In Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came and said to them,
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I I have
commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Is it important to you in your ministry that Jesus says,
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. . .?"
I think he is telling his disciples and us that we can go in
his authority and make disciples. That's why it is called the "Great
Commission." You are commissioned to go forth under the authority of
another, in this case the authority of Jesus.
Another thing important from this command--this isn't a
suggestion but a command--is that the Greek form of the three verbs are similar
to our English version of the present participle form of the verb, the
"ing" form,
- · Going
- · Baptizing
- · Teaching.
Therefore Jesus says, "As you are going about your
daily life use opportunities to make disciples. Once you make them, you can do
the baptizing of them in the spirit and in water. Baptizing isn’t just the job
of the pastor. You are commissioned to baptize disciples, too. And then you
teach them how to be followers of Jesus. You do this by using the word of God
and by example as well.
Basically, Jesus isn't saying to you that you must go to
another country to keep the Great Commission. His words are present tense. As
you go about your daily life, be intentional! Make and train others to be
disciples.
Making disciples is intentional on your part. The total goal
of the church becomes making disciples and training each one how to be a
follower of Jesus.
Believer
Verses Follower
Is there a difference between being a believer in or a
follower of Jesus? There definitely is a difference. You can be a believer
without being a follower. I have observed many believers in church on Sunday morning who only warm a
pew. They have no ministry other than going to church. Yes, they believe in
Jesus, but do they allow him to direct their lives any other time?
A follower of Jesus allows the Holy Spirit to work through
his/her giftedness and personality while he/she rests (a free copy of B. C.
Ministries, Inc. study on rest available email us fish4days@gmail.com). Many believers have a problem with allowing anyone
to give him/her directions. How can one who is free allow another to boss them
around.
Actually, Paul puts it this way, “For Freedom he has set you
free. . .” (Galatians 5:1a). You can never experience freedom more than when
you allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of your life:
- · no law
- · no religion
- · all authority in ministry
- · no worries about money for ministry
- · he provides everything you need
- · only takes faith
That’s the whole concept of rest. Rest means complete. You
give the Spirit the right to direct your life. He’s your consultant, and he is
free. You don’t have to pay him. You simply use your faith believing that he
tells you the right things to do. Of course, he can’t tell you anything wrong
to do!
A
follower trusts
Paul says that you walk by faith not be sight (2 Corinthians
5:7). When the Holy Spirit tells you something is going to happen, get ready
because it will happen. Every area of my ministry, he has provided. I’m the
least qualified minister in the world; however, he doesn’t call the qualified.
He qualifies the called.
Every believer has a ministry, a gift of service to the
world (1 Peter 4:10). Your ministry will be to use your gifts, personality and passions
to serve. You may never preach a sermon using words, but you will preach loudly
to everyone who sees you in your daily routine if the Holy Spirit is directing
your life.
You simply trust him to make your decisions. Take a second
before you decide and ask, “Which decision do I make?
You are to be going about his business as you go about
yours. You are constantly teaching even when you say nothing, and you can be
baptizing with the Spirit by telling others about Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:13).
When you are a follower of Jesus, you allow the Holy Spirit
to direct your life—rest complete in him. Rest requires trust. You trust him to
make all your decisions. You know that he keeps you. You have confidence that
you are performing the ministry he has given you.
If you have questions or comments, give them below. I answer!
Blessings,
Howard
***PS: I’d love for you to have a copy of my latest novel,
The Red-Haired Master Shepherd. Rufus, the main character’s life is controlled by
rest. You can get your copy รจ
click
here.
Who You Are Isn't Based on
Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You
Perform.
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