Receiving, Then Representing
In Review
We have been looking at the concepts of revival and reformation, and the fact that they are linked to Yahweh’s assignments to Adam and Eve–and therefore all of us. Each post builds on the next, so if you haven’t listened to or read the first two [The Two Mandates and The Mission, Clearly Defined], please consider doing so. In Genesis 1:26-28, Adam and Eve were told to: 1) multiply God’s family, and 2) steward/govern/manage His earth. Christ re-commissioned the church to these assignments in Mark 16:15-18 and Matthew 28:18-20. In Mark’s gospel, He told us to “preach the gospel” in order to see people saved, i.e., multiply His family. When this happens with great momentum and a large number of people come to Christ, we refer to it as a revival.
In Matthew’s commission, Christ instructed us to “teach” His “commandments” in order to disciple nations, enabling us to steward/manage/govern the earth according to His ways. When this occurs on a broad scale, we call it reformation. The fact that we did not focus on both commissions in the Charismatic/Jesus People movements caused us to lose much of the fruit and was devastating to America’s well-being. I’ll discuss this in tomorrow’s post. Yesterday, I pointed out some differences in our goals regarding revival (Mark 16) and reformation (Matthew 28). I want to make several more comparisons between the two today, focusing on differences in their messages and activities.
Messages
It stands to reason that with different goals regarding revival (Mark 16) and reformation (Matthew 28), the messaging would also differ, as would the methods of delivery.
In Mark 16, Jesus told us to “preach the gospel,” which is the good news of Christ’s redemption; in Matthew 28, He told us to “teach” what He “commanded.” The difference between preaching and teaching is more than style and volume. The New Testament word for preaching means to announce or proclaim a message, whereas teaching means to explain, expound, instruct, etc. We announce the good news of Christ’s saving work; we teach His ways, precepts, desires, and the principles of His Kingdom. (Obviously, Mark’s commission must occur before Matthew’s can be accomplished. Only those who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, desiring to obey Him, can be taught and discipled according to His ways. Without this change of heart, they could only be coerced and forced, which is never God’s plan.)
In revival, we emphasize the provision of Christ–His Cross, mercy, and grace; in reformation, we teach the principles of Christ–His Word, justice, righteousness, and truth.
When we enter God’s family, the result of Mark 16, the emphasis is on our inheritance and rights as joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17); as we are discipled and mature, the result of Matthew 28, the focus expands to our assignment from Christ and our responsibility as citizens of His Kingdom.
As a person matures, naturally speaking, they should take on more personal responsibility and require less from others. They should serve more, be served less. Otherwise, they become narcissistic, believing life is all about their needs and desires. The same is true spiritually. As we grow in Christ, our focus should become more and more on serving the needs of others, and on the cause of Christ.
The American church is filled with believers who have been taught that the goal of a church service should be to meet their needs and satisfy their desires. Never having been taught otherwise, everything revolves around them: the worship, the sermon, the fellowship–it’s all for them. It rarely enters their minds to ask, “Where/how can I serve?” What does God need and want from me today? I don’t mean to criticize those in the pews; they’re simply living what they have been taught.
Activities
And lastly, the church’s activities must be different when accomplishing Christ’s two commissions.
In the family mandate of Mark’s gospel, we serve the needs of people: feeding, protecting, and nurturing our spiritual family just as we do our natural families; in Matthew’s mandate, we serve the purposes of God, ministering our gifts, laboring, sacrificing when necessary, even laying down our lives for His cause.
To fulfill Mark’s commission, we gather to worship, be fed, filled, and empowered; we receive. To accomplish Matthew’s, we also gather, but do so to be trained, and eventually sent into our kingdom assignment; we represent.
In revival (Mark 16), we release the power of Holy Spirit for salvations, deliverances, signs, wonders, and miracles - performing the works of God; in reformation (Matthew 28), we speak and teach truth, the ways of God, doctrine, wisdom and revelation, in order to transform minds, the culture, government, laws and systems, aligning them with the will of God.
As God’s family (Mark 16), our prayers are priestly–petitions, requests, and intercession offered heavenward; as the Ekklesia (Matthew 28), our prayers are kingly–decrees and declarations released earthward from our position with Christ.
To accomplish Mark 16, multiplying and nurturing God’s family, Christ’s ministry gifts of pastor, evangelist, and teacher are predominant; to function as the Ekklesia (Matthew 28), producing the transformation and reformation of nations, Christ’s ministry gifts of apostle, prophet, and teacher are needed most.
In the Charismatic/Jesus People movements, the church failed to accomplish Matthew’s commission. We did not adequately disciple converts to Christ, and we most certainly did not disciple nations. Tomorrow we will examine the tragic results.
Pray with me:
Father, we have been entrusted with the all-important task of preaching “the glorious gospel” of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 1:11), of announcing the good news of Christ’s provision and blessings. We also nurture one another, teaching the gifts and inheritance You made available through Jesus. In the growing revival, cause an increase in the anointings required to announce these blessings with clarity and power. Increase the strength and scope of this revival.
And as we birth/harvest new family members, enable Your Ekklesia, the church, to properly mature them into givers, not just receivers. May every convert become a responsible citizen of Your Kingdom, employing the gifts You placed within them for heaven’s great cause. Raise up powerful reformers in all of the mountains of culture: family, religion, government, business, education, arts/entertainment, and media. Give them wise and brilliant strategies with which to transform. As You did for Daniel and his colleagues, make them wiser than those who do not know You (Daniel 1:20).
Send the greatest revival and reformations the world has ever seen or experienced. All of this we ask in Yeshua’s name. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that anointed revivalists, as well as wise and skilled reformers, are arising throughout the earth.
Two previous posts in this series:
Tuesday’s post: The Two Mandates
Wednesday’s post: The Mission, Clearly Defined
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