Disciples making disciples 4

How?

 By now we know who this Jesus is, giving His last command: The First to rise from death, the One seated in the place of authority at God's right hand, the promised Messiah fulfilling all that the Scriptures foretold. We know that the command is to make (and be) apprentices of Jesus from all the nations. But how are we to do this?

Matt.28:18-20 - "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”"
Two things are mentioned here:

1. The authority of Jesus. We do not go on our own initiative, but in His authority. The One to whom all authority belongs, He sent us.
2. He will be with us always! How? Read below for the how.

Mark 16:15-20 - "And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs."

1. If we believe, He will work with us, confirming the message (of repentance and forgiveness of sin - see Mark 1:4 & 15 and Luke below)

Luke 24:36-53 - "Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God."

1. He first opens their hearts to understand the Scriptures. Knowing how God kept His promises concerning the Messiah is the basis of my faith in Him for all His other promises.
2. They were to wait for the promise of the Father, the power from on high. If we do not experience the power of the Holy Spirit, we dare not try to do things in our own strength. Many say that the Holy Spirit has already been poured out once for all on that day of Pentecost. However, we read that afterwards the believers were repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit again (e.g. Acts 4:31). And we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph.5:22). Too much "evangelism" is done in the strength and wisdom of the natural man and it causes more harm than good!

Joh.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.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”"

1. We are sent by Jesus just as the Father sent Him. We can expect the same power to work through us that worked in Jesus as long as we walk in total dependance on Him just as Jesus did.
2. We are commanded to receive the Holy Spirit. Does this imply that we are also involved in the process?

Acts 1:4-11 - "And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.”

1. They were baptized with the Holy Spirit for one purpose: in order to receive power so that they will be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. All too often Christians want the gifts of the Holy Spirit for all other ends... The Father will not give us a stone when we ask for bread, but then we should ask for bread and not for something else! :-)
2. The Holy Spirit is not the power, He is the Giver of the power. They received the Spirit who is the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of the Anointed, who anointed Him in order to send Him in the first place. That same Spirit is now available to us!

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