R.P.G.

Delegated Authority Part 4 Jesus exercising His authority on a physical thing!



Suggestion:
To maintain your focus listen to the audio teaching and take some notes as you go. Thank you.

 Review from part 3

1. The subject at hand continues to be “The Believer and Delegated Authority”.

2. Our determination to understand, develop and utilize this subject will be based on the value we place on it.

3. This subject should be utilized the rest of our life on earth.

4. I said last week that if Jesus was here He would say that if we are not doing His word we are deceiving ourselves.

 (Highlighted text added)

James 1:22-25
“But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.

You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. NLT


Commentary
(Barnes’ Notes)

While actually looking in the mirror, we see all our features, and can trace them distinctly; when we turn away, the image and the impression both vanish.

When looking in the mirror, we can see all the defects and blemishes of our person; if there is a scar, a deformity, a feature of ugliness, it is distinctly before the mind; but when we turn away, that is "out of sight and out of mind."

When unseen it gives no uneasiness, and, even if capable of correction, we take no pains to remove it.

So when we hear the word of God. It is like a mirror held up before us. In the perfect precepts of the law, and the perfect requirements of the gospel, we see our own short-comings and defects, and perhaps think that we will correct them. But we turn away immediately, and forget it all.

If, however, we were doers of the word," we should endeavor to remove all those defects and blemishes in our moral character, and to bring our whole souls into conformity with what the law and the gospel require.

5. In other words, God’s word is like a mirror.

6. As we look we can see the deficiencies of our life.

7. At that point, we can choose to ignore or do something about it.

8. We should not allow the bad things in life tell us (or dictate to us) to be doers of God’s word in the subject at hand or in any subject.

9. We need the determination to operate in delegated authority.

10. However, the level of determination involving this subject is based on the value we place on it.


11. Last week.  We considered the determination of the wolverine.

12. We considered the determination of Caleb when He made this confession of faith.

Numbers 13:30 (17-33)
"Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." NKJV

13. We considered the determination of Paul

2 Timothy 4:7-8
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” RSV


The Believer and Delegated Authority
(Part 4)

14. Today we will observe Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

15. We will observe at least two things.

(1) Jesus exercising His authority on a physical thing.

(2) His Determination (This is only one character quality)


16. Turn with me to Mark 11:12-26.

17. Before I read this portion of God’s word I would like to ask a question and give the answer.

18. Why was Jesus determined to do what He did?

19. The answer is; the value of doing His Father's was very high.

20. I will read the verses first and then comment on them.


21. Please note three keywords as I read.

(1) “Said”

(2) “It”

(3) “Withered”


Mark 11:12-26
“On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.

 Jesus uses His authority!

14 And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it.

Jesus demonstrates the character quality of determination!

15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; 16 and he would not allow any one to carry anything through the temple.

17 And he taught, and said to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and sought a way to destroy him; for they feared him, because all the multitude was astonished at his teaching. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city.
(“Is it not written” Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11)

The results of Jesus' authority in verse 14 more clearly!

20 "As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Master, look! The fig tree which you cursed has withered." (Third key word)

22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." RSV

26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." NKJV


22. Note: Personally I use this portion of speaking to the mountain toward spiritual mountains.

23. The principle of exercising authority is still the same for both the physical and spiritual.


24. Notice three elements Jesus brings to the surface.

25. I believe that these three elements are needed when utilizing our delegated authority.

(1) Faith V22

(2) Prayer (Communication) V24

(3) Forgiveness V25


26. Can anyone remove any of these elements and be successful?

27. Let me put it another way.

28. Can we operate our delegated authority with doubt, no communication with the Father and un-forgiveness? NO!


29. (Keys words were “Said”, “It” and “Withered”)

30. What can an “It” be?

31. Something that would grow on our body

32. Body parts

33. What we can speak

Psalms 103:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! RSV

34. All body parts bless the Lord

35. Work like you were created

36. Water flow (Front of our home)

37. Animal kingdom (Skunks)


Commentary on Mark 11:13
(From Adam Clarke's Commentary)

Mark 11:13 When our Lord saw this fig tree by the way-side, apparently flourishing, he went to it to gather some of the figs: being on the way-side, it was not private, but public property; and any traveler had an equal right to its fruit. As it was not as yet the time for gathering in the fruits, and yet about the time when they were ready to be gathered, our Lord with propriety expected to find some. But as this happened about five days before that Passover on which Christ suffered, and the Passover that year fell on the beginning of April, it has been asked, "How could our Lord expect to find ripe figs in the end of March?" Answer, Because figs were ripe in Judea as early as the Passover. Besides, the fig tree puts forth its fruit first, and afterward its leaves. Indeed, this tree, in the climate which is proper for it, has fruit on it all the year round, as I have often seen.

All the difficulty in the text may be easily removed by considering that the climate of Judea is widely different from that of Great Britain. The summer begins there in March, and the harvest at the Passover, as all travelers into those countries testify; therefore, as our Lord met with this tree five days before the Passover, it is evident,-1st. That it was the time of ripe figs: and, secondly. That it was not the time of gathering them, because this did not begin until the Passover, and the transaction here mentioned took place five days before.

To be continued…

Click here for part 5.