Jesus' Opord Series

God’s Operation Order to the Church

Sean Lester

January 7, 2007

Text: Matthew 28:19, Galatians 12:8-10,

Introductory thoughts

a. As an officer candidate in Army National Guard I am required to learn how to lead troops. The first procedure in troop leading is receiving and understanding a mission order. In an attempt to practice the writing of an operations order, I decided to frame God’s will for the church and its members in the form of a military OPORD.

b. An OPORD states the commanders intent, mission, and constraints to subordinates.

To: The church loyal to Jesus Christ

From: The Lord, Jesus Christ

I. Situation

People are being held in the prisons of their own bodies of death. The enemy is pervasive and includes friends and family of those you are going to liberate. An unseen enemy exists. Satan and his legions of demons influence the culture of society using the most skillful of psychological operations. The friendly forces gather as members of churches, however the enemy has infiltrated the churches making it difficult to determine which church members are friendly and which belong to the enemy. However, there are many friendlies who are prepared to cooperate in the mission.

II. Mission

a. The members of the church who are loyal to Jesus Christ will carry out this mission.

b. The members are to liberate the prisoners and deliver them into the realm of the Kingdom of God.

c. In each locality those loyal to the Lord will search within the confines of their own communities.

d. Each member is to begin immediately upon receiving the infilling of the Holy Spirit and continue indefinitely until the Lord returns to gather the church or the member is summoned to heaven at the end of life.

e. This mission is critical to the will of God the Father, who has stated his desire to rescue the perishing and release the captives.

III. Execution

a. Three essential tasks are to be performed by the members loyal to the Lord: Preaching that Jesus Christ is the resurrected Lord so that the prisoner has the desire to leave their prison, opening the door out of the prison by baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and finally enlisting them in the effort by teaching them to obey all of the commands of the Lord.

b. Each believer will operate in their own area of society, including but not limited to: Workplaces, schools, clubs, and family gatherings.

c. Loyalists will gather formally once per week for public worship of the Lord. They will also assemble as determined by local leaders for further training, counsel, encouragement, and equipping.

d. Loyalists operating in their areas within the world will use caution in speaking to the prisoners. They are not to use methods used in training believers. They are to confine their conversations to declaring that Jesus is Lord. They may use argumentation, testimony, and miracles to convince the prisoners to leave their prisons.

e. Loyalists will take instruction from the Lord’s manual, the Scripture. They are to rely solely upon the Scriptures, although they may communicate with other believers who have gained wisdom and insight into carrying out the orders of the Lord. However, loyalists are warned that only the Scripture has the authority to communicate the will of our Lord.

f. Loyalists are to be careful of infiltrators in the world. There will be people who claim to be loyalists but will act in such a way as to frustrate your efforts. You should be careful to avoid Christian cliques that would have the effect of limiting your contact with the prisoners. Be aware that you will encounter those who oppose your loyalty to Jesus Christ. Although there are genuine enemies to the faith, some of your persecutors will themselves be the very prisoners you are ordered to liberate.

g. Believers are ordered to rally at their churches at the scheduled times once per week and at other times as organized. A final rally will be held in the clouds at the time announced by trumpet by the archangel. The final rally will not be announced ahead of time.

IV. Service and Support

a. Ministers are appointed in each congregation for the care of the loyalists.

i. Apostles will give mission specific instructions to the sub-units within the church as a whole.

ii. Prophets will inspect the church and its units and hold them accountable for remaining on mission task.

iii. Evangelists will proclaim the presence of the Lord in communities throughout the world and prepare the prisoners for your arrival.

iv. Pastors will act as front-line supervisors and minister to the spiritual, mental, and emotional needs of each member of the church.

v. Teachers will interpret the commands of Jesus and assist the loyalists in applying these commands to their individual situations.