Having More?
Having More
How much more is acceptable for a Christian to desire? How much should princes and princesses of the ruler of the universe expect to have? These are difficult questions to answer when, on the one hand, the Bible says to be content in every situation and, on the other hand, we have the Great Commission.
You may think it odd that I would contrast contentment with the Great Commission, but look at what it says. 'Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, '
The Entire World
Matthew 28:19 is not just a mission statement; it is a bold and ambitious declaration. When Jesus uttered these words, he was not content with just the nation of Israel. He was commissioning us to venture out into the entire world and make disciples.
Think about that for one minute—the entire world. How is that supposed to happen organically? Nothing happens organically; weeds grow organically. Building a worldwide organization that will accomplish His mandate requires intentionality and resources.
There are a few underlying undefined foundational realities in Matthew 28:19. The first is, exponential growth. The Great Commission cannot be accomplished without exponential growth. It is not sufficient for a few leaders to spend all their time making disciples. Their limited personal availability would never be enough to accomplish the task. The Great Commission is more like an unquenchable wildfire that started with the advent of Christ and is unstoppable until His return.
Growth, in this sense, is the intentional acquisition of more—more people, more resources, more effectiveness. If we take this mandate seriously, we should have small churches, large churches, and humungous churches. The obvious implication of the Great Commission is growth. What if the majority of people in your local community were Christians, where would you meet? Then, think about every other local community throughout the world being predominantly Christian. What would our churches look like? That’s the growth Jesus was talking about when He gave us the Great Commission.
That is the audacious big-picture growth Jesus was talking about. He was not satisfied or content with just the Jewish nation. He commanded us to go out into the world to every corner, village, hamlet, city, megalopolis, and country and make disciples. He was not asking for one of every nation; He was asking for all of every nation.
As a Christian, you might have thought I am satisfied and content with my small piece of the Great Commission, but the truth is there is no small piece. If we accept our responsibility in this world wide mandate, the first thing we must do is triple our dream level. You must accept the fact that whatever you think you are capable of is nowhere near what you can accomplish if you are open to the influence, direction, and provision of God.
Prepared
This leads us to the next underlying undefined foundational reality. God did not command us to do something He is not prepared for, or has not prepared us for. 'For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. '
What was included in the preparation that Ephesians is referring to? What is included is everything you need to accomplish what God, in His infinite wisdom, has ordained for you to do. All the money, all the wisdom, all the creative ideas. All the resources that you will need. What is not included is poverty, mediocrity, failure and lack. You need to understand that God has provided for you before the beginning of time. He established warehouses of supplies and resources for the successful completion of your calling. He did not assign a task to you and did not give you what you need to accomplish it.
Provision
'So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. '
If you need money, God will give it to you in abundance. If you need people, God has them lined up, waiting for you. If you need wisdom, God has prepared mentors and advisers for you to use. God is not a fool who commanded you to do something so far above your capabilities that you could not accomplish it. God has not commanded you to do something you will fail at. He has commanded you to do something that requires you to be dependent on Him to accomplish it.
He did not expect or command you to fulfill the Great Commission on your own or by yourself. He is asking you to fulfill your piece in this huge salvation reality. He knows and has already provided you with the resources to accomplish your part. Your victory has been preordained.
This leads us to the last underlying undefined foundational reality: We win! Jesus would not have made this declaration, this audacious, bold, bigger-than-life command, if we can't win. Jesus gave us this dream, this mission statement, and this goal because He knew we could accomplish it.
Wining
The Great Commission is not a dream. It is not throwing mud on the wall; see what sticks idea. It is not. Let's shoot for the stars, and maybe we will hit the moon mentally. It is not. Let's try it, and if we fail, so what? God, in His infinite wisdom, gave us a task where we all win. The Great Commission cannot be realized by one person. It is a collective success. When we win, we will all win because we all did what we were created to do. God is not going to win. God has won. We are merely walking out the victory.
What should we expect as children, as princes and princes of the maker of the universe? We should expect lavish blessings in accordance with His will for our lives. Your blessings are tied to your call, and your call is why God created you.