Rev. Larry Pauley, from Slavic Gospel Association, concludes our missions conference weekend with a challenging message from John 4:31-38 with our need to consider the partnership of the gospel message as we endeavor to carry out the great commission. We must be stirred to action because we each have a part in the partnership.
We are called to be salt and light to a world that needs to see the gospel lived out. Our character should be such that people are drawn to the Savior through how we live. The faith we live out must be attractive. If our words don’t match our message, then we send a message that is unclear and repels people from the gospel instead of compelling them to investigate further the claims of Christ. Our character matters when it comes to being a witness.
We can understand our commission from the Lord, our capability through the indwelling, empowering Holy Spirit, and the courage we need to witness, but we also need to understand our commitment. Paul helps us see his commitment to sharing the gospel.
In Matthew 28 we have been given a commission by Christ to witness to the ends of the world. In Romans 1 we have been given the capability through the Holy Spirit to witness about Christ to the ends of the world. In Acts 1 we have the courage to witness for Christ because the gospel is the power of God for salvation. That power in the gospel gives us the courage to be witness, again to the ends of the world. Let’s put aside our excuses and get busy.
In Matthew 28, we are given the commission for witnessing by the Lord. In the passage today from Acts 1, we are given the capability for witnessing. It’s not through anything in ourselves, it is through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We can have all the tools and strategy but without the power of the Spirit, efforts to share the gospel will fall flat.
In this passage we are given our marching orders by Christ to make disciples. He then tells us how that is to be done. It’s power His power because He has authority in heaven and earth, and He passed on that authority to us. It’s in his plan through His people, to go to all places for the purpose of going, baptizing and teaching. It’s in His presence. His presence is seen in its fact, its frequency, and in its future. He would always be with us. Let’s do our part to share the gospel.
If we are going to serve others, we must surrender ourselves first to the Lord as Romans 12:1-2 tell us. Verses 3-21 then unfold what that serving looks like in our actions and attitudes. While there is a specific spiritual gift of service, every spiritual gift is, in a way, a serving gift as they each are used to benefit the body of Christ, His church. Whatever your spiritual gift is, you serve Christ and His church.
We apologize in that we had some technical difficulties and were unable to record the Sunday service. Please read John 10 and ask yourself if you know the voice of the true Shepherd.
What is it that binds people together in the body of Christ? Paul tells us that humility is the key to bringing the church together. He lays out the best example we can follow about what humility looks like. He gives us four measures of unity, four marks of unity and then four means of unity. What does it look like and how does it happen. The result is the blending of diverse people that bring glory to God.
Fellowship is a partnership and Paul is thankful for the believers in Philippi because they have partnered with him in not only spreading the gospel in Philippi, but also because they regularly contributed to him financially so he could continue to share the gospel in other cities. When we support missionaries, we are partners in fellowship with them as they reach people with the gospel. We are also partners in prayer and partners in perfection. We are all maturing in our faith and one day all of us will be made perfect in Christ when He appears.