Given Power and Authority
Scripture: Luke 9:1Devotional Series: The Holy Ghost and Power
Teaching: The Holy Ghost and Power pt. 5 (SUN_AM 2024-10-27) by Pastor Star R Scott
For many of us it would be good to sit down for a few minutes and read the first 15 chapters of Acts. That’s who we’re supposed to be. That’s how we’re supposed to live. That is normative Christianity; amen? You almost can’t find real Christians today. I’m not talking about people that adhere to the Christian doctrine. I’m talking about people that are epistles being read of men, people that when others have encountered us, such as this gentleman I just spoke of their response goes something like this, “And they took note that they had been with Jesus, because they spoke with authority” (Acts 4:13); amen? That’s who we are. These are not special gifts. These aren’t just special people that we’ve known throughout history. It’s for the church. These signs follow them that believe. That’s every one of us.
In Luke, Chapter 10 we find this great statement—Chapter 9, of course, is the commissioning of the original twelve. Chapter 9, verse 1 says, “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to (iaomai) the sick.” Heal the sick. Not therapeuo, but iaomai. Therapeuo speaks primarily of physical healing; iaomai speaks of the healing spirit, soul and body, completely whole. Completely delivered. And when they saw the demoniac, Legion, he was in his right mind and sitting there receiving ministry from Jesus. Iaomai; amen? You’ve seen it, I’m sure. I’ve seen it so many times. You’re dealing with somebody that’s either completely gone on drugs or on alcohol or someone that’s under the power of demonic spirits and you speak the Word to them, and you pray for them, you lay hands on them, and instantly they’re back in their right minds. You see, that’s what Teen Challenge was founded on.
The government tried to get Dave Wilkerson and them to somehow get involved with the government and some of their methods for reaching the kids in the drug culture, and his response to them was, “Why? You guys have 2 percent and we have 86 percent success rate. Why would we come and try to hook up with you guys?” How is this done? Not with psychologists. Not with alternate drugs to heroin and some of the others where you could wean them off. It’s believers just like you, that would get on their knees on the bunks that those kids were sleeping in and lay across these kids as they were going through the DTs and pray with them and see them filled with the Holy Ghost. And from that comes your Nicky Cruz’s. You all remember Mike Zello, who has been here on a couple of occasions and ministered. Mike Zello was one of the real outstanding ministers in the Teen Challenge programs. Not psychology, not alternate drugs; the name of Jesus. Instantly, many of them delivered. They took note that they had been with Jesus.
And so, the Twelve went forth and it says, “They went preaching the gospel, and healing every where,” verse 6, therapeuo. Verse 11 says, “And the people when they knew of their presence, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing,” —iaomai. What great power. What great presence. The miracle of feeding the 5,000. And then He comes into verse 23 and said, “You’ve seen these miracles and many of you were following me because I gave you food to eat, and many of you were following me for your own personal benefit but” (John 6:26), He said, “I want to make one thing very clear, if you’re going to come after me you have to deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This is not a cheap gospel that we’re bringing. Christianity is not an addendum to lives; it’s compulsory that it be all in all; amen? We cease to live of ourselves, for ourselves. We die to self-will, our independence, our rebellious thinking and walk as He walked.
In Luke, Chapter 10 we find this great statement—Chapter 9, of course, is the commissioning of the original twelve. Chapter 9, verse 1 says, “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to (iaomai) the sick.” Heal the sick. Not therapeuo, but iaomai. Therapeuo speaks primarily of physical healing; iaomai speaks of the healing spirit, soul and body, completely whole. Completely delivered. And when they saw the demoniac, Legion, he was in his right mind and sitting there receiving ministry from Jesus. Iaomai; amen? You’ve seen it, I’m sure. I’ve seen it so many times. You’re dealing with somebody that’s either completely gone on drugs or on alcohol or someone that’s under the power of demonic spirits and you speak the Word to them, and you pray for them, you lay hands on them, and instantly they’re back in their right minds. You see, that’s what Teen Challenge was founded on.
The government tried to get Dave Wilkerson and them to somehow get involved with the government and some of their methods for reaching the kids in the drug culture, and his response to them was, “Why? You guys have 2 percent and we have 86 percent success rate. Why would we come and try to hook up with you guys?” How is this done? Not with psychologists. Not with alternate drugs to heroin and some of the others where you could wean them off. It’s believers just like you, that would get on their knees on the bunks that those kids were sleeping in and lay across these kids as they were going through the DTs and pray with them and see them filled with the Holy Ghost. And from that comes your Nicky Cruz’s. You all remember Mike Zello, who has been here on a couple of occasions and ministered. Mike Zello was one of the real outstanding ministers in the Teen Challenge programs. Not psychology, not alternate drugs; the name of Jesus. Instantly, many of them delivered. They took note that they had been with Jesus.
And so, the Twelve went forth and it says, “They went preaching the gospel, and healing every where,” verse 6, therapeuo. Verse 11 says, “And the people when they knew of their presence, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing,” —iaomai. What great power. What great presence. The miracle of feeding the 5,000. And then He comes into verse 23 and said, “You’ve seen these miracles and many of you were following me because I gave you food to eat, and many of you were following me for your own personal benefit but” (John 6:26), He said, “I want to make one thing very clear, if you’re going to come after me you have to deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). This is not a cheap gospel that we’re bringing. Christianity is not an addendum to lives; it’s compulsory that it be all in all; amen? We cease to live of ourselves, for ourselves. We die to self-will, our independence, our rebellious thinking and walk as He walked.