DOING GOD’S WORKS 2
(week 19/09)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we saw that we should be doing on a consistent basis, the works the Lord Jesus did: healing the blind, lame and dumb; raising the dead, feeding multitudes with 5 loaves and two fishes etc.; since the Lord is already with the Father.
Now, we are not doing these works because the church has not yet grown into the perfection and fullness of Christ. However, we are now in the 3rd. Day where this growth into and manifestation of the fullness of Christ is imminent: so we are on the verge of the greatest outpouring of the power of God that the earth has ever seen.
In our article last week, we saw that the motivation to do these works of Jesus should be firstly to bring glory to God and remove from the church the reproach of the blasphemy and rebellion of men, like David did when he killed Goliath.Secondly, our motivation for doing these great works is to disciple the nations.
There are many nations on earth today that do not allow the preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus and even in those nations where the preaching is allowed, there are many rural tribes that have not yet been reached with the gospel.
Furthermore, even many of those who have accepted Christ and are born-again are children of God BUT NOT DISCIPLES AND SONS OF GOD.
It is vital to understand that after becoming a child of God, you must become a disciple: one who practices the disciplines of the Christ life and it is disciples that eventually grow from just being children of God to becoming mature sons of God.
Ephesians 4:11-15 ESV And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, (12) to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, (13) until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, (14) so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (15) Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, The great commission of the Church is not just to get children of God in every tribe, tongue and kindred, but to make disciples and sons in every tribe, tongue and kindred:
Matthew 28:18-20 ESV And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
It is only when we ourselves have been discipled and have become sons that are manifesting the glory of God doing these supernatural, spectacular works of God on a consistent basis that we can then evangelize the unreached and disciple ALL nations: every tribe, tongue and kindred by causing their gates (or entrances into them) to be opened by the force of spiritual arms using the name of Jesus and power of the Holy Spirit fulfilling:
Psalms 24:7-10 ESV Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. (8) Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! (9) Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. (10) Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah.
It is vital to see that it is only when this has been done that this age and dispensation will come to a close:
Matthew 24:14 ESV And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
