Disciplining the Nations!
Jesus’ Final Orders to His Disciples
Matt 28:16 Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee. They went to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him. But some still had their doubts.
18 Then Jesus came to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”
Matthew 16:20 (The Voice)
With Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Anointed One, the foundation of the church is laid. In the days ahead, the church will storm the gates of hell and nothing will be able to stop it. No darkness, no doubt, no deception—not even death will be able to stand against it. And Jesus ordered His disciples to keep these teachings secret. Jesus: You must tell no one that I am the Anointed.
I am reading a wonderful book entitled, Turning the World Upside Down, Discipling the Nations with the Seven Mountain Strategy, by Michael Maiden.
In it, he reviews the seven mountains of God, or kingdoms to which we must bring the Lordship, and rulership of Jesus.
These seven mountains are: Family, Church, Business, Government, Education, Arts/Entertainment, and Media.
One of my personal passions is the topic of ‘governmental prayer’, or exercising God’s authority over the nations (ethnos) through faith and authority, in declaring the decrees of the Word of God, and watching God manifest His Word, with signs following.
In Michael’s chapter on the church, he brings several wonderful examples from the Roman Empire. I am going to steal one of them here, as it is too good to not share, but the entire book, is a ‘Must Read’.
On Page 72, we read, ‘The word church in the Greek, is the word ecclesia, which means ‘called out ones’. It can be no coincidence that the Romans used this same word for the group of indigenous people they selected from each conquered province to take to Rome for training. In Rome, the ecclesiasts sat at the feet of Caesar and the Senate to learn the workings and culture of the Roman Empire. After experiencing Roman society and coming to understand the laws and ways of Rome, these members of the ecclesia were returned to their homes to spread Roman culture throughout their provinces.
The ecclesia model is obviously Jesus intention for the Church. His plan is to summon people (ecclesiasts) from the seven mountains of culture. They are to ‘sit at His feet’ through the ministry of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists to learn the power and culture of the Kingdom of Heaven. Then, they are to return to (or find) their positions in the seven mountains of culture, to bring God’s kingdom to their places of influence’
This is a wonderful illustration, as we literally bring heaven to earth, redeeming not only individual people, but tribes and languages, that entire ethnos become transformed, redeemed, with the Word of God, and the atmosphere, or culture of heaven.
Heaven’s culture, is love….
Been thinking about that concept, how first the kingdom of God comes to us, and grows within, then flows without.
Luke 17:21
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Seems that the parable of the sower, is our hearts, where the Kingdom of God, grows inside of us, as we grow in the Word of God, and faith, obedience, fruit of the Spirit, and corresponding authority.
Galatians 4:1
King James Version (KJV)
4 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
We begin as spiritual children, then grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus and His kingdom, and ask we do, He changes our hearts, and turns up the volume and power upon our words.
As He does, and we learn to walk in His authority, we begin to see evil literally stopped when we pray and command it to stop, and heaven’s blessings literally descend upon the earth, as we declare the Word of God, in obedience and timing.
Job 22:28
Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways.
As we are transformed inside, and our mind is renewed, our obedience is perfected we develop:
2 Corinthians 10:6
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
We learn that apart from Him we can do nothing, but as our kingdom responsibilities increase, so does our corresponding authority, to exercise His authority in our lives, and in the communities (ethnos) or nations where we are called to serve.
This growth will continue, until Jesus comes, and I’m sure, throughout eternity:
Ephesians 4:13-16
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
Seems the kingdom of God first increases IN us, then as we are transformed, it increases THROUGH us.
Kingdom Inside Increase = Kingdom Outside Increase!
Yes, we must learn of the King and His Kingdom, His royal culture, will, decrees and commandments; but then, we must take what we have learned, back to our own people, in power, authority, love and great wisdom directly from His throne.
There is militancy about this process. To continue in Michaels illustrations of the Roman Empire, there was a saying: “Veni,vidi,vici” which simply translates as “We came, we saw, we conquered!”
This was the heart of Rome, and is the heart of Jesus for His church.
We are to aggressively take the gospel, and His kingdom to the nations of the earth for is it not written:
Luke 19:13
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
There is a work to be done, a job to be completed, as we in humility, tears, love, and mercy, seek to articulate the higher precepts, concepts, and culture of heaven, into the cultures to which we have been sent.
I love what one instructor taught in missions school:
‘The job of modern missions, is NOT to bring our Western version of the gospel to unreached people groups as some have suggested, rather, we go to those people, and humbly endeavor to learn their culture, language, traditions, and ways, to discover the ways that God has already visited that people, and use these as entry points to reveal Jesus and the Word of God to them’
This is my heart, and takes much prayer, and study of the not only the letter of the Word of God, but often the spirit and intent of particular passages.
Let us continue to grow in our particular gifts, and grow, go, and flow in the Holy Spirit.
Let’s Pray:
“Father, speak to us today, grow, train, equip, and transform us, deep within. May we be fully obedient in seeking You with our whole heart, during this season of our lives, going into our worlds in obedience to You and Your Word. Holy Spirit, flow through us, in wisdom, teaching, preaching, prayer, and Your authority, that we might be used in this generation to exercise Your authority to declare Your decrees, and see Your signs, wonders, and miracles in our generation. In Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’
