A mission statement can be described as a summary of an organization’s core purpose, focus, and aims. This includes key objectives. A vision statement, on the other hand, is a description of the desired future state of the organization.
When Jesus departed, He gave the church (the ecclesia) a clear mission statement. It is the statement of Matthew 28, which speaks of the Great Commission. The church is not an organisation or a company, even though many have turned into one, but a living organism of believers collectively serving the will and purpose of a loving and living God. And what is the Great Commission, therefore, the mission? Go and make disciples so that the world may be told of Jesus and, therefore, be saved.
Some will say some translations never speak of making disciples. The King James says in “Matthew 28: 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” But is the purpose of teaching the nations of Christ not
to make disciples? If one teaches someone about Jesus, one is surely equipping them to be a follower of Jesus. And such a follower is a disciple. Either way, if we lean towards teaching nations or making disciples, it is the same thing.
We are called in God’s wisdom and by His Spirit to teach all people about Jesus, for the purpose of making disciples. It doesn’t happen automatically. It will take a concerted and decisive effort. This is also why the Lord entrusted some with the responsibility to equip and train believers to become effective disciples and to ensure they walk in the fullness of Christ and of unity (Ephesians 4).
Hudson Taylor, a British Baptist Christian missionary to China, said: “The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.” Yes, it is a command. Jesus didn’t advise us to reach the world by making disciples, but it was an instruction. What is the purpose of the Great Commission? O win souls for Christ! What is the purpose of the church? To win souls and then to make disciples of them! The church has no other mission than to tell the world of Christ and to make disciples. It is a simple instruction from our Master, yet one the church has half-heartedly followed as it follows its own pursuits and desires.
Oswald Jeffrey Smith, a Canadian pastor, said: “Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.” How can we be the church if the Great Commission is not our burning desire? Are we here then for our own needs or to obey God by winning the lost? Athanasius Yohan, the founder and president of GFA World, formerly known as Gospel for Asia, said: “Rediscover the real meaning of the Great Commission. Beginning in our own prayer and devotional lives, we must begin to feel the compassion of the Lord for a lost and dying world. As we have already seen, the Great Commission is not something that was given to a tiny group of specially trained and educated envoys. It was given to all Christians—to the whole Church. It is something that we are all to be engaged in naturally every day.” John Wesley so adamantly declared: “You have one business on earth – to save souls.”
We are called to engage in God’s business, which is to save souls by making disciples of them. God’s business is our business; this should be our priority, our mandate, and our calling. We expect God to bless our business when it is not His business! The main thing about the ecclesia is very clear. Making disciples. Who is a disciple? Anyone who follows Jesus. The first disciples were so effective in their duty of fulfilling the Great Commission because they stuck to the mission. The mission is the mission of Christ, never man. The entire Body of Christ, consisting of many believers, has one mission, which is the Great Commission. There is no other mission. Any other mission is man-centred and man-focused. The first centre disciples understood that it is all about being on a mission to fulfil the mission of the Great Commission.
Matthew 28 says, “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway*, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” The New King James says, “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The word “nations” in Greek is ethnos, which speaks not of geographical countries as we know them, tribes, nations, or a group of people (such as an ethical group). So the mission is clear. We are called to make disciples. To be a disciple implies you have given your life to Christ and are now reborn by His Spirit. Jesus said in “Acts 1: 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” The Holy Spirit has been sent so that the Church may fulfil the mission of Christ. And such a mission was outlined in Acts 1 as well.
Revelation 7 says, “9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Revelation 7 is what happens when the mission of Christ has been fulfilled. This is, therefore, the vision of the church – to see the entire world discipled and serving the world. It is clear that all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues will stand before the throne and before the Lamb. This means the mission of Christ has been fulfilled, fulfilling also the vision.
The problem is, the church of today it seems to be constantly going off-track, not keeping the main thing the main thing. There is one Body, one faith, one Spirit and one mission. God has empowered believers with different abilities, gifts and callings, but for the purpose of collectively fulfilling the mission of Christ. So often you hear that a church says they have this mission or that mission, but there is only one mission. If we do not follow the mission of Christ, then we are surely not disciples of the Lord. Surely this first-century church was so effective because they sought to fulfil the Great Commission, and nothing else. It was about reaching all tongues and tribes, telling them of Jesus and making them into disciples. It is not good enough to simply tell someone of Christ; you have to make disciples of them.
The church of today has lost track of its main mission because we have been influenced by the world and its ideas. We are too busy building our kingdoms, running as businesses, instead of making disciples! Our ideals, mission and motive are many times man-centred or earthly-bound, instead of seeking the ways, the truth and the life of the Kingdom. The problem was that many Jews, and maybe even Judas, made the mistake of making the Kingdom of God of this earth. And we still make the same mistake today. We want to drag the Kingdom down to our level, instead of meeting God. There is thus the necessity to follow the principles of how to lead a life of a true disciple as taught by Jesus Christ. We need to know what it is and to pursue it, for then all shall be added. We receive God’s blessings when we abide in Him and live according to His ways.
It is reckoned that about 7 billion people on Earth do not really know or follow Jesus. There are also so many within the church that have never been discipled. Has the church been sticking to the mission? Certainly not. For a long time, it seems the church has not been on a real mission to fulfil God’s mission. It is because the church has become sidetracked with its own missions, such as building its own empires and kingdoms of power and fame. God’s grand mission and eternal purpose on the earth and in heaven centres on Christ, both the individual Christ (the Head) and the corporate Christ (the Body). This universe is moving towards one final goal – the fullness of Christ, where He shall fill all things with Himself. To be truly missional, then, means constructing one’s life and ministry on Christ. He is both the heart and the bloodstream of God’s plan. To miss this is to miss the plot; indeed, it is to miss everything.
Only when we listen to God, trust Him and stand in faith, can we walk in such a manner where our hearts are not troubled, and where the peace of Christ rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). Indeed, by turning our ears away from God we allow the fear to steal our peace and joy, and we will become blinded to our purpose, to our hope, to our mission, to God’s vision and to God’s plan. Yes, many are the plans of man, but only the plan of God shall prevail, so we need to listen to God, and then our faith, which only needs to be like a mustard seed, will arise to drive back the darkness as we arise as the children of God to the glory of God.
The Kingdom is only built upon the truth of One – Jesus. In the Kingdom, there is one vision, one truth, one Spirit and one mission. Jesus remains the Lord and King, and never man. It says in 1 Corinthians 14:20 that the “kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” It also says in “Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” The Kingdom of God is one of Power. It is not religion, because religion deals with the will of man, which degenerates to trivialities such as meat, drink, dress code, the ambience, style of music and so on. The Kingdom of God is about holiness, purity, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, one finds life, hope, light and love. The first disciples walked in power as recorded in the Book of Acts. They walked in the might of the Lord, for they preached the Kingdom (there was no formal church as we know it today).
Remember, they were told to wait in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, for the Holy Spirit would enable them to receive power from on high. Jesus alluded to the importance of being born again by the Holy Spirit in John 3. The disciples were empowered to walk in the power of the Kingdom because they moved in the power of the Holy Spirit, who led and guided them in all Kingdom Truth!
We cannot walk in the power of the Kingdom if we fail to submit and move completely in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the Spirit is the one that grants us the wisdom, might, power, knowledge and counsel to preach the Kingdom and not fall in the pitfalls of religion! For it is written in “2 Corinthians 3:6 (KJV): 6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. Indeed, for the Kingdom of God brings life, but religion destroys.” We are urged to preach the Kingdom, for the Kingdom is the Spirit that brings life, while religion, comprising our traditions and customs, eventually kills. For those who stand with the Kingdom are not divided, but they are united by one truth, for there is no division of doctrine or truth in the eternal Kingdom.
We all know the well-known Scripture of “Romans 12: 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
God has given us a mandate (each believer) to fulfill, and such a mandate is for the purpose of fulfilling the mission. Our calling works towards fulfilling the Great Commission as set out by Jesus. God gives us the ability, both natural and spiritual, to fulfill that mission. If we remain true to our mandate, then nothing can stop it from coming to pass! It is like being given a stamp of approval from the King of kings to fulfil your mandate, no matter what man or hell says or does to stop you! The mandate carries the highest authority and approval.
In Acts 8, we find valuable lessons on keeping the main thing the main thing and how a disciple must always be prepared, trained, and willing to be active and mobilized to fulfill the mission of Christ. In this Scripture, we find the account of Christ being preached to an Ethiopian. So we read: “26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert.” Here, God, through an angel, gives a command to the disciple. He needs to ARISE and GO. When Jesus called His disciples, He told them to follow Him. They needed to leave behind their old life, arise therefore from their former ways and GO in pursuit of becoming fishers of men. As disciples of God, we are called to FOLLOW Jesus and GO into the world, to thus fulfil the Great Commission. After all, it says clearly in Matthew 24 when it comes to our mandate to GO, therefore take action. In Philip, we find a disciple who was definitely following Jesus, for the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, and so Philip was now prompted to GO in order to be active and mobilised in pursuit of the Kingdom.
When we come to God, and we choose to follow Him as our Lord and Saviour, then indeed the Lord arises over us. For the light of the world – Jesus – comes upon His followers. And for what purpose? For the followers to arise, thus to go and to shine the light of God. As spoken in Isaiah 60, such darkness has already covered the earth and the deep darkness of the people. These are the days and times of Noah, for the world is filled with violence. As children of God, we are called to ARISE from our spiritual slumber and apathy and walk in God’s glory. It says in Matthew 5: 14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Also, take note, Phillip obeyed the Lord. Even though an angel spoke to him, it reminds us that we must always be willing to listen closely to God, which means we need to know the voice of the Lord. A disciple of God surely cannot ARISE and GO unless He knows the voice of God, for the voice of God leads the disciple in the way of the Kingdom. Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life, but we can only know such truth, such life and the way if we follow Jesus, thus know His voice. We are living in a world of many different voices, including the devil’s, so we need to make sure, thus discern, what is God’s voice and what is our own, or the world’s or the devil’s. For this is vital to remain in God’s will, for in His will there is life and hope. Samuel was called as a boy by God, yet he didn’t know the voice of God. Just so, as disciples, we must be able to discern the voice but also teach others to know God and thus to know the voice of the Lord.
We also read “and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” God is never vague. God always provides clear and detailed instructions. We, however, need to know God to know His will and instructions. God gave clear instructions to Noah to build the Ark, and to Moses to build the Tabernacle and to Solomon the Temple. Jesus also gave us clear instructions on how to establish the Kingdom of God here on earth, primarily by fulfilling the Great Commission, which focuses on true discipleship. To follow God’s instructions is to follow His Will, and we must seek for such will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
We then read: “27 So he arose and went.” Yes, Philip obeyed! He did not question God. He did not wait hours or days for confirmation. He arose and moved because he knew the voice of God. Yes, he did not even pray over it. For surely obedience is greater than sacrifice. Philip did not hesitate, yet we are living in a world where the church suffers from great spiritual apathy and passivity instead of arising and moving as God commands. Jonah was told to arise and go to Nineveh, yet he disobeyed and was swallowed by the whale. Just believe and just obey!
It says: “ And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” Philip found the eunuch because he obeyed God, and he moved as God commanded. Yes, the Ethiopian was definitely ready to hear the Gospel, but God needed a servant to go and declare the liberating news of the Kingdom. The angel of the Lord gave Philip the initial instructions, and then Philip was further instructed by the Spirit of God. How vital is it for the believer to be led by the Spirit of God? It says in “John 3: 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Philip was indeed about to see the manifestation of the Kingdom of God with God touching the life of this eunuch!
Philip knew the Spirit of God, for he recognised when the Spirit moved and led him. And so, submitting and yielding to the Spirit, we find that Philip was empowered to be a witness of the Kingdom. He may not have travelled far as a witness, but he was witnessing to a man who had travelled far, so the Power on High – the Spirit – was about to empower Philip to be a witness unto a man who would take the Gospel to distant shores. Yes, just believe and trust God. Always yield, always trust, for God shall indeed use His servants mightily.
Philip was again prompted into action. He had to overtake the chariot. This was a matter of urgency. There was no time to debate, or pray, or contemplate! Yes, Philip, run and overtake! Disciples of God have a call to action – to fulfil the Great Commission. Yes, so many times we are sitting instead of rising, and we are not moving forward or overtaking what God has assigned or mandated for us to accomplish. Philip had to simply do as God commanded, for what God commands shall be. We read: “30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation, His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
Let us focus on what the eunuch said: “How can I, unless someone guides me?” Let us take note and be fully aware that, according to the Great Commission, as disciples of God, we are to make disciples, therefore a process of guiding, mentoring and sharing the Word of God. It also says in “Ephesians 4: 1 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” God gave certain abilities to certain people for the purpose of equipping, empowering and training disciples in the fullness of God and the fullness of the Word. For what reason? Yes, to do the work of the Lord, thus make disciples, evangelise and fulfil the Great Commission. Thus, appointed men and women of God to guide, to mentor and to lead for the purpose so that disciples are thus equipped and empowered in order to guide others to God and then trained in the Word of God.
The world is desperately in need of God’s Truth, and the disciples of God are the ones to share and instruct in such Truth. This is a process of evangelising and discipling, which is only possible when we are first and foremost led by the Spirit of God, who leads us in all truth and who takes what is from Jesus and declares it unto us. So we can only effectively share the Gospel with the world – thus Jesus – by knowing Jesus and His Kingdom. And this only happens when we are reborn, filled by the Spirit and led by the Spirit of God. Such is the way and nature of a true disciple.
It says in “Luke 6:40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.” This is proper and true discipleship! Not to conform anyone to follow our doctrine or our ideas, but to become like Jesus. And discipleship is training, and we are called as disciples to be perfectly trained and to perfectly train others in order for us to be like Jesus “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4).
In Hosea 4:6 it says: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” There is a growing danger in the church today because so many do not know the Truth of God. So many in the church are like the eunuch, for they have never been properly guided to become a disciple who knows the Scriptures and who knows the ways of the Kingdom. And so it says in “2 Timothy 3:16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” God intends the earth to be flooded with His Glory, thus His Truth, but for now the world is suffering because of a lack of truth, thus the prevailing darkness.
Indeed, we desperately need to make disciples again who are guided by the truth of God and who know the truth, so that they can guide others. Disciples who know the presence of God and dwell in such Presence, thus dwellers in His Glory. And here the house churches, as found in Acts 2, play a pivotal role in creating an environment for true discipleship, where the disciple is guided, activated and mobilised in his or her calling.
Even in prison, Paul kept to the mission. In Acts 16, while they were worshipping God while imprisoned, the doors to the jail opened. We read, “27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Paul has been miraculously saved from his bondage. Instead of considering his safety or escaping, his thoughts turned towards the mission of Christ, which is to save the lost and to make disciples. In Acts 16 we read of how right there and then Paul declared the Gospel of Jesus to the jailer. Yet, Paul did not leave. That wasn’t the fullness of the mission. We then read, “32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.”
What happened in Acts 16 reflects Acts 8. Paul and Silas obeyed God. They worshipped God until the power of God touched the willing heart of the jailer. Paul and Silas were not angry at the jailer, but in the love of God, like Philip, guided the jailer in the liberating power of the Gospel. The jailer wanted to be saved, so he needed someone to guide him. They even evangelised to his household, and yes, this serves as another testimony that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). And like Philip, Paul and Silas didn’t hesitate, they took action, they proclaimed the Word and they baptised those who were willing to come to the Lord. This is discipleship in action. Deliberate. Full of intent and full of purpose.
We continue reading in Acts 8: “34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” Take now, Philip opened his mouth. He was willing to serve. Willing to share. It reminds us of how Stephen, before being stoned, opened his mouth to testify to the goodness and greatness of God (Acts 7). Stephen truly allowed God to speak, calling the people stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears (verse 51) for they resisted the Holy Spirit. We also read how what Stephen said cut to the heart of the people (verse 54), and they gnashed at him with their teeth. You see, Jesus spoke as one with authority and not as the scribes (Matthew 7:29, Mark 1:22). We need to learn to yield and submit to God so that He can speak through us, for then in the Spirit of God we shall speak by His authority and truth, for the truth of God truly does set free (John 8:32).
So many times, we might think we are not prepared or might feel we are not ready for the task to declare the Gospel, but we are called to only obey and allow the Spirit of God to lead. Paul writes in “1 Corinthians 2: 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” The true power in evangelism and sharing the Word is speaking as the Spirit leads, not solely relying on one’s own intellect or upon one’s own reasoning. In our wisdom and power, we shall fail, but in the might and power of God, we shall preach the living word of God. After all, Peter preached such a living word of power and might by the Spirit directly after Pentecost (Acts 2), and 3000 lives were touched.
We read in “Matthew 10: 18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.” Indeed, we need to allow God to speak, and not to fear what to speak. We need to let God guide for us to guide others. It says in “1 Corinthians 2: 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.” Indeed, if we are submitted and yield to God, then truly we shall speak as the Lord leads and we shall speak the mind of God.
We continue reading: “36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.”
So often, we allow traditions to cause us to hamper the work of God. In the case of Philip and the Ethiopian, we might first want to phone a pastor to conduct the baptism, schedule a baptism, or question the validity of the baptism. We might even be caught up in the way to conduct the baptism! Here, the Eunuch was willing. He was ready. He believed in Jesus. God instructed Philip to be there. So Philip had to do the baptism. Whatever God commands, the disciples must obey and do as the Lord leads. We read in “Colossians 2:8: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” A disciple does not follow man, but God. The apostles were constantly on trial for declaring God’s Word, and so we read in “Acts 5: 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Yes, a disciple obeys God and not man! And yes, a disciple follows the commandments of God, and not the traditions of man, which form religion.
Paul wrote in “2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.” And what is this tradition that Paul refers to? It says in Acts 2 that the first disciples (verse 42) continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship. We must thus continue in the ways of God, in His teachings, as upheld by Paul and the other disciples. Any other teachings or Gospel is spoiled by the traditions of men, and becomes accursed (Galatians 1). For this reason, it says in “Mark 7:8: For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do” and also “Mark 7:9: And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Yes, we must never forsake the way or truth of God for the way or truth of man.
At the end of this extraordinary tale of evangelism, we read: “9 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.” Indeed, God, as the supernatural God of the impossible, is always present with the disciple who obeys, who is faithful and true to the Kingdom. Because of Philip’s obedience, the eunuch’s life was changed from ashes to praise, while the disciple encountered the power of God, who placed himself somewhere else to continue fulfilling the Great Commission. Yes, there is power in the presence of God, and there is power in God’s love, grace and mercy. There is power in obedience, faithfulness and being willing, like Paul, to carry out the Lord’s will as the Lord instructs and guides.
While the Spirit of the Lord deals with our sin, at the same time, we need to realise the Spirit of the Lord also deals with the conviction of our purpose. Is there, therefore, truly a conviction in our heart to serve God, a conviction to pursue Him, a conviction to love Him, a conviction to run the race He has set before us, a conviction to fulfil the Great Commission and a conviction to preach His Truth? Does such a conviction drive us, no matter the trials, no matter the cost or the price to pay? For such conviction, we urgently need it in perilous times!
Paul certainly had such a conviction. His entire ministry speaks of keeping the main thing the main thing. With the conviction of the Holy Spirit burning within us, we can complete the race; we can set aside all hindrances and challenges and embrace what God has called us to do. Hebrews 12 says, “1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Remember, Paul endured every hardship and suffering you can imagine in his service to God. His journey is spelled out in 2 Corinthians 11. Despite all of this, Paul wrote about standing one’s ground. Why? Because he was convicted of God’s greatness, God’s goodness, God’s redemption and salvation! He was convicted by the Holy Spirit that the Gospel is the Good News and thus to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. He was fully convicted that such news is the message of the cross that sets the captives free and binds up the brokenhearted. Yes, this was a man convicted of his own mortality, of his own humanity and weaknesses, yet he persisted, yet he endured because of conviction. Of the conviction of preaching the Gospel at all cost we read in “Ephesians 3: 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the [d]manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the [e]principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.”
Paul suffered it all to preach the manifested wisdom of God and to make known to the world of the redemption by the Blood. Remember, Paul was opposed not just by fellow disciples, but by the Roman Empire, and the pagan ways of Greece and Asia Minor. Yet he endured, yes, he endured and ran the race because he was convicted that no matter the cost, the Gospel needed to be preached! He made sure of his calling and election, and so he ran the race and endured it all to the glory of God. In the end, he writes “2 Timothy 4: 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
This is conviction! He has come to the end of it all, he has fought the good fight, and he has kept the faith in order to receive his crown of righteousness. Paul was a man driven and convicted because he not only preached the Gospel, but he believed it, and he was willing to give his very life to glorify God. Do we truly believe the Gospel? Are we still convicted of the message of the cross and the Blood? Also remember, the ‘pouring out of a drink offering’ is a metaphor for the blood Jesus spilt on the cross. Jesus spoke to this directly in Luke 22:20 when He instituted the New Covenant. He picked up a cup of wine and said, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled the need of a drink offering, His blood literally pouring out when the soldier pierced His side with a spear (John 19:33).
Paul even endured the “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7) “to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations.” He called it “a messenger of Satan” that had a purpose of “torment.” Many explanations have been put forward, but whether Paul is referring to a physical, spiritual, or emotional affliction—or something else entirely—has never been answered with satisfaction. Whatever it was, God’s goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble. Indeed, Paul remained humble in his pursuit of God because of the conviction of the Holy Spirit to only seek to glorify God.
May we, therefore, walk in such a conviction – a conviction of God’s Truth, the conviction of the power of the cross and the Blood, the conviction of the Gospel, the conviction of abiding in the Lord (unity) and abiding in love and unity with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let us remain humble, let us remain true to the Lord, and may we with conviction run this race because God’s Word is Truth and God shall be with us. May we stand our ground, yes, stand, no matter the cost, no matter what we endure! May we stand no matter what the enemy throws against us. Jesus stood His ground in the wilderness when the devil tempted Him. And so by His strength and grace (2 Corinthians 12:9) and conviction, we can stand and fight the good fight of faith. So let us stand, be vigilant, be alert, and with boldness and humility declare the intended wisdom of God to fulfil His everlasting and glorious mission!
House churches: Activation, Accessibility, Unity, Association and Accountability
The Gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended; it simply needs to be let out of its cage – Charles Spurgeon
What the surgeon said is so true. But the problem is that we have caged the Gospel by institutionalising it. We have added religion and our traditions to the brewing pot to create our own brand and flavour of Christianity. The only way for the Church to really make an impact in the world once again is for the Gospel to be uncaged, but this means that divisional walls need to fall, disciples need to be raised up again as sons and daughters of the Lord, and for the Church to return in Spirit and in truth to the Kingdom.
You can ask the following question: Why do so many churches bring the world into the church? It is not because it is safer and more convenient than bringing the Gospel into the world? After all, it takes effort to go out in order to share the Gospel. It means leaving our comfort zones.
House churches are the perfect environment to address the prevailing issues that have caged the Gospel, and that have caused an immobility and an almost spiritual paralysis among the servants of God. For within such an environment, God again takes the centre as the main focus, and the Holy Spirit is allowed to move, as it is only in the Spirit of God that we can move in the fullness of the Truth and the power of God. For man is never head of the Church, but only God. Within such an environment, there is room, opportunity and the means to disciple, to be a disciple and to move in one’s call and gifts. Thus, to be the Church, and not just attend church.
Indeed, to let the Gospel out of the cage speaks of activation. It speaks of mobilisation. It speaks of servants of God moving and doing, all the while following Jesus. Acts 10:30 speaks about “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Yes, Jesus was always active and mobile, bringing the Gospel, thus the manifestation of the Kingdom, to the people.
Unfortunately, over the last 2000 years, we have systematically erected more and more walls around the Gospel, caging it in, and so we have created denominational divisions, but we have also created separation in terms of class, race and between clergy and laity. Indeed, we are supposed to keep separated what God has divided, but we are supposed to remain united in what God has joined. Jesus has come to set the captives free, but we have decided to enslave again through our legalisms, traditions and religious mindset, thus creating a church that is still struggling to be free in order to deliver the world for bondages.
There are several important issues that house churches do address and can rectify, one being division, a second being a lack of accessibility, thirdly a lack of activation, a fourthly wrong association and fifthly a lack of accountability.
Acts 2, which speaks of vital church growth, shows how the disciples addressed these issues, and because they were united with God and each other, the Lord of the Harvest added to their numbers (it was not because of their clever sermons or programmes that caused the growth).
It says from verse, “41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
On the first point, much has been written on the importance of unity. It says in “Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Also in Acts 2, it speaks how “all who believed were together, and had all things in common”. Unity is key to revival. Unity is key to making an impact in the world. But it begins first with our unity with God, and then we shall be united among each other because of our unity in Christ.
And were these disciples of Acts 2 truly united first with God and then each other? It says that “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” The Apostle Paul also wrote in “1 Corinthians 12: 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.” While our traditions may divide us, which is human nature, we can never be divided on the Gospel and the Truth and the Way of the Kingdom.
Secondly, we need to consider the sad reality that so many pastors and spiritual leaders have actually become inaccessible to the flock as shepherds. They are present on the pulpit and on the TV, but are they truly available to constantly meet and engage with the congregation? It may not be the case for all, for this is a gross generalisation, but some of the bigger churches run as a hierarchy of leadership, where senior pastors remain so often distant and aloof from the masses. You therefore have to work with those in leadership in the lower ranks.
In some institutionalised churches, this is not the case, and pastors are available in general, but are we really as accessible as Jesus was to the people? Jesus was constantly among the people, and He was constantly ministering, teaching, sharing, and caring. He was the true Good Shepherd of John 10, looking after the flock. In smaller groups, accessibility becomes easier and more flexible. One cannot imagine that the first disciples kept themselves distant from the masses, which clearly was not the case in Acts 2. The process of discipleship, mentoring, teaching and caring requires constant interaction and accessibility.
Thirdly, Jesus said to go and make disciples in the Great Commission. His command for the disciples, also underlined in Mark 16, is one of action, not one of stagnation and passivity. Disciples follow, and they go. They are involved, interactive, ministering and sharing the Kingdom of God as the Lord leads.
We read in “Luke 10: 1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.” More than ever, we need disciples who will reach out to the lost, disciple, pray for the sick, cast out demons, pray for the baptism in the Holy Spirit and activate others to fulfil the great commission. This is mobilisation, and this is activation
Fourthly, regarding association, it is important to surround yourself with those God has ordained to be on your path for they will lead you further in your mandate, and they shall ultimately edify, encourage, exhort, and enlighten you and you shall be open to correction and through such a holy and God ordained association there will be open accountability and the means to stay true to the Lord in Spirit and Truth. House churches indeed create such an environment.
Sadly, many children of God are shipwrecking God’s purpose and plan in their lives because of their associations, which are leading them astray, that is causing a spiritual drain, that is causing the adoption of incorrect and unholy life patterns and behaviour and ultimately causing them to lose sight of God’s mandate. For this reason, because they are not associated as God has ordained, they have not moved spiritually forward or upward, for they are held back, held down, paralysed, immobilised, and they are being led out of the will of the Lord. This lends again to unity, for those who are united in God shall be brought together in unity, and therefore wholesome and godly association from which springs forth life, edification, activation and discipleship.
Ultimately, and fifthly, what is so needed right now in the Body of Christ is accountability. For some time, we have hidden behind doctrines of “not judging” and “do not touch God’s anointed” to justify wrongful actions, behaviour and erroneous teachings. We are finding so many false prophets operating because there is a lack of accountability, and this is also the case for many pastors and spiritual leaders.
Within a small group or house church, accountability is of absolute necessity, and everyone needs to be open to be corrected, rebuked (if needed), encouraged, and aught. We read in “1 Peter 5:5 – Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” And also “Proverbs 13:18 – Poverty and shame [shall be to] him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.” More than ever, we need to be accountable towards each other in the Body of Christ for our actions, for this leads to greater unity.
The House Church Blueprint was Written by Riaan Engelbrecht
