Ephesians 1:18-23; Luke 10:19 · Preached by Dr. Nana Boadum · May 4, 2025
A graduates' thanksgiving Sunday — cake, journals, and testimonies for the masters and PhD graduates — crowned with the opening message of The Believer's Authority, taught from Kenneth Hagin's classic as the church's "class 101": think of this as your first class after you are born again.
The seven movements
What authority is. Picture the police officer at the junction: a bulldozer stops at a lifted hand not because of the officer's muscles but because of the uniform — the backing of the government. Authority is delegated power, vested power. When you know the source behind you, you stand at life's battle front and lift your hand.
Eyes opened to the power. Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:18-23 is that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened to know the hope of His calling, the riches of His inheritance, and the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe — the power that raised Christ and seated Him far above all principality and power, interceding for us in the place of authority.
Luke 10:19 — the first power is authority. "Behold, I give you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy" — the first "power" is properly rendered authority, delegated power. You do not sit and watch the enemy make a mess of your home; you take your stand and declare in faith.
Your part: resist, and build yourself up. "Resist him, steadfast in the faith" (1 Peter 5:9) — there is work on our side. Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10), put on the whole armor, pray, study, keep fellowship. You don't have to carry the obstacle out of the way — raise your hand and tell it to stop: not this house, not my body, not my child, not my future.
Much more, we reign. Romans 5:17 — by one man's offense death reigned, but much more, those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through Jesus Christ. Righteousness is a gift, not a pedigree — any history qualifies the moment you receive Him. Reign in life, not struggle in life: the thief steals, kills and destroys, but Jesus came that you may have life in its fullness, a path shining brighter and brighter.
God rewrites rules for His children. The morning's graduate testimonies made the point live — scholarship protocols adjusted, rules changed for individuals. A miracle is God rewriting a rule for a person because the Spirit of God lives in them. Don't count yourself out of places of honor.
Don't save your authority for Sundays. The believer's authority is not a sanctuary-only posture. On Thursday at work, under your breath if need be, speak to the situation — because wherever you are, the Spirit of God is in you. Come at life with the mindset: I have authority, I have the backing of heaven, and I reign.
The service closed with thanksgiving — "your first class in this" — declarations that we and our children's children reign in life, and a final prayer from Psalm 65:11: crown our year with Your goodness.