R.C. Sproul

It is he who has made us and not we ourselves. And by virtue of his position as creator and sovereign over all things, God inherently, eternally, intrinsically has the authority to command from his creatures whatsoever he pleases. God alone, in the final analysis, has the authority to bind your conscience and to bind my conscience. And all other authority, as I've said, derives from him.

It is he who has made us and not we ourselves. And by virtue of his position as creator and sovereign over all things, God inherently, eternally, intrinsically has the authority to command from his creatures whatsoever he pleases. God alone, in the final analysis, has the authority to bind your conscience and to bind my conscience. And all other authority, as I've said, derives from him.

Now we've already seen that the first major delegation of authority that we encounter in the New Testament is that delegating of authority that the Father gives to the incarnate Son. All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. I speak nothing on my own authority, but on the authority of the Father. So that Jesus could say, the Father says, And that settles it.

Now we've already seen that the first major delegation of authority that we encounter in the New Testament is that delegating of authority that the Father gives to the incarnate Son. All authority on heaven and earth has been given to me. I speak nothing on my own authority, but on the authority of the Father. So that Jesus could say, the Father says, And that settles it.

You've heard me say before about my distress over this bumper sticker that you see all through Christendom. God said it. I believe it. That settles it. You've seen that? I want to get a big magic marker and black out the middle clause. God said it. That settles it. It's settled as soon as he says it. It doesn't depend upon my accepting it.

You've heard me say before about my distress over this bumper sticker that you see all through Christendom. God said it. I believe it. That settles it. You've seen that? I want to get a big magic marker and black out the middle clause. God said it. That settles it. It's settled as soon as he says it. It doesn't depend upon my accepting it.

His word is law, his word is truth, and whatsoever the Lord God says is law. So let it be said, so let it be done. And the Father delegates to his apostle, Jesus, all authority on heaven and on earth. But the record that we have here this morning that I've read to you takes us to the next level of authority, where Jesus now calls these 12 disciples who are named in this short text.

His word is law, his word is truth, and whatsoever the Lord God says is law. So let it be said, so let it be done. And the Father delegates to his apostle, Jesus, all authority on heaven and on earth. But the record that we have here this morning that I've read to you takes us to the next level of authority, where Jesus now calls these 12 disciples who are named in this short text.

And let me just say before I comment further on the actual commissioning to apostleship, that you'll notice in this list of disciples or apostles that are given to us here, that about half of them you know a lot about because they appear frequently in the record of the New Testament, but the other half you hardly recognize.

And let me just say before I comment further on the actual commissioning to apostleship, that you'll notice in this list of disciples or apostles that are given to us here, that about half of them you know a lot about because they appear frequently in the record of the New Testament, but the other half you hardly recognize.

They appear in lists here and there, but we know next to nothing about them because their activities as apostles in the early church remain, for the most part, obscure. And yet these 12 men to whom the Lord Jesus delegates this authority, turned the world upside down.

They appear in lists here and there, but we know next to nothing about them because their activities as apostles in the early church remain, for the most part, obscure. And yet these 12 men to whom the Lord Jesus delegates this authority, turned the world upside down.

I think that we could extract from Winston Churchill an evaluation of the importance of these 12 men that would say something like this, never have so many owed so much to so few. But these few that Jesus entrusted with his mission and gave to them his authority are the ones who have turned the world upside down. Now, we read here that he gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and

I think that we could extract from Winston Churchill an evaluation of the importance of these 12 men that would say something like this, never have so many owed so much to so few. But these few that Jesus entrusted with his mission and gave to them his authority are the ones who have turned the world upside down. Now, we read here that he gave them power over unclean spirits to cast them out and

to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. If you're reading along now in your Bibles, which I assume you all are, is there anybody in this room right now who has a different translation from what I just read? I just read that he gave them power over unclean spirits. Does anybody have something that says something different? Let me see your hand. What do you have? Authority.

to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. If you're reading along now in your Bibles, which I assume you all are, is there anybody in this room right now who has a different translation from what I just read? I just read that he gave them power over unclean spirits. Does anybody have something that says something different? Let me see your hand. What do you have? Authority.

Is that what you have? You have authority. Oh, okay. Against rather than over. Anybody else have authority? Right. See, several of you have authority. Several of you have power. What's up with that? Well, we mentioned this already. Back when the people were amazed at the teaching of Jesus and the remark was made, the observation was given that Jesus said,

Is that what you have? You have authority. Oh, okay. Against rather than over. Anybody else have authority? Right. See, several of you have authority. Several of you have power. What's up with that? Well, we mentioned this already. Back when the people were amazed at the teaching of Jesus and the remark was made, the observation was given that Jesus said,

taught as one having authority, not like the scribes. And so they were amazed at the authoritative manner in which Jesus preached and in which he taught. Now, people were also astonished and in a state of marvel at at the power exhibited by Jesus.

taught as one having authority, not like the scribes. And so they were amazed at the authoritative manner in which Jesus preached and in which he taught. Now, people were also astonished and in a state of marvel at at the power exhibited by Jesus.