Are We Faithfully Obedient—ENOUGH? !!!
Are we burdened for those who are lost?
- Are we burdened enough to be uncomfortable in our faith-walk?
Are we saddened to learn that even after hearing the gospel, still some do not repent & accept Christ Jesus as Lord?
- Are we saddened enough to be faithfully uncomfortable in our walk with God?
Are we convinced of God’s truth when He proclaims the day of judgment is coming?
- Are we convinced enough to be sharing our testimony, witnessing to those who do not yet believe?
After God raised Jesus from the dead, the eleven remaining disciples left Jerusalem and walked to Galilee to the mountain, to the place Jesus told them to GO. It is at this juncture where we find His Great Commission:
“When they saw Him, . . .”
[Whenever the eleven saw Jesus with their eyes]
“they worshiped Him; . . .”
[When humanity REALLY SEES JESUS, we cannot help BUT WORSHIP HIM!]
“but some were doubtful.”
[Even though they
- KNEW JESUS HAD ARISEN from DEAD to LIFE & they
- SPOKE with JESUS in the upper room & even
- SHARED A MEAL &
- SAW THE NAIL PRINTS IN HIS HANDS & although they
- KNEW HE WAS RETURNING TO HEAVEN shortly—
- STILL as they were preparing to become HIS WITNESSES!
AFTER EVERYTHING,
AFTER ALL THAT TIME WITH JESUS—
STILL SOME JUST DID NOT KNOW HOW THEY WOULD EVER ACCOMPLISH THE TASK THE LORD COMMISSIONED!]
“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying,
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
[Hallelujah. Praise God. All authority belongs to the Lord.]
“Go therefore . . .”
[GO—because of ALL JESUS has said & done for us!]
“and make disciples of all the nations, . . .”
[We are not to ‘pick & choose’ where we are to GO or to whom we are to SPEAK, but we are commissioned as God’s children—to GO—wherever He leads!]
“baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, . . .”
[We are commissioned to just GO, & we are also commissioned—
- to MAKE DISCIPLES
- to WALK along beside NEW BELIEVERS
- to PRAY with them
- to LEAD them to see the importance of BAPTISM, an outward demonstration of God’s transformation of a person’s heart &
- to TALK with them about the necessity of EXAMINING our hearts as we take COMMUNION in remembrance of HIM.]
“teaching them to observe all that I commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28: 17-20 NASB)
As we GO &
As we LEAD people from all nations to BELIEVE in JESUS, to ACCEPT HIM as their Savior,
We are called to FAITHFULLY DISCIPLE them to understand the importance of ALL HE HAS COMMANDED.
- We are commissioned to also TEACH them.
- We are to STUDY GOD’S WORD along beside them, with them, one-to-one and in small groups of believers because
We are also reminded to NEVER-EVER FORGET THE PROMISE JESUS CHRIST GIVES TO US!
When we obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit to share our testimony with a person, there is a decision the person faces. The apostle Paul understood this premise. When he stood before the people in Athens, Greece, those who worshiped many idols, & when the Holy Spirit prompted him to speak—HE OBEYED. Paul said:
“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands;
(The Acts of the Apostles 17: 24-25 NASB)
nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things;”
Paul obeyed the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ!
- As the child of God, he obeyed.
- As the servant of God, he obeyed.
- As the apostle Paul obeyed & he testified of the TRUTH of GOD!
Then after he shared the Gospel, we read these words—
“Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning this.”
(The Acts of the Apostles 17: 32-34a NASB)
So Paul went out of their midst.
But some men joined him and believed, . . .”
- Are we Faithfully Obedient—ENOUGH?
- Are we of ONE MIND & ONE ACCORD?
- Are we speaking to the lost with ONE VOICE?
We are to “glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15: 6b NASB)
We have been COMMISSIONED by JESUS HIMSELF, the SON of GOD!
Let us ask ourselves: Are we obedient—ENOUGH? !!!
May we become SERIOUS in our Obedient & Faithful Walk with our Lord.