Matthew 16:15-20

Known as the Great Commission, these are our marching orders from our Lord, our Savior, and our King. Life without the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ has no true purpose—or, dare I say, function—other than to aid and abet the enemy.

Consider Jesus’ words:

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Distraction is clearly a tool of the enemy, making our mission that much more difficult, as people don’t seem to have time for God—even among believers. We get so caught up in the temporal at the expense of the eternal.

We are called to show the world a glimpse of heaven. We do that by bringing the realities of the Kingdom of God with us. Yet in order to bring them, we must know that we have access and authority to enter the storehouses of heaven ourselves. Many believers are stuck here, relying on God’s goodness to occasionally “throw them a bone” in the name of humility, saying, “If it is the Lord’s will, He will…”—but He has already said it is.

Look at these words: “These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe.” Notice the Lord didn’t say “might,” but “will.” That is definitive.

However, there is a qualification. It says, “those who believe.” I submit that our lack of belief is the issue. Our beliefs guide us through life and move us to step where we otherwise would not. Do we truly believe that the Lord will work through us as His representatives and that, as He said, we will do even greater works than He did? Many of us continue to wait for Jesus to act, when He has clearly commissioned us to do so.

He has sent us the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead to dwell within us. We are not lacking in anything—except belief. It is a hard truth, but we are not going to change the world sitting on the bench, waiting for something to happen.

Food for thought.