New Wine Church

26th July 2025 - Saturday Evening Session

Reverend Dominic De Souza

Guest Speaker at Maximise Life 2025

Sermon Title: Church in the Mind of God – An Authoritative People

Key Scripture(s):

Acts 19:11-20

God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.

Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

Description:

This sermon is a call to step into the kind of spiritual authority that reflects God’s intention for the Church - not a weak, passive people, but a Spirit-filled, Christ-centred community walking in power and intimacy with God.

In Acts 19, we witness a stark contrast: Paul, saturated in the Spirit, sees extraordinary miracles, while the seven sons of Sceva try to imitate his method without his relationship with God - and suffer the consequences. Their failure reveals a critical truth: spiritual authority is not about mastering a phrase or a formula. It flows from a surrendered life.

We explore two truths:

#1. Public Impact starts with Private Intimacy.

Paul’s authority came from a life hidden in God. He didn’t just speak about Jesus - he walked with Him. In contrast, the sons of Sceva invoked a name they didn’t know. There is no shortcut to power - it comes from intimacy, not imitation.

#2. Private Submission Releases Spiritual Power.

Authority doesn’t come from titles or charisma - it comes from consecration. When we give the enemy access through compromise or hidden sin, we forfeit our power. Submission to Jesus closes those doors and activates His power in and through us.

This sermon invites us to return to the secret place and to personal holiness - to choose depth with God over outward performance. It reminds us that the Church in God’s mind is not just surviving darkness but confronting it - as a people so aligned with Christ that even hell takes notice.

Reflective Questions

  1. Like Paul’s handkerchief and aprons, what areas of your life still feel “ordinary” - and how might God be wanting to anoint them for His purposes?

  2. Are you walking in intimacy with Jesus or are you operating with second-hand faith?

  3. What parts of your life might be giving the enemy a foothold through compromise or neglect?

  4. How often do you rely solely on strategy, gifting, or personality instead of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit?

  5. Do you truly know Jesus or have you settled for knowing about Him?

  6. What would change if you began each day with the mindset: I carry heaven’s authority wherever I go?

Prayer

Father,

Thank you for calling us not just to believe - but to walk in power. Thank you that in Christ, we are not weak or abandoned, but chosen and commissioned.

Forgive us for every place we’ve settled for borrowed words instead of personal relationship. For every time we’ve spoken of you more than we’ve spent time with you.

Holy Spirit, draw us deeper. Anoint our lives - not just our Sundays, but our everydays. Let our private devotion shape our public authority.

We submit ourselves fully - every thought, every habit, every motive - to you.

Shut every door we’ve left open to the enemy. Cleanse us. Fill us. Use us.

Let us be known in heaven and feared in hell - not for our fame, but for your glory. Make our homes, our work, our friendships, and our church lighthouses of your presence.

We choose intimacy over imitation.
We choose surrender over self-reliance.
We choose to walk in the authority you’ve already given us.

In Jesus’ name - Amen.