And On The Fourth Day...

On Monday a friend of mine posted this on facebook: "And on the fourth day the disciples had some swagger."
BRILLIANT!

The last few days were a whirlwind. On the first day, their Master had fallen. Betrayed by a disciple. Killed by his own countrymen. Buried in a borrowed tomb. On the second day, the silence was deafening. The questions were swirling. What could they have done differently? All hope seemed lost. On the third day...RESURRECTION! He's ALIVE! They had encountered the risen Lord. On the fourth day...?

I want you to imagine the boldness these men and women now possessed.
Their Rabbi, their Master, their LORD had overcome death and the grave.
What's next?

Over the next few weeks (40 days), Jesus would continue to unveil truth. He would remind them of coming Holy Spirit. He would continue to speak into their lives. He would tell them of His plan: "Go and make disciples of all nations..." In 10 days the Feast of Pentecost would be upon them. That is when the Spirit will come. That is when they would be endued with power. That is when they will know that He is in the Father, they are in Him, and He is in them.

The resurrection of Jesus changed everything. EVERYTHING! The tomb became a womb that would birth new life. Jesus unleashed His disciples to walk in His power, to share of His Good News, and to teach the world what it means to walk with Him. For years I believed that the only way that we could fulfill the Great Commission was by preaching and evangelism. However, here's how the Lord has been teaching me recently. I pray that it will enable you to walk in the same boldness as these great men and women.

"Go and make disciples of all nations and teach them what I have given to you...
Teach them Love for the Father and One Another.
Teach them Forgiveness, Compassion, and Mercy.
Teach them how to walk in Abundant Life, Peace, and Joy."

How do we do that?

"Wherever men receive you, allow your peace to remain. Share your life with them. Give of yourself fully. Bless them - don't curse them. Freely you have received, freely give. Testify of my goodness in your life. Walk with them in the Fruit of the Spirit. It won't be easy, but I am with you. My Spirit goes before you. They are my inheritance. Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto Me."

Does this sound too simple? YES! Is this attainable? ABSOLUTELY!
As we begin to see the Father's love for all humanity, begin to understand the finished work of Christ, then fulfilling the Great Commission doesn't mean I have to stand on a soap box in the middle of town, knock on all the doors in the neighborhood, or necessarily get on a place to an impoverished country. I can do those things. They are definitely within the realm of possibility. In fact, I've done most of them. But the reality of the Gospel also means that I can live out my faith through love, through acts of service to my fellow man, and by walking in my identity every day of my life. I can fulfill the Great Commission during a cookout. I can share of His goodness in any conversation. I can walk in extreme confidence that Jesus got what He paid for and I get to awaken people to that reality.

The disciples of Jesus began fulfilling the Great Commission in Jerusalem. The message caught fire. It wasn't easy but it was happening. Eventually they left home and went into the neighboring places. Turning the world upside down. Thousands upon thousands would come to the faith. In the wake of this amazing move of God, families began opening their homes. Communities would come together. They would pray, share, laugh, cry, eat, and worship together. They began sharing all their possessions. Meeting the needs of everyone they could. They had all things in common. It's a beautiful picture of the Kingdom of God. It's life full of love, full of joy, and full of remarkable peace. Sure, they had their issues, but they overcame with Him.

This is the confidence of the Lord among us. Starting with our very own community, the church, we spread out in our neighborhoods. We extend the same grace and love that was extended to us. We speak of the reality of His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. We minister to the broken and the needy among us. We are not content to keep this life to ourselves. We have experienced the abundant life that Jesus promised, and we see that it is the right of every human being to experience it as well.

Fulfilling the Great Commission meant death for all of the disciples except John, but they never wavered. They walked like Abraham, fully convinced that Jesus was able to do what He promised. They believed that all He accomplished would change everything. EVERYTHING. And it did. We are here today, professing faith in Jesus, because they were willing to walk in this confidence. They had seen the Risen and Ascended Lord. What could He not do through them? To quote C.S. Lewis, "He's not safe - but He's good."