Words are nothing if they are not spoken with authority, and
authority is given, not taken. In the Gospel of Luke we hear Christ give
authority to the Church to speak and preach on His behalf. Jesus said, “He who
hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me
rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10.16) Then the seventy apostles whom Jesus had
sent out to preach the Kingdom in advance of His Passion, returned saying, “Lord,
even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” (Luke 10.17) The mission of
the Seventy was to prepare others to encounter God. They healed the sick, they
cast out demons, they spoke on behalf of God. Despite all these blessings the
Seventy experienced, Jesus said, “Behold, I give you the authority to trample
on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing
shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the
spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written
in heaven.” (Luke 10.19-20)
The mission of the Church has not changed in two thousand
years. Jesus Christ has given the Church authority over the power of the enemy.
He who hears the Church, hears God, and He who rejects the Church, rejects God.
He has given the Church authority, not so people could rejoice in earthly
blessings, but that their names (OUR NAMES) might be written in Heaven. This
responsibility is taken very seriously by the Church, which is why our
teachings MUST BE loyal and consistent with the teachings and way of life of
the Holy Apostles, to whom Jesus first gave the authority. This is what we mean
when we say, “One Holy Catholic and APOSTOLIC Church” in the Creed. The way of
life and teachings of the Church are the same as the Apostles.
The words spoken by the Church are for our benefit, not for
earthly blessings, but that our names are written in heaven, and they are words
spoken with authority given directly from God. It was Jesus Christ who said,
“He who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.”
Do you want to hear God, listen to the Church!
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