The Authority of Christ In the Church

During the actions of complete obedience to the will of His Father, Jesus Christ was given all power in heaven and in earth. Jesus has authority over any and all areas of dominions, principalities, etc. He won this for all of mankind and to redeem the entire universe. He delights to continue the work of His kingdom in us, His saints. Every believer has the potential to be used by the Spirit to glorify the name of Jesus and honor God. Great and wonderful things have been done with the use of the authority of Jesus Christ and His name.

One of the common weights of men is that they tend to look out for self first and foremost. Individual accomplishments have founded many great nations and companies. Men of renown charisma have led huge armies and other large, diverse groups to victories of various nature. Yet in spite of individual goals and dreams, Christ has chosen to work through the church to build His kingdom. Many men have sought to lead alone and have done some good, but the best and most powerful moves of God have come to those who desire that the CHURCH be blessed and that souls will be won into it.

Most prayers are often to "bless me", which is a common theme the modern false prophets often proclaim. (As in the Prayer of Jabez false premise) Yet the desire of Christ Himself is to add to the church daily such as should be saved. Paul’s letters were usually written to a church. Jesus came to set up His kingdom and it is visible to the world. It is called the church! Jesus uses His authority to build His church. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain. You could end up with a "mega-church" or small church that is actually more like a club than a real church filled with the power and authority of Christ.

The church has been given the keys of the kingdom. "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Mt 18:17-19). The church has great authority in Christ! Christ uses His authority in and through the church! Personal gain and popularity are not New Testament ideals. Christ must be honored. Self is denied! We bear our cross of self-denial so that Christ can rule and lead His church.

Where are the screams and cries for God to bless His church? Do we not usually see individual men and look to them more than we look to a body called the church? Why do we call the pastor when we get sick? We are used to individuals rather then the church body. The Bible declares we should call for the elders of the CHURCH when we are sick. Maybe we are not healed because our approach is wrong.

Have you ever noticed the emphasis in the book of Acts on the church? They had no individual rights. Anyone in the church could borrow or be given another’s property at the desire of the believer to bless another instead of self. They had all things common. Not to have a commune as some suggest, but they lovingly laid aside their own rights and goods in order to bless the church. The emphasis was not on a building, but on the persons who actually make up the church. No wonder there seems to be very little power to heal and do great wonders today.

Paul did great things in order to win men to God and build a local church body wherever he stopped to evangelize. As long as we seek to build our own ministry, the church will be ignored and laid aside. We must begin again to work hard to build the church, the local body, into a loving unified force for God.

What is the point? Christ uses His authority to build His church. When I get in the frame of mind to desire that His name is glorified and His church is built, then He will move in a mighty way to perform wonders. It won’t be silly things like gold dust and feathers flying, but it will be great miracles that help people. Storms will be calmed and lame legs will work again! The major portion of the authority of Christ is to be used in the church.

If you notice, most ministries are built around a person other than Jesus Christ. A leader walks a tight rope if they want to truly glorify Christ and build HIS church. Keeping self out of the limelight is hard indeed once God begins to perform mighty works. But the emphasis must be on building Christ’s church! We are often like children of modern times. A father works many years to provide for a son and just when the boy gets his first job, he spends it all on himself. Never a thought for the family, just wants what he can get for himself. Ungrateful church members are the same. Why don’t we dig deep in prayer for God to bless and grow His church?

When we get back to an emphasis on the church and what Christ wants to do in and through his church; we will begin to see conviction of sin and mighty moves of the Spirit! The authority of Christ is through His church. He cannot use you unless you are in His church and at the local place where He has called you to be. Singers who travel everywhere, miss Sundays at their church body, and have no local responsibility to a body, are wasting their time. Your first responsibility is to the local church so that Christ can use you in a powerful way. Revivalists (usually called evangelists) are often in a tough position because they are hardly connected to a body. You can’t just float where you wish and be part of the body. God gives every believer responsibility to bless, help and maintain the body, the church. A lot of what seems to be a blessing really isn’t a blessing at all. The steady, average saint is the real strength of the church.

Everything God does to help any individual is done to help His church at the same time. Jesus is coming back as He promised to catch away His bride, the church. When we help a church member, we help the church. When we help the pastor, we help the church. The emphasis is on the church for who Christ died. Moses was anxious about God’s reputation when he cried out to Him to not destroy the people for their backsliding. We need to be concerned about God’s reputation first and the church’s reputation also. It is Christ that we want to see praised and spoken well of, not ourselves only. Any special ability or Spiritual use of your life is to bless and help the body, the church that Christ birthed.

While I completely understand that we will stand before God individually and answer to Him, and that we live for God and have faith by ourselves; we must realize that we will answer to the call of the body of Christ, which is called the church. Jesus spoke to Peter after Peter correctly answered the question about whether Jesus was the Christ. He said: "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock (thou art the Christ) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18). The scripture gives admonition regarding misuse of tongues in church. Why? "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church." (1 Corinthians 14:4). The goal of our work should be to see the church blessed and to progress.

Why do many new Christians seem to fall away after a short time? We fail to fully incorporate them into the powerful loving body called the church. I know this can be a method void of power and love, in order to grow a club church, but it is also the true way of saving a soul. When a new convert is taught to love all of those in the church and understands his/her responsibility to this church, they will be well on their way to sainthood in God’s eyes, because He is also highly interested in the church. Christ came to begin the church and the church is His highest priority. His authority is for the church.

Will you take a new interest in the church? Look at these wonderful verses! "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church." (Ephesians 1:22). "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." (Ephesians 5:25). "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:27). "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church" (Ephesians 5:29). "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church." (Colossians 1:24). (Paul suffered for whom? The church!) Don’t you want to get on your knees right now and seek God to bless His church that you gather with? Can you move from a self interest unto a real desire to see His church progress? Would you ask God how you can bless His church this week? How about you and your family becoming an asset to the church instead of the economic systems of this world?