Will you obey and do your mission? Matthew 28:16-20

When I look at our text, I find an assignment from our Lord to his followers. Jesus commissioned the disciples to

a)       preach Jesus in order to make disciples for Jesus

b)      preach the gospel of His death for our sins and resurrection for our hope that we may be saved

c)       immerse disciples in water

d)      teach the word of Jesus to immersed disciples.

1.      What is mission?

It’s an important assignment given to a person or group of people, typically involving traveling. Do we have a mission?

Yes. Because God has a mission to restore the world. God created man for a purpose. He created the world for a purpose. FOR HIS GLORY. (Isaiah 43:7)

Sin has caused man not to fulfil God’s purpose. Ro 3:23 “…come short of God’s glory”.

Through Christ god has brought restoration to man. Restoration to His purpose ie glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.

Those who’ve experienced restoration have been given a command to take on God’s mission to bring others to Christ through the gospel.

2.      How do we do missions?

    a)       Firstly; Be in Christ. Don’t just do but be in Christ.

                                                               i.      Spend time with God. In meditation, prayer, bible reading and silence. Learn to hear His voice (John 10:17)

                                                             ii.      Obey to keep your relationship with God.(James 4:4-10)

                                                           iii.      Be quick to repent when you fall (James 5:13-16). Do not pretend to be perfect, be transparent before God. Allow Him to help you out.

   b)      Secondly; Find your role in missions.

Everybody has a role as a Christian. You either obey and take your role or you’re disobedient. All believers have to be involved in kingdom advancement; because the end will come only when the gospel is preached throughout the whole world as a testimony (Matt 24:14)

The question you should ask “How do I get involved?” You are either a goer or a sender. The goer and sender share in God’s blessing together (1Sam 30:24)

i)                    The missionary or goer

    -      He leaves his culture and goes to other cultures to share the gospel

    -          His burden is to see people reach with the gospel (reaching the unreach for Christ)

    -          He’s gifted by God to adapt to new situations and cultures and learn new languages

    -          Have a passion to see God’s name glorified where it’s not.

ii)                  Senders

Unless there are senders, there’ll be no goers (Ro 10:15) Behind a missionary there are people who pray and support him. The sender is intentional and lives a simple lifestyle to release more resources for missions.

3.      Question: Are you a reluctant disciple?

Jesus’ disciples have a mission to evangelise. Israel was a strategic place to start world evangelism to a monotheistic God. Many traders and travellers were passing through Palestine for the sake of business. Instead of using this as open door they were transformed to man-made gods. Solomon began his fall into material prosperity and signed contracts (married foreign women) for the sake of money. These are some 3 points which will help you evaluate yourself.

    1.       God is not willing that any should perish (2 Pt 3:9)

But many Christians today are like Jonah who do not obey the command to go (Jonah 1:2). It was hard for Jonah to believe that “God so loved” the Ninevites as He loved Israel (John 3:16). God is sending you and I to the unreach. God is asking us to

     -          Make disciples of all nations (tribes and cultures) (mtt 28:19)

     -          Preach the gospel to every creature (mk 16:15)

     -          Preach the word (2Tim 4:2)

     -          Go your way. Behold I send you out as Lambs among wolves (Lk 10:3). And he reassures us;

     -          These things I want you to affirm confidently so that those who have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works (Ti 3:8)

    2.       Running from our responsibility

Jonah was running to Tarshish (Jh1:3). Why will someone who knows the true God run away from such an opportunity? He knew they’ll repent (Jh 4:2). Jonah had an ethnocentric racism. Are you like Jonah?

    3.       Are you looking for opportunities?

Illustration: Shoe salesmen sent to a very poor country and their reports were opposing. One sees an open door for business since the people do not wear shoes, while the other sees a closed door for business because the people do not wear shoes (surely thinking that they will never wear shoes).

    a)       Be sensitive to open doors

See Paul in 2Cor 2:12 “Now when I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, and a door was opened to me by the Lord…” we have open doors in buses, in offices, at work site, chantiers etc. Use them! Note that it is Satans work to war against our discovery of open doors. It’s God who open doors. 1 Cor 16:8,9 “But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries” Adversaries are indications that there’s an open door to preach the gospel.

    b)      Situations produce open doors

While in prison Paul was still praying for open doors. Col 4:3 “Also continue praying for us so that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains. Be open door minded! The love of the world has crowded the minds of many to lost souls (Mtt 6:24). Just like it says in James 4:13 some travel to make profit for themselves but disciples travel like Paul, a tentmaker to make profit for the kingdom of Jesus.

What should motivate you?

    1)      To glorify God

    2)      By Christ’s example and command

    3)      By the need: we leave in a world with over 7 billion people who are dead in their sins. Walking dead! We were ones death but we found Jesus. Should we be indifferent?

    4)      By opportunity. Paul changed his schedules in order to take advantage of the opportunities to preach the gospel. Every disciple must be sensitive to open doors.

    5)      By the zeal of Satan. Eph 6:10,11 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

    6)      Because of the results of failure. What if we fail to evangelise the world?

a.       Hell’s gates will be broken wide open. Mtt 7:13 “wide is the gate that leads to destruction.”

b.       Bad heritage to leave our children. An unevangelised world is an unbearable burden to our children we leave behind.

c.       God’s people are not seen as God’s people. Sitting tight without sending the light will never take Christ into all the world.

    7)      Because of our joy. Christians are excited about sharing Jesus. This leads us to be convicted, and our conviction leads to more conversions

Prayer:

-          For one another to take their responsibilities

-          to preach the gospel

-          For God to open doors for them

-          That they’ll keep to God’s word and study his word

-          That Satan will not thwart their open doors

-          That they’ll be sensitive to open doors and ready to give for missions

-          For obedience to the command of our Lord

-          That they’ll receive the joy of soul winning

-          Pray against ethnocentric racism amongst those who call themselves Christians

-          Pray for the spirit of meditation and to here God’s voice

-          Pray that our church will be mission minded not in words but in deeds

-          Pray for the church project and good stewardship

-          Pray for the leadership of the church.

Amen

NHN

WHO RULE’S THE EARTH ? Daniel 7 :13-14

In the seventh chapter of Daniel we see a parallel with his vision in chapter two. The head of gold and the lion refers to Babylon. The silver and Bear refers to Medo-Persia. The Brass and leopard refers to Greece. The iron and clay feet in chapter two refers to Rome just as the dreadful and terrible beast in chapter seven. All of these kingdoms were destroyed. There rulers were all destroyed and their thrones destroyed. Their authorities were all gone. The question to who rule’s the earth may be very simple; we would ask who rules the universe? This is still very limited to the One we are talking of. Because He has been given authority in heaven as well.

Let’s read our text again “ I continued watching in the night visions, and I saw One like a son of man
coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was escorted before Him. He was given authority to rule, and glory, and a kingdom; so that those of every people, nation, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed.”

Daniel is placed in heaven to give us a picture of what will happen when the son of man ascended to the right hand of the Father in heavenly places. “The son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days”. And Acts 1:9-10 speaks of Jesus being taken in a cloud to heaven. So Daniel was giving a prophecy of the ascension of Jesus in the text.

    1.       All peoples and languages should serve Him

The text does not say all peoples would serve Him. It is subjunctive. The son of man would have a universal sovereignty, though not all in that sovereignty would be obedient subjects. We still have disobedient subjects today. Regardless of the disobedience of some people on earth, Jesus is still sovereign. The church is just a part of the universal kingdom of Jesus. All nations and languages are part of this kingdom reign.

   2.       For the benefit of Christians who are the church

Ephesians 1:20-22 “He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens — far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church”

Jesus is far above all principality, above all rulers or personalities, above powers and dominion. This is what ascension means. That Jesus is ruling from heaven over all. Paul adds that “to or for the church”. Jesus is head over all things for the sake of the church. As Christians, we should be encouraged that the reign of Jesus is for the sake of the church; for the benefit of Christians who are the church. What a glorious gift from the bridegroom to the bride!

If Jesus and His authority is above all things and we are seated in heavenly places with him (Eph 2:6) then we should rejoice that we in Christ have authority over principalities, powers and dominion. What is making you so afraid when you are with the king? Is it a virus? Job? Sickness? Witches? What should frighten you my friend? Rethink again and stand up like a kingdom citizen.

   3.       For the glory of God, the Father

Philippians 2:9-11 “For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow —of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth —and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The sovereign rule of Jesus is for the benefit of Christians and most importantly for the glory of God the Father. Jesus’ authority (name) is above every authority. Above those in the material world (“those on earth”). His rule is over all angels in heaven (“those in heaven”) and over Satan and demons (“those under the earth”)

Jesus’ present sovereign rule is beyond the church. Philippians 2:9-11 is not talking of something that is in the future. Paul is talking of something that is present. After Jesus’ final coming the earth and Satan with his demons will be eternally destroyed (Mt 25:41). Just like in Daniel 7, Philippians 2 says every tongue should confess Jesus. However, all are not submissive today. Whether they submit or not Jesus is still their king and they will one day submit. Unfortunately, it will be too late for their redemption.

Hebrews 2:8 says we do not see everything under Jesus now. At this time it may seem that things are out of control in regards to kingdom reign of Jesus. But when He comes again, it will be clearly manifested when He brings judgment upon all who have opposed Him.

His kingdom is everlasting. It is sure and steadfast and would not pass away like the kingdoms of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. Jesus’ kingdom originates from heaven. No power on earth can influence this kingdom. My friend, are you living a kingdom life or you are one of those disobedient subjects under the kingdom reign of Jesus? Reconsider your ways before it becomes too late. You still have the time to get on your knees and confess Jesus Christ as your Lord, saviour and king.

Shalom NHN