So let's say that you believe that God saved and "called" you for a higher purpose. We like to call it the "Great Commission" it is found in Matthew 28:16-20. But if you are not familar with it yet, just click on the link I provided and it will take you there. So now what? You are called to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded you.
Reading the Bible...you can be encouraged and really feel good bout being called. It's a great feeling!!! Let's get to it! Tell everyone we can. Shout it from the rooftops, until everyone knows how amazing Jesus is!!!
Powerful isn't it!!!
Now...let's get real....
So your first assignment might be to believe in yourself and your ability...but you have all this "past baggage" that follows you around that tells you that you are worthless. You are a hypocrite. You can't teach, you can't possibly believe that who you used to be can be a witness to anyone, they'd never believe you or listen to you, and why should they? Who are you to tell them anything?
Next, friends start dropping off left and right. You've just taken this "Jesus" thing much too far. You are a freak, a holy roller, a Bible thumper, a hypocrite. You don't drink, don't smoke, don't swear, you don't go to the bars or clubs anymore, you just are not fun. Matter of fact, you are a fun hater and a joy killer!
Further, you come across a couple that is having marital problems. You speak into their lives, and nothing happens. They begin to have affairs with other people, you share with them that it is wrong, that they are hurting themselves and their family. They scoff at you, and spite you for meddling in their lives.
You are led to pray for someone who is dying of Cancer. They get sicker and die. Your prayers didn't appear to help anything. Matter of fact most of the rest of the family now hates you because you provided false hope to them!
You encounter a homosexual couple who have just heard that the law passed that they can now be married. Because you truly love these individuals, you as loving as you can, try to explain the Bible's views on the matter. You share that if homosexuality was about "love" it would not be sin, it's the "sexual nature", as it is with porn, adultery, sex before marriage, molestation, incest, it's about the sexual content, not the love... and they are not synonymous. You are exploded with rainbows and hate mail, about how hateful and spiteful you are that you would say such terrible things! Christians are hypocrites and haters!
Let's not mention, that you caught someone in church lying and you felt the need to confront them. It made it really uncomfortable and all of a sudden you were the yeast of the church and being cast out for Satan to sift because how dare you make trouble or say something against one of your brothers in sisters in Christ? You are doing what they call dissension in the church! You should be cast out, ignored, and shunned!
Or, about the battles we have around the "Bible Study" table because we have more "types" of religious choices and doctrines than we have nationalities. We can choose whatever man made path we want to take, and it blurs the true gospel of Christ. We begin arguing our points and battling in the walls of the church to create even more division and perhaps just one more religious doctrine if we are lucky that might actually fit "our" belief system.
So why would we want to possibly be called to this "Great Commission". What is so great about it? It sure doesn't seem like a great amazing life, it sure doesn't seem like an easy beautiful amazing miracle. It doesn't seem like we were "saved" it feels more like a prison sentence!
Because God....
You know that baggage that you used to carry around with you? At some point, you trusted that God could carry it for you. You let it go, and now you are walking in freedom. You no longer feel guilty for the things you did in the past. Although you know the things were wrong, you have asked for forgiveness, you are not doing it any longer and you've been forgiven.
You know those friends that walked away. One by one, they all realize that when the time came "Jesus" was the only one they could turn to for the issue that arose, and you were the only one that came to mind that they knew that they believe "really knew" him (Jesus). They've seen the things you've walked through and they need a little help with prayer. Their prayer was answered in a way that only they would understand and now they know that you are not crazy...they even picked a favorite scripture.
You know that couple that were having affairs? They now know Jesus as their Savior. They have 3 kids and they are all now praying at the supper table. Praying for their children. Their children are not into drugs, they are into loving people. They are touching other people that are going through marital issues. They are modeling a Christ marriage, and they are investing and impacting marriages everywhere they go.
That cancer patient that died? Well they had a family member that was there that needed to hear the prayers because now they are battling a sickness, but this time when they prayed God provided a healing answer instead of a "coming home" answer and you saw a miracle that increased your faith. They provided a testimony to someone else that needed prayer and now they are laying hands on people and releasing God's healing miracles everywhere they go!
That homosexual couple? They no longer hated you, they began reading the Bible together, believing the word of God, they began to find love in deeper places, they were released of any condemnation from hateful comments, they were thrown into a deeper relationship with each other. They did not have to break their relationship, it just "changed". They were able to speak into lives all over and release the true promise of the rainbow. They lived in freedom.
Those church conflicts? Did you know that iron sharpens iron? Did you know that they learned how to "discuss" hard topics. They learned to not lean on their own understanding, but instead to "seek the word of God". They didn't have to be right. God did.
I've seen it With my own two eyes. I've seen God time after time, take a nasty dirty situation. Add a willing vessel like you or me. Throw them into a fiery furnace. Stand beside them through it all and watched them walk out refined and stronger than ever with all their chains removed.
That's what is so good about this "Great Commission". God does it for anyone who asks...and "no one" that receives.... ever gets left behind.
I, personally, think it's worth it.
Reading the Bible...you can be encouraged and really feel good bout being called. It's a great feeling!!! Let's get to it! Tell everyone we can. Shout it from the rooftops, until everyone knows how amazing Jesus is!!!
Powerful isn't it!!!
Now...let's get real....
So your first assignment might be to believe in yourself and your ability...but you have all this "past baggage" that follows you around that tells you that you are worthless. You are a hypocrite. You can't teach, you can't possibly believe that who you used to be can be a witness to anyone, they'd never believe you or listen to you, and why should they? Who are you to tell them anything?
Next, friends start dropping off left and right. You've just taken this "Jesus" thing much too far. You are a freak, a holy roller, a Bible thumper, a hypocrite. You don't drink, don't smoke, don't swear, you don't go to the bars or clubs anymore, you just are not fun. Matter of fact, you are a fun hater and a joy killer!
Further, you come across a couple that is having marital problems. You speak into their lives, and nothing happens. They begin to have affairs with other people, you share with them that it is wrong, that they are hurting themselves and their family. They scoff at you, and spite you for meddling in their lives.
You are led to pray for someone who is dying of Cancer. They get sicker and die. Your prayers didn't appear to help anything. Matter of fact most of the rest of the family now hates you because you provided false hope to them!
You encounter a homosexual couple who have just heard that the law passed that they can now be married. Because you truly love these individuals, you as loving as you can, try to explain the Bible's views on the matter. You share that if homosexuality was about "love" it would not be sin, it's the "sexual nature", as it is with porn, adultery, sex before marriage, molestation, incest, it's about the sexual content, not the love... and they are not synonymous. You are exploded with rainbows and hate mail, about how hateful and spiteful you are that you would say such terrible things! Christians are hypocrites and haters!
Let's not mention, that you caught someone in church lying and you felt the need to confront them. It made it really uncomfortable and all of a sudden you were the yeast of the church and being cast out for Satan to sift because how dare you make trouble or say something against one of your brothers in sisters in Christ? You are doing what they call dissension in the church! You should be cast out, ignored, and shunned!
Or, about the battles we have around the "Bible Study" table because we have more "types" of religious choices and doctrines than we have nationalities. We can choose whatever man made path we want to take, and it blurs the true gospel of Christ. We begin arguing our points and battling in the walls of the church to create even more division and perhaps just one more religious doctrine if we are lucky that might actually fit "our" belief system.
So why would we want to possibly be called to this "Great Commission". What is so great about it? It sure doesn't seem like a great amazing life, it sure doesn't seem like an easy beautiful amazing miracle. It doesn't seem like we were "saved" it feels more like a prison sentence!
Because God....
You know that baggage that you used to carry around with you? At some point, you trusted that God could carry it for you. You let it go, and now you are walking in freedom. You no longer feel guilty for the things you did in the past. Although you know the things were wrong, you have asked for forgiveness, you are not doing it any longer and you've been forgiven.
You know those friends that walked away. One by one, they all realize that when the time came "Jesus" was the only one they could turn to for the issue that arose, and you were the only one that came to mind that they knew that they believe "really knew" him (Jesus). They've seen the things you've walked through and they need a little help with prayer. Their prayer was answered in a way that only they would understand and now they know that you are not crazy...they even picked a favorite scripture.
You know that couple that were having affairs? They now know Jesus as their Savior. They have 3 kids and they are all now praying at the supper table. Praying for their children. Their children are not into drugs, they are into loving people. They are touching other people that are going through marital issues. They are modeling a Christ marriage, and they are investing and impacting marriages everywhere they go.
That cancer patient that died? Well they had a family member that was there that needed to hear the prayers because now they are battling a sickness, but this time when they prayed God provided a healing answer instead of a "coming home" answer and you saw a miracle that increased your faith. They provided a testimony to someone else that needed prayer and now they are laying hands on people and releasing God's healing miracles everywhere they go!
That homosexual couple? They no longer hated you, they began reading the Bible together, believing the word of God, they began to find love in deeper places, they were released of any condemnation from hateful comments, they were thrown into a deeper relationship with each other. They did not have to break their relationship, it just "changed". They were able to speak into lives all over and release the true promise of the rainbow. They lived in freedom.
Those church conflicts? Did you know that iron sharpens iron? Did you know that they learned how to "discuss" hard topics. They learned to not lean on their own understanding, but instead to "seek the word of God". They didn't have to be right. God did.
I've seen it With my own two eyes. I've seen God time after time, take a nasty dirty situation. Add a willing vessel like you or me. Throw them into a fiery furnace. Stand beside them through it all and watched them walk out refined and stronger than ever with all their chains removed.
That's what is so good about this "Great Commission". God does it for anyone who asks...and "no one" that receives.... ever gets left behind.
I, personally, think it's worth it.
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