SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY RESTORED IN CHRIST

by | Dec 17, 2025 | Sermon Study Guide

Based on the message by Pastor Chad Everett

 

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Overview

From the beginning, God designed humanity to live with authority—not fear, passivity, or spiritual confusion. In Spiritual Authority Restored in Christ, Pastor Chad Everett teaches how authority was given to mankind in creation, how it was lost through deception, and how it was fully restored through Jesus Christ. This message calls believers out of a victim mentality and back into alignment with God’s original intent.

Rather than asking why life feels out of control, this study helps us ask better questions:
What am I agreeing with? What spiritual influence am I cooperating with? And how is that agreement shaping what I experience?

This guide invites you to open your Bible, engage God’s Word together, and then allow Holy Spirit to lead you into honest reflection and alignment.

If children are present in your group, leaders are encouraged to simplify questions and invite children to participate by answering in their own words. Including children in discussion helps reinforce biblical truth at an early age and reminds the whole group that discipleship happens best in community and conversation.

How to Use This Study Guide

Biblical Principle → Read → Respond → Reflect

Start by reading the Biblical Principle to establish a shared foundation, then open your Bible and read the passage together. Use the Respond questions to discuss what Scripture reveals, and allow the Reflect questions to guide personal awareness and listening to Holy Spirit—whether shared or kept private. Whether you are studying alone or with others, allow God’s Word to shape your expectations so they align with His original design.

 

SECTION 1 — AUTHORITY ORIGINATES WITH GOD AND IS DELEGATED TO MANKIND

“Everything starts with creator God. God is the ultimate. He created everything. So he is the source of all authority in the spiritual and the physical.”  Chad Everett

Biblical Principle

All authority begins with God. As Creator, He alone possesses ultimate authority and intentionally delegated it to mankind at creation. Human authority was not earned through maturity or performance—it was entrusted by God as part of our identity. Authority is something we steward under God, not something we strive to obtain.

READ

Open your Bible and read: Genesis 1: 26–28 & Psalm 89: 34

RESPOND

  1. According to Genesis 1: 26–28, what authority did God give humanity?
  2. What responsibilities are connected to being made in God’s image?
  3. How does Psalm 89: 34 shape your understanding of God’s faithfulness to His word?

REFLECT

  • Where have I treated authority as something God controls instead of something He entrusted?
  • In what area of my life have I avoided responsibility rather than stewarding authority?
  • How does this passage reshape how I view my role in God’s purposes?

 

SECTION 2 — SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE REQUIRES PHYSICAL COOPERATION

“Spiritual realm influence needs physical realm cooperation to bring about physical realm manifestation.” Chad Everett

Biblical Principle

God designed authority to function through partnership. The spiritual realm governs the physical, but it does not bypass human cooperation. What manifests in life—good or bad—flows from spiritual agreements expressed through thoughts, words, and actions.

READ

Open your Bible and read:  Genesis 1: 28, Matthew 6: 9–10 and Hebrews 11: 3

RESPOND

  1. What verbs in Genesis 1: 28 describe humanity’s role in creation?
  2. How does Jesus’ prayer in Matthew 6 connect to God’s original intent?
  3. According to Hebrews 11: 3, what relationship exists between God’s Word and the visible world?

REFLECT

  • Where have I waited for God to act without offering my cooperation?
  • What repeated outcomes in my life may reveal spiritual agreement?
  • How would my daily decisions change if I truly believed God’s Word frames reality?

 

SECTION 3 — DECEPTION, AGREEMENT, AND THE LOSS OF AUTHORITY

“What we yield to or submit to we give authority to.” Chad Everett

Biblical Principle

The enemy does not overpower humanity—he deceives it. Authority is surrendered through agreement, not stolen by force. When God’s Word is questioned, adjusted, or replaced, spiritual authority weakens and confusion follows.

READ

Open your Bible and read:  Genesis 3: 1–7 & Genesis 3: 9–13

RESPOND

  1. How did the serpent challenge God’s Word in Genesis 3?
  2. What changes did Eve make to what God originally said?
  3. How did Adam’s response (or lack of response) contribute to the fall?

REFLECT

  • What voices most often influence my decisions?
  • Where have I accepted thoughts that do not align with Scripture?
  • In what situations have I remained silent when God was calling me to stand on truth?

 

 

SECTION 4 — JESUS RESTORES AUTHORITY THROUGH THE INCARNATION

“The only way God could have the legal right to get authority back for mankind was to become a man himself.” Chad Everett

Biblical Principle

Authority in the earth requires a physical body. Jesus did not redeem authority from a distance—He entered the physical world as a man. Through obedience, sacrifice, and resurrection, He destroyed the works of the devil and restored authority to humanity.

READ

Open your Bible and read:  Genesis 3: 15, John 1: 14 & 1 John 3: 8

RESPOND

  1. What promise does Genesis 3: 15 reveal about redemption?
  2. Why is the incarnation essential to restoring authority?
  3. According to 1 John 3: 8, what was the purpose of Jesus’ manifestation?

REFLECT

  • How does knowing Jesus restored authority for humanity affect my faith?
  • Where do I still live as though authority was not fully restored?
  • What does obedience look like in my life right now?

 

SECTION 5 — AUTHORITY, ALIGNMENT, AND REAL-LIFE CONSEQUENCES

“This is why who is in authority matters.” Chad Everett

Biblical Principle

Authority always produces outcomes. When those in authority align with the wrong spiritual influence, destruction follows. When authority aligns with righteousness, protection and peace increase. Alignment matters—personally and corporately.

READ

Open your Bible and read:  Matthew 2: 13–20 & Proverbs 29: 2

RESPOND

  1. How did physical authority enable spiritual intent in Matthew 2?
  2. Why did danger end when those aligned with the wrong influence were removed?
  3. What principle does Proverbs 29: 2 establish about leadership and authority?

REFLECT

  • Where do I underestimate the impact of alignment in my life?
  • How does this passage shape the way I pray for leaders and authority figures?
  • What responsibility accompanies the authority God has given me?

UNIFIED WEEKLY APPLICATION

Identify an area(s) where God is calling you to reclaim spiritual authority. This may involve:thought patterns, emotional reactions, fear or passivity, a recurring temptation, or a relational dynamic.

Daily Rhythm

  1. Anchor in Scripture
    Choose one passage (Genesis 1: 26–28; Matthew 6: 9–10; 1 John 3: 8) and read it aloud daily.
  2. Write a Truth Statement
    Example:
    “I agree with God’s Word, not my feelings.”
    “Through Christ, authority has been restored to me.”
  1. Pray and Realign
    Ask Holy Spirit:
    “What am I agreeing with today?”
    “Where do You want me to exercise authority?”
  1. Act Intentionally
    Speak truth, resist lies, and align actions with belief.

Closing Encouragement

Spiritual authority is not about control—it is about alignment. God will never force decisions for you, but He will empower the ones you make. Through Christ, authority has been restored. The question is no longer if you have it—but how you will live in it.