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The early church clearly understood Jesus’ Great Commission as seen in Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:44-49; and John 20:19-23.
The church’s mission is to be Christ’s witnesses and to follow Jesus’ plan for disciple-making.
As each person in our church begins to realize Paul’s point in Colossians 1:27, “Christ in you, the hope of glory”-the church will be transformed and revitalized, and the Great Commission will become a reality in our community (The Overseer, pp 116-117). If we desire to lead the church through the revitalization process, then we must dedicate ourselves to becoming a culture of making disciples in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the will of God. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 2:3-4 Pray for effective outreach in our community which starts with a recognition of where people are and then invites them to take steps towards where the Lord desires them to be (The Overseer, pg 123). A whole church can transition from being an inward-focused church to an externally focused church when just a few people are intentional about living a missional way (Life on Life Missional Discipleship). The key to being obedient and living a missional life is found in the verse below, “…they had been with Jesus.” When we spend time with Jesus in His Word and in prayer, He empowers us to be bold witnesses for the building of His Kingdom. “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13
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What is healthy biblical accountability? Our best example is revealed to us in the Scriptures through the life of Jesus. In Mark 6:30 it says, “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.” Several places in the gospels, we see that the disciples shared not only their successes but also their struggles with Jesus, their disciple trainer.
Creating a safe, trusting environment where people can express themselves without fear of judgment is essential to effective accountability and spiritual growth. In James 1:19, it says “…But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” People need to feel both heard and understood and be shown grace when they open up their hearts. There are two important parts to accountability: (1) To help one another avoid sin; and (2) To help one another to pursue holiness. However, accountability should always be offered, never forced. If a person is not teachable, there can be no accountability. “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another; especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT This verse is a call to action and represents the responsibility we have to one another in the body of Christ. In order to provide accountability to others, we have to work to spend time with others “in person” so that we can encourage them in their walk with the Lord. As we all know, other modes of communication using technology can be very misleading and superficial; therefore, they are not as successful in providing good accountability like Jesus did. “Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.” Galatians 6:1, NLT From this verse it is clear that we are not to turn our attention away from another struggling brother or sister in Christ. We are to “get the log (of sin) out of our own eye” so to speak and bathe our conversation in prayer and seek to gently come alongside a struggling believer to help them to get established in the spiritual disciplines, to have victory over sin, and to learn to walk missionally. When we practice healthy, biblical accountability, it enables us to embrace and experience the power of the gospel. What does it mean to become an equipping church?
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:11-13 The Greek translation of the word equipping is katartismos and means to fit or prepare the saints fully for the work of service. According to this passage, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are to be equipping the church for works of service. The purpose of equipping people is to make the truth, understandable and usable through allowing a disciple to engage with the truth in a personal way. Since we all have unique learning styles, we must be careful to lean on the Holy Spirit and not only proclaim truth, but also coach people in a way that works for them personally. Eventually, the goal is to provide accountability while that person steps out and begins to do good works of service using their spiritual gifts and then pass their learning on to others. This is the pattern and way of Jesus and how He modeled discipleship for us while on this earth. Pastors who use the proclamation approach (preaching the Word from the pulpit) to making disciples are not seeing the results that they would expect. Therefore, many leaders have gotten together to take a look at Jesus’ approach and systematically developed what is known as Life-on-Life Missional Discipleship. As these leaders united with other leaders, they began to look into the Scriptures and focus on Jesus: His model, His method, His mission, and His mandate for the church. The purpose of Life-on-Life Missional Discipleship is to develop mature and equipped followers of Christ for the lost world. Life-on-Life Missional Discipleship is defined as: Laboring in the lives of a few with the intention of imparting one’s life, God’s Word and the gospel in such a way as to see them become mature and equipped followers of Christ, committed to doing the same in the lives of others. (Life on Life Ministries, Perimeter Church, Georgia) Jesus, in Matthew 10:4-8, sent out his disciples in pairs. In the passage, it is clear that Jesus not only called and equipped His disciples to do the task of ministry, but He gave them the authority to do so. Summary of the message Sunday, March 30, 2025 by Mike Fleming In John 12:20-33, we find a profound moment in Jesus' journey as He approaches His crucifixion. This passage reveals the depth of His mission and the cost of following Him. Jesus uses the metaphor of a grain of wheat falling to the ground and dying to illustrate the necessity of His sacrifice. Just as a seed must die to produce a harvest, Jesus' death would bring forth a multitude of believers. This is a call to understand that true life is found in surrendering our own desires and following Him, even when it leads to difficult paths. Jesus' mission was not just for the Jews but also for the Gentiles, fulfilling the prophecy that He would be a light to all nations. His death and resurrection opened the door for all people to come to God through faith, not through adherence to the law. This is a reminder that salvation is available to everyone who believes, not just a select few. However, this does not imply universal salvation; rather, it emphasizes the necessity of faith and repentance. The cost of following Jesus is significant. It requires a willingness to forsake our own lives and ambitions for the sake of His kingdom. This doesn't mean abandoning responsibilities but aligning our goals with His will. Jesus' followers are called to serve Him, and in doing so, they will be honored by the Father. This honor is eternal and far surpasses any recognition we might receive in this world. Jesus' focus was always on glorifying the Father's name, even in the face of suffering. This is a powerful lesson for us to shift our focus from our own struggles to how God can be glorified through them. In moments of trial, we are encouraged to trust that God will provide the strength to endure and that our trials can serve a greater purpose. Finally, Jesus' first coming was as a suffering servant, a concept that was difficult for many to accept. His crucifixion was necessary for the redemption of humanity, and it is through His sacrifice that we have the hope of eternal life. As we reflect on His journey to the cross, we are reminded of the depth of His love and the call to share this message with the world. Key Takeaways: Links with timestamps at the end of each point goes to that point in the message on YouTube.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the city was alive with expectation. The great crowd that had gathered for the Passover feast took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! The King of Israel!” (John 12:13). This was a moment of celebration, but beneath the surface lay a deeper, eternal significance. I. A Hail to the King At Passover, Jerusalem was filled with people—historian Josephus estimated that millions may have been present. Among them were key groups: Jesus’ disciples, local Jews, those who had witnessed Lazarus’ resurrection, Jews from outside Jerusalem, Greeks, religious leaders, and even Roman officials. Each one observed this extraordinary event, but not all truly understood its meaning. A. The Palms for the Savior Palm branches were a symbol of victory. In Jewish tradition, waving palms was a declaration of triumph. The crowd treated Jesus as a victorious king returning from battle. This imagery is echoed in Revelation 7:9, where a great multitude stands before the throne, clothed in white, holding palm branches in their hands, praising God for salvation. B. The Plea to Save The people cried, “Hosanna!”—a plea for immediate salvation. They wanted deliverance from Roman oppression, yet Jesus came not to conquer Rome but to conquer sin. Their expectation was political; His mission was spiritual. Today, we continue to praise Him for the salvation He brings, knowing that our ultimate victory is in Him. II. The Humbleness of the KingJohn 12:14-15 tells us that Jesus entered Jerusalem on a young donkey, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy: “Behold, your king is coming…lowly and riding on a donkey.” Unlike earthly kings who enter with displays of power, Jesus came in humility, offering peace. A. The Perfect Timing of His Ride Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was not random. Daniel 9:24-27 prophesied that from the command to rebuild Jerusalem until the arrival of the Messiah, 483 prophetic years would pass—ending precisely on the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry in 32 A.D. His timing was divine, demonstrating God’s sovereign plan for redemption B. The Plan of Redemption At the time, even His disciples did not fully grasp the significance of these events. John 12:16 says they only understood later, after Jesus was glorified. Like them, we often fail to see God’s purposes in the moment, but hindsight reveals His perfect plan. Jesus entered Jerusalem to fulfill prophecy, to suffer, and to rise again—offering salvation to all who believe. III. The Hate for the King A. The Marveling Crowd Many had witnessed Jesus’ miracles, especially the raising of Lazarus, and eagerly proclaimed His power. They were testifying to what they had seen and experienced. As believers, we are called to do the same—simply sharing what we know about Jesus and the transformation He has brought into our lives. B. The Malicious Crowd However, not all rejoiced. The religious leaders saw Jesus as a threat. Their hearts, hardened by pride, refused to acknowledge Him as the Messiah. The same resistance exists today—many reject Christ, not for lack of evidence, but because of unwillingness to submit to Him. ConclusionAre we like those who hailed Jesus as King with temporary excitement, only to turn away when expectations weren’t met? Or are we truly surrendered to Him as Lord and Savior?
A humble missionary in China once described herself as “the Lord’s donkey”—simply carrying Christ wherever she went. This mindset is key for all believers. We are not the object of praise; Jesus is. Like the donkey who bore Jesus into Jerusalem, our greatest purpose is to lift Him high. Without Jesus, we are nothing. With Him, we carry the King of Glory into a world that desperately needs Him. Will you be His faithful witness today? |
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