141005 Sharing in Grace

Philippians 1:3-7  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶ And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Paul is thinking of the partnership he has with the Philippian believers. He is sure that God will finish what He has started in their lives. And he rejoices in the Philippians’ involvement with him in the gospel. In the book of Ecclesiastes there is a verse that is often used in regard to marriage. It goes like this: And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken. This truth applies to all our endeavors. We need someone to stand beside us in our efforts and then God is the third cord making it not easily broken.

Everything we do should be based on our faith relationship with God. I’m not saying everything should be church related I am saying that everything is spiritual -- no matter how simple it is. This introductory passage to the Philippians is reflected in several other of Paul’s books. He often begins with a prayer that shows his concern for the church he is writing to. We need to remember that our God is concerned about all areas of our life and that…

God is faithful. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1:4-9. This passage is Paul’s prayer for the Corinthians. Listen while I read. I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵ that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— ⁶ even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— ⁷ so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁸ who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We need to remember that the God we serve will sustain us and care for us. The apostle Paul himself is an illustration of how faithful God is. His own account of what he had gone through in serving Christ is found in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27. He said that he was whipped five times with thirty-nine lashes and beaten with rods on three different occasions. He was shipwrecked three times and lived his life in constant danger. And yet in the midst of it all, knowing that God is faithful, he can say without question that he could do all things through Christ who gives him the strength. He was able to accept poverty or plenty; health or illness; acceptance or rejection; hard labor or rest. He could do all these things because he knew without a doubt that the God who had called him into the fellowship of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, would meet all his needs according to His riches. But what do we do when it seems that we are facing more than we can bear?

Now let’s turn to chapter 10 verse 13.  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

No matter how hard our trials and temptations might be they are not unique to ourselves. All of us face common temptations. They are not necessarily the kind of testing that Paul had gone through they are just day-to-day irritations. Such temptations are sometimes harder to endure than the big challenge to deny the Lord. We are tempted to forget whose we are. We are tempted to trust ourselves rather than God. Remember, God will always provide a way of escape with the temptation. Nothing we encounter is a surprise to our God. He knew it was going to happen and he already had a plan ready for us to escape it. Look for that escape hatch, it will always be there! The God we serve is faithful and he has called us into a fellowship with Himself. Giving us salvation also gives us…

Partners in grace. Turn with me to Ephesians 2:8-10. Grace is the basis of our salvation and the continuing source of our growth in Christ. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Those of you who have listened to me for very long know that this is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. It is God’s grace that saves us through the faith that He gives us. It is all of God and none of us. Our coming to salvation has nothing to do with any works of righteousness on our part! Faith is not something we decide to have — it is a gift of God. And since it is of grace, it is a gift we do not deserve.

When God begins to move in a person’s life He begins to plant seeds of faith. In the beginning they are just tiny simple thoughts, or feelings, that grow into trees of righteousness. Our salvation by grace through faith is part of the evidence that God is faithful.

God not only saves us by grace He puts us into a local fellowship of grace. We are part of a local church filled with people that have been brought to salvation in the same manner. This church is a tiny part of the worldwide fellowship of grace that is the Christian Church. Yes, God is faithful who puts us into a partnership of grace. Paul was grateful to the church at Philippi because they were not only partners in grace they were also his…

Partners in prison. As we look further into the book of Philippians we find a part of Paul’s testimony to their partnership. Turn with me to Philippians 4:14-15 Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. ¹⁵ And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.

When Paul left Philippi they continued to provide financial support for him. No other church was so loving and kind. Now that Paul was in prison the Philippians continued to support him financially. They were his partners in prison! There is a need today for many similar partnerships. Across the world we live in there are many Christians who are imprisoned for their faith. Perhaps the most prominent is Pastor Saeed in Iran. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and is now past his second year. He is slowly being beaten to death by his captors. He is suffering from internal bleeding. Recently, he was taken to a hospital that turned him away refusing to treat him. He said that he was taken back to the prison and beaten again. Yet, he is only one of many. All across the Muslim world there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Christians being held in prison, or worse. We cannot know all of them but God does and we need to pray for them.

In Nigeria hundreds of homes have been destroyed by Islamic radicals in an attempt to force Christians out of their area. The list goes on, and on, and on.

We need to be partners in prison and…

Partners in the gospel. Turn with me to Romans 1:11-17. The letter to the Romans was written quite a while before Paul was able to visit there. See what he says to them. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— ¹² that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. ¹³ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁴ I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. ¹⁵ So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. ¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

When Paul wrote this letter that we are studying he was imprisoned in Rome. It may be that he was in his final imprisonment and that he only left that prison by being beheaded. But we do have a record of Paul’s intentions when he came to Rome. Paul had written to Rome some two or three years before he was taken there in chains. I am sure Paul had planned to travel through there on his way to Spain. His desire was to give them spiritual strength and to encourage them in their faith. He could not have known at that time that he would be arrested and imprisoned. Paul wanted to be sure that everyone in Rome — and across the Roman Empire – would have the opportunity to put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ! He was eager to preach the gospel there! He didn’t realize at the time he wrote the book of Romans that he would be transported to Rome by the government. He could go on God’s journey with the devil paying the bill.

Paul was not ashamed of the gospel! He had found throughout his life that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for salvation for everyone.

When the Philippian church assisted Paul by sending him financial support they were partnering with him in getting the gospel into the capital city of the Roman Empire.

We should be grateful to God that our church has had the opportunity to share the gospel all over the world through our missions giving. Aside from the money we give to The Baptist Convention New York and the Central New York Baptist Association, we provide monthly support to the Bendlins in Italy, to Zim Kids in Zimbabwe, and at home, to the Maryland Baptist Church as well as Peter Eklund, and his campus ministry in Oneonta. We have also from time to time supported other mission endeavors. Throughout the year we promote Operation Christmas Child which helps to open the door to the gospel around the world.

With the support of the Philippian church Paul was able to maintain himself in Rome. Listen while I read Acts 28:30-31. He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, ³¹ proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

It seems strange to say that Paul was preaching the gospel without hindrance while he was in chains. Yes, he was under physical restraint but part of that condition was that he was chained to a Roman soldier who was part of the household of Caesar. As a Roman citizen Paul had appealed his case to the highest court — Caesar himself! Now, he was an ambassador in chains. Yet at the same time he was able to have visitors who heard him talk about the kingdom of God and teach about the Lord Jesus Christ. All the while a Roman soldier was hearing the old, old story again and again! The result of that was that, when he wrote to the Philippians, part of his closing statement was, “All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.” Those Roman soldiers were coming to faith in Christ while being a part of Caesar’s personal bodyguard.

The Philippian church, located in one of the poorest provinces of the Roman Empire, was able to have a missionary outreach into the throne room of Nero. God is faithful all the time and never lets us face anything that he is not prepared for.

Philippians is a challenge to every individual church. Every church should be a body of believers that recognize continually that God is faithful. Every church should recognize, and teach, that the Bible reveals to us that we have received from Christ grace upon grace. The Christian life is being saved by grace and grown to maturity by grace. Each church should be concerned for those in prison, especially those who are there because of their faith. And, every church should be partnering with many Christian ministries that proclaim the gospel around the world. I pray that the gospel has entered your heart and brought you to salvation and security in Christ.

All scripture quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Those Who Love God 120715

Romans 8:28-30, And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:28 is one of the most abused passages of Scripture. It's often used by people to say things like: "It will all come out in the wash" or, "Doesn't the Bible say everything works out for good?" No where does the Bible say that everything, for everybody, works out for good. The translators of the English standard version changed the order of the words to make an emphasis. Where the King James version says, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." The ESV says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." The difference in word order is important. The ESV helps us to see that "all things work together for good for those who love God — for those who are called according to his purpose."

You see, emphasis is not on "all things", the emphasis is on "those who love God". Now we need to remember that love is not a feeling it is an action. Or rather it's a series of actions each one confirming the other. To say "I love you" without lifing out "I love you" shows that you do not know the meaning of the words. God so loved the world doesn't mean much until there is added to it "that he sent his only son" to save the world. Some people will turn away from the idea of loving God because of the twisted understanding they have of the word "love". Nevertheless, God's word says, "And we know that for those who…". The world is divided between God lovers and God haters.

Those who love God.

The great divide. Let's read Ephesians 4:17-18, Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. The Greek word translated here as "Gentiles" could just as easily be translated "nations" or, "the human race". Christians are separated from the world by their faith in Jesus Christ. That faith can, and often does, result in rejection by the world. Recently, a pastor in Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced to sixty days in jail and a $1210 fine. For seven years he had hosted a Bible study at first in his home. When it outgrew his home he built a game room on the property and the Bible study begin to meet there. The government authorities determined that what he had was a church and therefore involved dozens of code violations. The Pastor's response was his meeting was no different than a group of friends coming together to play poker or watch football.

I have often joked that we think persecution is the code enforcement people not letting us break the law. This case is no joke! This man has had to pay a hefty fine and is now sitting in the Maricopa County jail, unless he has been released in the last few days. And that is not a fun place. I have no doubt that there are code violations, if the building is really a church, but at the same time there appear to be similar buildings being used for all sorts of recreation in the area. The problem is a lack of evenhandedness just because the use of the building involved Bible study.

We need to remember…

Trials come — look at Job! If you want to follow in your Bible turn to the book of Job. Most of you know the story of Job. He was caught up in a great contest between God and Satan. After he lost his property, and his family, he responded, Job 1:20-21, Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Then, he lost his health and the loving support of his wife. Read 2:9-10, Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Later, after much suffering and struggle Job answered his tormentors 13:15, Though he slay me, I will hope in him. That's love! That's trust! Job didn't feel very loving. I'm sure that all he felt involved grief and pain. But he could still say that he would rather hope in the God of heaven than turn away and follow his grief. Further on Job made one of the most profound theological statements in the Old Testament. He probably did not have any written Bible. In the context of the story I believe it happened long before Abraham, the father of faith. But Job knew God and could speak with confidence 19:25-27, For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! And the rest of the story illustrates Romans 8:28. God allowed one who loved him to suffer for no apparent reason. God allowed it to happen because he had a greater purpose than Job's comfort. And when it was over God restored his fortunes and honored his prayers. Job loved God and was loved by him in return.

According to John, in his first little letter, we love God because…

He first loved us. Read with me 1 John 4:18-19, There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

There's a praise song we sing that goes like this:

Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide
I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
I will find my strength
In the shadow of your wings

That's an expression of love and trust in the living God reflecting his love back to him.

But does God really work good in…

All things? I believe he does.

He uses good things. Read with me Romans 5:2, Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God! We have obtained access into his grace and we enjoy it! That's a good thing and God uses it to help us to grow up to his image reflected in Christ. But God also uses…

Bad things. Look at the next three verses Romans 5:3-5, More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Suffering may be physical or mental/emotional. God always has a plan that includes our suffering and he has a purpose in allowing it. William Cowper was a great hymn writer. He wrote thousands of poems and hymns. Two of them are found in our hymn book more than two hundred years after they were written. One we sing often, "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood". The other is less well known and we've never sung it. It is entitled, "O for a Closer Walk with God" And is hymn numbered 471. The second verse reads like this, "Where is the blessedness I knew when first I saw the Lord? Where is the soul refreshing view of Jesus and his word? The last verse shows his love for and trust in God. It reads like this, So shall my walk be close with God, calm and serene my frame; so purer light shall mark the road that leads me to the lamb. Cowper could trust in the God he loved and know, without a doubt, though he suffered much mental anguish he would still be brought through to the glory of God.

Another sufferer was Adoniram Judson who served in Burma as one of the earliest missionaries. He saw the death of his first and second wives and several of his children with little obvious spiritual results. One day, obviously reflecting on the suffering he had gone through, he wrote this little poem:

In joy or sorrow, health or pain,
Our course be onward still;
We sow on Burma's barren plain,
We reap on Zion's hill.

Judson understood his calling and his God. He knew he could love God because God loved him, in fact, God is love!

In the Bible book of Habakkuk we see the prophet observing the contradiction of God using the pagan nation of Assyria, and later Babylon, to punish Israel and Judah. There was much suffering during that time and yet he could write at the end of this little book the following words, Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. Though all else fail Habakkuk would say, "yet I will rejoice in the Lord"! We need to learn to follow these examples and keep our eyes focused on the author and perfecter of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Those who love the Lord are also…

Those who are called. Romans 8:30

There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding around the concept of election or predestination. Of course, there are those who help make it worse by insisting on a hypercalvinism. I personally am not a follower of Calvin so much as I am a follower of Paul. What the Scripture sets forth plainly is that God has issued a call to mankind of a general nature and a call to some, very specifically, that will not be resisted.

There is a story told about John Leland, an evangelist from Virginia in the late 1700s. He was visiting with a local doctor who had recently become a Christian. The doctor was eager to learn more about the faith. After some conversation, the doctor told him that he should be glad to have his views on two or three points of religious doctrine. First, as to the sovereignty of God. This was with Elder Leland a favorite theme, and one in which his head and his heart had been engaged for sixty years. He proceeded, and occupied several minutes in repeating appropriate passages of Scripture, commenting upon them in a most lucid manner, until the doctor said he was entirely satisfied with those views. "Now," said he, "please let me know what you think of the free agency of man." With no less authority from Scripture, and no less potency of reason, he made this point equally satisfactory. "Now, Elder," said the doctor, — "One more solution, and I shall be entirely satisfied — will you tell me how you reconcile these two great and important truths." "Doctor," said he, "there was once a mother, who, busy with her needle, was teaching her daughter to read. The child at length came to a hard word, and asked her mother what it was. "Spell it, my child," said she, "I can't spell it." "Let me see it then." She handed her the book, and the mother, after puzzling over it for some time, returned to the child, and said, "Skip it then." Iain H. Murray, Revival and Revivalism, Banner of Truth Trust, pp 318-319

When we come to what appear to be two conflicting doctrines, that are both clear in Scripture, we may just have to "skip it" until we have better light on the situation. Both, the doctrine of election, and, the free will of man are taught in Scripture. Don't get tangled up in trying to resolve the apparent conflict. Rest in the fact that all Scripture is God breathed and is profitable for our instruction.

First of all let's look at…

The general call. Read the words of Jesus in, Luke 24:46-47, Jesus said, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. …" Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name among all nations. Repeatedly, throughout Scripture, the word says we are to proclaim the gospel to everyone, everywhere. Look at what Paul said in Romans 10:14, How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? The message must go out to everyone of every race and nation that the Savior has come. For many the response may be negative but we have no way of knowing until we proclaim it. But for some there is a positive response to the gospel that is…

An effective call. Look at the words of Jesus,John 6:44, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

In order for the call to be effective the Father has to draw that person. Nothing we do can cause a person to be drawn to God. We can plant the seeds, we can water, but God gives the increase. When Paul and Silas crossed over to Philippi, bringing the gospel for the first-time to Europe, they sought out a place of prayer. They went there on the Sabbath and finding a group of women set down and presented the gospel. Luke records the story for us, Acts 16:14, One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. Paul spoke the words God had given him. That's all he could do. Deliver the mail! It was up to God to open her heart to pay attention to what was said and, at the end of the day, she and her whole household believed and were baptized. All of these things are part of God's purpose. All things work together for good for those who are called…

According to God's purpose.

The salvation of his people. Read with me, Ephesians 1:5-10, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In Christ we have redemption through his blood. From the beginning of time God planned to send his son to be born of a woman, live a sinless life, and die on the cross for our sins. He did this with the specific purpose of uniting all things in him in heaven and on earth. Since that is true, his purpose not only includes salvation it also involves our glorification. His purpose is…

To glorify them. Jesus talked about this plan in his prayer preserved in the gospel of John. Turn with me to John 17:20-23, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.…" Jesus actually said that he had given, already, the glory that the father had given him to those who believe in him. Well, I'm not experiencing it all the time but I have to remember that my experience is not the standard, the word of God is. You see I can't work up God's glory but I can accept what God has done. Look with me at the words Paul wrote to the Philippians, Philippians 1:6, And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that my salvation does not depend on my good works. In fact the Bible is very clear that it is not by works of righteousness that I have done but according to his own mercy he saved us. You see…

It is God who does the work. Look at, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Pay attention to what this passage says. The God of peace himself will sanctify you completely. You cannot sanctify yourself — it's impossible. Only God can do that! But folks, it says right here that he is faithful and he will surely do the work of completing our salvation. The glory that Jesus gives will be revealed in us at the end of time.

God sent his son to seek and save that which is lost. There is, and always has been, a great divide among humans. Cain killed Abel simply because Able offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice. However, God had a plan and a purpose even before he created the earth. That plan was to raise up a people by his own strength to serve and follow him out of love because "God is love"! Have you come to love him? Come to him today he will not turn you away.

is

All Scripture quotes are from The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

As… Even So!

John 20:19-23 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, ‍the doors being locked where the disciples were ‍for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, ‍“Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, ‍he showed them his hands and his side. Then ‍the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As ‍the Father has sent me, ‍even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he ‍breathed on them and said to them, ‍“Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 ‍If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Jesus came and stood among them! The door was locked and yet he entered! It little matters how this happened. The door may have miraculously opened as a prison cell would later open for Peter. Or, Jesus may have just appeared in the room. After all, he is now in his glorified body. What matters is the fact that he was there at all! After all, they had seen him die! It had been reported by others that Jesus had been raised from the dead but the disciples don't seem to have believed that. Now Jesus appears to them. Only John gives us this account. Luke records a similar instance but he wasn't an eyewitness. John was there and even though he wrote many years later this event was burned into his memory. "Peace be with you" Jesus told them. Then he repeated those words and added, "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you."

Jesus, the sent One!
Jesus was sent from heaven with a particular plan in mind. This was not a last resort it was a first choice. He had always known that man, in his own strength,would fail to live up to the glory of God. We need to remember that God operates on an entirely different level from us. The plan of the ages was simply that God himself would come into the world to bear the sins of mankind. The cross was never a surprise to God. A part of the process leading to the cross was the work that Jesus did on Earth.

Jesus was sent to do the Father's will. John 5:30 records the words of Jesus when he said, “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and ‍my judgment is just, because ‍I seek not my own will ‍but the will of him who sent me,” This is a remarkable statement! To hear the creator the universe say, “I can do nothing on my own.” is absolutely amazing! In order to set a pattern for our lives he lived a life that was entirely human yet without sin. The temptations of Satan in the wilderness were attempts to get Jesus to act like God. “Turn the stones to bread” the devil said. “If you’re the Son of God”, “All these I will give you, if you fall down and worship me.” Jesus was not truly tempted in the way we might have been. He came from the Father to do the Father’s will.

Jesus was sent to reveal the Father's will. John 6:38-40 tells us “For ‍I have come down from heaven, not to do ‍my own will but ‍the will of him ‍who sent me. 39 And ‍this is the will of him who sent me, ‍that I should lose nothing of ‍all that he has given me, but ‍raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who ‍looks on the Son and ‍believes in him ‍should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” I love it when the Bible points me to the answer of a question in my life. “This is the will of him who sent me”, Jesus said. Wow, the Father’s will in Jesus’ life was, wondrously, that nothing given to him would be lost! The will of the Father is that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life! This is not a Calvinist or an Armenian doctrine, these are the words of Jesus himself. “Everyone who looks and believes will be saved!” Why would one look, except the Father reveals the Son? How can one believe except the Father enables faith? Jesus came from the Father to reveal the Father’s will.

Jesus was sent so that we could know the Father. Jesus said in John 17:3, “And this is eternal life, ‍that they know you ‍the only ‍true God, and ‍Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Many years ago a friend of mine asked me, “what is eternal life?”. I began a rather complicated answer beginning with the Father, continuing on forever, etc. and he simply asked, “What does the Bible say?” I said, “Show me” and he opened to this passage of Scripture and read it to me! Eternal life is knowing the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he sent. It’s that simple and that complicated all at once! Once we know him and receive the Son — believing on him — we have eternal life! Jesus came so that we could know the Father.

Jesus becomes the sender.
Jesus, who was sent from the Father, became the sender. He did this by a process that was predetermined before the world began. Jesus did not come into the world to study man and plot a course for correcting the problem. He already knew what to do when he came. Central to all of Jesus’ life was the process of setting an example.

Setting an example. In John 13 Jesus shows us how to minister. He had come to the end of his human life. He loved his disciples even though one of them would betray him. They came into the room where no servant was present and reclined at table without washing their feet. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, took the basin and towel and began the process of washing the feet of his disciples. This would’ve been the job of the lowest servant in the household. The disciples must’ve been embarrassed that their Master would kneal at their feet and begin to bathe off the dust. He had set an example for us to follow. No one in the kingdom is above, or too good for, the lowest job.

In a recent Undercover Boss TV show, Harlan Kent, President and CEO of Yankee Candle, went undercover and soon found himself cleaning up and even scrubbing the toilets. He did not hesitate nor did he grumble. He was there to do whatever needed doing and that is a good example of a leader. I am sure he gained respect in his company because he was willing to do the down and dirty jobs.

Jesus trained his disciples. In Matthew 10:24-25 he gave specific instructions. “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant‍ above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.…” Jesus had taught by example and then he gave specific instructions. I’m afraid that many who claim to be disciples of Jesus today would turn away rather than be as he was. When I see some Christian leaders’ lifestyles I cringe at the thought that this is what people think Christian ministry is really about. Throughout history there have been many godly men who have lived the example of Jesus. One that often comes to my mind is J. Hudson Taylor. Taylor was the founder the China Inland Mission in 1865 when he was in his 20s. He began the mission at a time when there were only about a hundred Western missionaries in China. He had no large financial backers but relied entirely upon God. He dressed in Chinese clothing and plaited his hair into a pigtail like the Chinese scholars did. He moved away from the coastal cities where the wealthy Westerners lived. He called for other to come and help and live like a servant to the Chinese. During his lifetime he saw hundreds of missionaries come to China in complete dependence upon God. He also saw thousands of Chinese come to faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus not only set an example for his disciples and trained his disciples the also empowered his disciples. As John told the story found in John 20:22 Jesus breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Luke tells us in Acts 1:8, “…But you will receive ‍power ‍when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and ‍you will be ‍my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and ‍Samaria, and ‍to the end of the earth.” Remember, the work that must be done in the kingdom to win the world to Christ cannot be done in human strength. The work that needs to be done can only be done by the power of God. Any time we are called to a special ministry we are also empowered to do it. The gifts of the Spirit are given to enable the world to receive the witness we give. Spiritual gifts are not designed to glorify the person who receives the gift, or exercises it. Spiritual gifts are given to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ!

Now we are sent as he was! When Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, even so I’m sending you.” He wasn’t just talking about the twelve. He was speaking of all the believers throughout all of history. His closest disciples laid down their lives so that the gospel could go into all the world.

We too are to carry the gospel into all the world. Acts 1:8 actually lays out a process. “…you will receive ‍power ‍when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and ‍you will be ‍my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and ‍Samaria, and ‍to the end of the earth.” Jerusalem corresponds to our local community. By every means possible we are to take the gospel to our neighbors, friends and even our family. Judea and Samaria represent the region we live in and the area just beyond us. We cannot be content with just telling those in our village about Jesus. When his disciples came to him and told him that everyone was seeking for him. Jesus said, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for ‍that is why I came out.” (Mark 1:38) Jesus had a missions mentality. Not content with attracting crowds he wanted to go on to the next villages. J. T. Davis, the former director missions for Central Association, used to say, “We came here as pioneers but now we have become settlers.” There are dozens of villages around us that need an ongoing witness in the form of a church or Bible study. But it’s not enough to reach our village and our region. We are under orders to go to all the world.

We are to go for the specific purpose of making disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:18-20 is called “The Great Commission”. Here we find the last words of Jesus as recorded by Matthew, ‍“…All authority ‍in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 ‍Go therefore and ‍make disciples of ‍all nations, ‍baptizing them ‍in‍ ‍the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them ‍to observe all that ‍I have commanded you. And behold, ‍I am with you always, to ‍the end of the age.” Too often we are content with “making decisions” rather than making disciples. The central focus of this passage is the imperative, “make disciples”. The process is shown in the words: “go”, “baptizing” and “teaching”. Most of us “go” every day. We go to work, we go shopping, we go to visit a friend, etc. In today’s world we “go” even when we stay home. At least many of us do. We “go” by mail (writing a letter or card), by telephone or on the Internet. All of those are excellent ways of “going”. Jesus is very specific, as we go we should disciple others. And when they receive him as Lord and Master we are to baptize them and teach them what he taught us.

We are also to multiply witnesses. Paul wrote to Timothy and gave him specific instruction about discipleship in 2 Timothy 2:1-2 he wrote, “You then, ‍my child, ‍be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and ‍what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses ‍entrust to faithful men ‍who will be able to teach others also.” There are generations of witnesses here. Paul, of course, is the first who witnessed to Timothy. The second is Timothy entrusting the message to faithful men. The third-generation is those men who also teach others. If everyone would share their faith with someone else each year the world we live in would be radically changed. We need to plant, water and let God bring the increase.

Jesus promised that those who believe in him will do the work that he did! You find that promise in the Gospel of John chapter 14, verse twelve. We cannot do that in our own strength but we will try! The flesh always tries to assert itself. We can only do the works that he did by doing them the same way he did. As we have seen, Jesus himself said, "I can do nothing on my own." He could do, on Earth, only what the Father did. Even Jesus, in his work on earth, had to have clear direction from the Father just as we have to have clear direction today. What ever God calls us to do He empowers us to do. He never calls us to anything that he doesn't equip us for! Have you been called by him? Then he is in the process of equipping you to do what he has called you to do. Put your trust in Christ and follow him!