Saturday, September 27, 2008

Go Teach!


"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
(Matthew 28:19-20).

The real emphasis of the commission is on teaching! The first directive is to “Go.” That is where many park when proclaiming the commission of Christ. Go to the mission field. Go to lands far away. Go seek out a stranger. While the directive to action is important, that is not the end of the story.

The continuation of the commission answers the questions of “how” and “why’ and to whom.” According to the KJV Jesus said, “Teach all nations.” Literally, it is “make disciples in all nations.” One cannot make a disciple without teaching the principles of the doctrine. We are to make disciples … in all nations. That cannot be done unless we do “go” to all nations. Therefore, we have the missions emphasis of the church.

Jesus also said we are to “baptize.” Again, it is only by teaching that those converted to Christianity may be made aware of the directive and the formula for obedience to Christ’s instruction. There was no confusion on the part of the original disciples when they baptized all of their converts in the name of Jesus! They were obeying the directive of Christ for they knew the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

The final directive of the commission and the Gospel of Matthew is to teach. Jesus said, “Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” We will never run out of teaching materials! The gospels are the body of teaching and instruction left by Jesus. The Acts and epistles are the writings of the early disciples teaching and instructing believers in the message of Christ.

The first act of a believer is to learn and then he is commissioned to “Go and teach!” Are you ready to teach?

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Divine Math

A mother of six children was once asked by a new mother of one, “How do you divide your love among so many children?” It was inconceivable to the new mother that she could provide unconditional love for that number of children. The other mother responded, “You don’t divide, you multiply!”

Love is that way. Rather than decreasing when divided, it actually increases in abundance. It is like the five loaves and two fishes in the hands of Jesus. When He blessed them, the more He broke them and distributed them to the hungry crowd, the more there was to give. At the end of the lunch everyone was satisfied and filled while the leftovers were gathered into twelve baskets. What began as a lunch for one became a feast for thousands. Division turned into multiplication.

Jesus taught that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). It is God’s economy of divine mathematics: less is more! When we learn to give of ourselves and our resources we find there is more than enough left over to meet the need. When we tithe of our increase we find that the ninety percent goes further than the one hundred percent ever did. How can you budget His blessings? There is no accounting spreadsheet that can calculate the blessings and the return on investment you make in the kingdom of God.

In the wisdom of Scripture we are instructed to “count the cost” and budget our resources, but when the challenge comes that requires our sacrifice, we can be assured that God will provide the increase and the need will be filled. His division is multiplication! I am always amazed at the way the Lord provides when people give above their means and beyond their ability.

This principle applies beyond finances and loving others. Everything worthwhile in the kingdom of God requires unselfish giving and the investment of life. The cost seems great, but the rewards are eternal!

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

God’s equations are: to get, you give; in dying, we live; the poor is made rich; and having nothing, we possess all things! (2 Corinthians 6:10) So when things don’t seem to add up remember God’s math, where division is multiplication, subtraction leaves you more, and the more you give away the more you have. To sum it up, the quotient of Divine math results in dividends of tremendous blessing … exponentially!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Inexpressible Joy!

Anticipation of Renewal

Believing in Christ is more than mental assent to the existence of Jesus in history. It is more than acknowledging His sacrificial death on Calvary or trusting in Him to save us from our sins. It is the development of an experienced reality, the fulfillment of hope within our lives, and the source of joy. The personal and tangible faith in Jesus Christ results in a reason to rejoice.

Peter wrote concerning this personal revelation of Jesus Christ, “whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith -- the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Inexpressible joy (the KJV says, “joy unspeakable”) comes from knowing Christ in the reality of the Holy Spirit. It was noted in Acts 13:52 that the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. So parallel is the reception of joy with the spiritual baptism that the question has often been asked of one who had received the Holy Spirit, “Did you receive the joy?”

Joy is listed among the nine attributes of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, etc.” The absence of joy in the salvation experience causes questions as to the validity of an individual’s experience. Though speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of the Spirit’s baptism, joy (along with the other fruit of the Spirit) should be the outgrowth of the New Birth experience.

Thank God, there is more to the Christian life than joining a church, accepting Jesus, or practicing spiritual disciplines. There is the experiential involvement that changes our attitudes, that lifts our emotions, and instills an everlasting hope.

Paul provides us with an appropriate benediction. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Experience the inexpressible Joy!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Arise, Be Baptized!

Anticipation of Renewal

"He who believes and is baptized will be saved!" (Mark 16:16)

While meeting in a rented facility I was asked if our church practiced water baptism. I was quick to affirm our position and stressed my conviction that baptism is an essential part of the born-again experience. Perhaps the lack of a baptistery in the rented facility caused him to question our practice. This also caused me to see the need of having our own baptistery readily available. We purchased a port-a-tub specifically designed to take into prisons, hospitals, or to use in rented facilities.

Baptism is an ancient rite that predates the beginning of the church. Early initiation or purification rites included washing or dipping in water and were practiced by the Essenes in the Qumran community where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered. Other religious zealots baptized their followers as a sign of their commitment. Jesus specifically instructed His disciples to “teach and baptize” followers of the Gospel message. The disciples understood the commission and instituted baptism as essential for believers in the book of Acts.

In Acts 2, following the initial outpouring of Holy Spirit power, Peter instructed those who responded to his message to “repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Over 3,000 responded to his first gospel message.

Believers in Samaria responded to the witness of Phillip and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:12). Those eager believers were filled with the Holy Spirit when Peter and John came to pray for them, opening the door to evangelism among the Samaritans.

Gentile believers were led into the Gospel through the experience of an Italian, Cornelius, in Acts 10. Peter was called to the household of Cornelius in Caesarea. While Peter preached the Gospel to them they received the gift of the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues. Seeing this undeniable witness of the supernatural, Peter questioned the Jewish believers who had come with him, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:47-48). Baptism was not considered optional for believers who received the Spirit.

Finally, the Scripture gives evidence for the rebaptism of disciples who were followers of the repentance message of John the Baptist. Paul inquired about their mode of baptism and instructed them in the proper formula in Acts 19. They believed and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 19:4-5). These believers received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as Paul laid his hands on them.

So whether you have never been baptized, been sprinkled, or been baptized in any mode other than by water immersion in the “name of Jesus,” follow the admonition of Ananias to Paul at his conversion: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).