Then Jesus said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

The whole world… that’s a pretty big order. I was watching a news show this morning, and the reporter commented that the city of Tehran in Iran has the population of Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City combined. When the cameras panned the skyline, the city seemed to go on and on in every direction, so many people. And that’s just in that one city. Our objective, given to us by Jesus himself, is the entire world.  That scope is truly beyond my comprehension.  But that clearly is our job, our goal, our command.  With a job so incomprehensible, where do we start?

Oddly enough, I believe the very first place we must visit is our own hearts. If our hearts are not properly directed and motivated, we will never get past our front door. So, what is our proper direction and motivation?

Our direction or power can come only from the Holy Spirit. I am not talking about a dramatic, emotional experience with God’s spirit, although those have their place and merit on our Christian walks. What I am talking about is a moment by moment walk with God, where we are confessing our sins to him as they occur (so that fellowship with him is not broken), and asking God to fill us with his Holy Spirit so that everything we do is in his power and not our own.

Then when we teach school, buy groceries, work in the office, and cut the grass, we do it all in the power of the Holy Spirit.  If we are practicing that kind of dependence on God, it is a natural thing to be used by him in the lives of those around us to share God’s love and forgiveness with them. Whether it is at work, at home, in leisure activities or in an intentional appointment with someone, sharing Christ with those we come in contact with is a natural overflow of being filled with the Holy Spirit.  It just makes sense that God would talk about himself to others through us.
If that’s the direction or power source for evangelism, what is the motivation?  Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:11, 14-15: “Since then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men.  What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is plain to your conscience.  For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again.”

Our motivation is love. Not our love for the world, for I fear we would have little of that to offer. It’s Christ’s love for that lost and dying world, like sheep without a shepherd. For some reason, Jesus looks at this world that ignores him, rejects him and persecutes him, and he loves it. He loves each individual despite their sin. And that love can flow through us, to motivate us to want to speak to those around us that don’t know God. He beckons the lost to himself through us, if we are willing to obey God and be his representatives in this world.

Yes, the scope is beyond our understanding and our means to reach. The world is huge, and we are small. But God has placed tiny pieces of “the world” all around us. Our families, friends, co-workers, neighbors, acquaintances, and even strangers are around us in need of a personal relationship with him. We can open our mouths and allow God to use us. We can open our schedules and make time to be with those who need to know. We can open our wallets and give to missionaries who go to places we cannot and will not go. We can open our hearts to join in prayer for ourselves and others to be ministers of reconciliation.  And if each of us were obedient to do these things right here that he has for us, and if Christians all over South Carolina and the United States were obedient, and Christians all over this world were obedient to do and say the things he has commanded us to do, “the world” would not seem like such a huge and daunting goal.

Every giant accomplishment on earth began with many small steps that led up to the final product.  The question for us is, “are we willing to take those small steps that will lead to the world being reached for Christ?”

points to ponder

• What is directing and empowering my life?
• What motivation force is controlling my life?
• Am I practicing being filled with the Holy Spirit?
• Am I willing to be obedient to God and be used by him?

prayer

Lord Jesus, I don not know why you love me and choose to use me in your plan here on earth. I acknowledge that I often fail to listen to you, and fail to speak for you in my relationships with others.  I know you have put them in my life for a reason, and I ask for you to fill me with your Holy Spirit so that I can speak for you. Show me what this world looks like to you. Help me understand your love for people, and your role for me.  I love you and desire to be used by you on this earth. Give me the courage to take the first steps of obedience. Amen.

So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.

Ephesians 5:15-16

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b

Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be gracious and effective so that you will have the right answer for everyone.

Colossians 4:5-6

When I was a kid, I remember hearing a song in church about the need to value the time we’re given in our lives and not take a single day for granted. The song was entitled, “Plenty of Time” by a lady named Connie Smith. It talked about how we go through life hearing about God and the Truth of His Word, but we so often procrastinate in giving our lives over to Him, thinking, “Oh, I’ll do that sometime later because right now I’ve got ‘plenty of time.’”

None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. James 4:14 asks the question, “How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” We must not put off until tomorrow the opportunity we have to build a relationship with Christ today.  We don’t know that tomorrow will ever come for us. And, if we already have a relationship with Jesus, we must not put off today’s opportunity to grow in that relationship and to invite others to give their lives to God. Just as we’re not promised tomorrow, neither is anyone else.  We must make the most of every chance we have to share Jesus with those around us who may not have yet given their hearts over to Him.
It is so easy to get caught up in the busy-ness of life; the mundane, routine, “get up and go about the day just trying to pay the bills, clothe the kids, feed the family, please the boss” way of living. But, while those things are important, they are not the primary reason for our time on earth. We are here to worship God, to serve Him, and to help others learn to do the same. When we lose sight of that, we fall into the pit of aimlessness, regret, confusion, and a feeling that our lives have no purpose.

How many people do you know who have said they just want to know what the purpose of their lives is? Have you ever asked yourself that question? Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, was consumed by millions of people because that’s exactly the kind of life everyone wants, but few people actually feel they have it.

We must be living our lives on purpose for Christ, everyday, because there is a very definite timeline for when this life will be over and we will have no more opportunities to accept Christ or invite others to do so. The Bible says that though no one but God the Father knows the exact hour when Jesus will return to earth and call His children to live eternally with Him in Heaven, THAT DAY IS DEFINITELY COMING! You can and are staking your life on that truth, one way or another!

We must sense the urgency to seize every opportunity we have to share God’s love and His message with those around us. We must realize that TODAY could be the day when Jesus returns!  Do you really believe it could be today? Do you live in such anticipation of His return that it actually effects your actions today, or are you succumbing to the mind-set that you have “Plenty of Time?”

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.  First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves.  Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Make no mistake, Jesus is coming back! There is a point in the human timeline where all will be completely said and done and all our work on earth will be over. When that day comes, whether in our lifetime or another’s, will we have done everything we could to share Christ and live our lives for His purpose? Don’t waste the time you’ve been given.  It is precious and it is fleeting. No matter how much time you may think you have, the truth is you really don’t know.  Share Jesus today!

Plenty of Time, Connie Smith
I got up on Sunday morning went to the church at ten
I listened to the words I’d heard time and time again
The preacher spoke of sinful lives, it seems he spoke of mine
But I was young, I had plenty of time.
I walked on down life’s pathway living as I wished to live
Out to beat the other fellow, how to get what life could give
Making money isn’t sinful having fun is not a crime
So I’ll just wait, I’ve got plenty of time
Plenty of time to decide where I’m bound
To eternal darkness or to a Heavenly crown
I’m just a young girl not yet in my prime
So I’ll just wait, I’ve got plenty of time
Before I knew what happened life scenes had passed away
And millions stood before God’s throne
For it was judgment day
Now eternal darkness beckons and the name it calls is mine
But I thought that I had plenty of time
Eternity waits I’ve got plenty of time
To think of all the days that Christ could have been mine
Now my chance is over, earth’s days are left behind
And here am I, I’ve got plenty of time.
Now I’ve got nothing but plenty of time.

When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?”

“The Father sets those dates,” he replied, “and they are not for you to know.”

Acts 1:6-7

Then Jesus answered, “I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

Pilate replied, “You are a king then?”

“You say that I am a king, and you are right,” Jesus said. “I was born for that purpose. And I came to bring truth to the world. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”

John 18:36-37

“When God?”

“When are you going to show yourself? Look at all these heathens, cursing your name in traffic! How they make my life miserable! Could you just step out from the clouds and let them know how upset you are about what’s going on? Show me some retribution, some payback for all me and my friends go through!”

You might be able to imagine this mental conversation, today, and in the minds of the disciples as they talk to Jesus. Is it finally time? Are you going to finally give them “what they deserve”?

Jesus is our king. All too often that means very little, a trumped up title for a gift-giving Santa Claus. It meant the world to the early followers of Christ. It was enough of a claim to send the religious elite into a murderous tizzy.

The early disciples took their limited knowledge of scripture, and the claims of Christ, and made a simple logical leap that Jesus had to correct. “The Messiah is the king in David’s line and Jesus is the Messiah; therefore he’s a king! Maybe he’ll overthrow the Romans tomorrow and setup his eternal kingdom!”

Jesus wanted to be clear. He had no intention of setting up a worldly kingdom, political or otherwise. There would be a time and a place for that, but he wasn’t about to share those details.

One might ask, “Why?” Why not be clear about the when? And it seems reasonable to want to know. Jesus, however, with all the wisdom of God, keeps his mouth closed.

I have a simple reason, born out by the passage of Acts we have looked at. Jesus knew that the disciples focus was misdirected. They weren’t on the same page, yet.

Here, Jesus was attempting to spread the Kingdom of God, a family relationship with the God of the universe. This relationship had the power to transform the heart of people around the world. To shake the way things were done, the way people interacted. To shape the way God could work to heal the hurting, free the oppressed, offer hope to the down-and-out.

The disciples are thinking about getting even. Not to say that they aren’t in tune with the holiness of God, his great sovereignty, even zealous for God to be seen in all his power and glory. But they had missed the point. They expected God to think the same way power-craving people do. “God’s power was to be an overwhelming force that crushed those who didn’t believe.” Instead, they are told of a power that would indwell them and allow them to communicate God’s love to the nations.

Jesus is our king. He rules an everlasting kingdom made up of those connected by His Spirit. He longs to see that Kingdom advance. More than any hope for growth we could have, Jesus sees the full power and potential of a church empowered. A people empowered. Individual lives lived intentionally through prayer and humility, bleeding into the lives next door.

more scripture

For further study on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the relationship to our new life and power, and the “kingdom of God”, turn your eyes to John 3. The popular kid’s story goes far deeper for an adult with eyes and ears ready to see and hear.