This morning, we’re continuing to learn about God’s will for our lives.
So far, we’ve learned about how so often it is the little things that God is looking for us to be faithful in. As we obediently and faithfully do the little things that He leads us to do, He does the be miracles through them!
We also learned how we are the executors of His will; acting as ambassadors on His behalf. God chooses to literally work in and through our lives by His empowering grace through His Holy Spirit within. After Jesus died and was resurrected, He was given all power and all authority over all things.
Now, as we build our relationship with Him, He entrusts us with that power and authority and gives us whatever we ask just as He did for Elisha and Joshua that we learned about last week.
We are called to obey.
Jesus is calling us beyond just obedience.
We are called to serve.
Jesus is calling us beyond mere servanthood.
We are adopted as children.
Jesus is calling us beyond even being sons and daughters.
Jesus is calling us to be friends.
He wants us not just to do what He says, but to understand His thoughts and His heart and His purpose behind why we do what we do. This will keep the motives behind what we do pure and holy and godly.
Jesus said:
John 15:15
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
During His time on earth, Jesus sent out His twelve disciples into the towns ahead of Him.
Matthew 10:1;7-8
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
What did they do in response to Jesus’ instructions?
Mark 6:12-13
12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
After the resurrection, He again appeared to His disciples and said:
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Mark 16:15-20
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
This great commission still applies to all who believe in Jesus and choose to be His disciples today. They are His instructions to us as well. What are we doing in response to His instructions?
We have been so richly blessed! All that Jesus asks of us is to freely give to others what He has freely given to us.
Ephesians 1:3-14
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.
Chosen before the creation of the world.
Blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
Destined as a legal child of God adopted by Him.
Freely given glorious grace.
Forgiven and redeemed by His blood.
Lavished with the riches of grace.
Given all wisdom and understanding.
The mystery of His will revealed and made known to us.
Marked and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Everything worked together in conformity with the purpose of His will.
How awesome is our God who does these things for us?!?
It was enough that He lived a sinless life, paid the price for sin, and then freely offers us salvation.
Then, our merciful and gracious God goes above and beyond as He always does!
How and why would we hold anything back from Him?
He held nothing back for our sake!
What is His will for us?
What did Jesus first ask of His disciples?
What was His invitation to them?
“Follow me!”
This invitation still remains to us!
John 12:26
Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.
My Father will honor the one who serves me.
That where I am there you may also be.
Following Jesus into the lives of the broken to release wholeness.
Following Jesus into the lives of the bound to release freedom.
Following Jesus into the lives of the grieving to release comfort.
Following Jesus into the lives of the sick to release healing.
Following Jesus into the lives of the discouraged to release hope.
Following Jesus and His example which He lived for us.
We don’t have to go very far, either. The lost are all around us because Jesus has intentionally placed them in our lives and connected us to them.
This may all sound like a task too grand for us because it absolutely is. That is because it is not for us to do, but for Jesus to do through us. We simply position ourselves by faith and trust God to do what He has promised to do. Jesus ended the great commission by reminding us that He is with us even to the end of the age.
The Lord reminded His people through Moses even under the Old Covenant that:
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
11 Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. 12 It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?” 14 No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
We can do this! We can follow Jesus’ example in seeking and saving the lost and allowing the love and power of God to flow through us by the Holy Spirit! God is simply looking for the willing. He is searching for a people living in humble surrender to Him.
We have boldness and confidence, but it is not in ourselves at all, but in Christ. It’s not about us, but about those who Jesus is reaching through us. We’re not building up a reputation or resume or looking for titles or positions.
We’re simply in awe of what Jesus has done for us. We’ve tasted and seen how good God truly is and desire more of His Presence. We want to see His Kingdom come and His will be done because we have found nothing better.
Paul wrote and said:
2 Corinthians 2:17 through 3:1-6
17 Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
It is so easy for us to get caught up in our own lives and to miss out on the more significant purpose that we possess. We make an impact on the lives of our friends, our families, our peers, and our community; whomever we spend time with.
We have the very Presence of God dwelling within us for whom nothing is too hard for. The same Spirit that rose Jesus’ dead body from the grave lives in us! We don’t just have hope, we have access to a living hope in Christ!
No matter how dire the circumstances, no matter how bad things may seem, God is able! He alone can work miracles as we surrender our lives and our circumstances into His hands. He alone is able to work all things together for good; all things together into conformity with His purposes and His will for us.
The invitation is open to all the living. Jesus is calling out and reaching out inviting us into an abundance of life! He is able to forgive and heal and restore and reconcile anything and everything to Himself IF we let Him.
Will we follow Him?
The Bible begins in a garden where mankind sinned against God eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil where they are banned from eating of the tree of life. It then ends in a garden where we can finally eat from that tree and live forevermore free from sin! The Bible ends with an open invitation.
Jesus says:
Revelation 22:12-17
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you all this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
Jesus is calling us to come to Him. Will we follow?