Revealing Endurance
Romans 15:5 ESV
[5] May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,
There is a big commitment Jesus is asking.
He gave the Disciples the opportunity to leave all and follow Him.
No other insight. No other information.
Drop your nets and follow, give up all and follow.
Jesus says to follow Him, and we will and do, but only to a point.
His call from the time of the first Disciples to this very day is the same.
Follow Me!
Have you given your life to the service of the King of Heaven?
Now we have to put ourselves in the shoes of these 12 men.
This was a totally new thing that Jesus had called them to.
Every single one of them were Jews. All had religious backgrounds and practiced these religious rituals.
The Messiah is calling them to a new life. A new way of living, of thinking.
Imagine their thoughts!
Now Jesus is preparing their hearts to go and build the Kingdom of God. I believe they didn’t completely understand. Just like many of us.
We want the glory and promise of heaven, but it stops there.
We are comfortable with what we have and where we are.
Jesus is preparing them. Mentally, emotionally and most importantly Spiritually.
He has given them the assignment. But maybe they weren’t really accepting it.
Maybe there was doubt and worry.
Many of us can understand what we are saved from. We are saved from the Wrath of God. We are made righteous and presentable
We are to be Kingdom builders! That’s the assignment. That is the reason we have been saved from our sins. Cleansed and washed. Made new.
The old has passed away along with our guilt and shame. We are to use the goodness of God in our lives to shine bright in this dark world to bring even one more soul from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Everlasting Light.
There are a multitude of sick souls that need the healing touch of Jesus Christ.
The harvest is ready but there are few that will labor for the Kingdom.
Mark:30-32 NKJV
Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade
When we think of Kingdoms we think of castles and palaces.
We think about the power of the King.
We often think about the physical features of what a Kingdom should be.
How often do we think about a Spiritual Kingdom?
Jesus says the Kingdom of God is like the smallest seed, a mustard seed.
How is it that this mighty domain of God be compared to a mustard seed?
Jesus would speak of the kingdom of God over and over.
Story after story.
He would reveal the truth about the kingdom.
A Mustard seed.
How can a mustard seed be related to the Kingdom of God!
Expansion of the Kingdom is the assignment!
Sometimes things grow slowly.
Sometimes it takes time to develop.
Jesus was teaching about the expansion of the Kingdom.
These 12 men were not leaders. They were common men. Common jobs. They weren’t leaders in the Jewish faith, they didn’t hold public offices. They were just like you and me.
They were called to go and change the World.
At some point I’m sure they thought to themselves if they made the right choice to follow this man from Nazareth.
“What was I thinking !”
Jesus fuels their faith.
For anyone that’s serving the Lord in some way and is a little disappointed, if “is it worth it” fills your head, be reminded that these thoughts are not from GOD!
Sometimes we can question our faith. We doubt our effectiveness. We question our knowledge of the Gospels. How can I go out and help build this mighty Kingdom of Heaven that I am called to do!
God encourages His people. He leads and guides us in such a way that is gentle but firm. Encouraging but not overly demanding.
Whatever job the Lord has put in front of you it will be accomplished according to His will and purpose. Sometimes we might have to endure our own battles and hardships. We will have the trials and tribulations in our lives. But we can stand firm on the path that these Disciples of old have laid out for us to continue in their footsteps to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the saving of Souls for the Glorious Kingdom Of God!
Be encouraged that The Lord of heaven and Earth is for every soul that desires to the Work of expansion of the Kingdom. Even though we may start out small in our faith. Even though we may have come from small beginnings, remember it is God Himself that gives the increase!
So we must go forth in the name of Jesus Christ to sow the seed of Salvation, of Righteousness, of redemption , of restoration.
It is up to us to take the assignment of GOD seriously. Invite someone to Church. Encourage the desperate soul. Pray with the hurting heart. Help the orphans and the widows. Be the Hands, the feet and the voice of Jesus and rest assured that the King of glory will be with you. Not only will He be with you, He will go before you. He will stand behind you and He will even walk alongside you!
That is the enduring encouragement we need to see that whatever we put in for the Kingdom Of God will somehow, some way benefit the soul of man but also fill the chairs at the banquet in Heaven!
Keep moving forward.
Keep studying.
Keep praying.
Keep witnessing the Goodness of God. Don’t despise it, don’t doubt it!
Don’t try to guess what the Lord is doing to the heart of the hearer.
He is the God of encouragement. He gives the increase. By Him giving the increase that takes the pressure off of us to see the growth.
Our only cry to Heaven should be
“ Send me one more Lord”!
Send me to where the Gospel needs to be heard. Send me to the soul that needs Your Salvation. Send me to the one that needs to hear that there is mercy and forgiveness of sins. Send me Lord to the darkest places to be the Light that shines a path to lead them to You!
Think about this today.
If our God is the God of encouragement, then let us be the people of encouragement. If our God has taken our unclean lips and has burned them with the Words that give life then let our lips speak and confess the Lord of Mercy!
Let’s do it for the Glory of the Kingdom of God!
Small things can become big things,just like the mustard seed.
What seems insignificant is truly significant. What most people would overlook and despise, God can use!
We have all come from small beginnings like the mustard seed, but has it not grown!
It is time for you to go and sow the mustard seed of the Kingdom of God into someone else’s life!
This is what the Kingdom of God is like.
Pastor Ed
