Our relationship with God requires more than just knowing about Him. We must know Him, and we must follow Him, which requires FAITH and ACTION.
Pastor and author Henry Blackaby points out, in his study “The 7 Realities For Experiencing God”, what we should know about God’s ways, His plans and His purposes. It illustrates how we can follow Him. :
God is always at work around you.
God pursues a continuing love relationship with you that is real and personal.
God invites you to become involved with Him in His work.
God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.
God’s invitation for you to work with Him always leads you to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.
You come to know God by experience as you obey Him, and He accomplishes His work through you.
I. JESUS’ MINISTRY – OUR MINISTRY
Our relationship with Jesus is more than ‘Just Knowing’; it requires Believing and Doing. Jesus has
(a) a plan,
(b) a purpose, and
(c) a ministry for us – His disciples.
For example, in Matthew 10:2, we are told that “Jesus sent these twelve out after (a) instructing them (b) He gave them authority
over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to
heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
“Heal the sick,
raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers,
cast out demons.
Freely you received, freely give.
“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.
“And whatever city or village you enter, inquire who is worthy in it, and stay at his house until you leave that city. “As you enter the house, give it your greeting. “If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if it is not worthy, take back your blessing of peace.
“Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. “Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
II. JESUS’ MISSION – OUR MISSION
After Jesus’ death and resurrection and just before His ascension, He said: Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
So, Jesus was sent by His Father and was on The Mission of His Father.
III. JESUS’ PURPOSE – OUR PURPOSE
1 John 3:8 “The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.”
These are the WORKS of the devil, the thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY (John 10:10)
The devil is the accuser, a liar, a thief, a murderer, the author of disease, pain, despair, loss, lack, fear, hopelessness and the like.
IV. JESUS’ METHOD – OUR METHODRevelation 12:11 “And they overcame him (the devil) because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word (logos) of their testimony (Maturia -> Martus), and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”
Here is how Jesus destroyed the works of the devil. And, how He will continue to destroy the works of the devil, though His yielded and obedeint disciples:
Condemns a Fig Tree Matthew 21:17-22 Feeds More than Four-Thousand People Matthew 15:32-39 Stills the Storm The Catch of Fish The Second Catch of Fish The Temple Tax Money Obtained from a Fish’s Mouth Walks Upon Lake Galilee Water Converted Into WineCleanses the Leper Cures a Man With Dropsy Cures the Woman With the Issue of Blood Healing of the Immobile Man Heals a Demoniac Heals Peter’s Mother-In-Law Heals the Daughter of the Non-Jewish, Syro-Phoenician Woman Heals the Demoniac Heals the Ear of Malchus Heals the Epileptic Boy Heals the Nobleman’s Son Heals the Paralyzed Man Heals the Woman With the Spirit of Infirmity Opens the Eyes of a Man Born Blind Restores a Blind Man Restores Sight to Two Blind Men Near Jericho Restores the Centurion’s Servant Restores the Deaf-Mute Man Restores Two Blind Men to Sight Restoring the Withered Hand Throws Demons out of Two Men of Gadara (Gerasa) DEFEATED DEATH Raises Lazarus from the Dead Raises the Daughter of Jairus from the Dead Raises the Widow’s Son to Life at the Village of Nain “Miracles in the Name of Christ”
V. OUR THREE-FOLD RESPONSE & OUR MISSION
1. Philippians 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
2. John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.
3. Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
When you ‘hear His Voice’, obey and spring into action!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young