======================================================================== AUTHORITY IN THE NAME OF JESUS by Keith Malcomson ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the authority and power that believers have in the name of Jesus Christ. It highlights the importance of standing in that authority to cast out demons, pray, preach the gospel, and make a difference in the spiritual warfare we face. The speaker shares personal experiences of witnessing the impact of operating in the delegated authority of Jesus' name, encouraging listeners to take a stand and exercise their authority in various aspects of life. Topics: "Authority in Christ", "Spiritual Warfare" Scripture References: Matthew 28:18, Mark 16:17, John 14:13, Acts 16:18, Ephesians 1:20, Philippians 2:9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the authority and power that believers have in the name of Jesus Christ. It highlights the importance of standing in that authority to cast out demons, pray, preach the gospel, and make a difference in the spiritual warfare we face. The speaker shares personal experiences of witnessing the impact of operating in the delegated authority of Jesus' name, encouraging listeners to take a stand and exercise their authority in various aspects of life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Praise God, we're turned to the Word of God this morning and continuing with this series on spiritual warfare, but before we do, I just want to commend you mothers in our gathering. We don't stand on ritual and special dates and events, but it's always wonderful to be able to think of the mothers in the church, those that have given birth to children and especially raising them in the things of Christ here in the church and we really pray for you. It's a wonderful task and the message I'm going to preach this morning, I can assure you I learned this truth, not from reading the Bible, not from hearing a preacher, but at my mother's knee. I owe so much to my mother. I can't even begin to tell you how much I owe my mother concerning the things of God and all of you are benefiting from a mother who taught me well, prayed well, opened up the scriptures and pointed me constantly to the Lord Jesus Christ. Mothers run this race well, you don't know the child that you're raising, you never know what God's plan or purpose is for that child and so give yourself to it. I know it's hard, I know there's a real devil, but be assured we're in a spiritual warfare. One of your great warfares of your life could be to raise those children or that child and not let the devil get his hands upon them. Preach to them, lay your hands on them, pray for them, plead the blood of Jesus over them, tell them about the power that is in Jesus name. It is a great calling and here today we do give thanks for all the mothers and especially those that have taught their children and will in the days ahead concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a wonderful task, a wonderful calling and it's greatly diminished in this hour, but we don't diminish the place of women in our midst. There is an order and there is a way for a woman to behave herself and act in the home and in the church, but you know what, I have the highest regard and respect for women. I'll never dishonor a woman, belittle her or treat her wrongly. That is a shame on the gospel, but we honor a woman on the calling of Jesus Christ. Amen. Please turn with me here this morning as we go to the word and I wasn't planning this, but certainly what a message I'm going to preach this morning is in honor of my mother assuredly because she taught me these truths from her knee. What a precious thing. Turn into Mark chapter 16 and read in there this morning, my message, authority in the name of Jesus. Reading from Mark chapter 16 and verse 15 and this is Jesus speaking and he said unto them and he said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth and he that believeth not shall be damned and these signs shall follow them that believe. Listen carefully. In my name shall they cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. My message, authority in the name of Jesus. This is part four of our series on spiritual warfare and I can assure you that knowing the authority in Jesus name is a vital part of this warfare. Will you pray with me this morning as a church, as the saints of God, let's agree together. Let's pray in that name. Let's pray in the authority of that name through the virtue of that name, through the provision of that name. All that that name means we come in prayer. I'm not praying but on my own basis. I'm not asking to answer me because of me or because of you but I'm asking that he answers our prayer this morning because of Jesus name, the authority that is in that name. Father we come unto you not in any other name but the name of Jesus Christ. We know the authority is in that name. We have been commanded to pray unto you in the name of Jesus according to your will and Lord God we approach you because of Jesus on the basis of Jesus Christ by his virtue, by his holiness, by his power, by his grace, by his provision. We approach unto you in that name and we pray that you speak unto us today. That you show us that we have authority over all the power of Satan. That even as a church that you'd make us to rise up in the city of Limerick to take authority in Jesus name. To stand in the authority of Jesus Christ. We know that there's powers of darkness in this city. We know that the devil has come to destroy our families. We know oh God that he's destroying people in our workplaces and in around us where we live. But father we pray that from this day we are going to begin to fight in the authority in the name and in the power of Jesus name even as we have sung already this morning. In Jesus mighty name, in the power, in the virtue of that name we ask it that you be glorified. Amen. My name, my message this morning, authority in the name of Jesus. It says there in Mark chapter 16 and verse 17 and these signs, notice they are signs, indicators pointing to Jesus. When these signs operate it turns the eyes upon Jesus. These things honor Jesus, point to Jesus, and bring glory to Jesus. And these signs shall follow them that believe. All those that believe. You don't need to be great or mighty. You don't need to be rich or famous. All those who believe. If you believe these signs will follow you. There are signs that follow a believer and he's about to list some of these signs here. These signs shall follow a believer. Why does God give signs? He gives signs to verify the message. He gives signs to show that there's a power involved with the preaching of the gospel. He gives signs to show that he is in the midst of the church of Jesus Christ. Signs are there to indicate that Jesus has risen from the dead. Signs are there to show that he is in the midst. Signs are there to reveal and to prove that he is seated at the right hand of the father. It says these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name shall they cast out devils. Notice here that the casting out of devils is in the name of Jesus. Only in the precious name. My message. Authority in the name of Jesus. They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. All these precious promises are signs given to those that believe. Saints just believed this morning. Let us be a church that believes that these signs shall follow the preaching of the gospel. Where this is preached and believed these things happen. Where people say these things are not for today. They do not happen. Show me a church that says healing doesn't happen today. Nobody gets healed. Show me a church or a people that say I believe healing is for today and someone in that gathering is going to get healed. I promise you faith cometh by hearing. It's not a believing without the word of God. But when the word of God is preached we believe. Saints I want to tell you there's authority in the name of Jesus. These signs shall follow them that believe. But if we do away with these teachings none of these signs will point to Jesus Christ. Now there's a great controversy over Mark chapter 16. Many modern day scholars who actually proclaim themselves expert on ancient manuscripts say that the last 12 verses of Mark from verse 9 to verse 20 should not be in our Bibles. What they say in some of your Bibles I hope it doesn't say it. You need a new Bible. But there are Bibles in this heart and it will be written there that these verses are not in the ancient and reliable manuscripts. If that is written in the margin of your Bible it's time to get yourself a new Bible. My Bible says and Jesus said these signs shall follow them that believe. Why do they say that these precious 12 verses should not be in our Bible? They go back to two manuscripts the Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus and they give them preeminence above all other manuscripts. Do you know that there's 620 manuscripts of Mark chapter 16. 620. Guess how many these verses are missing in. Only two. First of all the Sinaiticus that was found over 150 years ago in an old monastery in Sinai just as it was about to be thrown in the flames. The second manuscript was found in the Vatican libraries. It's called the Vaticanus. These two manuscripts are the most corrupt manuscripts in all of the world and yet these two manuscripts were recovered and brought out and have changed many translations of the Bible. Can I tell you Mark chapter 16 is used by 31 ancient Christian writers just after the days of the apostles. Also many of the translations of the Bible into early languages all had this in them. But there's only two corrupt manuscripts. The Vaticanus given to the born again church by the Vatican and the papacy and another one rescued from a waste bin about to be burned. And these two manuscripts were used to change many modern Bibles until the year 1870. Nobody questioned Mark chapter 16 and yet since that time many have said this should not be in our Bibles. Since I want to tell you that I believe that was an attack of the devil on the authority of scripture. He wanted to remove a very precious verse here that says in my name shall they cast out devils. I believe that this scripture stirred up the anger of hell and the devil said I want to move that out and so raised up two corrupt manuscripts even though all the others have this in there. Be very careful who you listen to in this generation. Be very careful of listening to experts who say they know what they're talking about and yet they rip our Bibles apart. The same goes with fasting. You know how in Mark chapter 9 the apostles had power. They'd seen the sick healed. Demons cast out and yet when they went to pray for a young boy they found they shouted they prayed they laid hands on and yet they had no power to cast that demon out of the little boy. The father was tormented went to Jesus and said why could your disciples not do this. Listen to what Jesus said in Mark 9 29. This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting. Again in the modern translations of the Bible that word fasting has been taken out. It wouldn't make sense for Jesus to say this demon doesn't come out of the boy but by prayer. That's what most translations have. It wouldn't make sense. Of course they were praying but Jesus said it doesn't come out but by prayer and fasting. If I was the devil there's certain scriptures I want to remove from the Bible. Most of the new versions of the Bible remove the word fasting from Matthew 17 21 from Mark chapter 9 29 from Acts chapter 10 and verse 30 and from 1 Corinthians 7 and verse 5. Then they change the word fasting for hunger in 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 5 and again in 2 Corinthians 11 and 27. But fasting is different than hunger. Very very different. These six verses on fasting to break the power of Satan have been removed from many or most of the new Bible versions. The Sinaticus and Vaticanus have removed all of these scriptures. Some Bible translations remove the word fasting. Others like the NIV remove the entire verse. When you go there you'll see that it is gone. Since I tell you that there has been an onslaught of hell against the reality of the teaching of the authority of the I believe there is authority in the name of Jesus and if hell can steal that truth from you it will. My message this morning authority in the name of Jesus and my first point the highest name. You must know this before I tell you about your authority through the name of Jesus. I've got to tell you about the authority of that name. It says here in verse 7 in Mark 16. In my name shall I cast out devils. Jesus promotes his own name. He said there's only one name that will defeat the devil. One name that you can stand upon in coming against the devil or resisting the in my name. Jesus is only in my name. If you're going to face the devil it better be in my name. You better discover the power of my name. You better realize that my name is more powerful than the devil. I don't care if there's a 6,000 demons in an individual. I don't care if it's a of the prince of Persia or the prince of Greece. I don't care if it's the devil himself. There is power in the name of Jesus. In my name you will cast out devils. I want to show you that you don't want to play games with the devil. You don't want to mock him. You don't want to call them names. You don't want to get involved with the devil unless you know the authority of Jesus name. You would play a very dangerous game and we as a church, we as a church here need to understand, to believe, to study the word of God, to find out the authority invested in Jesus name. Do you know God the father has put all authority, I mean supreme authority, absolute authority, sovereign authority in the name of Jesus. He says in Matthew 28 verse 18, and Jesus came and spake unto them the disciples saying, all power. The word power there is exousia and I'm going to explain it to you. It's very important to realize that when we talk about the name of Jesus, we're talking about authority, authority. There is no authority apart from his name. Jesus said, all power, all authority is given unto me in heaven and on earth. That's what Jesus said. God the father has given me all authority. There is nothing that can stand against me. Authority is given. That word power, where Jesus said all power is given unto me, and listen carefully, is the word exousia. You've got to understand this word exousia. We know in the Bible in Acts 1 and verse 8 is the word dunamis. You shall receive power. That's dunamis. That's the power of the Holy Spirit. This word is a different Greek word. It is the word exousia. Power is given unto him in heaven and earth. Exousia is used in our New Testament 103 times. The Greek word exousia is translated as power 69 times, as authority 29 times. What does exousia mean? What does this Greek word exousia mean? It means authority. All authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth. There is nothing outside of that authority, nothing greater than that authority. Jesus has supreme authority. No power of hell can compete with him. No power of hell can touch him. No power of hell can stand against that name. There is supreme power or exousia or authority given unto Jesus. What does exousia mean? It means authority. It means the legal right. When it talks about this power in Jesus' name, it means there's the legal right or the lawful right. When Jesus has given all authority, he has a lawful authority. Lots of people in our world claim to have authority, but very often it's illegal. It's against the law of the land or in the church. It's against the teaching of scripture. They claim to have authority, but yet they contradict so much in the Bible. It shows me they have no true authority. It's illegitimate, but the word exousia means a legitimate authority, a lawful authority, a authority that has been given by permission. It means you're given a jurisdiction of responsibility or the right to exercise certain powers and privileges. It means you have the right to command, to govern, to rule, to take charge or to carry responsibility. Never separate responsibility from authority. If I have been given a task as a mother to raise children, then I do have authority. If you're a man to lead your home and family, there's a responsibility, but there is also authority. You have been given a legitimate God-given right. I, as a preacher in this church, have been given exousia. I've been given certain privileges and responsibilities. There is an authority in that that's given from God to rule the church, to take charge in the church or to preach with all authority. You see the power, this word exousia means the power or authority to occupy a position and to take up that position by the right of God. I'm telling you that Jesus Christ, by his own name, has been given ultimate exousia. In other words, Christ has a legitimate authority given by God the Father. He has supreme authority to reign, to rule, to take charge, to take command. When you know that you have such an exousia, such an authority, you know what? The devil isn't going to play games with you. Jesus Christ proclaimed he knew that he had all authority in heaven. The devil never played games with him. Again, it says in Acts chapter 4 and 12, neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Ultimate authority has been given to the name of Jesus. There is no other higher name. There is no other name by which we can be saved. The name Mary does not even get a look in. The name Muhammad doesn't even get a mention. You know the gospel of Christ, the person of Christ, the real Jesus is utterly exclusive. There's no other room for any other name. There's no other room for any other religion. The ecumenical movement is out. The churches together movement is out where you just join everything together. Other religions do not get a look in. There is salvation in no other name. Do you realize how offensive the name of Jesus is going to be to this generation? Do you realize why this age is starting to turn against the real gospel? They're not sitting at ease with it anymore. You know why? The name Jesus is exclusive. You can't get saved by any other name. There's no power to be saved from your sin outside of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus excludes all other religion. Only by him, only in him is there salvation. Why is salvation in his name alone? Why is it that a sinner has to call on the Lord Jesus to be saved? It's because his name has been given supreme authority. Anyone else who tries to say you need to pray in this name or to this person or you need to include some other name or you mustn't mention the name of Jesus, you know all of that is illegitimate. We don't even recognize it. It's not even worth to argue about. Jesus alone has all power. He alone has all authority. He alone is legitimate authority. In Ephesians 1 20 it says that God the Father has set Jesus at his own right hand in heavenly places far above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named. Not only in this world but in that which is to come and has put all things under his feet and gave him to be the head of all things to the church which is the body. Since you need to learn the authority of Jesus name, you need to realize he has absolute authority. No name can challenge him. No power of hell, no devil, no demon, no bondage, no addiction, no demonic spiritual influence can hold sway in his presence. When Jesus moves, when his name is exalted, there is a breaking of the power of the devil. Do you realize every single name, every name of a demon or an angel has to be subject to the name of Jesus. Every name that is named amongst men must be submitted. There is no higher authority and this same Jesus is given to be a head of the local church, the body. There is authority in his name. There is no higher name. He has supreme authority and you know what? All authority has to submit to him. All other authority that is not in right relationship with him, whether it's a government in the home or in the church, it is illegitimate unless it is in right relationship with him. The authority in his name in Philippians chapter 2 verse 9, it says, wherefore God also has highly exalted him, that is Jesus, and given him a name which is above every other name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. Notice the three areas, things in heaven, things on earth, and things under the earth. Three realms where his name is given as utterly supreme and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Before I even talk about the authority that you and I have and the church has in Jesus name, we've got to see supreme absolute authority rests in Jesus Christ. There is no competition. He is not competing with any name or any power or any authority or any dominion. Every power of hell acknowledges his authority. When he walked on the earth, as soon as he walked into the synagogue, demons screamed out and says, why have you come to Terminus, thou son of the most high God? Jesus told them, be silent because they are revealing who he was. Wherever he went, the devil acknowledged who he was. The religious system wanted to crucify him. The political power wanted to crucify him, but the demons of hell pleaded with him, don't cast us into hell before our time. Do you know the kingdom of Satan acknowledges his power? The kingdom of Satan and the devil acknowledges the reverence, the authority of Jesus name. This world of ours might laugh at his name, but not the devil, not demon powers, not principalities. They tremble at that name. They revere that name. They acknowledge that name. And you know what a church or a Christian who knows the authority of Jesus name, that demonic world recognizes them. You see the devil knows those who understand authority, who operate on authority. That's why in your home, if you don't have authority function, you're very foolish. The devil will play games with that. A church that doesn't have right authority and order, the devil is going to play with that. Christians who don't honor the king, the government, even when they're wrong and give them due respect. I assure you, the devil knows all about that. The devil knows all about authority, structure, submission. And he can recognize men who submit themselves to authority, who acknowledge authority and who know how to use authority. Second of all, the delegated authority of the believer. Christ has supreme exousia. He has supreme power. He has the supreme legal right to rule over all powers and dominions. When you begin to realize who Jesus is, I don't care if you're a very new Christian, I don't care if you're a child. I, as a child, loved Jesus. I never feared the devil. You know, when I was young, like all children, like many adults, I didn't like the dark. My mother used to ask me at night, will you go out and get the coal for the fire? Well, we didn't have lights. We were in the countryside, no lights outside. And I would go out the door, the wind would be blowing, it's dark. I had to go up the side of the house, round the back, into the dark coal house, get the coal and come back. Well, I was only a young boy. And like all young boys, I'm scared of the dark. My heart would begin to beat. I would begin to imagine that someone is hiding there about to jump out. But you know what? I was born again, saved as a child. I loved Jesus. And I knew he had all authority. You know what I'd done as a child? No one told me to do this. My mother didn't. I would tell myself, speak to myself, said, Keith, stop being stupid. If Jesus is for you, who can be against you? You know what I would do? I would walk half the speed because I said, there's nothing there. The angels of heaven guard me on the left and the right. Jesus is with me and he dwells in this heart. I've got nothing to fear. All authority is given unto Jesus. This little boy gained a victory over the fear of darkness, over the thoughts of his mind. He faced his fears and triumphed. You know why? It wasn't because I thought I had great authority. It was because I knew the authority that was in Jesus. All power is given to him. The devil cannot contend with him. My second point, the delegated authority of the believer. It says here again, in Mark 16, 17, and these signs shall follow them that believe in my name. They shall cast out devils. Notice here that Jesus gives to those that believe, not to preachers, not to apostles, but those that believe. He said, these signs shall follow them that believe. It's time we began to saints. We've got a lost world to reach, a city to evangelize. There is powers of darkness playing games with your families while we sit back powerless. I want to tell you, Jesus has given his authority, his exousia to you. Do you know what he says? The devil is behind all that drugs, all of that blindness, all of that deception. The devil does work in the midst of darkness, but Jesus says, in my name shall I cast out devils. In other words, Jesus gives his authority to believers. Those who believe are going to have authority over the devil. They can cast the devil out. If an individual is demon possessed, a real believer, a real Christian can cast out that demon. If they're demon possessed and they can't hear, can't speak, or their body is in torment, do you realize you have authority exousia? If you don't believe that, you most certainly won't operate in it. You won't have the courage. You won't have the ability. Like that young boy, if you don't believe this, you're going to run to the coal house and you're going to run back very fast before anything jumps out of the darkness. But when you know there's an authority, it affects your actions. When you believe this, that in his name, you will cast out demons. He didn't say, I'll do it. You will do it in my name, through my name, by the power of my name. It's not by your power. It's not your authority. It's not by your own name. It's by my name, cast out demons in my name. My name has authority. My name is a legal power. My name has supreme authority above every other name. That's why when we come against the devil, we come in the name of Jesus. There's no fear when you know who it is that you're standing in. There is no despondency when you realize it's a warfare and you come in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, they shall take up serpents. It says in Luke chapter 10 and 17 concerning that when Jesus sent out the 70 to preach, to go from village to village, to preach the gospel. And it says the 70 returned again with joy saying, Lord, and they're amazed here. Even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. This was their first experience. There was a time when these 70 disciples experienced for the very first time in their life, they'd seen the master do it. They'd heard about it. But for the first time, they themselves experienced. He sent them out. He stayed there, but he sent them. And when they come back, they come back with the testimony. We found out, we experienced, as we stood in the authority of thy name, you sent us, we went, we preached, we cast out demons. You told us to, you commanded us. And they're in awe, they have great joy. They'd never seen this before. They came back with testimonies of experiences involving people getting set and free from the devil that they'd never experienced before. Even devils are subject to us through thy name. We weren't scared of the devils. We didn't run from the devils. We didn't hide from the devils. We didn't get discouraged because the devil wouldn't move. You know what? They returned with joy, rejoicing, saying even devils are subject unto us. How? Through thy name. They used the name of Jesus and they found that the devil respected that name. The devil had to go because of the authority in Jesus' name. Never you pray in your own authority. Never you come against the devil in your own authority. You need to fight the devil in your family with the name of Jesus. You say, I come in the authority of Jesus. I come and not name high above all else. I am tired of the devil destroying my family, my children, my parents, my loved ones, those in my workplace. When are you going to get stirred, Church of God, to say I've had enough of the devil? It's time for believers to stand in the authority and for the first time to experience there's power. There's power. Even the devils will be subject to you through Jesus' name. And he said unto them, he gave them a warning. I beheld Satan fallen as lightning from heaven. He was saying, be careful of pride. It's wonderful that you have discovered the power in this name, but never forget that humility must always stand with power and authority. Never separate exousia from a humble heart, a careful heart. Do you know there's many that teach what I'm telling you, spiritual warfare, and they go off into many strange things. They've forgotten the danger of pride in the heart. They discover spiritual reality. They discover spiritual ministry and all of a sudden they get exalted in their own thoughts. They think too much of themselves. They forget that they are nothing. They're a hell deserving sinner. There's no good thing in their flesh that apart from the grace of God, what hope would there be? But you know what these disciples, Jesus warned them. And he said, behold, I give unto you power. You need to remember where the power is. Any authority you have, any power you have, anything of the working of God. You know what? I give you the power. The word power there again is exousia. It means authority. I give unto you power, exousia, to tread on serpents. He's not talking about physical, literal serpents. He's talking about spiritual powers of darkness. Do you know there's powers of darkness in our city that are playing games with our family? They are serpents and they are scorpions. I give you exousia to tread on serpents and scorpions. When are you going to start doing this church? When are you going to stop running from the devil? When are you going to start saying, I've got authority through Jesus Christ. He has given me exousia to trample over the enemy and listen over all the power of the enemy. We have been given an exousia by Jesus Christ in his name over all the exousia of the devil. Are you awed by the power of the devil? Are you standing there noting how he can come in on your life or on this church or in this city or in your family members and the devil has authority to play games? What about you exerting authority? Has he not given you authority over all the authority of the devil? Do you believe that? You might say, yes preacher, you have that. No, I'm telling you here, I don't care if you're saved days. I don't care if you're a child. God has given authority over the enemy. Do not be afraid of the devil. I'm talking about spiritual warfare. We are in a real warfare. It is a real battle. Thoughts are very real. Temptations are real. We're commanded, don't give any foothold. Don't give any place in your life to the devil. Don't let him come in on that life of yours. But listen to me, there is authority in Jesus name. In that name of Jesus, there is authority. Jesus goes on to say, notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your name is written in heaven. That's what you ought to be glad about. That's always the best way to stay humble, is to remember that you're a sinner saved by grace. Our generation talks a lot about a good self-esteem, feeling good about yourself. I've never believed that. Do you know what? There's nothing good about you. You were a hell deserving sinner. I want to tell you, I don't feel good about my self-esteem. I feel good that Jesus Christ died for the sinner. I didn't deserve it. There was nothing good in me, but on a tree on Golgotha's hill 2000 years ago, Jesus died for me. Why would he love such as me? I don't know, but he loved me. He drew me. He saved me. He changed me. You want a good self-worth and high esteem, find yourself standing saying, there's nothing good in me. I was a hell deserving sinner, but on that tree, God sent his only begotten son to shed his blood that I could be forgiven. That's what you ought to rejoice in. It is that truth that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. There is a thing called delegated authority that a believer has. In other words, Christ's authority is given to the Christian. The authority of his name over all the powers of darkness has been given to individual Christians and members of the body of Christ. In fact, you'd be shocked if you begin reading the new Testament, looking for all the verses that talk about what we have through the name of Jesus, you'll suddenly find that you can't operate as a Christian or a church. You can't do anything apart from that name. Listen to a few of these things. Authority to pray. You don't even have the right to pray apart from the name of Jesus. You can't approach unto God. You won't get any answers to prayer apart from the authority, the exousia that's in the name. Jesus is not just something we tag on the end of a prayer. It's in that authority that I pray. When I pray, my eyes are on Jesus. You know why some of you are defeated? It's because your eyes are on yourself, on your past, on your future, on your prayers, on your faith. When you come to pray, that's where you're looking. No wonder you're defeated. You know where our eyes ought to be? Our eyes ought to be on the Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father. That is where the authority to prayer, to pray comes from. I don't just say in Jesus' name as a tag on. I'm reminding myself it's by that name. Listen, in John 14 and 13, Jesus speaking, Whoso whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. Or again in verse 26, but the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name. Do you see that the Holy Spirit was sent onto the church in the name of Jesus? We don't even have the Holy Spirit in the church apart from the exousia, the authority of Jesus' name. John 15, 16, Whosoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, that he may give it to you. It's in the name of Jesus. John 16, 23, And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. That means Jesus directly. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. And again in John 16, 26, At that day ye shall ask in my name, and I shall say unto you, That I will pray the Father for you. All prayer is in the name of Jesus, in his authority. Saints, when you come to pray, you need to realize there is an authority. I have authority in prayer. I'm not whimpering around. I'm not begging. I'm coming here saying, Father, it's in the name of Jesus. Jesus told me to come. He commanded me to come. He said it was in his authority, in his name, to see his will done. I'm not asking myself. I want answered prayers that his name is glorified. Saints, it's all about the beautiful name of Jesus Christ. I pray, seeking for his name to be glorified. There's authority to gather as the church in Matthew 18, 20. For where two or three are gathered together, notice, in my name, there am I in the midst. When we gather in the exousia, the power, the authority, the character, the nature of Jesus Christ, it's as we gather in that name. Jesus said, I will be there. You know what? It's a legitimate gathering. It is a legal gathering. It's a gathering of two or three with real authority. And you know what? Jesus himself acknowledges it. You may say, but there's only two or three of us. But are you gathered in his name? Is it according to his will? Is it recognizing we're submitted to his authority? We believe in the power of his name. Then Christ is there. Christ is there. We are told that we should even give a glass of water in the name of Jesus Christ and to receive children in Jesus' name, by his name. We also baptize people in water by the name of Jesus or in the authority of that name. Saints, do you know when we use the name of Jesus, this is another thing that using the name of Jesus means. We're representing him. We're representing him. When I get into those baptism waters and I'm baptizing someone else, I'm not there in my own name. I'm doing this for Jesus. I'm standing there. I have a delegated authority. I'm standing here baptizing someone in authority saying, I'm not standing. I can't baptize people out of my own authority. I don't have any, but I stand here in the authority of Jesus. He said, go preach, then baptize in my name. That's why when I get down to the waters of baptism, it doesn't mean that I'm there saying, in Jesus' name be baptized. It means you're going to do it in the authority of Jesus' name. Lay hands on the sick in Jesus' name. I don't even need to say the name Jesus, but it's in his authority. I'm representing Jesus Christ. He's at the right hand of the father. We are his body. In your workplace, you represent him. In your family, you represent him. On your street, you represent him. Since you need to begin to get gripped by this, I represent the Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus, I have delegated authority over all the power of Satan and hell. There's authority to preach. In Matthew 28, verse 18, Jesus came and spoke unto them saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations. What did he say? All power is given unto me, therefore go preach to all nations. Go teach them. Go disciple them. Do you realize the great commission has exousia behind it? The exousia or authority of Christ. I'm telling all of you in this church, you have authority to go preach this gospel in your workplace, in your families. Someone says, who are you? Who do you think you are? You say, I'm a nobody. I'm a nobody. I don't need to impress you, but I met this Jesus. He saved me. He changed me. He told me to come and tell you that you could be forgiven, that you could be made whole, that there's power for him to set your life free, to restore your mind, to make you whole. Some people don't preach healing because they don't think they've got power to heal. Some don't preach that a man with a lost mind can be set free. You know why? Their eyes are on them. We need to begin to understand we've got to preach. I can't save anyone, but I'll preach you. If you believe in Christ, I don't care if you're a heroin addict, you're going to walk free today. You're going to walk free. I have authority to preach that. I believe that. I believe that. If you believe in Christ, you'll be free from those drugs. God can restore your mind. He'll wash you from your sin. You'll never go back to that bed of fornication. You're going to run from it. You see, we need to preach the gospel with authority. Go into the dark places. Go to the most impossible cases and preach. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. You realize that Satan is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of them that believe not. Your family, your work friends, you need to start going into those places and say, I've got authority. I have been sent here by Jesus Christ to this family. If you're the only one saved in your family, that is in the will of God. Some of you are praying for family. No one else will pray for that family. You're the only one in that family circle. You've been given authority to pray, to preach, to evangelize, and to stand there. It was delegated authority. Do you know that you have authority? Do you know you've been given authority? And if you begin to recognize that the devil will know that you actually stand on that authority, it's so real. But authority to cast out demons as well. Here in Mark 16, 17, in my name shall I cast out devils. This is an incident where a demon is inhabiting an individual and destroying their life. Do you know you've got power and authority? Don't be scared. Don't look for someone else. You have authority in that place, in that environment of the world, since we ought to be invading the dark places, praying in Jesus' name for the breaking of the power of Satan. In Matthew 10, verse 1, and he called unto him the twelve disciples, and he gave them power, exousia, against unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal all manners of sickness. Mark chapter 3, verse 15, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils. Do you remember Paul in Acts chapter 16 and 18? That lady, when they went to Philippi, that small town, that small community, and Paul and his team went there to evangelize, to preach on the streets, and as they did, there was a lady, began to follow them around the streets and she would cry out, these are the servants of the most high God. Do you realize the devil recognizes who we are? Do you realize the devil in Limerick knows who Limerick City Church is? The other churches may not. The other churches may scorn this preacher. I want to tell you, the devil in Limerick knows exactly who Keith Malcolmson is. This name is known in hell. You know why? Because I know the authority in Jesus' name. It's not because of me. I've got nothing to boost him. I've got no claim, but I do know there's delegated authority, and the devil knows that. Well, this little lady followed Paul around until finally, being grieved in heart, he turned and said to the Spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus to come out of her, and he, that is the demon, came out the same hour, and when her master saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace and had them thrown into prison. You know, that lady was a fortune teller. That power, if it's supernatural, is a demon. When the Spirit was, he just turned around. It had nothing to do with her. She wasn't asking for it. She wasn't in a place to receive it, but Paul cast that Spirit out, and she lost all of her demonic power. Don't tell me this isn't real. Don't tell me there's not demons out there deceiving people in Limerick with power, telling them things that only a demon power could know. You know, the church, instead of running around being defeated, it needs to begin to realize it has authority in Jesus' name. We are soldiers in an army. Listen to me. We are soldiers in an army, each one of you. Get up. Begin to act like soldiers. You're not a casualty. You're not a fatality in a hospital. We are soldiers on the battlefield. Some Christians, many churches, you walk into them, everyone's lying there complaining, grumbling, moaning, fearful, defeated, moaning, I can't get victory. Nothing ever good happens. They're in a hospital bed. We are called to be soldiers in the field. We are to outwardly resist the devil, not to be concentrating on what he's doing inside us. The battle is to be fought from a place of standing in victory, not us trying to gain a place of victory. In the Great Commission, we are commanded to cast out demons, not to be focused on self-deliverance and all of this foolishness. A lot of Christians, they're more concerned about the devil jumping on them than going and invading the places of darkness. Jesus commissioned us. This is the basic commission for all believers. Go and cast out demons in my name. They shouldn't be invading your home. A lot of Christians, I'm sad to say, the devil has invaded their home, destroying their children, breaking up their marriage, tormenting their minds. When are you going to get sick of that? You don't know your authority. You don't know the authority in Jesus Christ. You haven't understood what is really going on. It's time you realize there is a power. Look at Mary Magdalene. What a testimony she had in the Church of Jesus Christ. She had a testimony that said, Mary, will you testify? I sure will. I had seven devils cast out of me. I was never the same again. That's when I got born again. I got saved. Not throughout my Christian walk, never had to have it happen again. I got delivered from seven demons and I fell in love with Jesus Christ. What a testimony. Many years ago, I was a soldier in Germany in an army camp, 1,500 soldiers. I was a young man, 20 years old. I'd been there two years, fasting, praying, desiring to evangelize. No one got saved. No one got healed. No one got delivered. But I loved Jesus with all my heart. I lived right, walked right. I prayed. I sought the Lord, put him first, read the scriptures, had a good witness and testimony. But for two years, I'm wrestling in prayer. Why no souls? If I'm not affecting them, they must be affecting me. I went through a terrible battle because nothing was happening. Not in my room, not my workplace, not in my friends, nothing was changing. It seemed like I was having no influence. I was deeply burdened and I was praying, asking the Lord, will you show me what is happening? Will you show me what to do here? 20 years old, I'd go into the cellar of the big block, the big building where 150 guys live, 1,500 on the camp, worked. I'd go in there and pray, shut the door and seek the Lord. I went to a meeting this night and Jackie Pullinger, that lady missionary who ministered in Kowloon City in Hong Kong to the drug addict, she was there. I was so burdened, so discouraged. I went up and spoke to her at the end. She said, Keith, listen to me. Keep doing what you're doing. Stand the way you're standing. She says, a breakthrough is about to come very shortly. Very soon it's going to come. She told me, she says, Keith, you need to stand in the authority of Jesus name. That hit my heart so strong. For a period of time, I've been going through my Bible, marking everywhere in the gospels where the name of Jesus was mentioned. I still got that Bible downstairs. All through the New Testament, I've marked the name of Jesus. I was studying this. Well, I got back onto that army camp and every morning she actually said, you stand first thing in the morning and take authority and stand in that authority. God has put you in that camp of 1,500 men on their way to hell. You represent Christ. You're there in Jesus name. You do have power and authority. There are souls to be reached. Well, I went back there and every morning I went down to that cellar and after reading and praying, I'd stand and I'd say, I insult the name of Jesus. I take authority on this camp. Christ has given me all power and authority. Within two weeks, a breakthrough come. I'm not into strategies or anything like that. I'm not telling you this is a strategy. I'm just telling you what happened. Two weeks later, all hell got stirred up in that army camp. I mean all hell, every single week. From two weeks after that, all across that camp, there were demonic manifestations broke out all over that camp. I never saw one apparition. I never felt anything. I didn't get scared. You know what? I knew this devil, this parasite, I'm 20 years old saying, do you hear what I'm telling you? Go into that workplace. It's time for you to make a stand in your family. We want souls, a harvest of souls out of this city. We are fighting a real devil. We're not fighting against flesh and blood. It's not flesh and blood that's destroying your family members, your loved ones. You're wrestling with powers and principalities and you've got to stand. The devil knows if you believe this or not. He knows if you believe in the authority that Christ has given you. Well, all across my camp, there were guys sitting in the room on a Saturday afternoon. All of a sudden, all the books started flying off their shelves. There were others. I won't go into all the details here. I don't want to scare anyone. All across that camp, there were demonic manifestations suddenly broke out. I never saw a thing. One guy walked in the room next door to me and the curtains are hovering in that room. There's no breeze, no draft, no window open. He ran out and ran into my room. There was another man who used to hate me. He would slam the door if I mentioned the name Jesus. He hated me, hated the gospel. All of a sudden, he come knocking on my door. He says, I need to speak to you. Do you believe in exorcism? He'd had an apparition in his room. Never believed in any spiritual. All across that room, that camp, that army camp, every single week, I'd be walking down the street. Some guy from across the camp would walk over to me, said, are you Malcolmson? Yes, I'm Malcolmson. I got told that I could come speak to you about this. It led to open doors, evangelism, people getting saved, of wonderful testimonies of what God can do. I could keep you here for an hour telling you about testimonies of lives healed, people delivered, people receiving the gospel. You know what? On that camp, a young man began to realize there's authority in this name. I'm the only church that's on this camp. I'm the only Christian amongst 1,500. I'm the only person to represent Jesus Christ here. I'm a young guy. I'm working as a soldier. I have a nine to five job. I'm surrounded by sin, but I can tell you there's authority in that name. My room was the only room that didn't have dirty pictures on the outside of those lockers. Five years in the army, and that's the only soldier's room that I ever saw like that. I didn't open my mouth, didn't say anything, but those young men in the room with me, they put it on the inside of their lockers, but wouldn't put a naked woman on the outside. You know why? There is an authority. There's a power. There's an influence. We are salt and light. Since I'm talking about spiritual warfare, it has to invade the workplace and the family and the high street and your house and area. Are we going to go to war or be mere victims? You're all caught up in the devil playing games in your family. You're feeling defeated. You're letting him run over you. How long are you going to let that happen? How long are you going to allow the devil to play games with you? He knows you've got authority and you don't know it. You're not making a stand, and he'll push this as far as he can, but when are you going to start making a stand? Our message here is authority in the Lord Jesus Christ. When I was in Scotland, a young preacher started looking after a church, six years, would run those meetings. In six years, every time we evangelized on the streets, when I was there, nothing ever went wrong. Every time, without fail, I wasn't there. Some incident would happen. Someone would come and punch someone or some other situation. In that local church, if I wasn't there, the devil rose up and things happened. Do you know why I believe that didn't happen? The devil knew to respect me. The devil knew that I knew about authority and submission. I was a submitted man. I obeyed the word of God. I believed in Jesus Christ. I was submitted to him. I was submitted to the authority of scriptures. I wasn't a compromised soldier in those barrack rooms. I didn't drink their beer, didn't run after their girls, didn't curse like them, didn't listen to their dirty stories. I would stand as a witness for Jesus Christ, and the devil honored that. Same with that local church. When I would be away, you'd get some stranger walking and begin to try and prophesy. They never done it when I was there. The same folk when I was there was very quiet. I was a young guy in my early 20s. You know what it is? It's an issue of authority, authority, exousia, delegated authority in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm exhorting you. We are a church at war. Since the war is raging all around, it's not hard to find it, but are you going to stand as a good soldier of Jesus Christ in the supreme authority? I'm nothing. I'm a sinner saved by grace, washed from all of my sin. I don't have great knowledge. I don't have great power. I don't have great wealth. I have nothing to boast in of my own self, but I do know there's virtue and authority in the name of Jesus Christ. Will you not make your stand here this morning as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ? Let's pray together here as we close this morning. Church, it's time to take the battle to the field, to invade the dark places. It's the devil holding your friends, your family, those around you in powers of darkness. It is the God of this world that blinds the minds of them that do not believe lest this glorious light of the gospel should shine onto them. You need to stand in authority and preach. When you share the gospel, it's not arguments. It's not debates. It's not intellectually fighting with that person. You preach. You need to be born again. God loves you. Jesus died for you. You need to do this with authority. It's not the power of the words. You know what? It's the authority of Jesus where you say, if you believe in him, you'll be free. Right now, you'll be free. Saints, take authority. Pray in the authority of that name. Preach in the authority of that name. Stand against the devil in the authority of that name. Pray with me. Father, I pray for my friends that you raise up saints in homes, in the dark places, on the high street, in neighborhoods, in houses and estates. Lord God, in families where the devil is running over individuals. Lord God, I pray, raise up mothers who are going to stand with the authority of Jesus' name, that are going to resist the devil and say, enough is enough. You're not having my children. You're not having my grandchildren. You're not having my parents. You're not playing games in this house of mine. Lord God, will you stir up parents, men and women to stand and to submit themselves to the authority, the exusi of Christ, that Christ might reign in their house. Lord God, I pray for this church. Lord God, that there'll be a breakthrough, a mighty breakthrough in this city of evangelism, of reaching souls, of seeing the power of hell broken, drug addicts set free, the immoral made clean. Lord God, all through the power of Jesus' name. We are not in this city by our own power. We don't represent ourself. We're not here to present our own sermons. My God, we're here in your name. You've commissioned us. You sent us to this city. You put us here to preach and to teach the word of God. And Lord God, this morning, I stand in the divine exusia of the Lord Jesus Christ. I preach with that authority and all hell must submit to that authority. Lord God, we love you because you raised us up out of the dunghill to be seated with princes on high. We love you, Lord Jesus, because you loved us when we were sinners. We are utterly in awe that you would love such as us and save us out of darkness. Will you raise up a Mary Magdalene in this city of Limerick, delivered of seven demons, who's going to testify to the reality and the power of these things in Jesus' name. Amen. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/JlODP6ZVLJQ.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/authority-in-the-name-of-jesus/ ========================================================================