God’s creative word

When Jesus commissioned the disciples He sent them out and "gave them authority". The Gospel accounts, and especially the book of Acts record the ministry of Jesus and of the disciples as they moved in authority, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Where did the authority of Jesus come from?

In essence all legitimate authority proceeds from God the Father.
Jesus submitted to the will of the Father, as a result His activities reflect the Father's will.
The Holy Spirit is also in submission to the will of the Father; At creation the Father spoke, the Spirit created. 
The Father is not more powerful than God the Son or God the Holy Spirit. They are not coerced or subjugated in anyway. They exist in unity and choose to submit one to the other.

God the Son submits to God the Father, and the Father gives authority to the Son. Read Phil 2.
The authority of God is transmitted through His word. God speaks...Jesus authority comes from God the Father - Jesus fostered an intimacy, and submissiveness to God's will. That will is transmitted through God speaking and those words carry authority.

Where did the Power of Jesus come from?

A significant event in which authority was transmitted was the baptism of Jesus: 

"This is my beloved Son in whom I am pleased. Listen to Him"

There were many witnesses to God the Father speaking on behalf of His Son at the river that day. All of them were authorized to act in obedience to Jesus word as if God the Father had spoken.
Authority was delegated...everyone who heard that voice was pointed to Jesus as God the Father's delegated authority...including the Holy Spirit.

Prior to that the HS has been orchestrating events and preparing the scene, now the Holy Spirit is authorized to act in power at the word of Jesus. 

Think about how authority and power now flows through Jesus. Jesus spends time in intimate fellowship with the Father who speaks and reveals His will. Jesus acts and speaks in accordance with the Father's will, and Holy Spirit backs Jesus up with power.

We would consider all of the elements of this dynamic process part of our prayer life and prayer ministry. From this we take two key prayer positions...

1. Prayer of submission toward the Father as revealed through Jesus - receiving His word and authority
2. Prayer of proclamation from the position of Jesus authority, endorsed by the Holy Spirit's power

Background: Creation is made from God’s words…

• In the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth…God said “Let there be…”
• Spiritual and Physical world are both constructed from God's word
• The point of overlap of both realms is words. Things can be spoken in the spiritual realm which effect the physical, and words spoken in the physical can carry a spiritual authority. But must originate in God's word to be legitimate.

The hebrew word Davar mean "word" it also means "a thing". It comes from the understanding that God created everything by His words. Things are made from words. 

Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

• God’s words not a vibration of air, precede the existence of air. It's the stuff of creation
• God cannot lie – His word make reality exist
• The implications are when He speaks reality is effected. God speaks, God does

Romans 4:17 Calls things that don’t exist as though they did.

God uses the perfect tense in addressing Abraham. “I have made you the father…”

The Holy Spirit is the "doer", the one who exercises creative power 

At creation: Father Spoke, HS made real – hovering over the deep (brooding)

• Word became flesh (HS will over shadow you). Angel delivered the word of God, HS responded with a creative act.
• Jesus “does what He see Father doing” – Jesus follows the Father's will, HS works, provides the power
  • “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word…”
• Jesus speaks the creative word of God– HS acts
  • There are many example of Jesus “healing with a word”

Our words

• Words – language an important part of the “image of God”
• Our capacity to hear and speak God’s creative word
• Judgment at Babel – words stripped of power
• Pentecost – tongues of fire. Words empowered again

1 Peter 3:9 “repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called…”

Imagine everything you spoke became real and released power. What would the effect of your words be?
Do we really believe our words carry power? When we speak without considering what we are saying we are acknowledging that we do not believe our words matter. We doubt the power of our own words. 

Matthew 5:22 “whoever says fool will be in danger of hell fire”

Jesus takes words very seriously.

• Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit
• James 3:9-12 Out of the same mouth proceeds blessings and curses…no spring yields both salt and fresh” 
• We must have faith in the power of our own words. Take reasonability for what we speak. Little wonder our prayer and proclamation becomes powerless if we disbelieve ourselves don't believe the power of what we say.

Very important to realise the relationship between our words and HS activity…we partake of the ministry of Jesus to the Father, empowered by the HS. Jesus (the word)

The Holy Spirit expects us to speak in the name of Jesus with God's for Him to act creatively on.

Notice the context of a grieved Holy Spirit. The miss-use or abuse of words.

Ephesians 4

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another...Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

 

lupeó: to distress, to grieve

Cognate: 3076 lypéō (from 3077 /lýpē, "deep grief") – to experience deep, emotional pain (sadness), i.e. severe sorrow (grief). 3076 (lypéō) is very intense and hence even used of the pain of childbirth (see Gen 3:16, LXX). See 3077 (lypē).

Our conduct, especially our words are crucial…

Exercise:

• Approach the Father in "the name of Jesus" and submit to His will.
• Repent and renounce negative words spoken, especially any that come to mind
• Ask the Father to speak, and release a blessing through you.
• Speak the blessing over others as they come to mind
• Especially bless those who may have wronged you!