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- Herausgeber: Riaan Engelbrecht
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Sprache: Englisch
When Jesus departed to be with His eternal Father, He gave the church (the ecclesia) a clear mission statement in Matthew 28, which speaks of the Great Commission. And what is the Great Commission, therefore, the mission? Go and make disciples so that the world may be told of Jesus and, therefore, be saved. Some will say some translations never speak of making disciples, but rather to teach all nations, “baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”. But is the purpose of teaching the nations of Christ not to make disciples? If one teaches someone about Jesus, you are surely equipping them to be a follower of Jesus. And such a follower is a disciple. We are called in God's wisdom and by His Spirit to teach all people about Jesus, for the purpose of making disciples. It doesn’t happen automatically. It will take a concerted and decisive effort of the Bride of God. Time is, however, slipping away to get our house in order with God, and now is the time to do so. We are living in the last days, and the day of the Lord’s coming is at hand. Billions of people are still lost in every city, town, and village across the world. There is no more time to be playing church or to be consumed with our agendas. We need to come into alignment with God, seek Him, and be awake from our slumber. The church has been slumbering for a long time, lulled into sleep by a false sense of security, peace and a sense of accomplishment. Yet there is a mission to complete, which is the Great Commission. It is God’s mission of bringing in the harvest of the lost and broken. Now is the time to get busy with God’s business, and His business is about salvation, redemption and restoration. The call to the church to actively engage in this mission, therefore, to make the main thing the main thing, is covered in volumes one and two.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Series of work by the same author:
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Perilous Times
In Pursuit of God
The Holy Spirit
The Disciple of God
Deliverance
Crossroads to Freedom
The Kingdom of God
The Prophetic
Apologetics
End-Time Remnant
Table of Contents
Title Page
On Christ’s Mission: Overturning the World Volume One (Discipleship)
Foreword
Stick to the mission
Turning the world upside down
Take care of God’s business
Commissioned by Christ to uphold the Gospel
Good stewards of God’s mission
Return to the mission of the Great Commission
Embrace God, forsake the wisdom of this age
Walk in the weightiness of God’s character and power
On a mission for authentic Great Commission truth
Are we really serious about holiness?
A mind disengaged from lies and pollution
Reborn disciples turn the world upside down
In right standing with God
Times will be tough to fulfil God’s mission
Also By Riaan Engelbrecht
About the Author
On Christ’s Mission: Overturning the World Volume One
This is a distributed edition from Avishua Ministries.
The author’s intellectual property rights are protected by international Copyright law. You are licensed to use this digital copy strictly for your personal enjoyment only: it must not be redistributed or offered for sale in any form.
Scriptures quotes from the New Kings James Bible, Amplified, and the New International Version.
For more free study material and audio visit http://avishuaministries.wixsite.com/avishua
Table of Contents
Foreword
Stick to the mission
Turning the world upside down
Take care of God’s business
Commissioned by Christ to uphold the Gospel
Good stewards of God’s mission
Return to the mission of the Great Commission
Embrace God, forsake the wisdom of this age
Walk in the weightiness of God’s character
On a mission for authentic Great Commission truth
Are we really serious about holiness?
A mind disengaged from lies and pollution
Reborn disciples turn the world upside down
In right standing with God
Times will be tough to fulfil God’s mission
Of a different spirit
Foreword
On Chris’s Mission: Overturning the World Volume One and Two is a cry for the church to return to its main purpose, which is to fulfil the Great Commission. After more than 20 years in ministry, and having written more than 90 books in an effort to teach, equip and edify the Body of Christ, for the author a return to God’s mission is of utmost importance to see a broken world restored in love, hope, joy and peace. Fulfilling the Great Commission is quintessential discipleship, for this world desperately needs to return to the realization that we need a Saviour from our inner darkness, moral depravity and spiritual bankruptcy.
It should be noted that it will be wise to read both volumes on Christ’s mission. It will also be beneficial to read other volumes of work by the same author to complement these two volumes. This includes The Dawn of the End-Time Remnant, A Dangerous Church Vol 1 and 2, Empowered for Supernatural Living, Revival and Awakenings, Bastion of Divine Truth Part One and Part Two, and The Witches’ Brew, Devious Gurus & Pied Piper Seducers Part 1 and 2.
May the Lord indeed stir in our hearts and open our spiritual understanding to the critical importance of embarking on Christ’s mission. May the Lord stir in us a mighty and deep faith that cannot be moved. May He stir in us a great passion for His mission, and may we with zeal seek His way and truth and will. Dear believers, there is a deep stirring in my spirit for we need to hear what the Lord is saying to us the church more than ever. His mission is still the same. Time is slipping away, yet we are slumbering as the world is dying. How we need the fire of God to burn in our hearts again! Yes Lord, sent the fire again so that we may be sold out for Your Kingdom, Your mission and vision.
It is time for us to fulfil His mission by fulfilling the Great Commission! It is time now not tomorrow. We have been crying out to the Lord for Him to move and revive His people as if the Lord is slumbering. Our Lord never slumbers, and He never forsakes, but it is His people that have fallen asleep and slumber. We need to arise from our ‘sleep’ and embark on His mission to His Glory. It is time to be the church, to shine our light and be the salt of the earth. It is time to get working in bringing in the harvest for we are living in the last of the last minutes. Time is indeed running out.
The Lord is watching for those hearts that truly turn to Him, who cry out to Him, who yearn and hunger for Him, for then truly the touch and glory of the Lord shall be known. For too long the people of the Lord have remained in the valley, chasing after golden calves, consumed by this world, consumed by the Self, allowing themselves to listen to lies while embracing deceptions. For too long there has been a time of forsaking the truth of God, forsaking His Spirit, forsaking purity, forsaking holiness, for it is not the Lord who slumbers, but his people who failed to make the main thing the main thing, which is to lead the broken and the lost to Christ.
It is time for God's glory in us to arise. It is time for humility in the Body of Christ so that the power of the Lord may be manifested for the world to witness. For those who yield and submit shall truly see the might of the Lord! Only those who are reborn in the Spirit shall see the Kingdom of the Lord (John 3). How long shall we dwell in the valleys? How long shall we depart from the ways of the Lord? How long shall we not listen to the voice of the Lord? How long shall we quench the Spirit? How long until we truly submit, yield, surrender, and give our all to the kingdom of the Most High? How long cries the Lord until we truly bow before Him, give our all, seek Him, hunger for Him, and desire Him above all? How long shall we remain indecisive, stubborn and not in His will? How long do we seek our way and not the way of the Lord?
Yes Lord, we are here to yield. Let it be all about You and Your mission so that the reality of John 3:16 may be fulfilled. For there is healing and deliverance in Your Glory! Truly, as we submit, and truly abide in Him, we shall see spiritually and physically the harvest coming in. May we indeed be counted among God’s labourers, be good stewards as faithful disciples, and may we long to see God's glory cover this earth.
Ephesians 1: 15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18 the eyes of your [f]understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality[g] and [h]power and [i]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Stick to the mission
A mission statement can be described as a summary of an organization’s core purpose, focus, and aims. This includes key objectives. A vision statement on the other hand is a description of the desired future state of the organisation.
When Jesus departed, He gave the church (the ecclesia) a clear mission statement. It is the statement of Matthew 28, which speaks of the Great Commission. The church is not an organisation or a company, even though many have turned into one, but a living organism of believers collectively serving the will and purpose of a loving and living God. And what is the Great Commission, therefore, the mission? Go and make disciples so that the world may be told of Jesus and, therefore, be saved.
Some will say some translations never speak of making disciples. The King James says in “Matthew 28: 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”
But is the purpose of teaching the nations of Christ not to make disciples? If one teaches someone about Jesus, you are surely equipping them to be a follower of Jesus. And such a follower is a disciple. Either way, if we lean towards teaching nations or making disciples, it is the same thing.
We are called in God's wisdom and by His Spirit to teach all people about Jesus, for the purpose of making disciples. It doesn’t happen automatically. It will take a concerted and decisive effort. This is also why the Lord entrusted some with the responsibility to equip and train believers to become effective disciples and to ensure they walk in the fullness of Christ and of unity (Ephesians 4).
Hudson Taylor, a British Baptist Christian missionary to China, said: “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.” Yes, it is a command. Jesus didn’t advise us to reach the world by making disciples, but it was an instruction. What is the purpose of the Great Commission? O win souls for Christ! What is the purpose of the church? To win souls and then to make disciples of them! The church has no other mission than to tell the world of Christ and to make disciples. It is a simple instruction from our Master, yet one the church has half-heartedly followed as it follows its own pursuits and desires.
Oswald Jeffrey Smith, a Canadian pastor, said: “Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” How can we be the church if the Great Commission is not our burning desire? Are we here then for our own needs or to obey God by winning the lost? Athanasius Yohan, the founder and president of GFA World earlier known as Gospel for Asia, said: “Rediscover the real meaning of the Great Commission. Beginning in our own prayer and devotional lives, we must begin to feel the compassion of the Lord for a lost and dying world. As we have already seen, the Great Commission is not something that was given to a tiny group of specially trained and educated envoys. It was given to all Christians—to the whole Church. It is something that we are all to be engaged in naturally every day.” John Wesley so adamantly declared: “You have one business on earth – to save souls.”
We are called to engage in God’s business, which is to save souls by making disciples of them. God’s business is our business, this should be our priority, our mandate, and our calling. We expect God to bless our business when it is not His business! The main thing of the ecclesia is very clear. Making disciples. Who is a disciple? Anyone who follows Jesus. The first disciples were so effective in their duty of fulfilling the Great Commission because they stuck to the mission. The mission is the mission of Christ, never man. The entire Body of Christ, consisting of many believers, has one mission, which is the Great Commission. There is no other mission. Any other mission is man-centred and man-focussed. The first centre disciples understood it is all about being on a mission to fulfil the mission of the Great Commission.
Matthew 28 says, “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway*, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” The New Kings James says, “19 Go ]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The word “nations” in Greek is ethnos, which speaks not of geographical countries as we know it, tribes, nations, or a group of people (such as an ethical group). So the mission is clear. We are called to make disciples. To be a disciple implies you have given your life to Christ, and is now reborn by His Spirit. Jesus said in “Acts 1: 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The Holy Spirit has been sent so that the Church may fulfil the mission of Christ. And such a mission was outlined in Acts 1 as well.
Revelation 7 says, “9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7 is what happens when the mission of Christ has been fulfilled. This is, therefore, the vision of the church – to see the entire world discipled and serving the world. It is clear that all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues will stand before the throne and before the Lamb. This means the mission of Christ has been fulfilled, fulfilling also the vision.
The problem is, the church of today it seems is constantly going off-track, not keeping the main thing the main thing. There is one Body, one faith, one Spirit and one mission. God has empowered believers with different abilities, gifts and callings, but for the purpose of collectively fulfilling the mission of Christ. So often you hear that a church says they have this mission or that mission, but there is only one mission. If we do not follow the mission of Christ, then we are surely not disciples of the Lord. Surely this first-century church was so effective for they sought to fulfil the Great Commission, and nothing else. It was about reaching all tongues and tribes, telling them of Jesus and making them into disciples. It is not good enough to simply tell someone of Christ, you have to make disciples of them.
The church of today has lost track of the main mission because we have been influenced by the world and its ideas. We are too busy building our kingdoms, running as businesses, instead of making disciples! Our ideals, mission and motive are many times man-centred or earthly bound, instead of seeking the ways, the truth and the life of the Kingdom. The problem was that many Jews, and maybe even Judas, made the mistake of making the Kingdom of God of this earth. And we still make the same mistake today. We want to drag the Kingdom down to our level, instead of meeting God. There is thus the necessity to follow the principles of how to lead a life of a true disciple as taught by Jesus Christ. We need to know what is Kingdom and to pursue it, for then all shall be added. We receive God’s blessings when we abide in Him and live according to His ways.
It is reckoned about 7 billion people on Earth do not really know or follow Jesus. There are also so many within the church that have never been discipled. Has the church been sticking to the mission? Certainly not. For a long time, it seems the church has not been on the real mission to fulfil God’s mission. It is because the church has become side-tracked with its own missions, such as building its own empires and kingdoms of power and fame. God’s grand mission and eternal purpose on the earth and in heaven centres on Christ, both the individual Christ (the Head) and the corporate Christ (the Body). This universe is moving towards one final goal – the fullness of Christ where He shall fill all things with himself. To be truly missional, then, means constructing one’s life and ministry on Christ. He is both the heart and bloodstream of God’s plan. To miss this is to miss the plot; indeed, it is to miss everything.
Only when we listen to God, trust Him and stand in faith, can we walk in such a manner where our hearts are not troubled, and where the peace of Christ rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). Indeed, by turning our ears away from God we allow the fear to steal our peace and joy, and we will become blinded to our purpose, to our hope, to our mission, to God’s vision and to God’s plan. Yes, many are the plans of man but only the plan of God shall prevail, so we need to listen to God, and then our faith, which only needs to be like a mustard seed, will arise to drive back the darkness as we arise as the children of God to the glory of God.
The Kingdom is only built upon the truth of One – Jesus. In the Kingdom, there is one vision, one truth, one Spirit and one mission. Jesus remains the Lord and King, and never man. It says in 1 Corinthians 14:20 that the “kingdom of God is not in word, but in power”. It also says in “Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” The Kingdom of God is one of Power. It is not religion, because religion deals with the will of man which digresses to trivialities such as meat, drink, dress code, the ambience, style of music and so on. The Kingdom of God is about holiness, purity, and in the power of the Holy Spirit one finds life, hope, light and love. The first disciples walked in power as recorded in the Book of Acts. They walked in the might of the Lord for they preached the Kingdom (there was no formal church as what we know it today).
Remember, they were told to wait in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit would enable them to receive power from on high. Jesus alluded to the importance of being born again by the Holy Spirit in John 3. The disciples were empowered to walk in the power of the Kingdom because they moved in the power of the Holy Spirit who led and guided them in all Kingdom Truth!
We cannot walk in the power of the Kingdom if we fail to submit and move completely in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit is the one that grants us the wisdom, might, power, knowledge and counsel to preach Kingdom and not fall in the pitfalls of religion! For it is written in “2 Corinthians 3:6 (KJV): 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. Indeed, for the Kingdom of God brings life, but religion destroys.” We are urged to preach the Kingdom, for the Kingdom is the Spirit that brings life, while religion comprising of our traditions and customs eventually kills. For those who stand with the Kingdom are not divided but they are united by one truth for there is no division of doctrine or truth in the eternal Kingdom.
We all know the well-known Scripture of “Romans 12: 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
God has given us a mandate (each believer) to fulfil and such a mandate is for the purpose of fulfilling the mission. Our calling works towards fulfilling the Great Commission as set out by Jesus. God gives us the ability both natural and spiritual to fulfill that mission. If we remain true to our mandate, then nothing can stop it from coming to pass! It is like being given a stamp of approval from the King of kings to fulfil your mandate no matter what man or hell says or does to stop you! The mandate carries the highest authority and approval.
In Acts 8, we find valuable lessons on keeping the main thing the main thing, and how a disciple must always be prepared, trained, and willing to be active and mobilised to fulfil the mission of Christ. In this Scripture, we find the account of Christ being preached to an Ethiopian. So we read: “26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.” Here, God through an angel gives a command to the disciple. He needs to ARISE and GO. When Jesus called His disciples, He told them to follow Him. They needed to leave behind their old life, arise therefore from their former ways and GO in pursuit of becoming fishers of men. As disciples of God, we are called to FOLLOW Jesus and GO into the world, to thus fulfil the Great Commission. After all, it says clearly in Matthew 24 when it comes to our mandate to GO, therefore take action. In Philip we find a disciple who was definitely following Jesus, for the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, and so Philip was now prompted to GO in order to be active and mobilised in pursuit of the Kingdom.
When we come to God and we choose to follow Him as our Lord and Saviour, then indeed the Lord arises over us. For the light of the world – Jesus – comes upon His followers. And for what purpose? For the followers to arise – thus to go and to shine the light of God. As spoken in Isaiah 60, such darkness has already covered the earth and deep darkness of the people. These are the days and times of Noah, for the world is filled with violence. As children of God, we are called to ARISE from our spiritual slumber and apathy and walk in God’s glory. It says in “Matthew 5: 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Also, take note Phillip obeyed the Lord. Even though an angel spoke to him, it reminds us that we must always be willing to listen closely to God, which means we need to know the voice of the Lord. A disciple of God surely cannot ARISE and GO unless He knows the voice of God, for the voice of God leads the disciple in the way of the Kingdom. Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life, but we can only know such truth, such life and the way if we follow Jesus, thus know His voice. We are living in a world of many different voices, including the devil’s, so we need to make sure, thus discern, what is God’s voice and what is our own, or the world’s or the devil’s. For this is vital to remain in God’s will, for in His will there is life and hope. Samuel was called as a boy by God, yet he didn’t know the voice of God. Just so, as disciples, we must be able to discern the voice but also teach others to know God and thus to know the voice of the Lord.
We also read “and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” God is never vague. God always provides clear and detailed instructions. We, however, need to know God to know His will and instructions. God gave clear instructions to Noah to build the Ark, and Moses to build the Tabernacle and to Solomon the Temple. Jesus also gave us clear instructions on how to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth, primarily by fulfilling the Great Commission, which focuses on true discipleship. For to follow God’s instructions is to follow His Will, and we must seek for such will to be done on earth as it is heaven.
We then read: “27 So he arose and went.” Yes, Philip obeyed! He did not question God. He did not wait hours or days for confirmation. He arose and moved because he knew the voice of God. Yes, he did not even pray over it. For surely obedience is greater than sacrifice. Philip did not hesitate, yet we are living in a world where the church suffers from great spiritual apathy and passivity instead of arising and moving as God commands. Jonah was told to arise and go to Nineveh, yet he disobeyed and got swallowed by the whale. Just believe and just obey!
It says: “ And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” Philip found the eunuch because he obeyed God and he moved as God commanded. Yes, the Ethiopian was definitely ready to hear the Gospel, but God needed a servant to go and declare the liberating news of the Kingdom. The angel of the Lord gave Philip the initial instructions, and then Philip was further instructed by the Spirit of God. How vital is not for the believer to be led by the Spirit of God? It says in “John 3: 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Philip was indeed about to see the manifestation of the Kingdom of God with God touching the life of this eunuch!
Philip knew the Spirit of God for he recognised when the Spirit moved and led him. And so, submitting and yielding to the Spirit, we find that Philip was empowered to be a witness of the Kingdom. He may not have travelled far as a witness, but he was witnessing to a man who had travelled far, so the Power on High – the Spirit – was about to empower Philip to be a witness unto a man who will take the Gospel to distant shores. Yes, just believe and trust God. Always yield, always trust for God shall indeed use His servants mightily.
Philip was again prompted into action. He had to overtake the chariot. This was a matter of urgency. There was no time to debate, or pray, or contemplate! Yes Philip, run and overtake! Disciples of God have a call of action – to fulfil the Great Commission. Yes so many times we are sitting instead of rising, and we are not moving forward or overtaking what God has assigned or mandated for us to accomplish. Philip had to simply do as God commanded, for what God commands shall be. We read: “30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
Let us focus on what the eunuch said: “How can I, unless someone guides me?” Let us take note and be fully aware that according to the Great Commission as disciples of God we are to make disciples, therefore a process of guiding, mentoring and sharing the Word of God. It also says in “Ephesians 4: 1 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” God gave certain abilities to certain people for the purpose of equipping, empowering and training disciples in the fullness of God and the fullness of the Word. For what reason? Yes, to do the work of the Lord, thus make disciples, evangelise and fulfil the Great Commission. Thus appointed men and women of God to guide, to mentor and to lead for the purpose so that disciples are thus equipped and empowered in order to guide others to God and then trained in the Word of God.
The world is desperately in need of God’s Truth, and the disciples of God are the ones to share and instruct in such Truth. This is a process of evangelising and discipling, which is only possible when we are first and foremost led by the Spirit of God who leads us in all truth and who takes what is from Jesus and declares it unto us. So we can only effectively share the Gospel with the world – thus Jesus – by knowing Jesus and His Kingdom. And this only happens when we are reborn, filled by the Spirit and led by the Spirit of God. Such is the way and nature of a true disciple.
It says in “Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” This is proper and true discipleship! Not to conform anyone to follow our doctrine or our ideas, but to become like Jesus. And discipleship is training, and we are called as disciples to be perfectly trained and to perfectly train others in order for us to be like Jesus “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4).
In Hosea 4:6 it says: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” There is a growing danger in the church today because so many do not know the Truth of God. So many in the church are like the eunuch for they have never been properly guided to become a disciple who knows the Scriptures and who knows the ways of the Kingdom. And so it says in “2 Timothy 3:16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” God intends the earth to be flooded with His Glory, thus His Truth, but for now the world is suffering because of a lack of truth, thus the prevailing darkness.
Indeed, we desperately need to make disciples again who are guided by the truth of God and who know the truth, so that they can guide others. Disciples who know the presence of God and dwell in such Presence, thus dwellers in His Glory. And here the house churches, as found in Acts 2, plays a pivotal role in creating an environment for true discipleship, where the disciple is guided, activated and mobilised in his or her calling.
Even in prison, Paul kept to the mission. In Acts 16, while they were worshipping God while imprisoned, the doors to the jail opened. We read, “27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Paul has been miraculously saved from his bondage. Instead of considering his safety or escaping, his thoughts turned towards the mission of Christ, which is to save the lost and to make disciples. In Acts 16 we read of how right there and then Paul declared the Gospel of Jesus to the jailer. Yet, Paul did not leave. That wasn’t the fullness of the mission. We then read, “32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.”
What happened in Acts 16 reflects Acts 8. Paul and Silas obeyed God. They worshipped God until the power of God touched the willing heart of the jailer. Paul and Silas were not angry at the jailer, but in the love of God, like Philip, guided the jailer in the liberating power of the Gospel. The jailer wanted to be saved, so he needed someone to guide him. They even evangelised to his household, and yes, this serves as another testimony that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). And like Philip, Paul and Silas didn’t hesitate, they took action, they proclaimed the Word and they baptised those who were willing to come to the Lord. This is discipleship in action. Deliberate. Full of intent and full of purpose.
We continue reading in Acts 8: “34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” Take now, Philip opened his mouth. He was willing to serve. Willing to share. It reminds us of how Stephen, before being stoned, opened his mouth to testify to the goodness and greatness of God (Acts 7). Stephen truly allowed God to speak, calling the people stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears (verse 51) for they resisted the Holy Spirit. We also read how what Stephen said cut to the heart of the people (verse 54), and they gnashed at him with their teeth. You see, Jesus spoke as one with authority and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:29, Mark 1:22). We need to learn to yield and submit to God so that He can speak through us, for then in the Spirit of God we shall speak by His authority and truth, for the truth of God truly does set free (John 8:32).
So many times we might think we are not prepared or might feel we are not ready for the task to declare the Gospel, but we are called to only obey and allow the Spirit of God to lead. Paul writes in “1 Corinthians 2: 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” The true power in evangelism and sharing the Word is speaking as the Spirit leads, not solely relying on one’s own intellect or upon your own reasoning. In our wisdom and power, we shall fail, but in the might and power of God, we shall preach the living word of God. After all, Peter preached such a living word of power and might by the Spirit directly after Pentecost (Acts 2), and 3000 lives were touched.
We read in “Matthew 10: 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.” Indeed, we need to allow God to speak, and not to fear what to speak. We need to let God guide for us to guide others. It says in “1 Corinthians 2: 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.” Indeed, if we are submitted and yielded to God, then truly we shall speak as the Lord leads and we shall speak the mind of God.
We continue reading: “36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.”
So often, we allow traditions to cause us to hamper the work of God. In the case of Philip and the Ethiopian, we might first want to phone a pastor to conduct the baptism, schedule a baptism, or question the validity of the baptism. We might even be caught up in the way to conduct the baptism! Here the Eunuch was willing. He was ready. He believed in Jesus. God instructed Philip to be there. So Philip had to do the baptism. Whatever God commands, the disciples must obey and do as the Lord leads. We read in “Colossians 2:8: Beware lest any man spoils you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” A disciple does not follow man, but God. The apostles were constantly on trial for declaring God’s Word, and so we read in “Acts 5: 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Yes, a disciple obeys God and not man! And yes, a disciple follows the commandments of God, and not the traditions of man, which forms religion.
Paul wrote in “2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” And what is this tradition that Paul refers to? It says in Acts 2 that the first disciples (verse 42) continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship. We must thus continue in the ways of God, thus His teachings, as upheld by Paul and the other disciples. Any other teachings or Gospel is spoiled by the traditions of men, and becomes accursed (Galatians 1). For this reason, it says in “Mark 7:8: For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do” and also “Mark 7:9: And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Yes, we must never forsake the way or truth of God for the way or truth of man.
At the end of this extraordinary tale of evangelism, we read: “9 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.” Indeed, God as the supernatural God of the impossible is always present with the disciple who obeys, who is faithful and true to the Kingdom. Because of Philip’s obedience, the eunuch’s life was changed from ashes to praise, while the disciple encountered the power of God who placed himself somewhere else to continue fulfilling the Great Commission. Yes, there is power in the presence of God, and there is power in God’s love, grace and mercy. There is power in obedience, faithfulness and being willing, like Paul, to carry out the Lord’s will as the Lord instructs and guides.
While the Spirit of the Lord deals with our sin, at the same time we need to realise the Spirit of the Lord also deals with the conviction of our purpose. Is there therefore truly a conviction in our heart to serve God, a conviction to pursue Him, a conviction to love Him, a conviction to run the race He has set before us, a conviction to fulfil the Great Commission and a conviction to preach His Truth? Does such a conviction drive us, no matter the trials, no matter the cost or the price to pay? For such conviction, we urgently need in perilous times!
Paul certainly had such a conviction. His entire ministry speaks of keeping the main thing the main thing.
With the conviction of the Holy Spirit burning within us, we can complete the race; we can set aside all hindrances and challenges and embrace what God has called us to do. Hebrews 12 says, “1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Remember Paul endured every hardship and suffering you can imagine in his service to God. His journey is spelt out in 2 Corinthians 11. Despite all of this, Paul wrote about standing one’s ground. Why? Because he was convicted of God’s greatness, God’s goodness, God’s redemption and salvation! He was convicted by the Holy Spirit that the Gospel is the Good News and thus to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. He was fully convicted that such news is the message of the cross that sets the captives free and binds up the brokenhearted. Yes, this was a man convicted of his own mortality, of his own humanity and weaknesses, yet he persisted, yet he endured because of conviction. Of the conviction of preaching the Gospel at all cost we read in “Ephesians 3: 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the [d]manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the [e]principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.”
Paul suffered it all to preach the manifested wisdom of God and to make known to the world of the redemption by the Blood. Remember, Paul was opposed not just by fellow disciples, but by the Roman Empire, and the pagan ways of Greece and Asia Minor. Yet he endured, yes, he endured and ran the race because he was convicted that no matter the cost the Gospel needed to be preached! He made sure of his calling and election, and so he ran the race and endured it all to the glory of God. In the end, he writes “2 Timothy 4: 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
This is conviction! He has come to the end of it all, he has fought the good fight, and he has kept the faith in order to receive his crown of righteousness. Paul was a man driven and convicted because he not only preached the Gospel, but he believed it and he was willing to give his very life to glorify God. Do we truly believe the Gospel? Are we still convicted of the message of the cross and the Blood? Also remember, the ‘pouring out of a drink offering’ is a metaphor for the blood Jesus spilt on the cross. Jesus spoke to this directly in Luke 22:20 when He instituted the New Covenant. He picked up a cup of wine and said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the need of a drink offering, His blood literally pouring out when the soldier pierced His side with a spear (John 19:33).
Paul even endured the “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7) “to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations.” He called it “a messenger of Satan” that had a purpose of “torment.” Many explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction—or something else entirely—has never been answered with satisfaction. Whatever it was, God’s goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble. Indeed, Paul remained humble in his pursuit of God, because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit to only seek to glorify God.
May we, therefore, walk in such a conviction – a conviction of God’s Truth, the conviction of the power of the cross and the Blood, the conviction of the Gospel, the conviction of abiding in the Lord (unity) and abiding in love and unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let us remain humble, let us remain true to the Lord and may we with conviction run this race because God’s Word is Truth and God shall be with us. May we stand our ground, yes stand, no matter the cost, no matter what we endure! May we stand no matter what the enemy throws against us. Jesus stood His ground in the wilderness when the devil tempted Him. And so by His strength and grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) and conviction we can stand and fight the good fight of faith. So let us stand, be vigilant, be alert, and with boldness and humility declare the intended wisdom of God to fulfil His everlasting and glorious mission!
Turning the world upside down
"The early church had no building, no money, and no political influence. And they turned the world upside-down." - J.D. Greear
This is an incredibly powerful statement. And also an incredibly true statement. How did the early church have such an incredible impact on the world? Simple. They made the main thing the main thing. They were true followers of Christ. They were the Church. It was certainly not about their fame or fortune. It was all about Jesus. It was about making disciples. Some will say we do not make disciples, but only teach people about Jesus. It is, however, the same thing. The reality is that if everyone who professes to be a disciple just disciples six people in their lives, and every one of those six disciples six of their own and teaches proper discipleship, imagine how quickly the authentic Gospel will spread across the world. Jesus disciple 12, but this was authentic, genuine and proper discipleship. The early church disciples had such an incredible impact because they stuck to the basics.
To turn the world upside down is not about claiming the so-called seven mountains of the world for God (which include the business, media, and entertainment sectors), establishing some kind of physical rule on this earth, or overthrowing governments. It is about leading people to Jesus and to make them followers of the Lord. As you lead them to Jesus, you lead them to life, to hope, to truth, to blessings, and to eternal inheritance. Jesus is Life. He is Love. He is Truth and such truths set us free from all bondages (John 8:32). As we tell people of Jesus, and as they are made new in His love, beauty and grace, we then turn the world upside down. This is the mission with which we have been tasked. It is a mission to lead people to Jesus.
The church has been so ineffective these days in fulfilling God’s mission because we have embraced religion and man-made traditions and we have entertained the pleasures and seductions of the world. The early church was an organism of believers, unlike the organisation today which is run by so-called spiritual gurus. The early church gathered daily, was focused on maturing disciples, on God’s truth, on evangelical missions, and was constantly alert to all kinds of dangers and perils that threatened its unity. Today the church is more concerned about church membership, not discipleship, on psychology instead of sound theology, and counselling instead of real deliverance. For the early church, it was about sending the trained disciples into the world to lead the lost and sinners to Christ. These days, it is more about gathering, entertaining the lost, not offending the sinner, socialising, and having a good time.
We call God the Way, yet these days we don’t walk with Him. We call Him the light, yet we don’t see Him. We call Him Teacher, but we don’t listen to Him. We call him Lord, but we don’t serve Him. We call Him the Truth, but we don’t follow such a truth. Any wonder why the church seemingly is so disempowered in fulfilling the Great Commission. Without Christ in her midst, and without the presence of the Holy Spirit, the church is no longer the living organism of disciples on a divine mission, but a business masked as a social club.
The early church needed no building, money, or political influence for they had Jesus. Or to put it another way, they didn’t rely on such things to fulfill Christ’s mission. They adhered to the teaching of Matthew 6:33, which is to first God’s Kingdom above all. If we make God our highest priority, then God shall add all resources (including money) needed for the church to fulfil the Great Commission. Today, we rely on our beautiful buildings, money and our influence (such as our following and presence on social media) to enhance our ministry. The early church just needed Jesus. For them, it was about sticking to the basics, therefore, making the main thing the main thing. It was not about gimmicks, personal enrichment or their “presence” in ministry, but to glorify god and to see the Great Commission fulfilled.
They realised God’s Kingdom is eternal, that He is a supernatural God and His Word is divine. By the way, remember the early church didn’t even have the printed Word that we enjoy today. They just had the indwelling presence of the Spirit who leads us in all truth. In many countries, we have the Word freely available, yet we do not even know what the Bible says. In countries where freedom of religion is upheld, you will find thousands of churches, yet few disciples. In some countries that boast the biggest churches in the world, you will find that the land is plagued with moral corruption, spiritual impoverishment, and carnal bankruptcy. Can we then say the church is making an impact? The church of today has so many resources to fulfil the Great Commission, yet we are failing miserably because we have lost contact with the source – Jesus. We are no longer people filled and led by the Holy Spirit. We are no longer following Christ’s mission, but our mission.
John 18:36 (Amplified Bible): Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world [nor does it have its origin in this world]. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting [hard] to keep Me from being handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this world.
Jesus thus made it very clear His Kingdom is not of this world, therefore, it does not subscribe to the laws and the nature of this world.
