

Basically who gave you this power. Lives are being radically changed. He's challenging something you don't do. He's challenging the religious leaders. And it's interesting Jesus is most scathing words were not for the the the poor the sinner the helpless the woman caught in adultery.

So just woman go and sin. No more. His most scathing words were for religious leaders hypocrites. And they said why you who gave you this authority. Who gave you this power about. And he was preaching.

And Ian Bound said this about preaching. Preaching is God's great Institute for the planting and maturing of spiritual life. When properly executed its benefits are untold. But when wrongly executed no evil can exceed its damaging results.

That's so true when when preaching is done according to God's Word it's powerful lives are changed. But when you remove that spiritual authority that's powering you. And you come up here like I think you know some of this is true and some's not.

I'm just gonna give you my thoughts on that. You just you just created death and not life. Because the the authority and the power is in God's Word. And preaching what God's Word says that's where that authority and the power comes from.

So people because people you know they they asked me this sometimes who who in the world do you think you are. You know who is saying all this stuff. I'm just saying what God's Word says. See they don't like what the God's Word says.

That's the problem. Who who gave you the the right to say this. Where's your master's degree in your PhD. All right here. I'd rather have a degree from the master than a master's degree. Now am I going against that.

No because every time I say that people email me you know it's okay to get education. Yes I know that I've been studying for 17 years very much. I plan to keep studying. But you better know who your power and your authority is.

It's not in the doctorate degree on my business card. It's on as if I had one. I don't but it's in the it's in the power of God's Word. That's what changes lives. So there who gave you this power who gave you this authority.

And there's nothing to fear when preaching the truth with authority. God ordained it and he blesses it. Actually this a matter of fact this is what people this is what gets people upset when you preach God's Word with authority.

I mean I could I could bring in a whole bunch of unbelievers. And I could say you know what this this is kind of what I think I mean whatever you guys always lead to God. You know Buddha Hare Krishna Mormon Jehovah Witness whatever you want to believe doesn't really matter.

I'm just gonna tell you how I feel. No that's okay. That's cool man. But when you come in you say Jesus is the only way the only truth the only life. Nobody comes to the Father except through him. He's the only way.

Then you just upset half your crowd because you that's the authority. See that's the authority though. That's the interest that God's Word is authority. It's power. It can say thus saith the Lord and penetrate the heart.

And people don't like it. Who told you to talk like this. God's Word says that. So there's nothing to fear when God gives people authority to passionately and lovingly proclaim his word. Souls are converted lives are changed and families are restored.

This is interesting. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and and and just give you a little nugget of truth on this when you talk. When I studied this a lot it was called the emergent church movement back 15 years ago.

Basically it's liberal liberalism repackaged. What liberalism is is they don't take God's Word as what as the inerrant authoritative Word of God. They're like well it's kind of liberal about it. You know it's it's none of the stuff you will not see souls converted lives changed and families restored by that type of phony preaching you never do.

Lives are not radically changed because they're not seeing Jesus through the right lens. They're just talking. They're just conversing. And this is so serious that if a pastor challenges the authority or authenticity of the Word of God they need to step away from leadership immediately.

They are not God's spokesman. They are considered a false prophet if they don't speak God. If they if they question and they challenge who God is his very nature and his word they are considered a false prophet.

I have no problem saying that because that's what it is. A false prophet is a false proclaimer of God's truth. If you're saying something about God that's not true that's false. And a few years back I remember this some of you I've talked about before so I'm not going to go into detail.

But a few years back I remember there's this big movement I talked about but they were wanting to replace the pulpit with a couch. They wanted to have a conversation not preaching. So they want to remove the whole element of preaching and just have a conversation sit on the couch.

And I when I asked why they said well Shane it's a lot less threatening for the people. They don't like preaching. Okay. Well who are we listening to here. God or man. So see trying to change things to fit the masses.

The book spirit spirit and power. Preaching says this. It must be understood that the preacher does not share. He declares preaching is not a little talk and it's not a fireside chat to substitute sharing and discussion for preaching is to risk the integrity of the gospel itself.

And he's absolutely correct. I'm not up here sharing. I hate to burst your bubble. I'm not sharing my opinion and I'm not concerned what other people's opinions are. I'm up here declaring what God's Word says.

In certain areas of life it's called practical application and on areas where we don't know it's okay say we don't know. I'd rather say I'm not sure how that works. For example salvation God's sovereign.

Yet he calls us to repent and believe. How does that work. I don't know but I'm gonna do both thank God for God sovereignty. But also he calls sinners to repentance. The concept of hell. I can't. I just can't quite grasp that.

It's a difficult truth. But it's a truth no doubt that needs to be preached. When Jesus Christ himself said Jesus said this do not fear the person who can kill your body. He said fear the person who can cast both body and soul in hell.