Today, God is looking for men and
women who will forget themselves, their needs and desires and go after His own
need and watch Him bring their needs to pass. The main thrust of the kingdom is
still “go ye into all the nations and preach the gospel.” The great
commission has not changed.
The only reason you’re on earth
after you got saved is so that through you many more will come to Him and know
Him. There are people who have never heard the name of Jesus, meanwhile, satan
is doing a quick job of sending men to hell, but God wants men in the field and
all He’s asking is that you reach out and tell someone that Jesus is alive and
died because of him/her. It is not about you coming to church, but you are in church
to get equipped in order for you to live, as God wants you to and become an
example to your world. The church is not for God to meet your needs, they've been met already.
If you are not bringing men to
the kingdom, you’re wasting away and living a wasted life. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you: and ye shall be witnesses…” (Acts
1:8) The reason for the Holy Ghost is not just for speaking in tongues or
for causing commotion in the camp of the enemy. Yes! He does all of that, but
it is to give us boldness, to energize us to become witnesses?
Who is a witness? A witness is one who produces proof. It is one
who gives evidence that Jesus is alive. The value of your life is your kingdom
worth; the value upon your life is how much you can forget yourself and go out
and reach somebody by first getting the person saved and then come into the
knowledge of the truth of God’s word.
How many of you have really
suffered anything for the word of God? (See Paul’s account in 2 Cor.11:23-26, read book on The Heavenly Man). You have not yet
resisted unto blood. (Heb.12:4)
Anyway, God is not even calling you to suffer and shed your blood; all He’s
asking is that, you should forget yourself and talk about Him.
The major reason we’re not
reaching out is SELF. It isn’t as if
you planned it but the cares of this world, the normal challenges of the everyday
life has distracted you from the main reason you are alive. Paul declared, “For
me to live is Christ to die is gain.” But for most of us, it is, “for
me to live is me, so that all the goodness of God will be seen in my life.”
Matt 6:19 says you’re to “take
no thought…” but rather “seek ye first the kingdom of God…” Every excuse we
give is centered on Me, Myself and I. (See the account in Matt.22:1-5). Self has to die. The reason God wants us comfortable
is so that we can think more of Him and about His business.
The sign that you are wise is
that you’re turning many to righteousness. That’s wisdom, that’s the way to
shine (Dan.12:3) and it may just
start with you encouraging somebody. The Philippian church was in deep poverty
but they gave.
Sometimes also, we may be feeling
as if we've not measured up to the stature of Christ and you know satan is the
accuser of the brethren, he’ll come and tell you that you’re not good enough to
talk/preach the gospel, but the ministry of reconciliation is not about SELF. It isn't about doing things at
your convenience but there is a sacrifice you must make to obey God, discipline
yourself in the faith so you can rise up and talk when you have to talk.
Paul declared, “I put my body under…” 1 Cor.9:27. There’s a discipline of
your faith as a believer. You must make up your mind to follow God. There’s no
higher calling than to do the reason for which He came to die. Paul pressed, we
also must press.
Hebrews 12:1-3 admonishes that you should lay aside every weight,
everything that will stop you on the track. The race is for the kingdom and you
are to carry along everyone you meet on the way. It is not how much you have in
your bank account, or how much clothes you have, but it is in how many are
coming into the kingdom. Whatever is a weight should be put aside and seek ye
first the kingdom; seek the kingdom way of doing things, the establishment of
the kingdom, the purpose of the kingdom etc. Do not allow SELF to become a
hindrance to preaching the word.
Philemon 6 says, “I pray that
you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding
of every good thing we have in Christ.” (NIV)
The knowing and understanding and the experience of all that is in Christ is in sharing your faith.
