In our daily meditations over the last few days, we have been discussing the Lord Jesus' ascension to sit at the right hand of the Father and what He has commanded us to do while we wait for His return. God longs for the knowledge of Christ's substitutionary death to reach all the Earth. Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
In my younger years, I spent a lot of time at sea as a commercial fisherman. When you are in one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, the Dover Straits of England, you see all kinds of ships and boats designed for various jobs. But for us fishermen, our purpose was to catch fish. It would have been easy to waste time on things our boat was not designed for. Now that God has called me to work on His net, I don't want to reach the end of my life and find that I spent my time doing things that wasted a lot of time, energy, and money. The main thing we are called to do must remain the main thing! What is the primary charge given by the Lord to the Church of Jesus? The apostle Paul wrote about the mission in which the Church is engaged: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile" (Romans 1:16). When presented correctly and believed, the gospel of Jesus Christ brings about a radical change at the spiritual level for every true believer in Christ. Paul, in the passage above, referred to it as the power of God. Without this encounter with Christ, there is no inner change:
And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
Every effort of the Church should focus on preaching the gospel to inspire change in people's hearts worldwide. Some individuals believe that working hard to reform their lives and following the Ten Commandments makes them a Christian. Allow me to emphasize something important: you cannot become a Christian simply by living a Christian life. We lack the ability on our own to fulfill what God commands. It is only Christ living in us and working through us who can truly embody the Christian life. When we turn away from our sin and receive Christ, the Spirit of Christ comes to dwell in us, empowering us to meet His expectations. Here is how Merrill Tenney expressed it:
"Christianity is not a system of philosophy, nor a ritual, nor a code of laws; it is the impartation of divine vitality. Without the way, there is no going; without the truth, there is no knowing; without the life, there is no living."[1]
You must have Christ in you, living and seated in the throne room of the temple of your life. Paul the Apostle wrote: "God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). We can feed people, teach them to have better marriages, and bring them into a community with others, but if we do not help them see that they need the most important thing—to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:20), all our efforts are for nothing. We must bring them to Christ to receive the gift of eternal life! Our main goal is to help each person be born again of the Spirit and to live the life of Christ. This calling is not just for professionals or gifted leaders; it is the responsibility of everyone who calls on the name of Christ. I am convinced that if we can empower each Christian to share the gospel, a revival will break out worldwide. God wants to use His people to reach out to our towns, cities, neighborhoods, states, countries, and the world with the Gospel. We should all know how to share the Word of God and bring hope to a sinful world:
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15).
Taken from the Discipleship series, study 7, The Main Thing
🎬 🎥 Here’s the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbqQ2YPSt4I&t=4213s
[1] Merrill C. Tenney, John: The Gospel of Belief (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Co., 1948) Pages 215-216.