Day 31: Sent

Precept #2

Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” (John 8:42)

            Adam was sent into the garden of God to tend and care for it, and to fill the world with people. Noah was sent into the Ark to save a remnant of humanity to start over again. Abraham was sent to a distant land to start a Holy Nation for God. Joseph was sent to Egypt to preserve the known world from a famine. Moses was sent to save the children of God and bring them back to their land. David was sent to slay God’s enemies and bring righteousness back to the kingdom, creating an everlasting throne for Jesus. John was sent to prepare the way for Jesus. Jesus was sent to restore the kingdom of Heaven, paying the price for sin and bringing unity between man and God once again. Now we are sent to declare all these things to the world. You are sent by God to make ready the way once more for Jesus’ second coming. To walk in this calling is to honor this message, “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn 4:9-10) This is why we are the light of the world. The “Proclamations” are meant to encourage us, giving us strength. The “Affirmations” are meant to empower us so we can fulfill this calling. Now the “Precepts” are to guide us along our way. If we are to “Be Like Him” we must be like Him in all three levels. Jesus says, “Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Luk 10:2) If we believe the Gospel message, then we are all sent. Not sent in the same manner or fashion as each other. We all have different skills and gifts. This is a good thing and makes the body of believers complete. We all complement each other’s gifting and calling. The one constant in all of this though, is that every believer has been sent. This is without exception!

            Jesus is our example for everything in life, “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:” (1Pe 2:21) We read in the perfect “Word of God,” “And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.” (Joh 5:37-38) Jesus declares that God sent him. Jesus did not come up with the plan by himself. He didn’t make His own goals. Jesus has done exactly what the Father has required of Him, “Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.” (Joh 7:28-29) Again we read, “Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.” (Joh 8:42) In these verses, Jesus is proclaiming two things; the first is He was sent by God, the second is we have to have God’s word abiding in us to receive Him. Thus, if we love the Father we will be able to Love the Son. To round this out, let us read the conclusion of the matter: “Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.” (Joh 12:44-45) If we accept Jesus we are really accepting the one who sent Him, our Daddy, the God of the Universe. This is a very important concept to understand. We will cover it more in a moment and how it pertains to us being sent.

            We have been sent into the world to spread the Gospel of Jesus. Before we dive into that, allow me to share a most important verse. We must always abide in the leadership of Jesus. Let’s read, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” (Joh 13:16) This really cements in my mind the order of authority and the right mindset on our calling. If we believe Jesus is greater than we are, then we would obey His commands, and abide in His leading. With this in mind, let’s begin. “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:” (Joh 20:21-22) I love this verse. “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you!” So how exactly was Jesus sent in the world? With power! “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.” (Joh 3:34-35) That’s why after Jesus says He was sending the disciples, He breathes on them, giving them the Holy Spirit and then power from on High at Pentecost. “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luk 24:49) So we are sent with power, in the Holy Spirit, just like Jesus. So His word is just and true, “As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” (Joh 17:18) Jesus has sent us with exceedingly great power!

            Now when Jesus said; “He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.” (Joh 12:44-45) We can now marry it to this verse, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.” (Joh 13:20) Now we see the process continue. If the people receive us, they are receiving Jesus, if they receive Jesus; they are actually receiving God our Father. The reason for this is made even clearer with this verse, “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (Joh 5:22-24) This domino effect of believing, or layer effect, is to create honor for the one being sent. Jesus offers it to us so our words have weight and power before the masses. We see this plainly in this verse, “He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.” (Luk 10:16) Jesus has sent us out with Power in the Holy Spirit, with honor as we just read, and authority in His name. Let’s read, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” (1Jn 4:17) The purpose of this book is to carve in stone how much we are like Jesus now in the Power of God, and how much we are to be like Him in the world to come. I believe this has been made clear by what we just read. Additionally, a greater mystery will be revealed in the final chapters of this book.

            We all are called to be Jesus’ ambassadors with a very specific message. “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (2Co 5:20) This is our “altar call” to the world. Let’s look at the calling of Jesus. “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” (Joh 17:1-4) This was Jesus’ desire and should be our desire also. If we are to fulfill His calling on the earth, we must have the same hearts cry. The prophet Isaiah prophesied Jesus’ calling. In the next verse Jesus stands up and reads this prophecy in the synagogue, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luk 4:18-19) This prophecy that was fulfilled in Jesus is now our calling. “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mar 16:17-18) “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Mat 28:19-20)

            When we fulfill this calling before the world, our message is made clear in scripture. We tell them; “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (1Jn 4:13-15) When they ask how the miracles take place, we are to say; “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” (2Co 5:18-20) Then when all is said and done, we should never seek to glorify ourselves. We should follow Jesus’ example in His desire to glorify the Father, “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” (Joh 7:18) In this, we glorify the Father and the Son.

            I have one more interesting thing to share. When we compare John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and our calling we can see a beautiful thing happen. Just like our comparison at the end of the last chapter, I’m not saying one is more important. I am pointing out the completion of the promise. Let’s take a look. John was sent by God, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” (Joh 1:6) We then see Jesus was also sent by God, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” (Joh 3:17) Now we see that Jesus has sent us, “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” (Joh 20:21) The message John preached is as follows, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mat 3:1-2) The message Jesus preached is as follows, “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mat 4:17) Now the message we preach is the same, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:” (Act 17:30) This brings us to the change, the completion of a promise and calling. John baptized with water, “John answered them, “I baptize with water,…” (See John 1:26) Jesus baptizes with Spirit and Fire, “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:” (Luk 3:16) Now to be clear Jesus never baptized the masses, this is speaking spiritually. “(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)” (Joh 4:2) John baptized with water, Jesus spiritually baptizes with Fire from the Holy Spirit. We now are a part of both baptisms as we act as facilitators. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Mat 28:19) And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized [Water] every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of [Fire] the Holy Ghost.” (Act 2:38, Emphasis Added) I think that is pretty awesome. Now with a more unified ministry because of what Jesus did, He sends us into the world. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” (Joh 14:12) Let us get going Family!

---