Jim Wilson's Blog, page 13

Go into All the World

Recently,* I was talking with a 20-year-old Christiancollege student. In the conversation, I asked him if he talked to unbelieversabout the gospel. He replied that he did know any unbelievers.

I live in the Northwest, which is probably the leastchurched part of the country. But there are a lot of Christians here. I haveasked this question to many of them, and they come up with similar answers.Generally, they do know some unbelievers, but they do not talk to them aboutthe gospel.

One of the reasons they give is that they don’t have thegift of evangelism. Evangelism is not restricted to those who have agift. It is a command to believers—go into all the world and make disciplesof all nations. This has nothing to do with gifts. It has to do withknowing the Father through the Son. It has to do with believing that the gospelis true and that unbelievers are lost.

I ask these Christians if it is true that unbelievers arelost. They say yes. The next question is, “Do you care?” Apparently, notenough.

Do you find that hard? The truth is that Christians do notlove unbelievers enough to talk to them about the gospel.

It’s not that difficult to do. Just read the book of Acts tothem. Acts 9, 22, and 26 are three accounts of Paul’s conversion. Two of themare his testimony.

Paul didn’t hesitate to tell the gospel. It didn’t make anydifference to him whether anyone wanted to know. In fact, the Jews sent peoplefrom town to town to keep him from talking about the Lord Jesus. Paul did notpreach the gospel just because he had an open door. In fact, in Troas, he hadan open door, but he didn’t preach there because he wanted Titus to be withhim. That is understandable. Jesus sent His disciples out two by two. Paul andBarnabas went together. Barnabas and Mark went together. You don’t have to doit alone. You can get a companion to go with you.

Please go through the book of Acts. See what is happeningthere with the Christians and imitate them.

 

*Written April 2019.

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The Name of Jesus Christ

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no othername under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

This statement is either true or false. Peter said it to thehigh priests Annas and Caiaphas after he and John had spent the night in jail,after seeing the church grow by two thousand, and after they had healed thecripple in the name of Jesus. He said it in answer to the question, “By whatpower or what name did you do this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them:

“Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called toaccount today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how hewas healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the nameof Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from thedead, that this man stands before you healed” (Acts 4:8-10).

“Then they called them in again and commanded them not tospeak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, ‘Judgefor yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God.For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard’” (Acts 4:18-20).

Isn’t this a great dialogue? The statement Peter made was true.He was filled with the Holy Spirit.

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Real Punishment & Real Happiness

Jesus told many stories. Some of them were parables, as inthe lost sheep and the lost coin (Luke 15:1-10), the tenants in Luke 20, andthe ten minas in Luke 19. Jesus also told true stories like the rich man andLazarus in Luke 16. We also have stories of real encounters with people: Nicodemusin John 3, the rich young ruler in Mark 10, and the woman at the well in John4.

Let’s look at one of the true stories:

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and finelinen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar namedLazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’stable. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggardied and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died andwas buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham faraway, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pityon me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool mytongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ But Abraham replied, ‘Son,remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarusreceived bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. Andbesides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so thatthose who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over fromthere to us.’ He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father'shouse, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not alsocome to this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and theProphets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but ifsomeone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If theydo not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even ifsomeone rises from the dead’” (Luke 16:19-31).

This is not a parable. Lazarus is named, as is Abraham. Thisis history. This is not a picture; this is the real thing.

Judgment is instantaneous upon the deaths of the rich manand Lazarus. There is no second chance after death. The gulf is fixed. Jesussaid so. And if this was only a parable, the real thing would be even worse.

There is a real place of punishment and a real place ofhappiness, and it starts when we die.

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A Great Company of Angels

“But when the set time had fullycome, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we mightreceive adoption to sonship. Because you are hissons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,‘Abba, Father’” (Galatians 4:4-6).

The first Christmas happened so thatwe might receive the full right of sons. Thank God.

We talk about the shepherds and thewise men. They were the first human witnesses of this event “when the time hadfully come.”

There were other witnesses of thebirth of the Son of God:

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel,praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and onearth peace to those on whom his favor rests’” (Luke 2:13-14).

 

This was not a select choralgroup of twenty-four angels singing four-part harmony. This was a great companyof the Heavenly Host. My guess is ten thousand times ten thousand, or onehundred million. They were not singing; they were saying.

One angel announced Christ’s conception to Mary. One angel announced to Joseph.A few angels came to Jesus in His temptation. One angel came to Him in thegarden, two angels showed up at His resurrection, and two angels at Hisascension. No angels at His crucifixion. And in Revelation 5:11-12, “thousandsupon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand”angels were singing about Christ’s crucifixion.

 

The big events from the angels’viewpoint were the birth of Christ and the death of Christ. Those two eventsdrew the crowd. They were the miracles.

 

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing oureyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before himhe endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of thethrone of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

 

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts onthings above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds onthings above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2).

Glory to God in the Highest!

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The Gospel We Preach

“They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leadingthe way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed wereafraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happento him. ‘We are going up to Jerusalem,’ he said, ‘and the Son of Man will bebetrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him todeath and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit onhim, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise’” (Mark 10:32-34).

Jesus said this on his last walk to Jerusalem. This was nearJericho where Blind Bartimaeus was healed and saved, where Zaccheus was saved,and where the rich young man refused to be saved.

The prophecy was fulfilled one week later. The discipleswere not paying attention. They did not hear the clear gospel.

This is the same gospel that Peter preached a few weeksafter the resurrection where 3,000 were saved in Acts 2. It is the gospeldefined by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-5:

“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel Ipreached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. Bythis gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you asof first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to theScriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.”

This is the gospel that we at Community Christian Ministriesare preaching personally in four states and by books and email in many otherstates, including in many prisons. Please pray for us. If you would like tosupport this ministry, you can do so at ccmbooks.org/donate.

 

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The One with All Authority

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heavenand on earth has been given to me’” (Matt 28:18).

Here we have commands from the supreme commander, the onewith all authority: “Therefore go and make disciples of allnations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and ofthe Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commandedyou” (vv. 19-20).

When Jesus was on earth, the people saw His authority:

1.     To teach (Mark1:22).

2.     To cast outdemons (Mark 1:27).

3.     To forgive sins(Mark 1:10).

4.     Over the windand the waves (Mark 4:41).

5.     To raise thedead (Mark 5:41).

6.     To heal thesick (Mark 5:30).

7.     To not let thedemons speak (Mark 1:34).

8.     “I haveauthority to lay it down [His life] and authority to take it up again”

(John 10:18).

We are to believe and obey the one with all authority.

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Comprehensive Imitation

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, orseen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you”(Philippians 4:9).

This is comprehensive: everything you have learned,received, heard, or seen.

Paul said something similar to the Corinthians:

“I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you, as mydear children. Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you donot have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through thegospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I am sending to youTimothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you ofmy way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere inevery church…Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave toeveryone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to winthe Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though Imyself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those nothaving the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free fromGod's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. Tothe weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men sothat by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of thegospel, that I may share in its blessings…Do not cause anyone to stumble,whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody inevery way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that theymay be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1Corinthians 4:14-17, 9:19-23, 10:32-11:1).

In each case, Paul requires imitation of himself as heimitates Christ.

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Teaching Obedience & Learning to Obey

“Then Jesus came to them andsaid, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore goand make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father andof the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I havecommanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’”(Matthew 28:18-20).

It is relatively easy toteach and to learn the commands of God. These commands are made up of sentencesthat can be memorized. The Christian church has been teaching the commands forcenturies.

I will now misquote verse 20:"and teaching them all of the commands I commanded you."

Here is it corrected:"teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Icannot teach obedience to commands as easily as I teach commands. Butthat is what we are told to do.

How can I teach obedience? Bybeing obedient myself.

Paul did not hesitate toteach obedience this way:

“Even though you have tenthousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ JesusI became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who isfaithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus,which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Corinthians4:15-17).

Paul was an example to beimitated. Timothy was an example to be imitated. These examples agreed withPaul's teaching. His teaching could teach commands. His example couldteach obedience.

“Do not cause anyone to stumble,whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody inevery way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that theymay be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1Corinthians 10:32-11:1).

Paul gives the command (verse32); then he gives himself as an example (verse 33); then he gives a reason forhis example. After that, he gives a command to follow his example, which isimitating.

Do you want to learn to obey?Follow an example who obeys. Do you want to teach obedience? Be an example ofobedience.

“Oh, that their hearts wouldbe inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might gowell with them and their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29).

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Prayer for Repentance & Revival

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, becausethey were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said tohis disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lordof the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field’”(Matthew 9:36-38).

Even without a revival, the harvest is plentiful. Theshortage is in harvesters. More people apparently are ready to enter thekingdom than there are people ready to help them in. The instruction is to praythat God would send more people as workers into the harvest field.

To pray that prayer should not be too difficult to do.Please pray for the many Christians who are living mediocre Christian lives.They might have many unconfessed, willful sins and also hidden, greattransgressions.

“Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not ruleover me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression” (Psalm19:13).

Please pray for the overwhelming convicting power of theHoly Spirit.

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me awilling spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, sothat sinners will turn back to you” (Psalm 51:12-13).

When we have the joy of the Lord’s salvation returned to us,then we will teach transgressors the ways of the LORD and sinners will repentto God.

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How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships

Don't Worry

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat’ or ‘What shallwe drink’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things,and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdomand his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:31-34).

This has been a favorite portion of Scripture for over fortyyears. It tells us, in effect, that God made us with stomachs. He knows we needfood. He made us without fur. He knows we need clothes.

The pagans do not seem to know this about God, so theyworry. Do we want to copy the pagans when we know God?

There are two requirements laid on us:

·      Don’t worry. Worry is sin, for it is unbelief inGod’s faithfulness.

·      Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.This is trust in God’s faithfulness.

For more on this subject, read my book How to Be Free from Anxiety, available on Amazon and ccmbooks.org.

This post coordinates with today's reading in the SamePage Summer Bible Reading Challenge. If you are not in a daily readingplan, please join us at TotheWord.com. We would love to have you reading withus.

How To Be Free From Bitterness and other essays on Christian relationships