Over the past five weeks we have considered our mission to be a voice crying out in the wilderness. It is a mission of repentance, reconciliation, rejection and rejoicing. This week we will be tying everything together as we consider what we do with God's command to "make straight the way of the Lord" as individuals and as a church.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10-11)
After Jesus ascended, two angels appeared and said, "Why are you standing around? He'll be back." The implication here is that until then there is work to do, and rather than just stand there waiting the disciples had been given specific instructions. They were to go to Jerusalem and wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them, at which point they were to turn the world upside down. Having received that same Spirit when we were saved, we share that call to turn the world upside down. How will you "tip the world over" today?
"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Jesus' command to go into all the world is not optional for us because Jesus is the head of the body. He is the one who leads the church, both as a whole and as individuals within the church. When Jesus gives a command, then, we are to follow it whole-heartedly. If we do not, then we are no longer walking in obedience. That obedience, however, will find expression in various ways depending on our gifting. Those who have the gifts of mercy and giving will fulfill this commission one way; someone with the gifts of pastor/shepherd and administration might well fulfill it in a completely different way. What matters most is that we are fulfilling it; that we are indeed following the command of Jesus, our head, and seeking to share the good news of our Savior.
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." (Ephesians 1:17-21)
Paul prayed that those who profess Christ would both know Him more and know the hope to which they were called through the Spirit. That hope is based on the fact that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and it is that hope which resides in us. It has never been easy to go into all the world with the good news of Jesus Christ, but we are not sent out alone. Jesus is with us always, even to the end of the age, and He has granted us power in order to carry the gospel to all the earth. When you are feeling discouraged or afraid, call upon that power so that you might demonstrate that you know Christ and the hope that is found in Him.
"God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise." (Psalm 47:5-7)
God is the King of all the earth, but not everyone is aware of that just yet. In the meantime we who know Him as King are called to praise Him for all that He is and all that He has done. As we do that, as we draw attention to the goodness of our Lord, we share the good news. It is good news that we have a King who loves us and would do anything (even sacrifice His Son) for us. It is good news that we have a King who loves us, who listens and responds to our cries, providing for our needs and caring for us as His children. What has your King done for you that others need to know about?
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15)
This is a pretty unambiguous command. I would prefer that it be couched more...diplomatically. It would be easier if it had all sorts of caveats and provisos, allowing me to find conditions or stipulations that didn't match my circumstances so that I might find some way out. But it does not. It is simple, bold and direct, just like Jesus. As we consider tomorrow our call to "Go," we will have to confront the fact that there is no way around this particular command so that we might make plans to obey it.
"so that we might make plans to obey" reminds me of a phrase in a poem by Robert Burns in 1785 in which is the phrase "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray". We hear God's calling to a mission and then WE MAKE PLANS. Oh, to have a clear confidence in the FACT that He has called and He Will take us every step of the way. As Pastor Matt said, we want to set the agenda, consult our daily planner. But, it is a "simple call", ACT
Over the past five weeks we have considered our mission to be a voice crying out in the wilderness. It is a mission of repentance, reconciliation, rejection and rejoicing. This week we will be tying everything together as we consider what we do with God's command to "make straight the way of the Lord" as individuals and as a church.
ReplyDeleteThey were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:10-11)
ReplyDeleteAfter Jesus ascended, two angels appeared and said, "Why are you standing around? He'll be back." The implication here is that until then there is work to do, and rather than just stand there waiting the disciples had been given specific instructions. They were to go to Jerusalem and wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon them, at which point they were to turn the world upside down. Having received that same Spirit when we were saved, we share that call to turn the world upside down. How will you "tip the world over" today?
"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:22-23)
ReplyDeleteJesus' command to go into all the world is not optional for us because Jesus is the head of the body. He is the one who leads the church, both as a whole and as individuals within the church. When Jesus gives a command, then, we are to follow it whole-heartedly. If we do not, then we are no longer walking in obedience. That obedience, however, will find expression in various ways depending on our gifting. Those who have the gifts of mercy and giving will fulfill this commission one way; someone with the gifts of pastor/shepherd and administration might well fulfill it in a completely different way. What matters most is that we are fulfilling it; that we are indeed following the command of Jesus, our head, and seeking to share the good news of our Savior.
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."
ReplyDelete(Ephesians 1:17-21)
Paul prayed that those who profess Christ would both know Him more and know the hope to which they were called through the Spirit. That hope is based on the fact that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and it is that hope which resides in us. It has never been easy to go into all the world with the good news of Jesus Christ, but we are not sent out alone. Jesus is with us always, even to the end of the age, and He has granted us power in order to carry the gospel to all the earth. When you are feeling discouraged or afraid, call upon that power so that you might demonstrate that you know Christ and the hope that is found in Him.
"God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
ReplyDeletethe Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise."
(Psalm 47:5-7)
God is the King of all the earth, but not everyone is aware of that just yet. In the meantime we who know Him as King are called to praise Him for all that He is and all that He has done. As we do that, as we draw attention to the goodness of our Lord, we share the good news. It is good news that we have a King who loves us and would do anything (even sacrifice His Son) for us. It is good news that we have a King who loves us, who listens and responds to our cries, providing for our needs and caring for us as His children. What has your King done for you that others need to know about?
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15)
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty unambiguous command. I would prefer that it be couched more...diplomatically. It would be easier if it had all sorts of caveats and provisos, allowing me to find conditions or stipulations that didn't match my circumstances so that I might find some way out. But it does not. It is simple, bold and direct, just like Jesus. As we consider tomorrow our call to "Go," we will have to confront the fact that there is no way around this particular command so that we might make plans to obey it.
"so that we might make plans to obey" reminds me of a phrase in a poem by Robert Burns in 1785 in which is the phrase "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray". We hear God's calling to a mission and then WE MAKE PLANS. Oh, to have a clear confidence in the FACT that He has called and He Will take us every step of the way. As Pastor Matt said, we want to set the agenda, consult our daily planner. But, it is a "simple call", ACT
ReplyDelete