Last week we looked at the Scriptural basis for the authority we have in Christ and saw how Jesus gives us authority to become children of God. Today we’ll see how we have received authority to preach the Gospel and make disciples of all nations.
This blog post is part 30 of the series Eight Steps to Experiencing His Victory
Preach the Gospel
The second area of authority Jesus gave believers is to preach the Gospel. Every single believer has the authority to preach the gospel the moment he or she is saved.
Tell What Happened
I remember telling people about Jesus and the gospel immediately after I accepted Christ. He had done such a great work in me that I want to tell others. It didn’t take very long.
I accepted Jesus as my lord when I was in the military. I was part of the Triple Nickel F-15 training squadron at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona. Every day when the last plane landed we would break out the beer and start drinking. Every day.
When I accepted Jesus I felt that I was not to drink alcohol again. It was something that was just in me. I was the type of guy who had a beer after work with the guys, but when I went out to drink I drank until I puked or passed out. Drinking was not a good thing for me.
So I quit cold turkey and I haven’t had a drink since (except when the doctor told me to drink a beer or a glass a wine daily as medicine for my heart). It wasn’t hard at all to quit drinking (smoking was another issue).
So when it came time to drink our beer or two after work, I announced that I was no longer drinking because I had accepted the Lord and felt He didn’t want me to drink. Boy, did that ever start a line of questioning?
It gave me plenty of opportunities to talk to my fellow workers about Jesus. Within a short time, I was able to lead a friend, Harry, to the Lord. I was also able to alienate a friend named George who was upset because I no longer went to the bar with him.
Every believer has a message to share. You have a testimony that is yours and nobody else's. You can tell people how and why you came to Jesus. You can share the simple message of the love of God and that people must repent and turn to God.
Tell What You Know
Sometimes we think that we have to have vast knowledge to share the truth of the Gospel. You don’t. Just tell your story. Listen to the story of a man that was blind from birth. He was testifying of Jesus the same day he was healed by Jesus.
He was brought before the leaders to be questioned because he was healed on a Sabbath day. Here is what took place:
13 They *brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, “He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” 16 Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others were saying, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they *said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes?” And he said, “He is a prophet.”
18 The Jews then did not believe it of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, 19 and questioned them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear it again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?” 28 They reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where He is from.” 30 The man answered and said to them, “Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him. 32 Since the beginning of time, it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you teaching us?” So they put him out. (John 9:13-34)
The man wasn’t a theologian. He didn’t have a theological answer to their questions, but he did know that Jesus healed him. Wasn’t it incredible how he challenged the leaders and proclaimed that he did not know if Jesus was a sinner or not, but he did know that God hears the righteous and no one else had ever been healed of blindness? Now that is a testimony.
Believe it or not, you have a testimony that you can proclaim. What has Jesus done in your life? Share it with others. Don’t know the answer to the tough theological questions? Share what Jesus has done in your life and leave it at that.
If people reject your message, just remember they rejected the blind man’s story too.
Make Disciples
The third area of authority Jesus gave believers is to make disciples. When Jesus gave this command, His eyes were on the length and breadth of the globe. We are to make disciples of the nations. Go forth to all of creation. Make disciples of not some of the nations, but to go to all of the nations: from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the remotest parts of the earth.
As we go forth to proclaim the Gospel, Jesus wants us to not only proclaim a message and get people saved. He wants us to disciple them in the ways of the Lord. Believers are to be baptized and then taught to observe the commandments of Christ.
Every believer is an important part of the discipleship process. We usually put pastors and teachers as being the people tasked with training and discipleship, but that would be an unbiblical understanding. God makes it clear that everyone is part of the process of building up the body of Christ.
Listen to what Paul tells the Ephesians. He says:
11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Many within the church believe that it is the five-fold ministry of the apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher that is responsible to build up the body of Christ. They are the “professions” that God has chosen to bring the body to full maturity.
The five-fold ministry equips believers for their work of service. The idea of equipping is that of refitting a ship or setting a broken bone. The five-fold ministry touches the hearts and lives of believers so that they can do the work of service and build up the body of Christ.
Everyone is Vital
Those being touched by the five-fold ministry rise up and take their place in the body and are an integral part of the body being built up. I am going to put verse 16 in bullet format to highlight the how the focus is on each part of the body doing its part to bring growth:
From whom the whole body
Being fitted and held together
By what every joint supplies
According to the proper working of each individual part
Causes the growth of the body
For the building up of itself
Did you notice that it is every joint, each individual part, building up of itself?
You have an important role in making the body of Christ what is designed to be. If you are missing, then something is lacking. You are an individual part of the body that God wants to raise up to bless and build His body.
I am a champion for the church. It is God’s plan, not man’s plan. Jesus said He would build His church. The word of God calls the church the body of Christ. When we speak against the church, we are speaking against Christ.
Abandoning the church is not the answerer. Yeah, I know that church isn't perfect and there are things that need to be changed in it, but it is God’s only plan. He doesn't have a plan B.
If you are not part of a local church, then I want to encourage you to do so. The church is looking for something you can provide. You’re an important part of the body of Christ. You’re are part of the resources that are necessary for the body of Christ to mature and be built up.
If you’re a part of a church and not serving anywhere, I want to encourage you to find out why you are there. What do you have to offer that would help build up the church (the people in it)? You have special gifts that the Lord has given to you so that you can serve and build up others.
In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter says:
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
It’s as we serve others that we grow ourselves. You can only mature fully into who you are in God through service. Having a gift and not using it doesn't develop the gift. You may have an incredible speaking gift, but if you never speak you will never mature. You may have the gift of service, but if you never serve you serving muscles will be weak.
Everyone Gets to Play
It’s only as you become part of a church and fully engage in building it up will you be built up. That’s God plan. Walk in it. Here are nineteen ideas that come from the Scriptures in what we can do to build up the body:
Love one another
Be devoted to one another
Honor one another
Live in harmony with one another
Accept one another
Instruct one another
Serve one another
Bear one another’s burdens
Be kind and compassionate to one another
Forgive one another
Submit to one another
Bear with one another
Teach one another
Admonish one another
Encourage one another
Build one another up
Pray for one another
Employ your special gift for one another
Clothe yourself in humility toward one another
You are a vital part of the church. We can’t mature to the fullness of Christ without you.
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