Honouring my Pastor: What does God expect of me? 1Tim 5:17-18; Heb 13:17

Introduction:

Regardless of how much you think your pastor likes you or not, you can and should appreciate your pastor. God calls us to honour those who are in authority over us. It is easy to criticize pastors on how much they do on their sermon with words like this:

“The sermon today was jerky”

“I didn’t really connect with the sermon”

“I think the pastor could have done a better job preparing his sermon”

“I didn’t make any sense from the sermon”

We often forget that the pastor has a life, family and other responsibilities throughout the week. We forget that the pastor is pastoring the whole congregation and the needs of everyone is different. I remember the day I insisted that we separate the children from our main service here in Mount Zion Baptist church Boko. My feedback was brought in by my daughter Faith when she went home and was struggling to preach my message at home. The poor girl at age 3 or so was struggle to hammer at home and I could not get all the words from her mouth. That’s when I knew that I cannot preach to children and adults at the same time. I could only hear “believe in the Lord Jesus” from her mouth. That’s what made me know that she was struggling to replay my sermon that Sunday. But she could not get all my words with the speed and the mature words that was not destined for children who are still learning. So, note that the Pastor has every worshipper in mind when presenting his message.

If we didn’t like the sermon, we don’t trust that the Holy Spirit is working in and through the pastor, their message, and the church and that someone in the church needed to hear that exact message. If we are not careful, we can fall victim to the spirit of entitlement where it becomes all about us. Remember that even if one person’s life is changed by the pastor’s message, then isn’t that what it’s all about?

Where did honouring pastors start?

Throughout church history, leaders were to be honoured. Pastors are to be considered worthy of double honour for assuming this role in Christ’s church and to do it well. But, typically with double honour, you can expect double stress, this is why we need to make an even greater effort to celebrate and encourage those in leadership.

 “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching.”  1 Timothy 5:17

Is honouring Pastors Important?

Of course!

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.  Hebrews 13:17

Your leaders are entrusted to watch over the entire congregation, small group, family group, etc. This can be a very overwhelming task and one that can lead to a lot of stress, late nights, and coffee. Leaders have a tendency to serve whether it is within their ministry or outside of the church walls, they simply love to serve and meet the needs of others. Whether it be time, money, meals, encouragement, leaders love to lend a hand. It is important to notice everything that your Pastor does for the congregation but what most people don’t realize is that they are not given back to very often. They easily slip through the cracks and we assume that they are doing fine and they are getting their needs met. If everyone had this mentality, then no one would be giving back to their Pastor. That is why this time in our calendar is most important. We should all appreciate or learn to appreciate our Pastors or Leaders and encourage them as much as they encourage each of us. At the end of the day, your Pastor is still a part of the body of Christ just like us and they should be treated in the same way we treat our other brothers and sisters.

How do I honour my Pastor?

  1.     By Supporting him

The elders who are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and, the worker is worthy of his wages (1 Timothy 5:17-18). Quoted from Deut 24:4-15

God’s people should pay their pastors generously, although no specific amount is given. Of course it’s not God’s plan for pastors to swindle/cheat their sheep or for churches to neglect their pastors. Paul even puts it clearer in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. You don’t need to be a theologian or Bible scholar to understand that, it is clear.

All pastors are to be honoured, but two kinds of pastors are worthy of “double honour” (v.17):

1.       “The elders who are good leaders.”

2.       “Those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

The pastor’s job is to take care of his church, and it’s the church’s job to take care of their pastors.

Those who proclaim the gospel should make their living by the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14).

The one who is taught the message must share all his good things with the teacher (Galatians 6:6). God is not mocked; you reap what you sow; so do not be deceived.

i.                   Bring Your Pastor Food and share with his family. This can bring hours of closeness and rest to your pastor and family.

ii.                   Celebrate Big with your pastor. Let him know how much you appreciate him for the work he does

iii.                 Make meaningful conversation with him. Not just talking about the negative things in other people’s lives. Ask the pastor about his problems and how you can be of help and how you can be praying specifically for him. That is what the pastor needs.

iv.                 Show up in events, classes, services, etc. it is encouraging for your pastor to see that you are present in the programs and that you are also encouraging others.

v.                   Be an active listener in services. The pastor’s responsibility is to teach and he wants to be sure that you are listening actively. A pastor can tell if you were attentive in the service or not. Encourage your pastor by being an active listener

vi.                 Show kindness to your pastor’s family. He is human and would also love to see that you care for his family even as he cares for your spiritual growth.

vii.               Support your pastor financially (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Corinthians 9:14). Hopefully, you will not do this out of a grudging heart or because you know the church is keeping track of who’s giving and who’s not. Whether or not your pastor knows you’re giving, you ought to do so. Small cash gifts, given personally, may also be an encouragement to the pastor.

viii.             Don’t give gifts to your pastor with secret agendas. eg. Giving your pastor a book on leadership because you think he is failing in some leadership skills. That may cause the pastor not to appreciate your gift except he expressed the need. That’s why you must be honest to talk with your pastor.

ix.                 Don’t give a New Bible to your pastor. It sound’s strange right?  If your pastor has not expressed the need for a particular Bible translation, do not give him. It may not be of use to him even though he will take it. Most pastors have libraries of Bibles, so your new Bible may not bring value to your Pastor.   

  2.     By defending him

 A non-negotiable qualification for an elder is that he must have a good reputation with outsiders (1 Timothy 3:7). Apparently, several church leaders attacked the apostle Paul’s reputation, and see what he writes:

Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. (2 Timothy 4:14–17).

It’s the church member’s job to not only provide for his or her pastors, but to also protect them from the Alexanders in the church and community. Joseph, Moses, David, Jeremiah, and Nehemiah were also criticized publicly. It’s not enough to defend our pastors privately. It’s each of our job to make sure our pastors aren’t treated like a floor-mat or punching bag.

i.                     Be loyal to your pastor. The best encouragement that a pastor can receive is the gift of his people’s loyalty. If your pastor is a person of integrity, who loves Jesus, who is committed to God’s Word, and who faithfully shepherds their flock in a biblical way, stick with them. You may recognize his humanness and identify his weaknesses, but you can stick with him. Pastors need people to go through the tough times. They need you. Encourage your pastor by being loyal to them.

ii.                   When in doubt about anything ask. A lot of problems usually come from rumours and misconceptions.

iii.                  Make sure you have a good connection. Do not jump from church to church when you are frustrated. Your church is your family, stay committed and you can truly defend even your pastor.

  3.     By recognizing them

 Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to those who labour among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you (1 Thessalonians 5:12).

If pastors do the best they can, the church will do the best they can to take care of them. Honestly, that has been the case most of the time, but not all of the time. Sometimes the pastors didn’t do the best they could, while the church did. Other times, the pastors did the best they could and the church didn’t step up. Why is that? Because we’re a family—and families make mistakes.

It seems to take less effort to point out someone’s weaknesses than their strengths. Are you ready to recognise your pastor today in public?

i.                     Thank your pastor regularly. The way you appreciate your pastor matters. Just telling him “Thank you for the work you are doing” is good but not so meaningful. If you tell him, “Thank you for the verse 17 you explained today in the sermon. I will share this with my children at home today. I didn’t understand it that way but now I see. You really did a lot of studies on this”. That gives more meaning than the generic thank you. “I was blessed”.

ii.                   Never give history lessons for your pastor.  Don’t compare him with the former pastor or former golden years. That is a way to recognise your pastor.

iii.                 Remember there is only one senior pastor. He is the one in charge and may be busy in some situations. So be your pastor’s eyes and ears. Don’t let things pass on which he didn’t know about it.

  4.     By loving them

Their job is to “keep watch over you” (Hebrews 13:17), but sometimes they need you to watch over them as well. Whether they’re leading successfully or failing miserably, in season and out of season, they all need the respect and love of their church families.

Regard them very highly in love because of their work (1 Thessalonians 5:13).

Make sure your pastor knows that he’s a beloved member of your church family, and not just an employee who will eventually go somewhere else.

It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel.  For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:7–8).

i.                     Another way of showing love to your pastor is by growing in grace. Nearly two-thousand years ago, the apostle John wrote the heart-cry of nearly every pastor across the ages: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). If you really want to show appreciation — to give your pastor his greatest joy — walk in truth. Don’t do this just for your pastor. Do this because you’re a Christian and because Christians grow (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

ii.                   Always be honest to your pastor and if you have a problem, go and talk to him; don’t complain to others. He may not welcome your idea but don’t be discouraged, you have done what is right and your pastor is also human.

Conclusion:

1. HONOR YOUR PASTOR BY SUPPORTING HIM

2. HONOR YOUR PASTOR BY DEFENDING HIM

3. HONOR YOUR PASTOR BY RECOGNIZING HIM

4. HONOR YOUR PASTOR BY LOVING HIM

God rewards Obedience James 1 :22-25

Submission to God’s word is not only by acknowledging that it’s true, but by walking in obedience to the truth it teaches. How can we even start acknowledging when we have not heard? We cannot start talking about obedience if we have not received any command to obey.

   1.      Obedience to God begins by actively hearing

Vs 19-20 of this text starts by pointing out that we must hear actively. To hear actively, you must avoid talking too much, you must avoid reacting in anger. These two will block you from hearing clearly. Then receive the implanted word with meekness, without filthiness or wickedness. In doing this, one is actively abandoning the old sinful lifestyle that would stop him or her from hearing the word of God.

Do you regularly position yourself to hear the Word of God clearly? Or are you the kind who gets the word and assigned to other people even when God is clearly speaking to you?  Do you allow the Word of God to speak to your heart, rather than simply talking or reacting in anger? Do you walk away from those practices that keep you from hearing?

   2.      Obedience to God is a continuous act it’s not punctual vs 22-24

James says be doers of the word and not just hearers. Hearers are deceiving themselves. It is an ongoing action. You can listen to the best preacher on the pulpit, the best radio teacher or the best Bible teaching leader and still dishonour God by disobeying the word you have heard. That is what the Bible calls self-deception. You are not deceiving the preacher or the teacher but you are deceiving yourself. How frequent you listen to sermons on your smartphone or in Bible study class is not the measure of your submission to God and His word.

True submission to God and His word is not demonstrated by the amount of time we put in listening to his word but by the degree of obedience we put to it. Jesus says those who are in true relationship with him obey his commands (John 14:15). They are not the people who hear his command but those who hear actively (ie doers) of his word.

Does the way you live your life demonstrate consistent, active submission to God and His Word through a lifestyle of ongoing obedience?

   3.      God Rewards Obedience Vs 25

The one who looks intently into the perfectly law of freedom and perseveres in it without forgetting will be blessed. You must be intentional when you look into the word of God which is the perfect law of freedom. It is not works that you will be held prisoner by law but grace that gives you perfect freedom. But you must persevere in doing the word not just hearing the word like the one who looks in the mirror and forgets what he saw. True obedience comes with perseverance and not a forgetful hearer who fails to do the good works. Freedom under God's law is not freedom to do what I want, but a freedom to do what I ought – having been set free from the bondage of sin (see Romans 6). That is living according to God’s purpose.

When we obey God, the love of God will enrich us greatly. Blessing follows obedience.

Who then are blessed of God?

1. Those who Trust the Lord – (Jer. 17:7” Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.”; Luke 11:27-28).

2. Those who Fear the Lord – (Ps. 128:1)” Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways”.

3. Those whose Sins are Forgiven – (Ps. 32:2-3” Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. “; Rom. 4:8).

4. Those whose way is blameless – (Ps. 119:1a)

5. Those who walk (who obey) in the law of God – (Ps.119:1b)

Our obedience to God allows Him to demonstrate His awesome power in our lives. Our obedience also allows God to bless others through us.

Gen 22:18 says “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”  

Exodus 19:5 says “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;” and Jesus himself says in Luke 11:28 “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Does this mean that we should obey God for the sake of blessings? No. Instead, we should please God and obey Him because of who He is. Therefore, the greatest reward we can attain is His Love and Favour.

Conclusion

To you who has not received Christ as Saviour, the first act of submission and obedience is to repent and, by faith, trust in Christ as the only Saviour. You cannot pretend that you will receive any blessings. It is for obedient believers.

To you who has already confessed Christ Jesus be obedient to the word of God by hearing actively. Do not fool yourself that is punctual but an ongoing action that needs perseverance.  You will be persecuted for obeying Christ. That is sure and certain for true believers. But know that others have gone through it and that should encourage you. Our Lord has gone through it and we are not more than our master. All the apostles died like martyrs and a tragic death but they were joyful when persecuted. Even John who did not die a tragic death was placed inside boiled oil. Have you been fried alive? Know that the persecutions of others were really serious, and so you can go through your own. Rejoice because your reward is sure and will begin on earth before it is complete in eternity. Persevere in obedience to God’s word! Shalom!

Do you believe the word of God?

Luke 1:18-20, 34-38

The book of Luke was written by Luke, the beloved Physician (Col 4:14) to Theophilus just as the book of Acts. Luke open’s the book by making clear that the purpose was to give an accurate historical account of the teachings and events in the life of Jesus. This is to affirm the very foundation upon which Christianity is based. That foundation is that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, the Son of God. Theophilus was probably a government official as the term “excellent” was often used for that in the Roman society to show respect.

                Zechariah was a priest of the priestly division of Abijah. He and his wife Elizabeth were descendants of Aaron; hence Levites. Both of them were blameless and obedient to the commandments of God, but without sin (Ro 3:9,10,23). Elizabeth suffered all kinds of embarrassments a Jewish woman could have if she could not have children. Normally they were praying for the blessings of the womb.

                The day came when it was Zechariah’s time to burn incense in the temple; and the angel of the Lord appeared to him while the worshippers were praying outside.

   1)      When God’s message comes to a righteous man he trembles

Zechariah realized he was in the presence of a heavenly being. So his response was fear because Gabriel was God’s representative (Lk 2:9). “ Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife will bear you a son whom you’ll call John…”

                The message was heavy and a message of Joy. The son will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

                I now see why Jesus our Lord said amongst all the prophets John the Baptist is the greatest (Mtt 11:11). But John did not work any miraculous wonders, but he had a miraculous relationship with God from the time of conception. Some of us think that great prophets or great men of God are those with great miracles. No, they are those with miraculous relationships with God. John’s work was to prepare the way for the messiah. His message was God’s word that was meant to change the hearts of parents into those of the children that they may believe the light that was coming to the world.

   2)      Even though you tremble at God’s word, do you believe?

When Satan hears the name of Jesus he trembles but he does not believe. It does not suffice to fear but to believe the word of God. Verse 18 of our text makes us know that Zechariah still needed proof eventhough he was in the presence of Gabriel. He did not believe the word of God so he asked “How can I be sure of this?” As  a result, the sign the angel gave was punishment for Zechariah because of his doubt in what Gabriel said. Mtt 21:22 says if we ask and believe we will receive; but many of us today live in doubt like Zechariah.

                Zechariah’s prayer was heard and God gave him a word, but he still wanted a proof. We pray and ask God, and when God answers we still doubt. Many Christians do that today; they kneel down and cry to the Lord but when they get up their intellectual exercise overcomes their faith and they start wondering if and how God will answer them. The how is not our own; how it will happen belongs to God; we just need to believe and trust Him. Zechariah was punished for disbelief.

   3)      The right response after trembling at God’s word.

Gabriel again was sent in the sixth month to the virgin Mary and her immediate response was fear (Lk 1:30). The angel gave her the message, message of Joy and favour. But this time after trembling her reaction was different. “How will this be since I do not know a man?”

                She did not ask how sure she could be since it is impossible to have a child without relationship with a man. But she asked how it will be.

                Firstly she reaffirms her virginity. Therefore the conception of Jesus was a miraculous work of God. Jesus would be the “only begotten” son of God (John 1:14-16). If you accept Jesus, you must accept this fact of His conception and birth. This is the reason why Jesus is the Son of God. Any normal form of birth will do if Jesus was to be another good teacher of Palestine. But that was not the case, so Jesus is the son of God with this miraculous conception.

                The angel explained how it will happen. If today a lady came with pregnancy and told us she has never known a man, it will be terrible. Questions will kill her. Or if a girl who has never known a man was told that will happen to her; she will not believe so the angel said “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Verse 37)

                The omnipotent God in reference to impotent man is here manifested (Jer 32:17). What man cannot do, God can do.

                So what Mary was going to experience was outside the control and power of man. It was God’s working to bring into the world the savior of mankind. Contrary to Zechariah Mary exercised great faith in accepting the words of the angel as truth.

“Behold the bondservant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word” (Verse 38b)

Do you believe in the Lord Jesus? That He is the Son of God? That He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit? That He came to save us from our Sin? This is the time to reconsider your ways and focus on Christ Jesus who is the light of the world. He is God incarnated in human flesh to save us. He is reigning at the right hand of God the father in heaven. He will come again to judge the world. What will He say about you?

Total obedience to God's call (Luke 5:1-11; Deut 28:15,30-32)

For the last few weeks of this year, the Pastor has taken time to bring us to the understanding of what total obedience to Christ means. He went on to expose some issues which we neglect whereas they are forms of disobedience. We heard about alcohol and the illustration he gave. Last week I was sharing with my children about lies telling and how deadly it is to a child of God just as cancer is to the body. One of my children also prepared his own lesson on the power of the tongue and how people have also murdered by what they speak. All these have been in a bit to make known the importance of total obedience to a Christian life.

                I remember when I planted Mt Zion Baptist church Boko in Douala and it started showing growth, the leaders of the church came in one meeting and proposed to put me on a salary. My words to them was that “I’m doing this out of obedience and God has buttered my bread. So I do not need a salary to obey”. It was a long debate but finally we agreed and they decided to give me telephone credit for calls. I accepted it for their blessings.

                Our theme for this year is total obedience to Christ Jesus. We saw in Deut 28:1-3 that if we obey, we will be blessed. From Deut 28:15-32 we also see how we can be cursed if we do not obey. Is total obedience optional for Christians? I don’t think so. If you say you are a Christian, then you must obey Christ and if you do not obey Christ, then you do not love him and you are not his follower. So disobedient church goers are not Christians.

   1.       Those who disobey the Lord are cursed Deut 28:15-32

It says you are cursed in your going out and cursed in your coming in. The fruit of your body; your offspring will be cursed; the ground will be cursed. It says your heaven will be like bronze and your earth like iron. So your sky will be dusty, no rains to bless you, the ground will produce nothing for you. You will lay your hands on things and they will not prosper. Verse 30 says you shall betroth a wife, but another man shall ravish her. You shall get a fiancé and another girl shall take him away.

                You may be going through some struggles because of disobedience. Is there anything in your life you must let go? Drunkenness, lies telling, control of your tongue? I am just listing these ones because many people think these ones are small sins. There is no small sin before God. You have disobeyed if you indulge in these.

                How then are you going to respond to Christ Jesus in obedience so that you can receive the blessings that come with obedience?

   2.       Obey the commands of Jesus Christ without questioning Lk 5:1-3

Jesus was teaching the people at the lake of Gennesareth and the crowd was too much. They were pressing on him and he needed space to talk to them better. They were hungry for the word of God to the point that the master had no space. He looked into the lake and saw two boats. The fishermen were not in the boats because they were washing their nets. They were not listening to the teacher. They were not concerned about the words of the teacher, but their nets because they went throughout the night and caught nothing.

                What is that problem in you that is distracting you from looking unto Jesus? Simon Peter was one of the fisher men washing their nets. Sometimes we are so troubled with our problems that we lose focus on the problem solver. Simon did not know the one who will solve the problem of their job, their business of catching fish was around. They were busy bodied, thinking of what to do next and forgetting about God. Doing it their own way!

                Many of us today are like that. There is a program in church and you have a job to do. You’ll just say let me work money. I need the money to feed my children; things have not been good these days, let me “huzzle” for my family; afterall God knows I am doing it for my family. You abandon God for money and now money has become your master not Jesus Christ. You want to serve money first before you serve God. Money is distracting you from obedience to God.

                But when Jesus asked Simon to let him into his boat and go into the lake, Simon immediately obeyed even though he was distracted. Are you ready to obey the call of Jesus today? Simon did. He did not tell him I’m busy, I need to wash my nets so that I can go fishing in the evening. So Jesus taught the people while on the boat of Simon. I’m sure even though he allowed Jesus in his boat he was still worried about his net and his fishing.

   3.       When you obey God’s call, be intentional Lk 5:4-5

Jesus asked Peter again to go further into the lake and throw his net for a catch. Simon said, Master, we toiled all night and caught nothing, not even one fish but because you have commanded, I will do so. Simon was a professional fisherman, and expert fisherman. That was his field, and he knew that good fishing is in the dark when fishes come closer to the surface. He wanted the master to know that even in the last night when they would have caught more fish, they did not catch anything. How can they catch during the day?

                If it were you, what will you tell the master? Will you present to him your intellectual know how? Will you tell him how you know your job? And tell him, wait master we cannot catch anything during the day, we will try but in the night? Will you postpone God’s call?

                Simon obeyed because it was the master’s command. Will you listen to the master? My obedience today prepares me for my obedience tomorrow, and tomorrow’s obedience prepares me for the next day and for the year to come.

   4.       When you totally obey, your blessings will overtake you Lk5:6

Simon obeyed and the net was filled with fish in an odd hour of the day. The net was breaking because of overloaded blessings. You will be blessed in your going out and in your coming in if you totally obey. Your offspring will be blessed and the earth will be blessed. Where you put your hand God will prosper it. Simon’s expertise was challenged. His professional knowhow was challenged as he obeyed Jesus Christ.

   5.       When you totally obey, people around you will be blessed Lk 5:7

James and John were in the other boat. So Simon called them to came and help him in the blessings. They also filled their own boat and the two began to sink. The blessings were too much to Simon and the people around him. That is the consequence of obedience. People around you will be blessed, your children will be blessed, your household will be blessed, your friends will be blessed just because of your obedience. You will see why Potiphar’s house was blessed when Joseph was around. What is your response to Jesus Christ today?

   6.       Simon recognized who he was when he encountered Jesus Christ Lk 8

Some of us are carried away by what God does in our lives that we forget who we are before God. Simon’s response was submission. He fell on his knees and said “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man”. True conversion comes with recognition that we are sinners. You can now understand why Simon Peter became so influential in kingdom business. He confessed that he was a sinner before Christ. That helped him to take off.

   7.       When you recognize your sinful nature and repent then seek to obey God’s commands Lk 5:10-11

Jesus told Simon not to be afraid. I don’t think Simon was afraid of Jesus, but he was afraid of his sins. He knew he was nothing before the master, something to be thrown into fire. Jesus said “Do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching men”.  When they brought their boats to the land, they left everything and followed Jesus. What is that thing that you are still holding unto?

                You tell us that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and savior. But you are still doing those things you use to do. You have not abandon your old life, but Simon, James and John did it out of total obedience. Their profession or business was not a hindrance for obedience.

                Have you been catching men? If you go to heaven today will God say there are souls attached to you? That there are people who have been saved because you brought them to Christ? Matthew 28:18-20 tells the great command Jesus gave to those who are his followers. “… Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations…” He is not saying that you may go or If you like go. It is a command and the mission Christ has given us. All who say they are Christians. Have you been making disciples for Jesus? If you have not been carrying the gospel to the lost souls, then you are disobedient. It is high time you repent from your disobedience and seek to totally obey God from now on.

                Pray and ask God to forgive you from your disobedience.