SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY – RESTORED IN CHRIST Return in the Power of the Spirit

by | Feb 11, 2026 | Sermon Study Guide

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Based on the message by Chad Everett

OVERVIEW

This message marks a pivotal moment in the Spiritual Authority – Restored In Christ series. Chad Everett teaches from Luke 4, not to introduce new concepts, but to confront how believers respond to what God has already revealed.

Jesus did not merely overcome temptation in the wilderness—He returned from it. And He returned differently. The same places, the same people, the same synagogues—but in a new condition: the power of the Spirit.

This study guide is designed to help believers examine what dulls spiritual hunger, what familiarity erodes honor, and how authority is exercised—not admired. It calls the Church to move beyond information into skill, obedience, and embodied authority through the Holy Spirit.

For those who want to follow along with the sermon notes or revisit key moments from the message, the YouVersion Sermon Notes are available here:
https://www.bible.com/events/49561590

Work through this guide slowly. Open your Bible. Answer honestly. Allow Holy Spirit to challenge how you listen, how you receive, and how you return.

HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE

Hear → Answer → Act

Each section begins with a focus statement drawn directly from the sermon. Read the Scripture aloud. Let the Word, not opinion, guide your responses. The goal is not agreement, but transformation.

 

SECTION 1 — HOW WILL YOU RETURN?

“Are you going to return the same way you came, or are you going to return in the dunamis of God?”

Focus

Jesus returned to familiar places—but not in the same condition. Spiritual authority is revealed not in where we go, but in how we return.

READ

Open your Bible and read:  Luke 4: 14

RESPOND

  1. What does Scripture emphasize about how Jesus returned from the wilderness?
  2. What changed about Jesus between Luke 4: 1 and Luke 4: 14?
  3. Why does Scripture intentionally highlight His return?

REFLECT

  • Where am I returning to familiar places but expecting different results without change?
  • How do I usually leave church, prayer, or Scripture—unchanged or empowered?
  • What would it look like for me to return in the power of the Spirit this week?

 

SECTION 2 — AUTHORITY FLOWS FROM THE SPIRIT, NOT POSITION

“Jesus didn’t operate in power because He was the Son of God—He operated through the Holy Spirit.”

Focus

Jesus laid down divine privilege and modeled Spirit-empowered authority. This reveals how authority is restored and exercised in believers today.

READ

Open your Bible and read:  Luke 4: 14; John 5: 19

RESPOND

  1. According to Scripture, where did Jesus’ power come from?
  2. Why is it important that Jesus operated through the Holy Spirit rather than independent authority?
  3. How does this shape our understanding of spiritual authority today?

REFLECT

  • Where have I relied on position, experience, or knowledge instead of dependence on the Spirit?
  • What would change if I truly believed the same Spirit empowers me?
  • How might this shift how I pray, speak, and act?

 

SECTION 3 — FAMILIARITY CAN BLOCK HONOR

“They were more focused on the vessel than what was coming out of the vessel.”

Focus

Nazareth missed the moment because familiarity dulled honor. Spiritual authority requires humility and hunger to receive from God—regardless of the vessel.

READ

Open your Bible and read: Luke 4: 16–22

RESPOND

  1. What caused the people of Nazareth to stumble over Jesus’ authority?
  2. How did familiarity affect their ability to receive truth?
  3. What warning does this passage give to believers today?

REFLECT

  • Where have I become overly familiar with spiritual things?
  • Have I ever evaluated the vessel instead of receiving what God was offering?
  • How can I guard my heart from spiritual entitlement or critique?

 

SECTION 4 — AUTHORITY IS EXERCISED, NOT DISCUSSED

“Jesus commanded—He didn’t negotiate.”

Focus

Spiritual authority is revealed through action. Jesus did not pray passive prayers—He commanded unclean spirits and rebuked sickness with authority.

READ

Open your Bible and read: Luke 4: 33–39

RESPOND

  1. How did Jesus respond to the unclean spirit in the synagogue?
  2. What similarities do you see between how Jesus addressed demons and sickness?
  3. What does this reveal about the nature of authority in the Kingdom of God?

REFLECT

  • Where have I prayed passively instead of responding with authority?
  • Do I separate the person from the condition when I pray?
  • What would obedience look like if I truly believed authority has been given?

 

SECTION 5 — TEACHING THAT TRAINS, NOT IMPRESSES

“The goal is not to be impressed—it’s to be equipped.”

Focus

Jesus taught with authority because He imparted skill, not just information. The purpose of teaching is activation, not dependency.

READ

Open your Bible and read:  Luke 4: 31–32; Ephesians 4: 11–12

RESPOND

  1. What made Jesus’ teaching different from the scribes?
  2. How does Scripture define the purpose of teaching in the Body of Christ?
  3. Why is skill-based discipleship essential for spiritual authority?

REFLECT

  • Am I seeking sermons to consume or training to apply?
  • Where has God already taught me something I haven’t practiced yet?
  • What step of obedience have I delayed?

 

SECTION 6 — HUNGER DETERMINES WHERE GOD MOVES

“God will go where people are hungry.”

Focus

When people refuse to receive, Jesus moves on. Hunger attracts the presence and power of God.

READ

Open your Bible and read:  Luke 4: 28–31; Matthew 5: 6

RESPOND

  1. Why did Jesus leave Nazareth and go to Capernaum?
  2. What role does hunger play in receiving from God?
  3. What warning does this passage give to the Church?

REFLECT

  • Where have I gone through the motions without hunger?
  • What has crowded out my desire for God’s presence?
  • How can I intentionally cultivate hunger again?

 

UNIFIED ACTIVATION PRACTICE (FOR THE WEEK)

Return Differently

  1. Identify the Place
    Ask Holy Spirit to show you one place or situation you regularly return to (work, home, relationships, habits).
  2. Acknowledge the Pattern
    Notice how you typically return—emotionally, spiritually, mentally.
  3. Receive the Power
    Pray and invite Holy Spirit to fill you afresh with dunamis and exusia.
  4. Act in Authority
    Take one intentional step this week where you respond differently—speaking truth, resisting temptation, praying with authority, or obeying immediately.

A turning point happens when believers stop absorbing pressure and start returning in power.