DAY THREE...THE FINAL KEY

As we complete this short series on Are You Unlocking the Doors...or...Withholding the Keys, we come to the third command of Jesus as he lays out, in no uncertain terms, the mission and the ministry that he expects the disciples of his inner circle to accomplish now that he has ascended to the Father.

So, what is that key and how are we to use it? We know now that we are TO GO and TO MAKE, THEN BAPTIZE THE NEW BELIEVERS....Surely that should be enough? But what usually happens to new believers is common in almost every avenue of life...we get a bright and shiny new "thing" in our life and we are soooo excited to take it out and show it to others; however, as soon as the shininess  wears off, we are looking for something else to catch our attention. This is why the third key is so IMPORTANT TO THE BUILDING UP OF GOD'S KINGDOM.

Let's take a quick look at our focus scripture one more time, reading from the Easy-to-Read version which says, "So GO and MAKE FOLLOWERS of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything that I have told you to do. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.” Matthew 28:19-20

And there my friend is our third key, given to us by our Savior....TEACH THEM TO OBEY!

Now, I don't know about you but surely that must be one of the hardest things to accomplish in our new, digitized world....for everyone has their version of the correct answer to ANY question in the palm of their hand, clutching their mobile phone. Yes, our phones can be a great teaching tool if used properly; but we all know how so many people abuse the use of their phones on social media, Instagram and in a thousand other ways to cancel those whose opinions vary from their own special "truth."

So let me ask you this....ever tried to train a puppy...or raise a strong-willed child? We all know from experience that just trying to get a puppy to sit or stay in one place is a MONUMENTAL TASK...and often, WE FAIL MISERABLY IN OUR QUEST TO TEACH OUR PUPPY OR OUR CHILD TO OBEY OUR COMMANDS... commands given not to MAKE THEM COMPLIANT, RATHER TO INSURE THEIR SAFETY.

And here Jesus is telling us to teach our new believers to obey Him and all that He has taught us about himself, his teachings, his commands and his desire to draw all men unto himself. A COLLOSAL TASK TO BE SURE...But he did leave us a helper in the person of the Holy Spirit. It is only in and through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can become the teacher and not the pupil; although as believers truly seeking to do the Father's will, we too are always learning as we desire to share our new insights with our fellow believers in our daily walk with Jesus.

So how do we teach them to obey?  First of all we demonstrate what it means to OBEY JESUS by reading in God's Word the teachings of Jesus and seeking to put those teachings into work in our lives. We have probably all heard the old adage, "MORE IS CAUGHT THAN TAUGHT.  And if you are a parent, you have probably had a firsthand experience when your child gets agitated and screams out something you yelled out weeks ago when a driver cut you off in traffic?  Or that less than flattering comment you made about your neighbor's husband and your child repeats that in her presence? Yes, teaching requires a constant vigilance on our part when we have young children...or when we have someone at work who knows we attend church each Sunday, but from our actions and our language in the office on Monday's demonstrates that Sunday's really aren't that important in the life we are living the rest of the week.

Secondly, we TEACH others how to obey when we tell them of our struggles and they see us work things out with a positive attitude and a clear focus on what God is doing in our lives...all because we have given the problem and the stress it might cause over to Jesus. At lastly, we TEACH others how to obey when we come along side them in whatever they are struggling with and help share the burden. Being a good teacher requires that we see our students strengths as well as their weaknesses, then help them find God's solution through prayer, Bible study and the counsel of Godly men and women, seasoned in their faith and secure in their walk with the Lord.

Not everyone can win an award for being a great teacher; however, EVERYONE CAN PUT THEIR FAITH AND TRUST IN JESUS TO HELP THEM BE THE EXAMPLE THAT GOD HAS CALLED THEM TO BE AS THEY LIVE OUT THEIR FAITH AND OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER.

So there it is my friend...the three keys that Jesus handed to each and every disciple, past and present....THE DESIRE TO GO.....THE WILLINGNESS TO ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO DO AND TO SHOW OTHERS THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR JESUS....AND THEN LIVE AS IF THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING YOU, THEIR LIVES DEPEND ON YOUR TEACHING AND YOUR WITNESS FOR THE LORD.... FOR YOU MAY BE THE ONLY JESUS THEY EVER SEE....

Not just inside the four walls of a church, with locked doors and a country club mentality....BUT LIVING A VIBRANT LIFE IN ABUNDANCE, DAY TO DAY, IN THE REAL WORLD OF HEART BREAK AND BROKEN PROMISES....All because as the last line of our verse declares... OF THIS YOUR CAN BE SURE...

"I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of time.”

 Living for Jesus...Teaching others as I go,

WPQ

 

Poem for the Day

Life's trouble may get the best of you

    As you are tossed both to and fro;

    And you may question the Father's love,

    Unsure which way to go...

But never doubt how much He cares for you,
When life's volcanoes may erupt…
Just know that He is with you…
When you surrender…then, look up!

For there you will see your Father
With open arms, He waits for you;
Longing to have you come to Him
For in  His strength, He'll see you through.

Until that day, when He calls you home
Forever with the Son to reign...
The Father's love is all you'll need
And heaven will be your gain.
 

August 2020