The Great Commission
What then can we say, If God be for us, who then can be
against us! Romans 8:31.
As I was meditating on God and how incredibly awesome he is
for what he is doing in my life and in the church right now. I got in my spirit
to write a newsletter of sorts to the body, encouraging and talking to them
about how it’s time to move in the power and authority that we were called to
walk in. As I began this work, the Holy Spirit whispered “The Great Commission”.
So I started thinking about the word “commission” and exactly what it means. I looked at the word commission and started to
break it down on my own, and immediately three words popped out at me. The
first is of course the word as a whole, the second is the word omission, and
the third is the word mission. I am not
sure exactly what studying these words is going to lead me too, but by the end
of this, I believe we will be thoroughly convinced that the Holy Spirit is
speaking and it is time to move individually in our callings and collectively
as a body to perform the great works He has put us in this earth to fulfill.
His word will not return to Him void, and neither shall we!
Hate to be lengthy here, but just take a moment and look at
Mirriam-Webster’s definition of the word commission.
1: a formal written warrant granting the power to perform
various acts or duties b: a certificate conferring military rank
and authority; also: the rank and authority so conferred
2:an authorization or command to
act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts : charge
3a: authority to act for, in behalf of,
or in place of another b: a task or matter entrusted to one as an
agent for another
4a: a group of persons directed to
perform some duty b: a government agency having administrative,
legislative, or judicial powers
My goodness, I don’t know about you,
but reading this immediately had me shaking my head and laughing at the
goodness of God. As Christians we know we have been given power over the enemy
according to Luke 10:19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome
all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. Nothing Shall by any means
harm you! When Jesus selflessly died on the cross some 2000 years ago, He set
us free from sin, and he also gave us back the power and authority that was
lost with Adam and Eve. He literally went to Hell, took back the keys and gave
them to us. So many times we are waiting for a lightning bolt in the sky, or
some loud booming voice to cause us to move into what God has called us to do.
But I have realized through obedience and faith that God doesn’t work like
that. Not with most of us anyway. There is that still small voice that whispers
in our hearts. It’s up to us whether we heed to the voice’s instructions.
The other thing we need to realize is that being a Christian means that
we are in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God represents a government. A
government is a body that has powers and ability to make laws and change the
face of society. We need to understand, that just as the United States
Government has this power to create laws, and abolish others, so do we as
Christians have this same Power living on the inside of us through the guiding
of the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 18:21 tells us the tongue has the power of life
and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. We
need to be certain that what we speak lines up with God’s promises and that we
don’t go against His word.
Going back to the definition of commission, we see power is given to a
group of persons selected to perform a duty. Our duty is to spread the word of
God. Isaiah 61 exemplifies this best. We also see this parallel in Luke
4:18-19, where Jesus is handed the scroll of Isaiah in the temple, and he reads
of himself and declares his mission:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
Our mission is no different
than that of our Lord and Savior. If Jesus proclaimed and fulfilled these
scriptures, then we, who are alive in Him also must speak boldly and hold true
to our profession of faith. “Profession of Faith”, that brings me to another
thought. The word profession speaks of an occupation. So I’m looking at this
and seeing that it is our occupation to have faith as believers. It is a prerequisite
for our relationship with Christ. We know that without faith it is impossible
to please Him. So when we read Isaiah 61, we should profess the scriptures with
faith knowing that if Christ spoke it, and we live in Him that it is true for
us also.
I remember in the beginning
of the ministry Pastor asked me to read Isaiah 61 before the church. I believe
he was trying to get me to understand who I truly was, and acknowledge and
receive the power that has been given to me. I initially received this calling,
but after years of assaults and hard times, I began to withdraw my belief that
this passage of scripture was meant for me also. I lost my vision, my hope, and
my desire for ministry seemed to vanish. I was so frustrated with myself. I had
a heart to please God, but somehow my heart, my actions and my words were all
on different pages. I struggled to get back to Him, but then I felt guilty all
the time if I didn’t wake up early to pray and seek Him, and spend time in His
word. The guilt led me further away, and I became angry with myself and
probably with God also because I felt he wasn’t doing anything to help me get
back up. I hadn’t fully accepted his grace, and the more I tried to prove my
love with works, the more defeated I became. Don’t give up though! God never
gives up on us and we can’t give up on Him. He said I will never leave you nor
forsake you according to Hebrews 13:5.
I want to encourage you, that no matter where
you are today, you can always go back to that place where you had God’s peace
and His joy living on the inside of you. In the beginning of any relationship,
it is new and exciting. Everything about the person can put you into a tailspin
of emotions. And then, after time and trials come to thwart that relationship,
you don’t have that same “new feeling” anymore. That desire to want to know
more about the person dissipates and you no longer want to please them in every
way possible. It’s just the same ole, same ole. Life is a mundane routine. You
aren’t complete anymore. Does this sound familiar? Have you done this with your
relationship with God? I certainly have. I believe we all have at one point or
another. But you know what? His Grace is sufficient for you and he will perfect
that which concerns you. So if you know, you’ve straggled away in your intimacy
with God, turn back to Him. 2 Chronicles
7:14 shows us the heart of God in this matter. If
my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek
my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I
will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Seek His face, turn back to
your father in heaven. He is surely
waiting for you. He will restore your vision, your passion for ministry, and
your love for serving his people. He did it for me and He is no respecter of
persons.
Let’s look at the word omission. Miriam-Webster
dictionary says it is something neglected or left undone; apathy toward or neglect of duty. We know that
commission is the authority given to an individual or group of persons to act
in a prescribed manner. We already said that our commission as Christians is
summed up in Isaiah 61. So when we neglect the calling of the “The Great
Commission” to spread the word of God and do his work, we are in omission. Now
if you want to practice this neglect in school, or on your job, or with your
house chores that’s on you, but to neglect an order that comes directly from
the very throne of God is straight disobedience. No matter how you want to
slice it or dice it, it’s out of order. No excuse will justify your lack of response
to the calling. Financial matters, a wayward child, loss of job, divorce, death
of a loved one; whatever your excuse is it’s not acceptable. Of course I am not
saying that in these things that there is not an appropriate time for grieving
and healing. But even God had to say to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:1 “How
long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected
him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your
way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his
sons to be king.” My goodness, do you hear what God
is saying hear? He is practically screaming at us. Whatever that thing is that
you are holding on to, that is paralyzing your ministry, God is telling you today,
let that thing go! He is telling you to fill your horn with oil and be on your
way…The oil represents the anointing!! He is telling YOU, not Himself to fill
your life with the anointing again! And then he says be on your way…Get out of
that stuck place and move to the place he has called you to. In Samuel’s case,
he was to anoint another King. What King is out there that you have neglected?
What ministry is waiting for you to get out of yourself and do the work? I can
promise you something from experience, when you get out of you, God will get
into you. He alone will restore you once again.
The third and final word we will
look at is mission. A mission is a specific task with
which a person or a group is charged. Again, you have been charged to carry and
spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. If your wondering what your purpose is on a
broad level it is just that. Now on a personal level, God has assigned you to a
specific task, or calling. That is something that God will reveal to you when
you seek Him. Often times you need to look at your skills; gifts that come
naturally to you; whatever your passion is; those are the little secrets of
what God may use to bring forth your ministry. Another important thing to remember
is that if you have been assigned to a ministry; you get under that covering
and you stay there, and don’t move from there until God moves you. Furthermore,
whatever mission or vision has been given to the shepherd of that house, you
are tasked with the work that is to be done there first, before you try and
venture out into what God has for you. You build God’s house first unselfishly,
without complaining, bickering, back biting, or gossiping. You get behind the
vision of the ministry and you ask God to use you in wherever he deems fit, and
you do it graciously as if you are doing it unto the Lord himself. If you are
asked to scrub bathrooms, you do it; if your asked to teach Sunday school to a
room full of crying toddlers, you do it; if you are tasked with setup, or
takedown, you do it. You can try and fake it but remember God looks at the
heart of a man and he is able to discern your thoughts. God doesn’t operate in
the world’s mentality of I’m just gonna do me! You can “do me!” as much as you
want to, but as long as you are stuck in that mentality, you are a part of the
Great Omission not commission. You just factored yourself out of the equation.
The Body of Christ is called to function as just that “a Body”. We are to work
together in unity, because unity commands the blessing.
In
closing, the bottom line is it’s time to work and make things happen. Give and
it shall be given unto you, a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and
running over shall men give unto your bosom, for the same measure that you mete
withal it will be measure back to you, Luke 6:38.
