Spiritual Authority in the Body of Christ — Santosh Poonen

I was thinking, did you meet any weary ones this week? I hope you did. They're there. And the question is, did you know what to say? That's what our memory verse for this week was. He has given me the tongue of disciples.

A discipled tongue. A tongue that's under the control of the Holy Spirit that doesn't just say whatever it wants. Most people in this world live by speaking whatever they're thinking. And cultured people will get a little bit better at being slower to speak.

Where you think, well, I probably don't want to say that. But it's going to come out. You'll blurt it out at some point in that moment of pressure. But if your tongue is discipled as we said he would do, then he will give us a word.

The Church as the Living Body of Christ

Dear family, we've heard, been hearing a lot, we hear a lot in this church about the importance of not being passive Christians. Unfortunately most of Christendom has been directed in a path where their church experiences, I don't even want to use the word church for it.

I'm not here to judge anyone. But where going to church, first of all, it's not a biblical term. My dad used to say when we were kids, if you're going to church you better hurry up and get there. Because you need to be a part of it.

Church is not a building. It's not a gathering of people. It's the living body of Christ whose head is in heaven. And who's constantly nourishing and strengthening his body. And strengthening them to be used here on this earth.

And as important as it was for Jesus, the first time he came in the body, for him to have strength in his body. Why do you think Jesus needed to eat well and develop his mind well? It's so that he could fulfill the purpose for which he came down to this earth.

And now he's come in a body again. A spiritual body. It's comprised of all who are truly his. Who have repented of their sins and are born again. And have been integrated into his body. Spread out across the world.

Integrated into local expressions of his body. And integrated ultimately into the head. It's important that those members of that body are being used. So as I was saying, it's important that we don't backslide into being passive Christians.

That we're not passive Christians. Even if you look around and you see that most people, for them Christianity is going to a certain place on a Sunday morning. And listening to some music. Putting a little bit of money in the bag that's passed around.

Hearing a good pep talk. And talking to some friends that they meet. And then going back and living the same defeated passive life. Passive children is just inactive. Lazy. That means God's not able to use you on Monday or Tuesday.

Because you say, well I'm not the pastor. How is he going to? Why does he need to use me? Of course he does. This is what it means to be in the New Covenant. That we are all members of his body. That means God's given us a relationship with him.

And a knowledge of him that he wants to use during the week. And the gifts may be different. But it's important that we are all being used. And so I hope there were weary ones that you met. For whom you knew exactly what to say.

Because it was, it started like we said in that verse. With your ear being opened in the morning. He awakens my ear. Some years ago when I was meditating on this verse. I had this question that I asked myself.

Which part of your body wakes up first? What do you think? Is it your eyes? Is it your mind? What is it? According to this verse it should be your ear. Your spiritual ear. Opening your ears. So think about that.

I've tried to do that almost every day. I don't know if I've done it faithfully every day since then. But since that time some years ago. Three or four years ago. When the Lord made this verse a reality for me.

Isaiah 50 verse 4. Not this one. But last week's verse. Every morning I try to say Lord I want you to open my ear. My physical ears are open. They're always listening. But I want you to open my spiritual ears.

They tend to get blocked with stuff that I've listened to. Gossip or news that I've read. Or music that I've listened to. And earthly centered things clogs my ear. So Lord take out that earthly earwax that prevents me from being able to hear you.

Let me turn off all the other social media and media. And help me to listen to your voice. And then as you do that. Make that a habit. You'll find somebody will text you and just say hey can you pray for me.

I had that happen to me this week. Two people that I haven't heard from in years randomly reached out to me this week. I don't know if it was because this was a memory verse for this week. And they said I don't know.

I know we haven't been in touch. But I just the Lord brought your name to my mind. And I want you to pray for me. It's like Lord this has nothing to do with being an elder or a preacher or anything like that.

This is being a member of the body of Christ. Where your faith is is proudly proclaimed. And by that I mean it's you're not ashamed of your faith. That you whether you have a Facebook account or not. Or whether people talk to you or not.

They know that yeah you're not hitting them over the head with the Bible. But there's something that you're living for that controls your life. The love of Christ compels you. And it's there for them to see.

And you're not ashamed of it. And on top of that even if they don't know you. Like this one person. I don't know if they know me much. But they the Lord is able to tell that person go contact Santosh.

Contact your name. Put your name there. Because they see. God sees that you've been opening your ear every morning. And so he says Santosh has been opening his ear. I've been able to disciple his tongue.

Now I know whom I can send that person to. And that's true for my circle of friends. Of contacts. What about yours? There are contacts that only you know. Children. There are friends that you have in your circles that only you know.

Quite likely. Who would only feel comfortable coming to you. Can God through the Holy Spirit lead that person to say hey go talk to that child. Because that child memorized a verse. And sought to live it out.

And that child prayed Lord give me the year of a disciple. Every morning. And in so doing disciple my tongue also Lord. And the Lord says I can send this child at school to so-and-so. I don't like talking about current events.

But you know even you think about what happened in in Texas this week. And what's happening even in schools. I'm not here to make a political statement or conversation about it. But there's one thing I believe we ought to take from this.

And that is Lord if there's a hurting child anywhere. Or a hurting person anywhere. I ought to be somebody. Whether they're bullied or not. Or what they're going through. I ought to be somebody that they can come and talk to.

Because you can give me a word for them. No matter what they might be going through. What mental oppression. Physical disability. What their home life is like. Whether they've been abused or not. Don't you believe that the Jesus we sang about.

Who can set us free can set them free as well. Of course he can. Don't you think he wants to. And perhaps the greatest hindrance to the power of God moving in the world is lazy Christians. Who say it's up to the pastor to to reach them.

Or some counselor. Or a chaplain. Or a priest. We are all priests in God's kingdom. And if you're a part of this church. Dear brother and sister. And children. I believe. I want to be sober in how I say this.

I believe that God will one day play back these very words I spoke. And the words you heard in this church. And say you were told that you had a responsibility to be a witness for me. Why weren't you?

And I hope that won't be the case. But that he'll be able to say well done good and faithful servant. I gave you one. You were only eight years old. But at the age of eight I gave you a little word. You know that person who got one talent.

What was that one talent? I think of it like one word. One phrase. One sentence. That you said to some friend in school. Or some friend in the team that you play on. Or something like that. And that one sentence was the one talent God gave you.

And you invested it. And he says well done good and faithful servant. So let's follow. Let's set good examples for them parents. We said Lord give us homes that where the Bible is read. Prayer comes first.

Not oh what are we going to do. Prayer comes first. That's our default. Something new came into our life. Some news we got. Or something happened. What shall we do? Let's pray. I learned something from my wife some years ago.

Shortly after we were married. That it's become a habit in our home. Anytime we hear an ambulance or a fire vehicle passing by. It used to be that I was just curious. I wonder what's going on. And you look out the window and see if you can see what's going on.

Now we pray. Somewhere somebody is in need Lord. Meet their need. Most importantly use whatever they're just facing right now. Whether it's a heart attack or a car accident or something they can't find their child.

Use it Lord to draw them to you. Now you could pray a dead prayer. Like I don't know if that was actually answered. Or you could pray a prayer of faith. And say Lord I believe you actually heard my prayer.

That I don't know how. I don't even know who it is or where that ambulance is going. But I believe that you have placed me here on this earth to be an agent of change. Whether it's to people I know or to people I don't know.

And think what a heritage we can leave our children. That their default is we got to pray. I don't know how God's gonna answer. I'll tell you prayer is a mystery. It is a mystery for me. The more I pray.

The more I think about prayer. The more I meditate on it. The more I realize it's a mystery. Because God knows what the future is. He knows what's gonna happen. And yet he says I want you to pray. And I want you to move my hand through prayer.

Now you might say well Santosh how can you explain that to me logically. And I say I can't. It's beyond my human capacity to understand how prayer works. But it does. I've seen it work. More importantly he says it will work.

And that's enough for me. And so if we can lay a hold of prayer. And pray for situations that seem outside of our control. And no matter how long God takes to answer will you pray. We all know people who are not walking with Christ.

We all know that there are people who are bound in addictions. Whether it's alcohol addictions, sexual addictions, divorces all over in Christendom. And broken homes. And parents that are abusing their children.

All this is going on in so-called Christian homes. God is saying where are my people who will intercede for them. Who will partner with me. Who will hold the hand of Jesus and be filled with his spirit of intercession for the world in which we live.

Applying Spiritual Authority in Daily Life

So that is the introduction. The last few weeks that I've been speaking I've been speaking about the marks of the presence of God in his church. And last a couple weeks ago I spoke about spiritual authority.

And one of my fears with speaking about things like this or even when we preach here is that it could just be a theory. It could be some doctrine that we understand intellectually. And say oh yeah that's right doctrine.

And we stand for right doctrine. We must always stand for right doctrine. We will continue to do that by God's grace. But if we don't know how to practically apply that in our lives it's no good. We'll become exactly like the Pharisees who had all the right doctrines.

But if you look to their lives you say no they're not living it. That's why our home lives are so important. You know brothers and sisters and children Monday through Saturday is more important than Sunday.

For most Christians in the world Sunday is the big day. For new covenant Christians true new covenant Christians every day is the same. Monday through Saturday especially. Why? Because why do I say it's more important?

Because that's the days when nobody sees you. Nobody sees how you speak to your wife or your husband or your children. Nobody sees the thoughts you have in your life. But that's what God sees. And it's those secret hidden areas that one day God will it says he will judge the secrets of men.

The outward stuff he says yeah I don't need to judge it because you're already judged. But those secret things nobody knew what you were actually thinking. Nobody knew that little secret sin that you successfully hidden all these years.

I'm gonna bring it into the light. And knowing the fear of God we appeal to men Paul says. Knowing the fear of God we say live in the reverence of God. He's not somebody you have to be afraid of. He loves you.

He's made a way of salvation. He can set you free from all sin even if it's a 60 year old sin. He can set you free. But be sure one day God will judge the secrets of all people. And when we live in the light of that says Lord I'd rather be judged now when I can be set free from it.

Then at your coming when there will be no more opportunity for repentance. That time is coming when there will be no more opportunity for repentance. But now God overlooks the times of ignorance. Now he says repent.

Wherever you are however you are however long you've been that way repent and he will set you free. I'd like to pull up one slide. That is sometimes people ask what is our vision for our church. We don't have a vision statement.

You can see what we believe on our website. There are certain things we believe and stand for. But I want you to see here in essence what it is. And it's very important if you're a member of this church that you know this is what we are striving for.

This is the direction we've in which we've headed. It has not changed at least as long as I've been here. This has been what it is. We may not have actually put these words up on the screen but this is why I came to Colorado to experience this vision.

This was the vision the Lord planted on my heart almost 20 years ago at a time when I was at my lowest I'll tell you. I was in the horribly backslidden condition and the Lord showed me a little bit more of the glory of his church.

Something that I had been taught and it's not like he showed me something new. It just opened my eyes to truths that I had been shown when I was a kid but was too blind to see. And I thank God that he's preserved that vision in my life and preserving it in this church.

And by God's grace we'll remain in that vision until his coming. And that vision is this to demonstrate and to proclaim. First of all to manifest and then to preach. Paul told Timothy pay attention to your life.

1st Timothy 3 16 or is it 4? 1st Timothy 4 16. Pay attention to your life and then to your teaching. That means let Sunday be the overflow of what Monday through Saturday has been like. Let me ask you is the singing and the listening and the spirit that you're here today just an overflow of what Monday through Saturday has already been like?

If not set it right. At least from this week onward say Lord my week begins on Monday actually. I want you to demonstrate in my life through your Holy Spirit the life of Christ where nobody can see me like I said.

And then let me proclaim it by how I sing and says glorious freedom, wonderful freedom. Otherwise it's hypocrisy. If Monday through Saturday you're still driven by your own lust and your own self-centered thoughts but you sing glorious freedom, wonderful freedom.

Okay the times of ignorance God overlooks. Now he says repent. Now let it begin with Lord give me the reality of freedom in my life. Freedom from all bad moods. Freedom from bad attitudes. Freedom from an unforgiving attitude towards anybody.

Give me that freedom Lord. Help me to demonstrate first and then to proclaim it. To demonstrate and proclaim what? First of all the new wine. Jesus used the the phrase the new wine. I think it was in Matthew 9.

The new wine in new wine skins. The new wine is the life of Christ. His divine nature. So what we're manifesting is not that Santos has figured out how to be a better human being. No Santos realized he couldn't be a better human being no matter how much he tried and he finally died and gave up.

And then he was brought back to life and newness of life in Christ Jesus and now it is Christ living in me. And like we heard in that story of I think it was Major Ian Thomas right? That this Santos is just the clothing for Christ.

My body, my tongue, my eyes, my ears it's just the clothing for Christ living in me. Paul said that. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of him who died for me and gave himself for me.

Galatians chapter 2. So it's no longer I who live but this life Christ is actually in me and you can see it. If you come into my home and you listen at the door and I don't know that you're listening there you ought to be able to hear the voice of Christ.

It sounds like me but it's Christ speaking through me. That's that's what it means to be a part of this church. Demonstrating the life of Jesus the divine nature and that life must be manifest in a new wineskin.

Jesus said you don't put new wine in old wineskins. You don't take this wonderful life of Christ and then put it into an old covenant church where the practices are still like it was in the old covenant.

That new life of Christ must be manifest in new wineskins which is the local church as an expression of the body of Christ. We are not the entire body of Christ but we are an expression of it and that's why we emphasize so much on fellowship and unity within that.

The love that I have for you because God has placed me in this local church and the way I give up my own ideas I would rather do this but I'm going to do this. Comes from that love for the for Christ first of all but it's evident in a local church that's an expression of the body of Christ according to the new covenant pattern.

That means we're shown in the new covenant what the church actually looks like. How it should be. What are the practices in the church and as I look around at Christendom I see that so much of the practice in churches today is not found in the New Testament at all.

They might talk about the New Testament but the practices if you look at it are Old Testament. For example paid salary paid pastors is an old covenant practice. Pastors who are paid a salary is not anywhere in the New Covenant.

I don't care how many times you might try to how many churches there are that do that that's just not found in the New Covenant. Gifts. Peter was given gifts. Paul was given gifts. Paul took it to another level says I'm going to really follow Christ and work hard to provide my own living but salaried pastors you never find it anywhere in the New Covenant.

I could go on and on I don't really want to spend too much time on that. So that is our goal is that the life of Christ will be manifest in us the divine nature and that we as a local church will be an expression of that.

We will be planted in that body in a body. If you haven't read that booklet we have in the back the congregation the club and the church or if it's been a while since you read it please read it again.

I believe the Lord will will speak to us through that. So you can you can leave that on if you want or take it off it's fine. Speaking about spiritual authority I want you to see what does this today I'd like to speak briefly at least on what does that spiritual authority actually look like because if we talk about spiritual authority and the authority of Christ in the church let's turn to Matthew 28 first firstly.

It's one thing to talk about authority but it's another thing to actually experience the practical reality of it. That would be like the police department of Loveland saying we have the authority but there's no cops around.

You know if there was only signs that said 35 miles an hour here and 55 miles an hour there and 65 miles over there and 75 on the freeway but there was nobody to enforce it what do you think would happen?

All hell would break loose. I mean everybody would be speeding. They'd know. In fact it happened in a town recently I won't name it just because you probably know where there was some problems in the in the police department so they abandoned the police department and so what happened as a result was there's a lot of people speeding through town because they know there's no cops around here and if we understand or think about the authority that Jesus Christ has but there's no real practical expression of it there's the authority is not actually evident in some way then you'll get a you get Christendom that's full of rebellion full of chaos and that's why the devil is able to come in and wreak havoc in many churches is because there aren't people who are expressing and living out what that Christ in their lives and in the church.

Christ’s Authority and the Great Commission

Matthew 28 Jesus said in verse 18 first of all verse 19 let's there he says go therefore and make disciples of all nations. This is what it means to build a church. You're making disciples not just getting somebody to say a prayer because they want to go to heaven.

No maybe it could it starts there but do they want to be disciples. He explains what disciples means when he says continues to say baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

This is what it means to be a disciple teaching them to observe to obey all that I commanded you teaching them to observe. But you know the verse I skipped was verse 18 because verse 19 begins with the word therefore or go therefore that word therefore is important.

What is the basis. What is the authority by which we want to build a church or to be a part of the church that Jesus is building it's the authority that Jesus has. He says all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Therefore go and build a church make disciples. But if you're making disciples without realizing that Jesus has all authority think about it. You know sometimes I'm challenged by the life of missionaries who've gone into places where there was no church where they knew they were going to be persecuted and likely be put to death.

What took them there. The authority of Jesus Christ. You know what Thomas did after he heard these words of Jesus. He went to India. You know what Andrew did after he heard these words. He went to the Middle East Persia.

I think all these disciples said okay Lord I'm gonna go. Why not. Because I'm a you know afraid or I feel some kind of burden. You have all authority there you are in heaven and here on this earth you have all authority.

Everything's gonna be okay if I die. So be it. You still have all authority. So Jesus has that authority. Now go to the last book of the New Testament the book of Revelation. Look at Revelation chapter 1.

These are the last words of the first book of the Bible of the New Testament Matthew 28. Look at the what happens in right away in Revelation chapter 1. John who also heard these words of Jesus he actually sees Jesus in Revelation chapter 1.

We read in verse 12. Then I John turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands. The seven golden lampstands. And in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man.

He's seen Jesus himself here clothed in a robe reaching to the feet and girded across his chest with a golden sash. His head and his hair were white with white wool like white wool like snow. And his eyes were like a flame of fire.

His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been made to glow in a furnace. And his voice was like the sound of many waters. So there's Jesus and these lampstands around him. He's in the middle of them these lampstands around him.

And in his right hand he held seven stars and out of his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword and his face was like the sun shining in its strength. When I saw him I fell at his feet. This is verse 17 Revelation 1.

Verse 17. I fell at his feet like a dead man. And he placed his right hand on me saying do not be afraid. I am the first and the last and the living one. And I was dead and behold I am alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and of Hades.

Therefore write the things which you have seen and the things which you are which are and the things which will take place after these things. And what about these lampstands and these stars. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw on my right hand and the seven golden lampstands the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches the messengers you see in the next few chapters the the messenger those whom God has placed in these local churches notice not just one lampstand and one star.

It's seven lampstands representing the seven churches. And it's not just seven. It's just a symbolic number. It's every local church. Again the mystery of the local churches all over the New Testament.

And unfortunately God is the devil is blinded many people's eyes to. It doesn't really matter if I'm a part of a local church right. I'm a part of Christ's body universally. You'll miss out on something.

Here you see these seven lampstands and seven stars which are representing the messenger the one in that church to whom God has given the message. The messenger the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

So here throughout the New Testament you'll see that Jesus is in the midst of his church. He's got the lampstands there. He's in the midst of them and he's holding these messengers. Notice doesn't say that he's holding all the people in the church.

Yes he is. But here there's a wonderful picture were given about how those messengers those whom God had called Jesus has appointed in the church certain ones to me as messengers and different gifts he's holding them in his hand.

Human Vessels and Spiritual Gifts

This is the picture of authority that were given now it's interesting that to me it's significant that Jesus that God uses human agents to exercise his authority. Let's turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4.

You might think well does Jesus really need apostles prophets evangelists pastors teachers. Probably not. God can do anything. He doesn't really need us to perfect his work of salvation. And yet he chooses to and before we get proud and thinking well Lord I'm so good at me that you can use me whatever gift it might be even if it's being a father or a mother or whatever.

Before we get proud. Let's remember this 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 7. Paul says we have this treasure this life of Christ this authority this calling this purpose that God has called us with this treasure is in an earthen vessel in a human body so that not that so that I can get greater glory out of it or feel proud of myself so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.

So when you see God using human agents whether it's an elder in a church somebody with the gift of being an apostle or a gift of prophet gift of prophecy the gift of tongues the gift of interpretation of tongues the gift of an evangelist all these gifts.

When you see God using you in whatever capacities called you to be used you ought to be able to say God picked me to prove how great he was. How. Because I'll say he could use even me horrible me. That's what Paul is saying that it's almost like I'm gonna think of the worst possible thing I could think of to demonstrate my power.

I'm gonna pick Santos. Do you see yourself that way. If God gives you a gift to be a godly husband or godly father godly mother a brother who God gives you a gift of an evangelist a prophetic word on your tongue after you share that.

And somebody says brother thank you for sharing that. That's exactly what I needed. What should go through your mind. I'm such a horrible person God could still use me. He is so great. You see how different this is.

It's the exact opposite of the world where you get preachers who sit there on their thrones and and act so in their nice suits and all that and are so impressed by their they'd love the attention that that they get from people and on TV and they're looking at the camera and all this junk that's going on in Christendom.

It's a dishonor to the name of Christ. And God is looking for those who when when God is able to use them they want to go down and say Lord I'm such a horrible person I'm such an earthen vessel and yet you could use me.

Thank you that you used me the worst so that you could say I can even use that. That's why he had to use a donkey one time. Because like I can even use a donkey I mean a donkey is have you ever heard a donkey brain.

I'm not gonna try to imitate it just not to be irreverent in this room. I've heard it sometimes it's not pleasant. Have you pictured your being used by God to say something even to your children as a donkey brain.

And God says I'm gonna use that that little brain sound hee-haw hee-haw is gonna be the word that they so they'll think God even spoke to me through my dad fallen person that he is. Do you have such humility brothers and sisters even with your with our children that I fall in my face and my children know of me as a humble useless worthless person.

And they say God can even speak to me through my dad. Not because he's a simple person anything like that because he puts zero confidence in his ability that the surpassing greatness will be of God. So now as we think about God using us in his church to be a vessel of for his glory when we pass the mic around and we we ask that you share something and keep it brief.

Why. Because we want the surpassing greatness to be of the Lord. And that you know that's part of. I mean the next time you feel like you want to share for five minutes instead of the two minutes. Imagine that you had to listen to five minutes of a donkey brain.

You know we've had people in this church who complain. I've even left the church because they said I don't like that. You limit us to only two minutes. I have much more to say these these are not people that you can build a church with because they don't see themselves as donkeys.

I tell you I speak for more and I have a burden on my heart. I try to express it and I don't know how long the Lord typically has me speak for. But whatever it is I tell you more and more. I think of myself as a donkey brain.

I say Lord my human wisdom is as annoying to you at least. And I hope it will be to you as well as a donkey brain and help me to only say that which I ought to say. So when we pass the mic around Lord this donkey is gonna say something.

Let me keep it short. Because I don't want to add any of my human wisdom to it. Let it be prophetic. Let be your words Lord let me first have discipline my ear to hear what you have to say. So God uses human agents.

Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers

Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 4. God uses human agents. He appoints apostles. He appoints elders. He appoints he's given to the church. We'll read here in Ephesians for all these gifts. He didn't need any of them.

God doesn't need evangelists to preach the gospel. So if he uses you as an evangelist don't get let your head get too big. If he allows you to share something in the church that's a blessing to others.