Bended Worship Ministry

Paul speaks of this:”….obedience of faith.”Rom.16:25-27(AKJV). In Ch.1:5, Paul put it this way, “Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.”(NIV).The Lord himself in giving out the command to make disciples makes it clear how it is to be done, first is the imperative of baptism and this: “…..and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”Matt.28:18-20.

But then we say, “but it’s all about grace and not works!” Yes, I say it’s all grace, but then, as I have heard someone, he said, “ We confuse the work of justification with the work of sanctification.” That is why there is discipleship, it is because of the work of sanctification. And discipleship cannot be without a clear stress on the obedience that comes from faith! Any messages, any instruction, any teachings that are given wherein the listeners are not founded properly on the imperative of obedience that comes from faith are just words in the air. And we are wondering, why aren’t they discipled!

Let us be taught by Paul. He said that they received grace and apostleship to call people and he said that this calling is a calling to the obedience that comes from faith. The gospel’s call is a call to the obedience that comes from faith. Everything must start from here! Where is the stress here? Is it to you and me who must obey? I tell you by ourselves we cannot however we may try, obey God! But why obedience? It is because of faith! True faith will always flow into a life of obedience. That is why it is obedience that comes from faith. This is the faith that works as James put it.

This faith is not some thing like we understood it that just enables us to go through everyday wherein we seem to be just struggling on. This is something more. This faith has a clear vision like seeing him who “ was declared with power to be the Son of God.” Rom.1:4. Who is it that overcomes the world? God’s word asked and answers…”Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1Jn.5:5. This faith breathes power! This faith is filled with the very life of Jesus, his resurrection life, the obedient life.Rom.1:4; Phil.2:8. Jesus is in me and if you have him to be your Savior and Lord, He is in you too. That life of power, that life of obedience, now who can but obey. The Lord will only demand what is already in us, what he has already given us.

This must be taught. This must be exemplified and that is discipleship as the Lord desires. “Be imitators of me just as I imitate Christ,” the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians. I say this, when you see a disciple, you will not be mistaken. He has one mark. It is obedience as Paul put it in another translation…”follow me as I follow Christ.”1Cor.11:1 This is the mark of a disciple… the obedience that comes from faith.

Have you an expectation of the Lord? Of his coming? Have you also a spending of the day wherein you pray, and you tell the Lord how much you expect, that one day he will come back again? I do. It is one witness of those that are in the work of the Lord and truly becoming known that they are waiting for the coming of the Lord.1Thess.1:4-10.Paul wrote in 2Cor.5:10 that – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in the body, according to that he has done, whether it be good or bad.” We will all give account.Rom.14:12.

Let’s talk here not of the bad but of the good. If you are not in sync with the Lord you will know and God is merciful. Every Christian truly in pursuit to know his God will always have a longing for that day for then we will see God’s glory in it’s fullness. Actually if we are to understand God’s graciousness and his mercy and kindness he has already given us an ongoing rehearsal of that day. See this – “Therefore, since we have a great high priest…Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Heb.4:14-16. We actually are already giving account everyday and if you already see that this way then good for you and our God be praised.

I’m not talking here about salvation though if you have the heart for that and a room for that then do so. We are to be sure right? Even the apostle Paul said…”Examine yourselves whether you are in faith; Test yourselves.” But what I’m talking about here is just that…we will give an accounting before him who so loved us. And he who alone are merciful has already provided for us so that in that day we will not be ashamed. That is why we have to take notice of our need. Our true need! Our true need is so that in that day we will be able to give a good account. Even the Lord himself spoke of this in several instances. Let’s see some: “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father and with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” Matt.16:27 and in the last chapter of the Bible looking forward so clearly to his coming…”And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” Rev.22:12. See my brothers and sisters the Lord also is looking forward to that day. Oh! How eager is the Lord to reward those as Paul put it…”to those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;…” Rom.2:6-8.

So my brothers and sisters let us practice being before that very throne of our God. We have free access, a joyful access. We have confidence by the very blood of the Lamb. Let us ask him of our needs that we may know what to ask. Let us expect the finishing of his work in us and let us look forward to that with holy anticipation…to the praise and the honor and the glory of our God. Is not something to look forward to hear our Lord in that day…”Well done, you good and faithful servant!”

Ephesians 1:15-21What’s the use of having our dear Christ in this world? And we do have Christ! If we do say that we believed in him and have received him who have laid down his life and rose again then we truly have Christ. Yes, we do have Christ and we have hope. But again what’s the use of having this wonderful truth in this fallen world? Is it not to bear witness of him who has so loved us? Is it not so that we may become a beacon of hope for the hopeless that they too may find their way home?

To shine the light, to let shine the life of Christ, to be a living witness of all that Christ Jesus has done, to give out the hope that now we have…what a privileged calling God has given us, this in the hope that we too, may lead then to Christ. This call for us to not just talk of how we have Christ, of how we have hope, but to show them how we have Christ, how we have hope.

How can we then live a life hope? The Lord himself teaches how. Let us listen what Paul says about this matter:

A life lived in constant revelation of Christ. The Psalmist sings of this and we have heard many times…” Lord teach me….show me the way which I should go.” This and many more in the Bible show’s that a Christian’s movement will always be by revelation and in conjunction with the very words of God. I say this to you who are reading this now, God speaks to you and you do not even need me to realize that. The Lord himself said…” my sheep knows my voice.” And in 1John 2:27 – “ As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches about all things and as that anointing is real, and not counterfeit – just as it has taught you, remain in him.” We all have one teacher…the Holy Spirit.

What does he teaches us, some doctrine? No! Eph.1:17 says it: “…that you may know him better.” Revelation is for us to know Christ more. To know and to truly experience this hope and so bear witness of this is all about knowing Christ. The equipping of the saints is all about us growing in our knowledge of the Son of God!

2 things under:

a. The hope to which he has called you. Hope is a calling. To live a life of hope is a calling, it is the calling. And what is this hope, what is this calling. Paul says there next…”the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” Wow! Heard that? And how is that? It is saying there that God has this riches and this is his glorious inheritance in the saints. We can understand this in another verse, in 2Cor.5:21: “ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” We are to be the righteousness of God in Christ. Praise Jesus who made us to be! Another, this again by the apostle Paul, (and let us be humble here lest we be puff up in the head)” And what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy. That’s why Christ endured the cross…Heb.12:2. You the saints are God’s glory and praise in Christ. That is why the angels rejoicing in heaven when even one comes to Christ. Are we not dreaming of that multitude from every tribe and tongue singing in unison the praises of our glorious God!

b. His incomparable great power for us who believe. Our redeemer lives! Christ Jesus lives! He is in you and in me! How’s that for a life live in hope, it is a life of power in that Christ Jesus lives forever. Oh! Let him shine now, let him be witnessed upon through all of those in whom he dwells! Have we forgotten his very word in Matt.28: starting verse 18…” All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go…..” That power and that authority is in you and me. We are to enforce all the blessings secured by the death and resurrection of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. There should not be a moment that a Christian is not living a life of power. Our savior and Lord Jesus Christ lives. Live now brothers and sisters in the power of the resurrection life of the Lord!

To live a life of hope, a light truly shining, a beacon like a lighthouse brightly shining pointing the way to way home…to Jesus. What a glorious privilege? Let us continue on to know Christ, to experience him, daily…momentarily. Let us begin to see this- our God’s riches…his glorious inheritance in the saints. This is the true riches. As we go on let us live by the power of the life of the risen Lord. Oh we will not miss…we will not miss. I live you with this verse in Col.1:27 “ To them(that is to us)God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-21This is what God called us for and one aspect of his sanctifying work seeks to produce in us. We are ambassadors and what joy it is to be truly so, to experience him, to have this privilege working in him, with him, for him in the translation of many to the kingdom of the Son he loves.Col.1:12-14. But what is an ambassador? Have we seen one? Can we see one? Have we truly seen ourselves to be? I would like to answer this here…the question what is an ambassador by the very words of God and in answering we may come to answer all other questions and have confidence before men and God.

An ambassador is a new creation. This is a testimony of God’s love, of his grace, of his power…of the holiness of God. And the word say’s it clear that a new creation is someone where “the old has gone; the new has come…” Do we believe God? Do we trust him? Do we truly love him? This is his word. And this speaks not on the basis of what man thinks or speaks or feels about himself. His word will always speak on the truth of who he is and his complete work in Christ. Let us believe and be changed.

An ambassador is one compelled by the love of Christ. This is a given. There’s no question about God and his love for all. But the motive of the love of Christ is not just Christ loving the world but also Christ and his unequalled love for our God the Father. We can deduce this by what Paul wrote next , he says this love is convinced…”that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” Why? He is a new creation! Let us understand God’s love as it should be and not just as how we feel it to be. God’s love is not a license, it is mighty, it makes one a NEW CREATION!

An ambassador is one who reconciles others to God. There is some misconception here. We do not reconcile others to us, this is where judgments, prejudice, condemnations arise. We reconcile others to God!, this in the completed work of Christ where everyone is now given free access at the mercy seat, before the throne of grace by the perfect sacrifice of Christ. And we reconcile others not so that they could just be save, this produces invalid Christians. We do this because of God’s love, and more on the beauty of that love between our God and his Christ…and Christ to God the Father. God’s love is so that there will be a new creation. If this not the case for us then we are not loving them truly the way God’s love intends. Let us remember that God’s love seeks to produce a holy nation, a people that will be for the praise of his glory.

See here my brothers and sisters…an ambassador is one who stands first for God, upholding him who alone are holy. Only then could we truly stand for man. As God intends…yes, as our loving God intends.

God is good, this we have heard, this we say we know, yes this we can readily speak of and say God is good. I say he is and no one else. The Lord Jesus himself affirming no one is good but God alone. But then, this I say also that nothing can be truly known and experienced of God’s goodness, and yes in it’s fullness but in Christ alone. And God’s goodness is not without purpose! His goodness is not arbitrary…he is a Holy God!

Many of us understood and seem to experience God’s goodness just like the rest of the world. That is in receiving things, being blessed of earthly things, being in health, that we can do this and that. We see God’s goodness in terms of just being okay in this world. I say God is good and that he want us also to enjoy life on earth but we as Christians should come to see his goodness beyond just our earthly life and earthly things and begin to see his goodness in all that he desired and purposed it in Christ.” And we know that that in all things God works for the good of those who loved him.”Rom.8:28. This goodness is specific, it is exclusive, it has purpose and that as the verse says it…for those who loved him. And who can love him I ask? We can see this by the succeeding lines…”who have been called according to his purpose.”

Why did that verse say that God works for the good of those who loved him? It’s because his goodness demands it that there will be sacrifice, that there will be the laying down of the life. In fact it not only demands but also hoping against hope, it expects! There is a holy expectation and also an affirmation that this is so. See Rom 8:18-27. You see my brothers and sisters God’s good ness has purpose. It’s not meant for us for we already have received God’s goodness. Christ is in you. He is God’s goodness. And his goodness meant it that many more will come to see this, to received this, to experience this.

That is why it is said…”for those who have been called according to his purpose.” I say this if we profess his goodness and that we say we know it and if others are not blessed into also receiving such goodness then we have only understood and experienced half of it. Let us live up to the purpose of our calling, this is God’s will, in this also we come to truly know God’s goodness. There’s no more reason why we are here in the first place but for that. Let us get back to the cross, see Jesus there, how he lived and breathed God’s goodness. Let us be the ambassadors that he called us to be. Let many more come to be blessed with our God’s goodness. What more in his goodness that can truly be had but that we may all received LIFE!