All Authority: How the Authority of Christ Upholds the Great Commission

by Joey Shaw

Everybody who follows Jesus will encounter a myriad of “authorities” that directly challenge the authority of Christ. These other “authorities” may be parents, teachers, bosses, presidents, institutions, religions, or ideologies. In order to stay firm in devotion to Jesus, we must believe that He has supreme authority over all. Not partial authority, not most authority— all authority .

On the basis of his authority, he commissioned his people to go and make disciples among every people group on earth. This is an impossible commission if it were not for the promise that he is with them forever. The doctrine of the supreme authority of Christ not only upholds the work of the church, it is the central message that the church preaches. “Jesus is Lord” is good news!

Joey Shaw is the International Field Office Director for the Austin Stone Community Church and a regular contributor at Verge. Joey and his family live outside the United States where they serve unreached peoples for the glory of Christ.

Genres: Christian, Evangelism

232 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2016

Reviews

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The doctrine of the authority of Christ is at the heart of of the answers to what motivates the church to send out their best people, resources and making sacrifices. The more people cherish the doctrine of Christ's authority, the more they are willing to risk the and endure along the way.

This study really challenges of what you believe and live about the doctrine of the authority of Christ. How we respond to the authority of Christ indicates if we are living for Christ. What does authority suggest? Who is God and what does that mean for me. The study both addresses how the church responds to the authority of Christ and how we individually respond. Does the church recognize the authority of Christ? These are questions that we as Christians must ask ourselves and align ourselves with.

Some of the quotes I found encouraging.

Surrender, then is the important connection between abiding in Christ and cherishing his authority. Without surrender, there is no relationship. Where there is a relationship, one will cherish surrender more and more as the fruits of surrender become more apparent over time.

I found this study complete and highly recommend.
A Special Thank you to B & H Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Becky Durstenfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book. It isn't one I could just keep reading straight through. I read one chapter at a time. It was well written. It had Scripture and examples as well as teaching. It is on a topic we don't hear much about, but is important - God's authority. I think the Church has ignored this because often people don't like that subject or don't want to hear it, but we can't really follow Jesus without acknowledging His authority as Lord and King. It was a unique way to look at the Great Commission verses in Matthew. I do recommend this book to those who are serious about following Jesus.

[Charles U. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. Lots of good information and food for thought about how to view the Great Commission and Jesus' authority. Chapter 7 dealt with spiritual warfare and was very interesting and gave a good strategy that will be very helpful.

[Michael Adam Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great handling of the centrality of Christ’s authority

Timely and necessary word in a church age that casualizes the authority & lordship of Jesus. May we all see that true life, rest, hope, meaning, and confidence is found as we acknowledge and live to authentically proclaim, “Jesus is Lord!”

[Lee Button · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Commission could never be completed without the authority of Jesus. Yet we find few books addressing this essential attribute in any detail. Until now. Joey Shaw is an evangelist to the world, living hazardously outside America spreading the good news. He relies on the authority of Christ daily and challenges us to do the same in his book, All Authority. “The entire gospel hinges on the authority of Jesus. If his authority is not supreme, the gospel crumbles and the church- as well as the world- loses all hope.” (p. 3)
The book is to some extent autobiography. Shaw led a movement that has placed more than 100 missionaries around the world. The wealth of the book is its theology. “We have found that the more people cherish the doctrine of Christ’s authority, the more they are willing to risk and endure along the way.” (p. 11) Shaw has figured out a way to teach doctrine without the reader actually thinking it is ‘doctrine.’
Initially listing 7 ways that Christ’s authority is supreme, the Great Commission is then used as a book outline to apply that authority. Why does Jesus have authority? How Jesus’s authority motivates evangelism without fear. Submission to Christ’s authority as the root of discipleship. Christ’s authority secures our salvation and motivates obedience. (“The best barometer of a person’s relationship with Christ is not one’s stated feelings about Christ or one’s words about Christ but whether one obeys Christ.” p. 149) How much authority do we have? Here there is a very simple but effective counter-strategy to defeat the devil based on the letters of resist. The author does not minimize nor idealize a believer’s reliance on the authority of the Holy Spirit. The closing chapter discusses why the authority of Christ may not be good news and how we can challenge that idea.
Each chapter of the book begins with an original poem written by Joey. The illustrations of the book are some of the most content appropriate that I have read. By the way, this is a perfect gift for missionaries.