How to Be a Great Commission Christian
Too many Americans are missing out on the blessings of being involved with the great commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our great Savior and Friend said,
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and unto the utter most parts of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
The following are guidelines for helping you, your friends and family experience the full power of being a great commission Christian:
1. Pentecostal Power Giver – Praise you that He gave us the Spirit for all nations and people groups. Do not think you are doing your job unless you are engaged in all four aspects of the great commission: Jerusalem (city) Judea (State) Samaria (country) and utter most part of the world (The other 232 nations on the planet)
Illustration: The Curse that Backfired
Today, Jesus is appearing to many Muslims. Followers of Islam know about Jesus. To them he was a prophet and is revered as such. But the teachings of the Koran do not proclaim him to be the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. In his sovereign plan for winning lost–and blinded–Muslims, he is appearing to many seeking Muslims who absolutely put their faith in him when they see him and hear him express his love and forgiveness.
For example, Jesus recently appeared to a young lady whose heart was full of questions. Her father was a political and religious leader in the community. The following morning, she told her parents of her meeting with Jesus and stunned them with the news that she was now a follower of Jesus Christ. They tried to persuade her back into Islam, but failed.
So the father called on two Islamic clerics who were also practitioners of black magic. They, too, failed to dissuade the young believer. Before leaving, they pronounced a curse on her: "Because you have deserted your faith in Allah, you will be dead by tomorrow morning." And then, as if by way of a PS, added: "If Jesus is real and your new faith is true, this curse will strike us and we will both die."
You’ve already guessed the rest of the story. That night, both of these Islamic clerics died! The young woman’s family and neighbors all came to Christ. A church was started in the community. It’s this kind of power encounter that is bringing a huge response to the gospel all over Indonesia – and India, Africa and Latin America."
(From Newsbriefs from Dawn Ministries, Sept/Oct 2003)
2. People Giver – Praise you that you give me the people of your choosing to train, love and disciple and fellowship with
3. Perceiver – Praise God that He is the perceiver of our thoughts, feelings and weaknesses. He enables us to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works mightily within us. "You perceive my thoughts from afar" (Psa 139:2)
3. Perfect – Praise God that He has set a high standard for us to achieve through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt 5:44)
4. Perfect Gift Giver – Thank God and learn to cooperate with other members of the body of Christ and work in harmony with their spiritual gifts. Every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17)
5. Perfecter or our faith – Rest in the fact that Christ is the initiator and the completer of the great commission. We are only on mission with His plan. He is the author and perfecter of our faith
6. Performer of great wonders – Praise God that He is a miracle working God who overcomes all kinds of human impossibilities. To perform great and awesome wonders (2 Sa 7:23)
7. Permission Giver – Realize and rethink how Christ give you permission and facility to express His gospel to the whole world. Things that man is not permitted to tell (2 Cor 12:4)
8. Perseverer – Praise you that He helps us persevere even when we are tired and discouraged. Through perseverance and encouragement of the scripture we might have hope. (Rom 15:13)
9. Perseverer – Follow and emulate Christ’s perseverance. Satan tried to stop Jesus from going all the way to Calvary but he could not
10. Person Director – Realize that the Lord is the one who will help connect us with the right network of people for the furtherance of His kingdom in greater quantity and qualitative growth. Praise God for directing all people even though they may not listen
Americans Describe Their Views About Life After Death
October 21, 2003
(Ventura, CA) Despite the constant flux in many dimensions of Americans’ lives, a new study from the Barna Research Group of Ventura, California, shows that most people have retained surprisingly traditional views about life after death. Although the lifestyles, values, and self-perceptions of most adults have undergone significant change – and millions of Americans have embraced many elements of a postmodern worldview – the vast majority continues to believe that there is life after death, that everyone has a soul, and that Heaven and Hell exist. However, more than 50 million adults are uncertain regarding their personal eternal fate.
The Afterlife
Belief in life after death, like the existence of God, is widely embraced: 8 out of 10 Americans (81%) believe in an afterlife of some sort. Another 9% said life after death may exist, but they were not certain. Just one out of every ten adults (10%) contend that there is no form of life after one dies on earth.
Moreover, a large majority of Americans (79%) agreed with the statement “every person has a soul that will live forever, either in God’s presence or absence.”
Evangelicals, born again Christians, and Elders (ages 58 and older) were the most likely segments to embrace the idea of life after death. Those least likely to believe in life after death were Hispanics, Busters (ages 20-38), residents of the West, atheists and agnostics, those associated with a faith other than Christianity, and unchurched adults – although more than two-thirds of each of these groups accept the existence of an afterlife.
Heaven and Hell
The survey also explored peoples’ views of Heaven and Hell. In all, 76% believe that Heaven exists, while nearly the same proportion said that there is such a thing as Hell (71%). Respondents were given various descriptions of Heaven and asked to choose the statement that best fits their belief about Heaven. Those who believe in Heaven were divided between describing Heaven as “a state of eternal existence in God’s presence” (46%) and those who said it is “an actual place of rest and reward where souls go after death” (30%). Other Americans claimed that Heaven is just “symbolic” (14%), that there is no such thing as life after death (5%), or that they are not sure (5%).
While there is no dominant view of Hell, two particular perspectives are popular. Four out of ten adults believe that Hell is “a state of eternal separation from God’s presence” (39%) and one-third (32%) says it is “an actual place of torment and suffering where people’s souls go after death.” A third perspective that one in eight adults believe is that “Hell is just a symbol of an unknown bad outcome after death” (13%). Other respondents were “not sure” or said they that they do not believe in an afterlife (16%).
Destinations
Most Americans do not expect to experience Hell first-hand: just one-half of 1% expect to go to Hell upon their death. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (64%) believe they will go to Heaven. One in 20 adults (5%) claim they will come back as another life form, while the same proportion (5%) contend they will simply cease to exist.
Even though most Americans believe in life after death and the existence of the soul, not everyone is clear about their own ultimate destination. One in every four adults (24%) admitted that they have ”no idea” what will happen after they die. Those who felt their eternal future is undefined were most likely to be Hispanics, singles, men, atheists and agnostics, residents of the West, and 18- and 19-year-olds (i.e., young adults who also happen to be the first members of the Mosaic generation to enter adulthood).
Among those who expect to go to Heaven, there were differences in how they anticipate such an end would be attained. Nearly half of those who say they are Heaven bound (43%) believe they will go to Heaven because they have “confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior.” Others felt they will get to Heaven because “they have tried to obey the 10 Commandments” (15%) or because “they are basically a good person” (15%). Another 6% believed their entrance to Heaven would be based upon the fact that “God loves all people and will not let them perish.”
One of the intriguing findings from the research is that education and income are negatively correlated with belief in Heaven and Hell. In other words, the more education a person gets or the more income they earn, the less likely they are to believe that Heaven or Hell exists. While most high-income households and college graduates maintain belief in Heaven and Hell, the finding reinforces the popular notion – and, indeed, Jesus’ teaching – that people of economic means and those with considerable education struggle to embrace biblical teachings on such matters.
The New Views
Although a comparison of current beliefs to those held over the past two decades shows that Americans’ views about life after death have been relatively stable over time, new perceptions about the hereafter are being grafted into the traditional perspectives. For instance, nearly 1 in 5 adults (18%) now contends that people are reincarnated after death. And one-third of Americans (34%) believe that it is possible to communicate with others after their death. As evidence that this belief is gaining traction, consider that nearly half of all Busters (48%) embrace the concept of communication with the dead, while just 35% of Boomers (39-57) and 15% of Elders (ages 58+) do so.
Contradictions Reign
George Barna, the president of the company that conducted the research, pointed out that “Americans’ willingness to embrace beliefs that are logically contradictory and their preference for blending different faith views together create unorthodox religious viewpoints.” For instance, he noted that among born again Christians - who believe that they will experience eternal existence in Heaven solely because they have confessed their sins to God and are depending upon Jesus Christ to spare them from eternal punishment or rejection - 10% believe that people are reincarnated after death, 29% claim it is possible to communicate with the dead, and 50% contend that a person can earn salvation based upon good works.
“Many committed born again Christians believe that people have multiple options for gaining entry to Heaven. They are saying, in essence, ‘Personally, I am trusting Jesus Christ as my means of gaining God’s permanent favor and a place in Heaven – but someone else could get to Heaven based upon living an exemplary life.’ Millions of Americans have redefined grace to mean that God is so eager to save people from Hell that He will change His nature and universal principles for their individual benefit. It is astounding how many people develop their faith according to their feelings or cultural assumptions rather than biblical teachings.”
The California-based researcher indicated that born again Christians are not the only ones confused about what happens after death. Many of those who describe themselves as either atheistic or agnostic also harbor contradictions in their thinking. “Half of all atheists and agnostics say that every person has a soul, that Heaven and Hell exist, and that there is life after death. One out of every eight atheists and agnostics even believe that accepting Jesus Christ as savior probably makes life after death possible. These contradictions are further evidence that many Americans adopt simplistic views of life and the afterlife based upon ideas drawn from disparate sources, such as movies, music and novels, without carefully considering those beliefs. Consequently, the labels attached to people – whether it be ‘born again’ or ‘atheist’ may not give us as much insight into the person’s beliefs as we might assume.”
Song:1. O for a thousand tongues to sing
my great Redeemer’s praise,
the glories of my God and King,
the triumphs of his grace!
2. My gracious Master and my God,
assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad
the honors of thy name.
3. Jesus! the name that charms our fears,
that bids our sorrows cease;
’tis music in the sinner’s ears,
’tis life, and health, and peace.
4. He breaks the power of canceled sin,
he sets the prisoner free;
his blood can make the foulest clean;
his blood availed for me.
5. He speaks, and listening to his voice,
new life the dead receive;
the mournful, broken hearts rejoice,
the humble poor believe.
6. Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb,
your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold your savior come,
and leap, ye lame, for joy.
7. In Christ, your head, you then shall know,
shall feel your sins forgiven;
anticipate your heaven below,
and own that love is heaven.
