Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Chapter 61: Irrefutable Evidence

Evidence is what we see, hear, or otherwise apprehend directly and personally, not secondhand or by hearsay, which helps to demonstrate the truth of some assertion. Evidence must be something objective and external to us, rather than inward feelings or conjecture. It is something that can stand up in court. Evidence does not cause something to happen. It proves that something did happen.

The Bible says that the evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues and prophecy.

This lesson is limited to the evidence of speaking in tongues, since that is more common than prophecy as an initial evidence. When we observe someone speaking in tongues, we have irrefutable evidence that he or she received the baptism in the Spirit. If the person does not speak in tongues, but says he knows he has received the baptism in the Spirit by faith, even though it may be true, we cannot corroborate his statement because we have no evidence.

 Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Unfortunately, we often read into the scriptures our own prejudices and experience. This is called eisegesis, as opposed to the proper task of exegesis, which is extracting from the Bible what it means. While it sounds very noble to claim that we do not practice eisegesis, we all are influenced by our own experience, traditions handed down to us, and a priori beliefs. Only the Holy Spirit can properly interpret the Bible since he is the Author or Inspirer.

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. 1 John 2:27 (NLT) —

It is a misguided endeavor to limit our interpretation of the Bible to what scholars determine was the human author’s intention and meaning when he wrote, especially when it comes to prophecy, since we are told that it was the Holy Spirit “carrying them along” (2 Peter 1:21) when they spoke and wrote, often about things regarding which they had limited understanding at best.

This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. 11 They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ’s suffering and his great glory afterward. 12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen. 1 Peter 1:10–12 (NLT) —

Knowing that we all tend to approach Scripture from the frame of reference of what we already think, have experienced, or have been taught, we should be careful when interpreting those things that are outside of our own experience.

Humility keeps us open to receive more from God and does not insist that truth conform to our own theology or experience.

Another big obstacle is bad doctrine. Some Bible teachers have done a great disservice to the body of Christ by disseminating false teaching regarding the baptism and gifts of the Spirit. Overcoming such indoctrination is often quite a challenge, especially if we love, respect, and trust our previous instructors.

Just because someone knows a lot about the scriptures in general does not mean he or she understands everything.

While a bachelor can teach on marriage from the Bible, a married person will probably have much more insight and wisdom about life as a couple from having experienced marriage firsthand. A person may know what the Bible teaches about the new birth, but until we have personally experienced it, we cannot properly understand it. Likewise, well-intentioned Bible teachers have taught on the baptism and gifts of the Spirit without ever having received or experienced them, often because they have rejected that they are for today.

Jesus said we must obey the Word to understand it.

Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.  John 7:17 (NLT) —

Spiritual strongholds are lie-based logical arguments we embrace that block us from believing God’s revealed truth and receiving the attached blessings.

We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.  2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NLT) —

If we are taught and embrace a lie about the baptism or gifts of the Spirit, it sets itself up in our minds to keep us estranged from one of God’s biggest blessings – the Promise of the Father. Sowing lies is one of the devil’s primary strategies to hinder people from first coming to Christ and then, after we become Christians, to keep us from advancing in our faith and devotion to Christ. Overcoming lie-based strongholds requires us to embrace God’s truth, even when it opposes our previously held beliefs.

Traditions of men cannot be allowed to stand between us and God’s blessings.

The Record from Acts

Luke’s record of how the Holy Spirit worked through the early disciples of Christ in the years following his resurrection is found in Acts. We should allow the record to speak for itself instead of superimposing our own understanding and traditions on top of the Bible’s clear testimony.

Unfortunately, over time, unexperienced truth can be lost and buried like old ruins.

Thankfully, God has restored much to the church regarding the baptism in the Spirit over the last century beginning at Azusa Street, continuing through the Latter Rain Movement, and the Charismatic Renewal. In addition, over the past decades, God has restored our understanding and experience of apostles and prophets, two of the most neglected components of the Five-Fold or Ascension Gift Ministries described in Ephesians 4:11-12.

The first example of people being baptized in the Spirit is found in Acts 2.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4 (ESV)  

The word Luke used in the above passage to describe what happened to the disciples is that they were “filled” with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told his followers that they would be “baptized” in the Spirit.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5 (ESV)

We should not be confused by the overlapping terminology. The “filling” recorded in Acts 2 was the ‘baptism” promised in Acts 1. The important thing for us is that this was another experience with the Holy Spirit, different from the new birth. This baptism in the Spirit filled those men and women to overflowing with the power and boldness of the Holy Spirit, to equip them for preaching the Gospel and ministering in Christ’s name.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Speaking in tongues is the supernatural overflow of this filling or baptism in the Spirit.

Jesus taught that we speak out of whatever fills our hearts.

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45 (ESV)

We all talk about the things that excite us. If we are football fans, we love to speak about football. If we are fans of cooking, we share recipes. If we love nature, we talk of the outdoors. If we are filled with God’s Spirit, we will talk about Jesus. In some cases, we do so in other languages inspired by the Spirit of God.

When we overfill a pitcher of water, the overflow comes out of the spout. When God overfills us with his Spirit, the excess spills out in various ways, usually in verbal form. Our mouths are sort of a pressure relief valve.

Paul wrote the following.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, Ephesians 5:18-19 (ESV)

Why should it surprise us that people begin speaking and singing when filled with the Spirit? The only real surprise is that we can and often do express our joy and excitement by speaking in unknown languages.

Here are some more examples from Acts.

While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45  And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 46  For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God... Acts 10:44-46 (ESV)  

And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. Acts 19:6 (ESV)

When Peter and John visited Samaria on the heels of Philip’s preaching the gospel there for the first time, they laid hands on the new believers because, even though they had believed and been water baptized, they had not yet been baptized in the Spirit. How did the apostles know? The most reasonable explanation is because they had not yet spoken in tongues.

When Peter and John prayed, something so remarkable happened that Simon the Magician begged to be given the power associated with laying on of hands. Most probably he heard the people begin to speak in tongues, just as happened the other times people were baptized in the Spirit in Acts.

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15  who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16  for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17  Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18  Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19  saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Acts 8:14-19 (ESV)
Conclusion

The record of Acts clearly shows us that the first disciples received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues and prophecy. This irrefutable evidence allowed Peter to argue successfully that he had to water baptize the Gentile Cornelius, since God obviously demonstrated his acceptance of him by giving him the baptism in the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

There was no difference between what happened to the first disciples on Pentecost and what happened to Cornelius and the others later.

For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, 47  “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ... Acts 10:46-48 (ESV)

We should desire and expect no less for us who live today. God is the same, the promise is the same, and the need is the same.

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”  Acts 2:38–39 (NASB95) —

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

You can read more about the baptism of the Spirit and the gifts in Pete's book, Promise of the Father, which is available on Amazon. Click here for the link.
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Man’s Quest to Escape the Limitations of God’s Word

Since the Garden of Eden, humans have been on a quest to throw off God’s rule and escape the limitations of his Word.

Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Psalm 2:1–4 (NKJV)

Jesus said that the world system hates him and his Word.

People of the world, those who are not part of God’s redeemed family, hate God and truth. The world is defined as the system dominating those who have not professed allegiance to Jesus, the only legitimate heir to God’s throne. The world is dominated by Satan, the prince of the power of the air.

And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Revelation 12:9 (NASB95)

Those in the world system prefer lies over truth, Satan over God, and darkness over light.

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. John 3:19–20 (NASB95)

Jesus addressed the religious leaders of Israel, who thought they were spiritually minded, but were actually part of the world system.

Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:43–45 (NASB95)

I derive the following principles from our Lord’s words in order to arrive at the stated conclusion.

  1. Those in the world system instinctively hate the truth and spurn God’s Word.
  2. Those in the world system cannot even understand truth when they hear it.
  3. Those in the world system are drawn toward satanic lies.

Therefore: whatever those in the  world system highly esteem is at least suspect of being anti-God and derived from a satanic lie.

In support of this conclusion, Jesus said:

...“You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. Luke 16:15 (NASB95)

Some of you already know that some months ago I became convinced that the heliocentric model, which includes a spherical earth, is a lie that contradicts the Word of God. I have written about this in detail in previous articles in my series on Biblical Cosmology. In this article, I will not attempt to present again what I already covered elsewhere. Instead, I would like for us to consider the following statement.

Since the world system highly esteems the heliocentric model, which opposes the Bible’s teaching in Genesis Chapter One and elsewhere, we who love God’s Word should regard it with suspicion.

I just read an interesting book entitled Isaac Newton, The Last Sorcerer by Michael White. The title intrigued me because I already knew that Newton was a secret alchemist in the vein of Hermes Trismegistus, an Egyptian sun worshiper. (I covered this in detail in a previous article on the occult origins of the heliocentric model.) White is very much pro-Newton and a believer in the magnitude and importance of his discoveries. I learned some interesting things about Newton in the book that he tried to keep secret during his lifetime. One was his devotion to alchemy, which at that time was connected to the occult. Like other alchemists, he pursued what was called the “philosopher’s stone,” which supposedly could be used to transmute any inferior metal into gold. His work in physics included the pursuit of a unifying theory that could bring sense to the whole.

Another thing I learned was that Newton was an Arian and denied the divinity of Christ; although, like his alchemy, he kept that secret, since it would have likely disqualified him from holding the Lucasian Chair at Cambridge.  He also believed that the ancients understood far more about the truth of the “universe” than those of his day. He thought that God chose and helped him to rediscover long hidden secrets. Not surprisingly, he was far more interested in the pagan mathematician Pythagorus’ ideas than in the Bible’s teachings. He did not consult the ancient wisdom of the Hebrews for insight. Which is not surprising in light of the thesis of this article.

Man wants to escape the confines of God’s Word and figure out things on his own.

White pointed out that at the time Newton published his most famous work, The Principia…

…very few people realized the revolutionary nature of the book, in much the same way that neither Darwin’s The Origin of the Species nor Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity were fully understood when they first appeared. (p.223)

He went on to write:

By taking physics beyond the arena of ecclesiastical and philosophical debate, Newton unintentionally created a new intellectual realm. It did not gain the name “science” for another century and a half. (p.224)

Each of these highly acclaimed men led the world to put faith in conclusions that contradict the Bible, and each contributed to the rise of science as a new religion that must be believed over any “outdated” and “ignorant” religious claims.

Einstein developed his theories to nullify the empirical findings of the Michelson-Morley experiment which proved that the earth is at rest. Einstein claimed that we “know” that the earth is in motion; therefore, the Michelson-Morley experiment had to be explained away using theoretical math. Mark Twain remarked once that there are lies, damned lies, and statistics. I believe we can add theoretical math to the statement.

Nicolai Tesla, probably the most brilliant empirical scientist of his day, said that Einstein’s theories were hogwash, as did many other German scientists.

Most conservative Christians I know readily understand that Darwin’s theory of evolution is a satanic lie designed to reduce humanity to an accident of nature and to eliminate the need for the Creator. Far fewer, however, are prepared to question Einstein’s theories, which purportedly proved that it is impossible for us to measure the earth’s motion, or lack thereof, since every object’s motion is relative to everything else.

Einstein’s theories came at a most convenient time for heliocentrists. At that time there was still quite a debate regarding the design of the earth, but Einstein effectively quashed all argument, at least from the point of view of experimental physics, by “proving” that it was pointless to experiment further. Most people do not realize that children were taught that the earth is flat in public school in the early 20th century.

Now that several generations of school children have been thoroughly indoctrinated in the heliocentric model from the cradle onward, it is difficult for them to overcome what they have been sold. Scarily, the same thing is now being done in our schools regarding LGBTQ+ and transgenderism. Human beings tend to believe what trusted adults tell them; so, we had better tell them the truth, or we will answer to God.

Most of my readers will probably agree that Darwin led us into anti-biblical error; so, why should we not suspect that Einstein and Newton fall into the same category?

Darwin led people away from faith in a Creator. Einstein convinced people to back off from trying to prove the earth is motionless, and Newton gave the occult pagan belief in heliocentrism a “scientific” explanation of how things work via his theory of universal gravitation.

Newton and most of his contemporaries believed that if one can use math to describe and predict observable phenomena, and the observation aligns with the prediction, then the theory behind the math must be true. Einstein reversed this by using math to disprove observable phenomena, but that is an entirely different level of deception.

The unseen problem with such thinking is that if the observable phenomena has been misinterpreted at the beginning of the process, then the math only confirms the error.

The Bible teaches that God created the sun, moon, and stars and placed them in the firmament. (Genesis 1:14-18) There is no mention of any so-called planets. In fact, that word comes from an adjective modifying stars – planetes in Greek, which means “wandering.” What we call planets are actually stars that appear to have wandered from their assigned stationary place in the firmament. (Jude 1:6, 13-14)

Copernicus and others theorized that the Bible’s description of the heavens was faulty and did not adequately explain the apparent retrograde motion of the “planets,” which was problematic because philosophers preferred circles and “simple” explanations. To correct what the Bible says, he proposed that the sun is the center, not the earth. In so doing, he apparently solved the retrograde motion “problem” of the “planets,” but what if their retrograde paths are their actual motion, as might happen in a firmament with the dynamics of a toroidal field? There have been many times that “science” has ventured down “dead end” paths because of faulty presuppositions and conclusions. Everything after Copernicus, including Newton’s theories, was built on top of the heliocentric model. But if the foundation is faulty, the entire building will be “out of plumb” with the truth. We still do not understand everything about the world God created; so, shouldn’t we be careful about disposing of what the Bible teaches, just because it does not line up with currently accepted theoretical “science”?

The world rejoices when “science” apparently disproves the Bible because humanity is still on a quest to escape the limitations imposed on us by God’s Word.

We want to figure out things without depending on what God says, which is exactly what Adam and Eve did.

Those in the world system tend to dismiss, belittle, or otherwise intimidate anyone who dares to contest their anti-god and anti-biblical assertions. They tell us that we are ignorant and holding back progress. Whether we believe the earth is a stationary plane enclosed in a solid firmament or if we fully embrace the heliocentric model and an ever-expanding universe, we should make sure that what we put our faith in agrees with the Bible. We should be steadfast and immovable in our allegiance to God and his Word, no matter what the push back or how foolish we may appear to others.

For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. Luke 9:26 (NKJV)
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Genesis of God’s Mission

 

Genesis and God’s Mission

The first few chapters of Genesis answer the five most important life or worldview questions.

  1. Origin: From where did I come?
  2. Identity: Who am I?
  3. Purpose: What is my purpose in life?
  4. Morality: How do I know what is right and wrong?
  5. Destiny: What will happen to me after I die?

The purpose (or mission) question, which is the focus of this article, is answered in the following verses.

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 (ESV) 

Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. Genesis 2:15 (NASB)

The basic purpose of humankind can be summarized in three points: multiply, take dominion, and tend the garden.

These commands were specific to Adam’s and Eve’s situation, but a case can be made that they are still in effect, since there is no record anywhere that God rescinded them. The “garden” should now be understood as the entire earth in which we live, tainted as it is by sin.

While these purposes apply to every human being in a practical and natural way, I also believe that they apply directly to the mission of the church.

If we make the Great Commission (multiplication) our top church priority through proclamation of Christ’s Lordship (dominion), it will bring the church to spiritual maturity (tending). Conversely, if we make tending (helping people achieve spiritual maturity) our top priority, we may fail to pursue the Great Commission (dominion and multiplication) with the vigor it deserves.

The missional priorities of multiplication and dominion and the pastoral priority of tending people and helping them to grow to maturity can all point to important scriptures for support. The missional view typically uses Matthew 28:18-20 for its foundation; while, the maturity perspective uses Ephesians 4:11-16. Both missional and pastoral priorities are vital aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work in the church. Romans 8:29 states that all things are working towards conforming us to Christ’s glorious image (growing us to maturity). God wants to make us into “little Christs” or Christians who represent and glorify him as wonderfully as possible. In addition, Christ commissioned his followers to go into all the world to make disciples who will make disciples.

The Holy Spirit is working in us believers to conform us to Christ’s image. Christ assigned the church, however, to pursue fulfilling the Great Commission.

If we make mission (the multiplication of disciples) our top priority, the Holy Spirit will concurrently do his internal transformational work. If we focus on character transformation and biblical literacy to the neglect of the mission, we may miss God’s main priority and inadvertently promote a self-centered and consumerist version of Christianity.

Fruitfulness and Multiplication

It is important to note that the top priority, based on the order in which these commands were given, is to be fruitful and multiply. This command was restated after the flood. The earth then and now needs to be populated. The Great Commission was another restatement of this foundational command after the resurrection.

“Go and make disciples” is another way of saying, “Be fruitful and multiply.” The earth now desperately needs to be populated with born again believers who seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness.

It is instructive to note that the New World Order (NWO), which is satanic in origin, seeks to reduce the population of the world. The reasons given are many.

  • There are already too many people. If we don’t cut back on births, the earth will be over populated, which will usher in many calamities, such as famine starvation. This is part of what motivates the world’s love affair with killing babies through abortion.
  • Humans are bad for the environment. The NWO believes that humans are a detriment to nature and need to be curtailed or eliminated.
  • Children are too expensive and get in the way. People are told that we cannot afford to have kids or that they get in the way of our pursuit of happiness or career. This excuse is used to justify abortion.
  • The world is too evil to bring children into it. Misplaced compassion for the not yet born motivates people to avoid having children. Obviously this is very short sighted and shows disregard for God’s ability to redeem and bless his creatures.

Western nations have embraced abortion, birth control, fear, unbelief, and a self-centered lifestyle in direct defiance of God’s command to be fruitful and multiply, causing the West to become culturally non-viable because of low birth rates. World dominion will go to those groups which continue to have large numbers of children.

In the natural realm, multiplication leads to dominion. The same is true in the spiritual realm.

Our nation and culture have embraced an anti-God mentality. Unwittingly, many churches have adopted variations of these arguments. Below are some examples.

  • We disobey the Great Commission when we choose to no longer reach out because we feel we have already maxed out our facilities and capacities.
  • We disobey the Great Commission when we invest most of our finances in maintaining the building, programs, and operational costs of maintaining the church plant, instead of spending time, energy, and money on pursuing the Great Commission.
  • We disobey the Great Commission when we think that having a missional lifestyle is too much trouble. It is far easier to contribute money or volunteer to serve in crisis intervention programs than to get involved in the lives of people who have untold needs and will make unanticipated demands on our time and finances.
  • We disobey the Great Commission when, rather than put our people at risk by asking them to immerse themselves in lifestyle evangelism and connecting with broken, unsaved people, we opt for the safety of the Christian fortress called the church.
  • We disobey the Great Commission when we devise so many programs and activities for our members that they are worn out and have little or no time or energy for pursuing the Great Commission.

These arguments are used by some churches as a form of “birth control” to circumvent their obligation to pursue the Great Commission.

We sometimes place building and strengthening the local church, the command to tend the garden, ahead of the Great Commission, the command to multiply. Having great meetings (the internal work of the church) may become more important than spending time with the unsaved and unchurched (the missional work of the church).

Only by re-prioritizing the Great Commission will the church become the missional force God intends it to be and grow to spiritual maturity. Self-centered people and churches never fully mature.

Taking Dominion

When Jesus rose from the dead, he took dominion back from Satan. Although God’s ultimate rule has never been in question, man’s place in the kingdom of God was jeopardized when Adam ceded authority to Satan. When Jesus arrived on the earth, he became the Second Adam, the progenitor of a brand new edition of humanity through the “genesis” of the new birth. He powerfully rose again from the dead as the Lord of Lords, to whom all authority in heaven and earth has been given. As representatives of Christ, we administrate his authority.

The Gospel message is a proclamation of Christ’s authority to forgive sins and set the captives free.

In the limited scope of this article, I use “taking dominion” to refer to our proclamation of the Gospel of Christ’s dominion or lordship in order to reach and save people out of this fallen world who can be developed into disciples.

The proclamation of the Gospel, therefore, is a necessary prerequisite to making disciples, which is God’s purpose for the church.

Churches which fail to adequately emphasize, train, and launch their members into Gospel proclamation will probably never become disciple making churches in the fullest sense.

Tending the Garden

People need responsibility. Taking on responsibility creates an environment in which we more rapidly can grow up or mature.

Just as having children forces young couples to grow in all sorts of ways, having spiritual children through proclaiming the Gospel will provide us with wonderful opportunities for spiritual growth. Putting mission (preaching the Gospel and making disciples) first, will end up requiring us to spend large amounts of time tending the garden, or helping them to grow to maturity. Part of the Great Commission is “teaching them to obey all that I have commanded.” This makes tending the garden a very important part of the Great Commission and disciple making.

Tending the garden means caring for the sheep, but always with an end game in mind – that they also become disciple makers in their own right.

Tending sheep is never supposed to be the end all. Just as young children are prepared for life as adults and sent off into the world to start their own families, disciples of Christ should be taught, prepared, and sent to multiply themselves.

The Great Commission, the Church’s Top Priority

We cannot simply tell young men to “grow up” and expect that to happen unless we put them into situations that require them to mature. Boot camps place men and women under extreme pressures to produce qualified soldiers.

Whenever people take on greater responsibility, it will foster growth to maturity.

In the church, we should not expect our people to grow to maturity without their embracing the Great Commission responsibilities of preaching the Gospel and making disciples who make disciples. Instead of making the Great Commission priority one, we have substituted other things: Bible study, moral development, leadership training, and serving church programs. When we do this, we produce caricatures of true disciples.

  • Prioritizing Bible education and theological training ahead of the Great Commission may end up creating a modern version of the Pharisees, who considered themselves to be guardians of the truth, but at the same despised and excluded the very people Jesus loved and pursued.
  • Putting character and moral development at the top of our priority list runs the risk of producing self-righteous and self-absorbed legalists, whose focus is on their own spiritual development and who demand that others adhere to their standards of behavior, while looking down on those who do not measure up.
  • Teaching people that their main priority is serving church programs can make the church inwardly focused and sap the energy and time that could otherwise be given to pursuing the Great Commission’s first point: “Go.”

In the West, we long ago adopted the Greek system of education, which demands vast investments of time in lectures, studying books, and testing in order to prepare and equip people to enter into responsible positions in society and the church. Jesus used a much different approach, which was more “hands on” and action-oriented, what might be called apprenticeship. He taught and then immediately required his students to use what they had been taught. Putting what we learn into practice is the best way to increase understanding and retention. Often we think we know something until we have to use it or teach it. Then we find out what we do and don’t know or understand.

Disciple making the Jesus way is action and ministry oriented.

Discipleship is best done in a “hands on” manner, in which the mentor teaches, demonstrates, oversees, and, finally, launches. Our disciples will learn far more after they have been launched than they did in the secure environment of having the mentor readily at hand.

Young parents learn how to parent by doing. They become much more open to advice when they see the need for it. What may have seemed boring and academic suddenly has a real life application! Likewise, when we help people to get out of the safe confines of the local church and into their communities in obedience to the Great Commission, we place them into an environment in which they must sink or swim. Immediately they will find out what they do and do not know. Hopefully they will thirst to grow in the knowledge of the scriptures and in their ability to minister to others through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pursuing the Great Commission will excite our desire to grow to maturity in the Lord. Confining ourselves to the local church context may cause us to stagnate.

Have you ever noticed that young couples without children are often experts on how to raise and discipline other people’s children? They are sometimes critical of how parents are doing their job. But once they have kids of their own, they find out how difficult and challenging parenting is.

We must beware of creating theological know-it-alls whose only understanding comes from a theoretical classroom context, instead of a “boots on the ground” experience.

Pursuing the Great Commission as our top priority will help ground our people in real life applications of God’s Word and preserve us from spiritual pride. It’s difficult to be proud when we are wrestling with real life problems.

Conclusion

Prioritizing the wrong things can torpedo our best efforts and cause us to miss the mark.

Many capable and promising followers of Christ have been deceived into thinking that God’s highest purpose for their lives is growing in biblical knowledge and serving in the local church. However, when we make the Great Commission our top priority, everything else falls into place.

Embracing the Great Commission draws us to grow in our knowledge of the Word and the ways of the Spirit that will help us to connect with people, share the Gospel effectively, minister in the power of the Spirit, and teach others to do likewise. This is the essence of what it means to make disciples. Let’s make the Great Commission our top priority so that we, like Paul, can rejoice in our spiritual children and grandchildren (disciples of disciples)! Let’s make God’s first priority from creation onward our first priority and watch how everything else falls into place.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
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How to Be a Happy Follower of Christ

One of the greatest desires we have is to be happy. God promises happiness to his people.

...Happy are the people whose God is the LORD! Psalm 144:15b (NKJV)

Unhappy followers of Christ communicate that the gospel is not true. Why would anyone be interested in following something that breeds unhappiness in its adherents? One of the biggest “turn offs” for unbelievers is encountering a bitter, legalistic person who claims to be a Christian. Why would anyone be attracted to that? On the other hand, if our lives reflect the unbounded joy of knowing God’s love, it will tend to draw others.

Just before ascending to his Father in heaven, Jesus left his disciples with what is called the Great Commission.

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, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)

If we accept that the Great Commission is the church’s mission, here are two big questions.

  • “What is a disciple?”
  • “How can we become happy disciples?”
What Is a Disciple?

The basic meaning of “disciple” is someone who is a learner.

Disciples are always learning from our Lord through his recorded words in the Bible, from the indwelling Spirit, who is the master teacher, and from other followers of Christ who have been instructed from the Word of God and the Spirit.

When Jesus began his three-year earthly ministry, he gathered around him men and women who would become his disciples. Here is one instance of how he called them.

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Matthew 4:19 (NLT)

From this invitation, we learn that a disciple is learner or student who first comes to Christ and then becomes his follower and learns to gather others into the kingdom and make them into disciples.

People follow Christ because they are captured by his love and awed by his greatness and regard following him as the most important and fulfilling thing in life.

In other words, we know him as our Savior and Lord. Following Jesus means we are willing to take seriously his words, think about them, and seek to put them into practice with help from the Spirit of God. It is not enough to simply know what to do. Unless we become doers of what we know, we are deceived.

All of us are fundamentally flawed by sin.

Without the ongoing help of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we simply cannot live the Christian life.

Our dependence on God never ends. That was God’s intention from the beginning. He created us to share in his life forever. God works in us the desire and the doing of his will.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 (NLT)

This is really good news! We do not have to live the Christian life using our own resources.

The secret to being a happy Christian is knowing that God loves us, enjoying his presence on a daily basis, and living by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Good News about Jesus is meant to be shared. Once we begin our grace journey of following Jesus, we are privileged to invite others who do not know him yet to join us.

What is the Proper Motivation toward Discipleship?

Here comes the rub. What usually begins as an enthusiastic response to God’s amazing love, often fades into habit, duty, or even neglect. Many of us who were “on fire” disciples when we first came to Christ now seem to have lost our way to some extent. Often after many years of following Christ, we may begin to think that we have now moved beyond where we started and have “gotten our act together,” making us somehow better than those who do not know Christ or who we think are not as committed or knowledgeable about the Bible as we are. When this happens, we become unhappy ambassadors of the kingdom of God.

This was what happened to the Pharisees in Jesus’ time.

If we become self-righteous, smug, and better-than-others people, we lose our ability to be proper representatives of Christ and end up repelling those we hope to reach.

We all desperately need God’s ongoing help, even after being born again and walking with him for a long time. God resists the proud but helps the humble. (James 4:6)

If this has happened to us, how can we regain our humility and be re-aligned with grace? How can we be properly motivated again toward being the sort of happy disciples who attract people to Jesus instead of pushing them away? How can we return to our first love for Jesus? (Revelation 2:4)

Most of us have more knowledge than what we put into practice. For example, most of us know that being overweight is unhealthy, but fewer of us are convicted enough in this area to change our eating and exercise habits. When we do arouse ourselves to make the attempt, we often quickly fail because we do not have the conviction, will power, or whatever it takes to see it through. It is humbling for us to discover once again that we need God’s help.

It may be necessary for us to fail to learn our lesson. It was for Peter.

We often need some sort of breakthrough that internally inspires us to do what we should, whether it’s losing weight, overcoming an addiction, improving our prayer life or Bible reading and study, or reaching out to lost people who live and work around us. We all continually need God’s help, which is the very reason Jesus had to die on the cross.

After we are saved, we need his help every day just as surely as we needed his help to be put back into a right relationship with God before we were saved.

Paul wrote:

How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? Galatians 3:3 (NLT)

The fear of the Lord plays of part in turning us away from sin and lethargy. The Holy Spirit convicts us in our hearts without condemning us, bringing about a change of mind and attitude that the Bible calls repentance. But repentance by itself is not enough. We need faith in God’s promises and reliance upon the internal working of the Spirit to enable us to do the thing about which we were convicted.

In other words, to get the results we desire, three internal things have to happen: repentance, faith, and the experience of God’s grace.

Whereas we tend to focus on external indicators of the Spirit’s work, God works in the heart. The fruit of the Spirit is mostly internal, but shows up in our attitudes, words, and behaviors.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25 (NLT)

Earlier in the same chapter of Galatians, Paul said that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6) This fits into Christ’s words spoken to his followers just before his crucifixion.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 (ESV)

Now we can add to our definition of what it means to be a disciple.

A disciple is a perpetual learner who is happy to follow Christ and his words and is empowered by the Holy Spirit and motivated by faith and love, who seeks to bring others into God’s family and show them how to follow our Lord, too.

Shielding Ourselves from Legalism

When love prompts acts of faith and obedience, we know that we are on the right track. All of this requires a constant application of God’s grace through the operation of the Spirit of God. Once we are firmly established in our need to rely on grace, it is safe for us to move into doing works of faith without becoming legalistic.

Legalism lurks just around the corner in all of our hearts. The tendency to compare ourselves with others is almost irresistible.

Rather than rely completely on what God says about us, we tend to rate ourselves against some standard or other people. We may end up thinking we are better than someone else, leading to pride, or worse, resulting in discouragement. Those of us who think we are doing better than others tend to demand that they step up their game. Those of us who think we are not doing so well may be tempted to give up. God never intended for us to rate ourselves against anyone. We are to focus on him alone and leave others to do the same. Paul told the Corinthian church –

As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 1 Corinthians 4:3 (NLT)

Legalism springs from an internal desire to somehow prove that we measure up.

Some forms of legalism are easy to spot. When a group mandates that its followers must avoid makeup, jewelry, certain hair styles, dancing, drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes as a way to prove their dedication to the Lord, we realize that it has resorted to using outward measurements instead looking at the inner condition of the heart. Other forms of legalism can more difficult to discern.

When we insist that other people adhere to the same level of righteous living that we believe that we have attained, it is legalism because we have set ourselves up as the standard for someone else.

We often feel comfortable doing this to others, but we usually resist when someone “more committed” than we tries to force us to step up to their standard of righteous behavior. Some humorously define a religious “fanatic” as someone who is more committed to Jesus than are we.

We can generally agree that certain behaviors are part of what it means to be a follower of Christ, such as prayer, Bible study, worship, fasting, giving, attending church gatherings, and sharing our faith. The problem comes when we feel that we can judge another person regarding how well or poorly he or she is doing in any of these areas.

For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. 8  If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9  Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. 10  So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Romans 14:7-10 (NLT)

God has given us great freedom. We can use that freedom to serve him or go our own way. No one has the right to usurp that freedom and try to force us into compliance.

For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14  For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14 (NLT)

God draws us to do what is right and good because it is good for us, will make us happy, and because we love him and others. Otherwise our compliance will eventually breed resentment, just as happened with the elder son in the parable of the prodigal son.

God wants us to focus on our own “walk” of faith and obedience out of love for God and others, and hopefully, by so doing, we will become an encouragement to others.

Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. 5  For we are each responsible for our own conduct. Galatians 6:4-5 (NLT)

Ultimately we all are accountable to one Person, the Lord Jesus, when it comes to judgment, but we are responsible to one another to love and encourage each other to faith and good works.

Becoming a Happy Follower of Christ

Elders, the leaders of the church, are to encourage and model the kind of godly attitudes and living that we pray God will develop in the rest of the church.

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

Another way to put it is that we are all to encourage our brothers and sisters in the Lord to love God, love one another, and love the lost and be happy in so doing.

Love is the greatest motivational force in the universe.

It inspired our heavenly Father to give his only Son to die for us, his enemies at the time. Likewise, love for God and our neighbor is the purest motivation for engaging in the Great Commission. Love overcomes the inertia of laziness. It pulls us into relationship with others. It energizes us to engage in leading others to know the source and goal of love, our heavenly Father, and it makes us happy.

Love enables us to make the choice to joyfully leave the confines of our comfortable homes and church cultures to engage lost and hurting people who live around us.

It will encourage us to open our homes to show hospitality in the hope of deepening friendships and gaining opportunities to talk about the One who loved us enough to die for us. In addition, love motivates us to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the ongoing process of character transformation so that more and more we live, think, speak, and act like Jesus. Love motivates us to get to know our amazing God better by studying and meditating on his love letter called the Bible. People who love are happy.

If we want to be happy followers of Christ, the best way forward is to fall more deeply in love with him, ask him to give us his love for the lost, and rely on the Holy Spirit to develop us into proper advertisements for the gospel.

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The Answer to How Is Yes

When it comes to obeying God, the answer to how is a resounding “yes”! Many people use the “how” question as a veiled way of resisting. The underlying assumption is that, if we don’t know how to do something, we should not do it. We should wait until we know exactly how it can be done before beginning. This is not how faith and obedience work.

Sometimes we will not know how God intends to do something until we launch out in faith.

Negativity dries up creativity. Obedience by faith allows creativity inspired by the Spirit to flourish.

Churches should embrace the Great Commission and develop their people into disciple makers because it is the right thing to do… regardless of the cost or consequences.

Once we say “Yes” to God, he will show us how. Once we start the journey, our Lord will reveal the steps of faith and obedience we must take, and the Spirit will help us. That is one of his names – The Helper.

When we say Yes to God’s mission and fully commit to it, we begin an adventure of faith with the Holy Spirit.

Here are some possible steps you and your church may wish to make in order to pursue mission in a greater way.

  • Ask the Lord to show us if and where we need to refocus our efforts.
  • Ask the Lord what changes need to be made in how we are thinking and doing things.
  • Ask leaders to model what we wish to see our people do.
  • Bring people alongside us so they can experience first hand what we are doing.
  • Share the vision.
  • Train, equip, and launch people into the harvest field.
  • Expect resistance and a high price tag. Determine to keep going anyway.

The answer to how is yes.

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Be Intentional

We must be intentional in pursuing the Great Commission. It does not usually happen by accident.

Jesus said:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV)

Jesus taught that we should let the light of God shine through us, but sometimes God’s people choose to hide their light out of laziness, fear, discouragement, or apathy. Those who take the Great Commission seriously often experience a struggle over whether to actively share the good news about Jesus with others or retreat into doing nothing.

The modern way of life invites us to wall ourselves off from the world in the safety, comfort, and convenience of our homes. Air conditioning, TV, refrigerators, video games, computers, and whatever else we have at our fingertips can keep the average follower of Christ fairly satisfied and happy, oblivious to the desperate need of lost people all around them. Those of us who acknowledge our responsibility to God and the lost are confronted with how best to let our light shine in ways that glorify God.

Lost and hurting people are waiting for followers of Christ to break out of our personal and church cocoons and take the gospel into our neighborhoods and the world at large.

There are multitudes of ways to love our neighbors that are not self-serving or obviously intended to add them to our church’s membership rolls. If people sense that our good works are part of a church-related agenda, it may repel them. However, if we serve out of love, expecting nothing in return, God will be glorified, and people may be drawn to Christ.

This is a challenge in two ways. Some of us are uncomfortable merely engaging people, which definitely hinders God’s mission.

We may have grown comfortable with being passive with regard to the Great Commission, expecting the world to come to us and our meetings. God calls us to go where our neighbors live, work, and play, and engage them on their own turf, so to speak.

A second challenge is that those of us who are willing to get out and engage people may have difficulty cultivating relationships with any kind of real depth. We may be task-oriented and feel that, unless we can get others to make some sort of  move toward accepting the gospel, we have failed or wasted our time.

People are worth befriending simply for its own joy, whether or not they are currently open to the gospel.

Many times people will not trust us until we demonstrate that we love them. Why should they open their hearts and lives to people they do not yet fully trust? The old adage applies. People don’t care what we know, until they know that we care.

Cultivating relationships takes time and work. Those who are looking for a quick turn around will likely fail at letting their light shine in a God glorifying way. Cultivating relationships for the kingdom’s sake requires love, commitment, work, and time.

Missional churches encourage their members to intentionally connect with unsaved and unchurched people in a way that clearly demonstrates Christ’s love.

Ways to Be Intentional

Below is a list of ten ways we can let our light shine.

  • Pray privately for our neighbors.
  • Be friendly.
  • Start conversations.
  • Visit.
  • Ask to pray for others out loud on the spot.
  • Invite people into our homes.
  • Use our home for ministry.
  • Serve when and where we see a need.
  • Share the gospel.
  • Invest in making a new convert into a disciple.

The key is to find out what we can do lovingly and in a way that is natural. When we are “up tight,” it often makes others feel “on edge.” Personally, I find it relatively easy to be friendly, start conversations, visit, offer to pray for people, and, when the opportunity arises, to share the gospel. I am also quite willing to develop interested people into disciples. It is more of a challenge for me personally to have people over and serve in practical ways. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. But what if spending time helping someone with a practical job opens their heart to us and the gospel? We should think about how we can best connect with our neighbors.

Leaders of missional churches model such a missional lifestyle in addition to teaching and equipping their people.

It is not enough to talk about letting our light shine. Leaders will make it their practice and take others along with them so they can catch the vision and develop a similar passion for mission. The challenge often is finding people who want to commit to the process.

Missional leaders configure their churches around the priority of training their people to be and make disciples.

That means we have to first develop people into disciples. We can only duplicate who we are.

Leaders of missional churches encourage and celebrate their people taking initiative and give permission for them to think and move “outside the box,” while at the same time building relational and missional unity around common priorities and values.

Nothing thwarts missional creativity so much as a decision-making bottleneck created by overly controlling leaders. We have to give the Holy Spirit room to lead people. The more trust that is developed, the greater is the freedom and latitude can be given.

Leaders of missional churches are willing to send people to start new ministries, groups, and churches and to be missionaries in other cities and nations.

Developing a missional culture in a church means that we abandon ourselves to God’s mission, no matter what the cost to us personally and to the church in general.

Intentionality is a big key to fulfilling the great commission.

Such obedience may happen “by accident” during times of revival and renewal, but in “usual” times, we need to consciously lead ourselves and the church in this direction. We acknowledge the necessity of continually relying upon the Holy Spirit to make mission an organic grace-filled operation, rather than mere duty.

Prayer

Lord, I see the need to be more intentional regarding being your ambassador. I have let some things slide and need your help in restoring my “first love” and zeal. Forgive me for being so self-centered and lazy. Holy Spirit, work in me to give me a renewed love and concern for your “lost sheep.”  Amen.

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Be Ambassadors for God’s Kingdom

Obedience to the Great Commission transforms us into official ambassadors from God’s kingdom who speak for God.

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19  For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20  So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 (NLT)

Jesus was the model ambassador for the kingdom of God. How Jesus connected with people was truly amazing. It is well known that the most unlikely people loved him; while, religious sorts despised him. Why was this? How was he able to set a very high bar regarding ethical and moral conduct; yet, those whose morals and ethics were lacking were often very comfortable in his presence?

The message God has given us as ambassadors of his kingdom is a gracious invitation to be restored to a right relationship to him.

Although there is a proper time and way to fearlessly confront sin, the kingdom message is essentially conciliatory, at least to those whose hearts are open.

Those whose hearts are open will understand and respond. Those whose hearts are closed will resist.

Ambassadors are known for their wisdom and tact. They often face hostile officials and must counter their aggression and resistance with words that can defuse a explosive situation and move people to accepting his government’s proposals. This is very similar to how we should engage people with the gospel.

By nature, we tend to resist truth, especially when it exposes our sin. Denial is part of the human condition. People without God live in darkness, resist truth, and need the Holy Spirit’s assistance in coming to the light.

The Holy Spirit works inside people while we engage them externally. Our words and behavior can either help or hinder the process. We do not want to distract people away from the words of the gospel and what the Spirit is doing inside them by acting unwisely. For some of us this comes naturally, but for others it takes focused determination and commitment.

The gospel is difficult enough to accept without our making it harder by being unnecessarily offensive.

A great example of being tactful is found in the following passage. The Canaanite woman who asked Jesus to heal her daughter was initially rebuffed by the Lord, as we may be by those with whom we share. The woman asked Jesus to set her daughter free from demonic oppression. Our Lord seemed to close the door on her request, but she refused to give up.

He [Jesus] answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25  But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26  And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27  She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28  Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:24-28 (ESV)

This woman was an outsider, a Canaanite, with no inherent right to God’s kingdom through Abraham. She approached the Lord in humility and desperation, but he apparently turned her away. Right there is where the tact of an ambassador was needed. Instead of giving up or going off in a huff, she humbly pressed the issue. Getting help for her daughter superseded everything else. She resolutely countered what Jesus said with words of wisdom and faith. Jesus saw her heart and faith and compassionately responded. It is reasonable for us to assume that Jesus was simply testing her resolve, wanting her to press through to get what she desired.

Sometimes we must be like that woman and humbly press through the resistance we encounter when sharing the gospel.

When people resist our message, we need to listen to the Spirit for the right words that may overcome their hostility. People need to know that we are not arrogant or self-righteous, as are many who name the name of Christ. Instead we want them to see that we are truly concerned about their well-being.

Words of wisdom can open hearts and defuse negativity.

I have watched this happen many times, but only if we are not easily offended or taken aback. Love presses on.

Missional churches commit to training their members how to be proper ambassadors for God’s kingdom, who use wisdom, grace, and tact, and relying on the Holy Spirit to lead the way.

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Become Gospel Fluent

Missional churches not only teach their people to accept responsibility for sharing the gospel and making disciples, we also prioritize equipping their people to be “gospel fluent.”

The gospel properly shared has the power to save people.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH." Romans 1:16-17 (NASB)

We do not want to alter it in any way. If we want to see the promised results, we should apply ourselves to studying how God presents the gospel in scripture and teach our people to do the same.

Many of us are not clear regarding exactly what is the gospel and how to share it properly. Modern evangelistic campaigns have tried to streamline the gospel message into something that can be easily remembered and quickly presented, but often at the expense of the beauty, breadth, depth, and impact of the true gospel. If we ask an average follower of Christ what they would tell a person who expresses a desire to become a follower of Christ, we would probably hear a response something like this. “Tell them to ask Jesus into their hearts.” If someone has already heard and understood the gospel message, this could be a proper next step, but it is not a good way to present the gospel. Others equate the gospel with the doctrine of justification by faith, but this is not the gospel. It is a wonderful benefit of believing the gospel.

What is the gospel?

Simply put, the gospel is the story of Jesus presented as an announcement of who he is, what he has done, and what he is going to do; all of which demands from us a response.

The appropriate one is to declare allegiance to him, receive the benefits he died and rose to give us, become his follower, and join his mission on the earth to go and make disciples.

John the Baptist was privileged to announce Jesus’ public ministry to Israel and the world. He told us four things about Jesus that are each important aspects of the gospel. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Baptizer in the Spirit, and the coming glorious Son of Man. If possible, every gospel presentation should present Jesus this way and explain the meaning behind these four titles. (Click here to read more about this.)

  1. Jesus died for our sins as the Lamb of God to reconcile us to God the Father.
  2. Jesus rose from the dead in power as the Son of God, the messianic king, and the Lord of lords.
  3. As the Baptizer in the Spirit and the Lord of the harvest, Jesus ascended to the right hand of his Father in heaven and poured out his Spirit upon the church to equip and empower her to fulfill the Great Commission.
  4. One day our Lord will return in the clouds of heaven as the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. He will judge the living and the dead and rule over God’s eternal kingdom.

There are four books in the New Testament that are called gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. None of these are neatly organized theological summaries of the doctrinal implications of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In them, Jesus is presented as an historical figure who fulfilled Old Covenant prophecies that God would rescue us from Satan’s dominion, bless the entire earth, rule forever as a king on David’s throne, be a prophet the likes of Moses, and come again in glory one day in the clouds as the divine and glorious Son of Man to judge the world in righteousness.

Each of the gospels presents Jesus in such a way that the reader is invited to recognize that he is indeed the Messiah promised by God, the one sent to die for our sins as God’s Lamb, who also rose from the dead as Lord of lords, and who is coming back again to rule the nations. The gospel invites people to surrender to Jesus the Lord and receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting from Jesus the Savior. The gospel also invites every person to bow his or her knee to Jesus and join him in his worldwide missional enterprise. It is an invitation to be a disciple – a follower of Christ who fishes for people and teaches others to do the same.

Missional churches commit to training and equipping their people to share the gospel and to grow in confidence in their ability and responsibility to share it.

Missional churches expect their people to share the good news themselves, not simply bring people to church meetings to hear the pastor. Missional churches believe that sheep beget sheep, that disciples are competent to minister, and that the Holy Spirit is equipping, empowering, and leading the entire missional enterprise.

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Rely on the Holy Spirit

We cannot fulfill the Great Commission or even develop a missional culture in our local churches without completely relying upon the Holy Spirit.

He alone can change hearts and make us willing and obedient to Christ’s mandate.

Christ’s lordship extends to all aspects of the church’s life and mission. One of his titles announced by John the Baptist is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. 

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11 (NKJV)

Jesus taught his disciples that the Holy Spirit baptism is a necessity and a huge key to success in our pursuit of obedience to the Great Commission. 

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”… 8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8 (ESV)

The Holy Spirit is our source of power and boldness for carrying out the church’s mission.  Receiving this baptism is part of what it means to surrender to Christ’s lordship.

Jesus operated in the power and gifts of the Spirit continually during his earthly ministry, which began officially at the synagogue in Nazareth.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)

Jesus only did what the Spirit showed him to do. He spoke the Words the Spirit gave him to speak. He wants us to do the same.

If we present the Gospel using only words, we will fail to communicate the fullness of God’s message, which comes in word and power.

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5  because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 (ESV)

The Holy Spirit is the power behind the authority and words of the gospel.

The wisdom and knowledge of the Spirit are also needed if we are going to minister as Jesus did. It is impossible to imagine our Lord’s ministry devoid of the prophetic element. How would he have captured the heart of the woman at the well in Samaria, if he had not told her the hidden truth about her five husbands? How would he have so quickly won over Nathanael, if he had not related that he had seen him by the Spirit standing under the fig tree? The Holy Spirit brings a spiritual element into our ministry, without which it is much more difficult, if not impossible, to go and make disciples.

We are not simply to argue and persuade that Jesus is Lord: we are to demonstrate his lordship by relying upon and expecting the Spirit of God to move in power through us.

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3  And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4  and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5  so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (ESV)

The early disciples were afraid of the Jews before they were baptized in the Spirit, but afterward boldly announced the gospel, even when threatened with persecution. Many of us are intimidated and sitting at home instead of going out into our communities to connect with our neighbors, make friends, and eventually make them into disciples. We need to receive the Spirit’s power and ability and realize that He is already working in the lives of those who live, work, and play around us.

Our job is to put ourselves in a position where the Spirit can use us. We never know what God may do.

This means we should be unafraid to ask God to demonstrate the truth of the gospel by extending his “hand” to heal the sick and set the captives free. The early church was filled with the Spirit and very bold in this regard. The Lord is the same.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

The gospel has not changed. People’s need for a demonstration of God’s power still exists. Why is the church so reluctant to put ourselves forward in this regard? Have we been duped into thinking that Jesus is no longer working in this way, or are we afraid of looking foolish if nothing happens?

If we are to be used by God to demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit, we must be willing to look foolish. Only then may we see a miracle. God’s glory must become all to us. Our own reputation cannot be a concern.

If we are going to develop a culture of mission in our churches, we must acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest and the Baptizer in the Spirit.

Disciple making churches should encourage members to receive the baptism and gifts of the Spirit and become proficient in their use.

We should encourage our people to listen to and obey the voice and promptings of the Spirit every day as we mingle with those who need Jesus.

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Be an Answer to Prayer

If we are to fulfill the great commission, we must become an answer to prayer.

Jesus understood that the task of reaching harassed and helpless people who are separated from God is great. He also realized that his time here on earth was short and his personal ministry was limited in scope by the fact that he could only be in one place at a time. He asked his disciples to pray that God would raise up more workers to join him in the harvest field.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38 (ESV)

The beginning of the larger answer to this prayer occurred on Pentecost Sunday when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, thereby launching the church’s apostolic / missionary efforts in the world. After the Holy Spirit filled multitudes of his disciples, Jesus’ ministry was greatly expanded, as it continues to this day, but there is still a great need for more workers to respond to his prayer.

By context, in the above passage we understand that Jesus asked God to send people with a shepherd’s heart to help the harassed and helpless who fill our communities. Many of us think that gifted evangelists are the ones who bear the responsibility for bringing in the harvest, but this is not what Jesus prayed.

The Holy Spirit is raising up an army of compassionate people who have the Great Shepherd’s heart to enter the world of lost and hurting with an invitation to be reconciled to God.

In their desperation, many lost and hurting people cry out to God for help. I have knocked on more than one door to discover that the resident had been praying for God to send someone to them. What a privilege it is to be the answer to someone’s prayer! What a responsibility we have when we ask God to raise up laborers in the harvest. Why would we imagine that we are not among those who are called to join him in the work? It is one thing to pray, but quite another to obey.

If our prayers for the lost do not result in our entering the harvest field, we only may be playing at church.

Will you be an answer to prayer? Will you respond to God’s call? Will you enter the harvest field?

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)
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