Foundational Principles in Genesis -   God expects the believer to walk in authority

One major problem today is Christians are passive.

- God tells us to:
- Guard what has been entrusted to us
- See ourselves as in a army no enlisted..
- Be aware Satan roams like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour
-Put on the full armor

- God expects us to do what He says we can do
- God expects us to believe what He says we can believe
- God expects us to trample upon serpents and scorpions

I. At Creation God Gave Man Authority Over all of Creation

A. God creates everything then on the 6th day
     - He creates man and gives him authority
     - Over everything He had created.

Ge 1:25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.  26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."  27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

B. Man was under God, but over everything else on earth
- Adam's word was law
- He named all the animals
- He had rule, authority, dominion over all
- Animals did not eat men
- Bee did not sting
- No tornados, floods, snow
- Everything was in perfect order
- Cats came to you when you called them.

The Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 PM - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
1:00 PM - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 PM - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 PM - Dinner! My favorite thing!
7:00 PM - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 PM - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 PM - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!


The Cat's Diary

Day 983 of my captivity.

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an Attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike
fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and Snitches.

The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously mentally challenged.

The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicating with the Guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move.

My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an Elevated Cell, so he is safe. For now.

 

ADAM WAS THE MAN  - AND GOD EXPECTED HIM TO BE IN AUTHORITY.

 

II. The Day Adam's Authority was Challenged

Ge 3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"  2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"  4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.  5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."  6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

A. What was Satan doing?

#1. Casting doubt on what God actually said
#2. Casting doubt on the goodness of God
#3. Tempting Eve to be selfish, disobedient

B. Satan was challenging God's authority.
1.  Do you really have to be submitted to God?
   - Wouldn't you like to be in charge for a change (There was only one thing that God withheld from them.  AND THAT BOTHERED EVE)
- Bugged her every time she walked by it.

Do you really have to be submitted to God?

C. Satan was also challenging Adam's authority.
-  Satan did not have a right to be there…
-  He wanted to see how far he could go
-  Evil will go as far as it can, until somebody says STOP!

ADAM had a responsibility to take a hoe and start chopping up a snake.

But he didn't: He stood by and did nothing!
HE WAS PASSIVE!

Ge 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

He didn't defend the Garden
He didn't defend his wife
He didn't defend his home
He gave no protest at all.

(Many husbands are just like Adam)

III. Satan Has Always Challenged Authority

A. The Father

Isa 14:12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!  13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."

1. Father's response:  Get Out!

B.  Adam: OK
C.  Jesus
D.  The believer today
(He is looking at how far you will let him go in your family)

IV. Adam gave up his place as prince of this World

A. A void was created and Satan stepped up to fill it.

B. Bible says he is:

Eph 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Joh 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

V. The Bible is the Story of  Two Adams

1Co 15:45 So it is written: "The first man Adam became a living being"; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.  46 The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual.  47 The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.  48 As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the man from heaven, so also are those who are of heaven.
 49 And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.

A. First Adam/man

The first man Adam became a living being"   The first man was of the dust of the earth,

 1. What did he lose?
- God's likeness was marred
- Lost authority over earth and devil
- Lost intimate relationship with God
- Lost health and paradise
- Lost the Garden

B. Second Adam/man

"the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.    the second man from heaven

1. What did he gain?
- Eternal life for those who believe
- Open fellowship with God
-  Freedom from condemnation
-  Indwelling of the Holy Spirit with all the
    gifts and ministries of the Spirit.

 2. What authority does the believer now have?

To be child of God:
Joh 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--  13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

-----------------------------------------------------
Two words similar:

ex-oos-see'-ah: Authority/ right
Dunimus: power/ ability

These verse use the greek
word ex-oo-see'-ah: Right/authority
--------------------------------------------------

To deliver the Gospel:
Mt 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
(NIV)

Authority over demonic:
Lu 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Authority over demonic and sickness
Lu 9:1 When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power (dunimus/ability) and authority(exoosia)The Right) to drive out all demons and to cure diseases,

Authority to do what this word says you can do by faith

Declared by the Word, confirmed by the Holy Spirit, nothing is impossible for them that believe 

Mr 9:23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Mr 11:22 "Have faith in God," Jesus answered.  23 "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.  24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

VI. Why Adam was Passive in the Garden

A. He had to make a choice between:
- flesh & Earth - EVE or  Heaven and Spirit - GOD

Adam obviously wanted Eve more than he wanted God

B. I wonder if Satan went after Eve because it would put Adam in a position to have to choose between her and God.

1. This would dam the human race and hand authority of earth over to Satan

C. Satan has used this many times:
        - David and Bathsheba
        - Samson and Delilah,
        - Sex is often used, but Satan uses any earthly, fleshly thing

POINT IS WE ARE FROM THE EARTH AND ARE NATURALY ATTACHED TO THIS WORLD, ESPECIALLY FALLEN.

BUT GOD SAYS TO LOOK BEYOUND AND NOT LOVE THIS WORLD.

CONSIDER OURSELFS ALIENS AND STRANGERS

FOCUS ON THE SPIRITUAL RATHER THAN THE EARTHLY

What did God hold Adam accountable for?

Ge 3:17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.  18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.  19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return."

1. Sin wasn't listening to your wife.
2. Sin was listening to your wife and being passive and refusing to exercise the authority you were given,

 You should have been stomping on the snakes head but instead you invited him in!

Conclusion:
- Man had authority and lost it
- Jesus gave us authority through cross
- Satan continues to challenge our authority.
- It is up to us to draw a line in the sand and say NO!

GOD CALLS US TO BE AGGRESSIVE, MILITANT IN OUR BATTLE AGAINST SIN AND THE DEVIL.

Lu 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

"Don't be fooled again - don't give up your authority"

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN PASSSIVE AND ALLOWED THE DEVIL TO TAKE GROUND?

- Because it was easier or you stood to lose some earthly, fleshly thing.

WHERE HAS HE BEEN ALLOWED TO INFILTRATE YOUR HOME?

IT IS TIME TO PUT OUR FOOT ON SATANS NECK IN CHRIST AND SAY:

IT STOPS TODAY!

I will walk in all the authority Jesus has given me through His shed blood.

FINAL THOUGHT:

Satan Came to Jesus with a question:
Lu 4:5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to and  Me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours."

- Satan thought: He wants back the authority that Adam lost
-  I can tempt Him with this and destroy heaven
- I will give you total authority, if you worship me,  give up your authority first.

- Just be passive like Adam.    But it wasn't about needing anything from Satan.

It was about crushing Satan's head:

1Jo 3:8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

Jesus didn't come to make a deal

Neither did we

Ro 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Every time you choose to walk in authority and not be passive - you turn your heel on his head.