Jesus spoke in John chapter 17:
1 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You,
2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
The word “authority” is the right to exercise power. FATHER WHO created all things has the right to assign authority and power to whomever HE pleases and HE gave specific authority to HIS Son in whom HE is well pleased. Jesus now expresses the results:
3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
4 I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
This is the same work for each of us who are called as Sons and Daughters to accomplish. We are to do works which reveal FATHER and HIS heart toward mankind. We are to glorify Our Heavenly Father in those works rather than seek glory ourselves. We are called to complete our work (our individual callings). Jesus continues:
6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You.
8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
Jesus equipped us to keep The Word and walk in It. He was given clear authority to bring forth this Word along with the power to bring it into full manifestation. That same power and authority has been given to us if we will only believe and trust in The Word.
Jesus completed His earthly ministry and now works with those who have aligned themselves with FATHER’S Will. Jesus was led by THE SPIRIT thus He did not act independently of FATHER’S Will. Regrettably, there has been much teaching, especially in the faith movement, that has omitted this key to fruitfulness.
For example, Jesus did not come to conquer Rome even though there had been much prophecy concerning a conquering Messiah. Some of the faith movement teachers led us to believe that we could and should believe for expensive new cars, large houses, and “fat” bank accounts. Many attempted this line of reasoning but failed miserably. They were not aligned with FATHER’S Will.
It is written by THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 11:
19 Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.
20 But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Notice that “the hand of the LORD” was with the disciples when they preached Jesus Christ and His resurrection thus they produced good fruit. If we speak and act outside the expressed Will of Our Heavenly FATHER, HE will not endorse or act on our behalf. Paul expressed this Truth in Philippians chapter 4:
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
We can do all things if those “things” are endorsed and directed through Christ. We are not given carte blanche to do anything outside of His Will and purpose. Paul was not moved by whatever physical state he was in, and neither should we. We are only to be moved by THE WORD. This is where we find our authority and power to bring forth The Kingdom to earth.