As we scan the Book of Acts and Paul’s letters, there is one obvious effect---OBEDIENCE! As we saw yesterday, that was the result of what “Christ accomplished through” Paul (Romans 15:18). From the Day of Pentecost, the Apostles preached the gospel of grace in the power of the Spirit and there was instant obedience.
Let me give you one example; “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). Notice how these principles work together: · The Word of God is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31) · Conviction occurs in the hearts of those who hear (Acts 2:37-38) · Disciples are made with those who receive the gospel (Matthew 28:19; Acts 14:21) · Disciples become obedient to what they are taught (Matthew 28:20; Acts 6:7) Can you imagine a whole church being planted on these principles? In Romans 15:18 that we looked at yesterday, Paul describes the kind of obedience that was accomplished through his preaching; “obedience—by word and deed.” As the Early Church grew, James had to remind disciples to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). If you are preaching the gospel in any venue, is obedience the result? Let me emphasize the fact that obedience is never forced or through coercion. It is the result of the Spirit working through you in presenting the gospel of grace and also the Spirit working in those who hear to obey.
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“For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed” (Romans 15:18). In the previous verse Paul said, “In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God” (15:17). What he is insisting on is that he could not take credit for any of his accomplishments, whether the church in Rome or anywhere else. All of it was “what Christ has accomplished through me,” nothing more.
This is how we must see our work for the Lord. Paul reminded the Corinthians of the same principle; “As it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord”” (1 Corinthians 1:31; 2 Corinthians 10:17). This should be a natural attitude for anyone walking close with the Lord. I know in my own experience that I am not as consistent in this attitude as I should be. The battle rages in our hearts when there are results from our ministry and people say things to us without our immediately redirecting the credit to the Lord. John perceived this issue as a very important one when he said of the Pharisees; “they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God” (John 12:43). The Spirit’s work in us will always glorify Christ and His work in others. Be sure you are hearing His voice. The point of our work is “to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed.” n almost every reference throughout Scripture to a priest, it refers to a person who is set apart to serve God in some capacity. In the tabernacle or worship system of the Old Testament, they were responsible to offer sacrifices which was a form of worship, ultimately pointing to the sacrifice of Jesus. Hebrews 9:14 points to Jesus as both the sacrifice and the priest who offers Himself, the sacrifice. He is rightly called the “High Priest” (2:17; 3:1), our mediator with God (1 Timothy 2:5).
Paul is in complete agreement with Peter, that we who “were ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ…are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:18-19; 2:4). Now, consider Paul’s words in the light of what we have just seen in Hebrews and Peter. “But on some points, I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:15–16). As Paul went from place to place, entering synagogues, finding Jews and Gentiles who would listen to the preaching of the gospel. He did it in such a way that those who believed would become an offering (worship) to God, “sanctified by the Holy Spirit” in them. I trust this will put a divine incentive into your becoming a brighter witness for Christ and His gospel. The promise of Jesus in Acts 1:8 is that the Spirit will give us power to be this kind of witness; increasing worship to God through Spirit empowered witness. While Tim and Jonathan were in Ecuador, we had a little email discussion about the Jivaro Indian tribe that had been reached in the late 1940’s by Frank and Marie Drown. From their conversation over this tribe, they learned of the Taromenane and Tagaeri people groups which are similar to and speak the same language as the Waorani (or Huaorani). People in Ecuador know about them, but no one is “Going” with the gospel; no one is making the effort to reach them. In other words, the reason they have not been reached with the gospel is not because no one knows about them. Why then has no one made the effort to reach them? There is a faulty understanding who should “Go.”
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (ethnos – people groups) is not just a command to the Western Church, it is a command to ALL the Church. Where then does the problem lie? For centuries the Western Church has taken on themselves the responsibility to be the ones who “GO” everywhere and do all the mission work, which in turn has taught the rest of the Church to depend on them. There is a great failure in this! Yes, the Western Church should “GO,” but while it is going, it must teach the indigenous church to also “GO.” The extent of this problem is enormous. You have read many quotes from Roland Allen in this blog, who always insisted on the biblical method; that is, every indigenous church become self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating. This means that in their understanding of what the Church should be, they are NOT dependent on anyone but their Head, Jesus Christ. They are reaching out with the gospel they received and giving it to those unreached. This principle was lived out by the Thessalonian church. We are now having to undo centuries of faulty teaching. Is it possible to achieve this reversal? YES! All it takes is for the Church today to REPENT of following a faulty example and RETURN to the revealed method in Scripture. Jesus’ promise will not fail (Matthew 24:14)! The question is; will you and I be part of HIS MOVEMENT TO FINISH THE TASK? The more I study the New Testament Church and Paul’s letters, along with Jesus’ teaching in the Gospels, the more I am filled with amazement. No organization was set up with a head office, and no large financial backing was established. It was simply the power of God’s Word given through the power of the Holy Spirit. What was inherent in proclaiming the gospel was enough. “The word of the Lord continued to increase…multiplied…and prevailed” (Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20). I can assure you that the Word and the Gospel has not changed, nor the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why then are we trying to add something to what is already perfect? In certain parts of the world where we go, money, buildings, human methods, etc. are being attached to the gospel of pure grace, thinking they will make it spread. Whereas, the gospel of pure grace is just that, the gospel of PURE grace. In certain places the church has laid other requirements on the spread of the gospel and tainted it with money and food, among other things. If we come to these places and try to build on a faulty foundation, later the work crumbles and stops. It only takes a small amount of money, or yeast, to taint the whole batch. The demand for money and other material things is the symptom, not the core problem. If we look carefully at the Early Church and Paul’s first letter, they became convicted by the Holy Spirit that anyone who added to the gospel of grace, “contrary to the one [Paul] preached…[was] accursed” (Galatians 1:8-9). Strong language, but vital truth. I believe that if the Church is going to accomplish the Great Commission as Jesus intended, she must REPENT and RETURN to the methods of the SCRIPTURES and forsake the methods of men. One of the hardest attitudes to hold in proper tension is working to please the right person or persons. This problem exists in every avenue of life. If we are married, there is a natural desire to please our spouse (1 Corinthians 7:33). In our work environments, there is a natural desire to please the employer or customer with the hope that monetary rewards will increase.
When it comes to spiritual things, we must carefully examine our motives. Let me put this issue into perspective the way Paul sees it. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). One of the problems we face in the Church today is that many are more concerned that what they preach, teach or live lines up with their denomination, organization or tradition, rather than whether it falls in line with Scripture. For Paul, it was always a question of his ministry being in alignment with truth revealed through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (1:12; 5:25). This is an issue anyone in ministry must face and answer before the Lord. Whether it is marriage, work or any other pursuit in life, we must make it our aim to please the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:9). The fruit of making this our single desire in every area of life is that God receives greater glory, His work is done His way for His reasons with greater fruit, and we will stand out as “a servant of Christ,” not men. Serving men as “a servant of Christ” draws their attention to Christ, not you! We must have faith and provide an opportunity for giving to those we train. Let me tell the story of a lady in India who lost her suitcase while coming to a training session of about 40-50 people. They asked me to replace her clothes and suitcase because the people there were poor Indians and had no money to give. I took a bag and asked the people to first give their hearts to the Lord, and then to give out of their poverty (2 Corinthians 8:5). They did and were greatly blessed by giving, because “it is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35). Even if it is a grain of rice or a penny, if it is given out of their heart’s overflow, they will be blessed. I have never seen Indians so happy as they were after they replaced this sister's suitcase and clothes.
There are many more examples of people giving like this, but it takes faith. Many times we do not use the faith God has given us because we first appeal to others, using other ways of getting money. We fail to realize that faith pleases God and without faith, it is impossible to please our heavenly Father (Hebrews 11:6). We need to teach people about giving. Giving is a reflection of the condition of our hearts. Therefore, the problem in Africa or wherever it is, is NOT the giving, but the heart. You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving. (Tim) Notice in 2 Corinthians 8:4 that “the churches of Macedonia…in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints--” (2 Corinthians 8:2–4). In the same way, Jesus pointed to “a poor widow [who] came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. He called His disciples to Him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box” (Mark 12:43). Let us promote giving from the heart in all, so that all share in God’s work and the needs of others. “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me…When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last”” (Revelation 1:12, 17).
In this scene, such divine communication would not be surprising for a man like John because he had been one of the top three disciples who were the closest to Jesus (Peter, James and John). Now an old man, not much had changed except for his age. John had been so close to the Lord that he was able to ask Jesus a question that none of the others dared to ask (John 13:22-26). He was also the disciple that Jesus could entrust His mother Mary to as He was dying on the cross (19:26-27). The gospel John wrote is the only one of the four that focuses so much on the person of Jesus. Now exiled to an island as his prison, John’s passion for the Lord was undiminished. I would go so far as to say, it was sharper and his spiritual vision clearer than it ever had been. In this place of isolation, John was in tune with his Lord and waiting for the next communication. John hears the voice of Jesus speaking to him. He had been familiar with that voice and knew immediately who it was; then he turns to see the Person behind the voice. What he saw was not what he had seen for three and a half years, but far greater; the unveiled glory of the resurrected Jesus. No wonder John “fell at His feet as though dead.” Why was the revelation of Jesus’ glory to John so important? Jesus was going to give him a message to the Church and it could not be communicated without the full impact of His glory on John. Our message in any ministry, in any setting, under any circumstances, in any culture will be only as effective as how we live in closeness with Jesus and see His glory. What are you communicating to others? If it is just knowledge, your audience will miss the glory of Jesus in your message. Rodney Howard-Browne has composed the song, Just One Glimpse of His Glory. In these lyrics he writes:
Just one glimpse of His glory Just one touch of His hand I will never be the same This turned my mind to Jesus’ words, “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one” (John 17:22). One of the functions of the Spirit in us is that He will continually “declare” to us things of Christ and His glory (16:14). In Jesus giving us the glory He received from the Father, He is imparting the infinite beauty of God revealed in the person of Jesus. Notice the desired effect of receiving and allowing this glory to impact us; “that they may be one even as we are one!” When the glory of Christ becomes our continual occupation, there will be an immediate reflection of the unity that exists between the Father and the Son. This is desperately needed in the Church today! How can we become better ‘receptors’ of this glory? “Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world” (17:24). You may say that this waits for us to be taken to heaven. But wait! Jesus said, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, see also Mark 16:20). The intent of Jesus’ words is that we know His presence with us “always” by the Holy Spirit in us. Through spending time in His presence, we will see His glory and the glory of the Father. Paul reminds us that as we are “beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). If you are trying to change yourself through self-effort, it will never work. You must hear again the prayer of Jesus for you; “to see my glory”! That is the only way for change and transformation. Around the world on this day, mothers are given special recognition and attention. There are mothers with us and there are mothers who have left this scene. There are memories we cherish and there are memories we wish could be forgotten. The many women who wish they could hold their own child, but their arms are empty; we know you have a mother’s love. Whatever the situation may be, God has implanted in every woman the DNA of a mother’s love.
Having been born with a mild disability, I had a mother who loved and protected me through years of struggle. At the same time, her love did not permit me to use my disability as an excuse for expecting special treatment. God had given me to her and I was normal, just like any other child. That was a true mother’s love. I thank God for giving her wisdom to raise her only child in this way, expecting me to love the Lord and serve Him in spite of my circumstances. At times I think of the untimely separation between Jesus and His mother. His crucifixion never interfered with the appreciation Jesus had for Mary’s love; being willing to follow God’s plan to birth Him into the world, and then slip into the background so her Son could fulfill His purpose. Jesus was leaving earth because He had “finished the work” the Father gave Him to do (John 17:4). As He is about to die, Jesus looks down from the cross at Mary; “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple [John] whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” (John 19:26–27). Love must care for its own under any conditions. Usually, the mother passes from this scene before the son. It was an untimely separation. In a little way, I have experienced a very untimely separation with my mother, yet it has never caused my appreciation for her love to diminish in my heart. Whatever your situation, NEVER let time or circumstances weaken your appreciation for your mother’s love. She had that DNA from God. To all those with a mother’s love, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!! |
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