Jesus Our Example

Jesus is our example..Souls of men were Jesus' heart. To reach the lost, to let the oppressed go free, to bind up broken hearts, and set at liberty those who have been bruised. To heal the sick, raise the dead. That was the life our Jesus lived and taught. And He commanded his disciples to do likewise.

"Follow me, and I will MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN." (Matt 4:19)

When we follow Jesus ... not men, not doctrines, not traditions ... we will become fishers of men. God's heart is people. Many people start out by asking God what is His will for their lives. It is plain, FOLLOW ME, AND YOU WILL BECOME A FISHER OF MEN.

When you become born-again you have a ministry birthed inside of you. That is the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and HATH GIVEN TO US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION." (2 Cor 5:17-20)

We are to be just like Jesus; He had a ministry to reconcile. Now so do we.

The ministry of reconciliation is birthed inside of you, just like a new-born baby's nature is to nurse. Reconciliation means: ability to change or reconcile from a state of enmity to friendship. (Ability to take someone from the wrath of God that is against them, to a state of repentance, union and communion with God.)

You, my brethren, have that ministry inside of your being. We must exercise it. "To who?" you may ask. To whosoever will. You say, "Is it that easy?" Well its like fishing, if you have never been, it will take you a little time to get familiar with everything you have to fish with, the rod (Holy Spirit), tackle or bait (gifts of the Spirit and the Word of God in your mouth). Then just get in your boat (your body) and GO!!!!!!

Jesus said, "As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." (John 17:18) God has sent us just like He sent Jesus: To preach to the lost, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper.

Jesus said "GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe, IN MY NAME THEY SHALL CAST OUT DEVILS, THEY SHALL SPEAK WITH NEW TONGUES. THEY SHALL TAKE UP SERPENTS, AND IF THEY DRINK ANY DEADLY THING, IT SHALL NOT HURT THEM; THEY SHALL LAY HANDS ON THE SICK AND THEY SHALL RECOVER." (Mark 16:15-18)

I remember my first time I went fishing for souls:

I went by myself. I couldn't get anyone to go with me. So I prayed and asked Jesus to lead me where he wanted me to go. (I don't recommend you going by yourself but I was young and zealous.) I went to the park and talked to many, many people about Jesus but no one was hanging on my leg begging to meet Jesus. I came home very disappointed. I asked Jesus why no one got saved.

He told me "because you were not listening to me."

I said "what Lord?"

He said "you went where I lead you, now you must listen and I will speak to you."

So I was very excited about that and I went back to the park the next Saturday morning. I was lead to this man, and as I asked him if he knew Jesus and he answered yes. I asked God if he really knew Him and the Lord said "no he doesn't." So I asked the man again, "Do you really think you know him?" And the man answered "Oh yes, I know the Lord." I asked God again, "Lord he said he knows you. But you tell me he doesn't?" The Lord said "that's right, he does not know me. He thinks he knows Me, but He doesn't." So this man rambled on and on about his times of going to church. He was bragging about all the good things he has done. He looked to me to be homeless; in much need.

As he was talking I began to converse with the Lord. I said, "Lord he really thinks he knows you, and he's going on and on about it. You led me to him for a reason , so Lord what is it?"

And about that time the Lord said "He's bragging about knowing me, he does not know My power to save or to deliver. He has a bottle of whiskey in his left pocket in his trench coat. He drinks and I want to deliver him."

So while this man continued to talk I repeated his saying. "You really know the Lord do you?" He had a smile from ear to ear while I questioned him. And then I asked, (as my hand began to move toward that bottle) "the Lord wants to know why you think you need this?" And I then hit the bottle behind his trench coat with the back of my hand.

All of a sudden he was not smiling any more, his eyes got big around, and he asked "How did you know that?"

I told him I didn't but that the Lord had showed me, and it was because the Lord wanted to help him because he really did not know His power to deliver and save him. God got his attention that day, and God saved him.

In John 14, Jesus teaches us that He left earth (ascended to heaven) so that we could participate with God in preaching the good news here on earth! He says, "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." Then Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:2-6)

Jesus could have stayed on earth after He was resurrected from the dead. Sure He could have. He did not have to ascend into heaven to keep His resurrected body physically alive. He could have chosen to stay here on earth with us. But if He did, then we would not have the opportunity to be His witnesses, for He Himself would be present and would not need to send us to represent Him because He would be representing Himself. When He says, "I go to prepare a place for you," Jesus did not mean that He was going to the Father's house to get a room ready for each of us in it. He meant that He was leaving earth (and going to His Father) so that there would be a place on earth for us to witness for Him. He was making room for us to do kingdom work.. to represent Him and share the good news. (This is the same work He did when He was here on earth.. He did exactly what the Father was doing and spoke only His words.. now Jesus sends His disciples ... us ... to do what the Father is doing and to speak His words.. and His words are about how He made a way for man to be reconciled to God through what Jesus did for us on by dying on the cross and being raised from the dead. We are to be imitators of Jesus, to do His work here on earth... to share God's message.) Jesus tells His disciples that they know the way (v4) and when they ask Him for clarification, He says that He is the way (v6). He makes a space for us to go and share Him. That is our assignment. That is why we are here on earth right now instead of in Heaven with Him.

He promises He will come and get us later ... when we have finished our assignments (verse 3). He desires us to be present with Him for all eternity and He will bring us to be with Him. But before He takes us there (to His Father's house) He gives us an opportunity to God be His ambassadors here on earth. He is the way to the Father, and He wants us to go share that wonderful truth with others so that they can enter into a personal relationship with the Father as well.

Let's back up, and look at what leads up to John 14:2-6. In John 13, Jesus tells the disciples that He is going away. He tells them, prophetically through a word of knowledge that one of them is about to betray Him. He knows His time is short and He will be leaving soon. In this setting, He gives a new commandment to His disciples "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35) Some have intrepreted this as Christians are to love other Christians and when unbelievers see the love that Christians show to each other, the will realize that these people really are Christians. But that is not the whole impact of what Jesus is saying here. Jesus is saying we are to love other people and because of that love, we will be compelled to share the good news of Jesus with them, especially with those who do not know Him. As we witness in His love, as His love for them is made manifest to them through us, and they will be drawn to Him because of God's love. People will know that we really are His disciples.. that His spirit and His fullness dwells in us, because they will see and experience His love manifesting through us.

Peter did not quite get it. He says to Jesus, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times!" Here Jesus speaks propheticly to Peter of what is going to happen. He does not condemn Peter, but He lets Peter know what is about to happen. Jesus goes on to encourage Peter by saying, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." (John 14:1). Jesus just finished propheticly telling Peter that he did not have the boldness to be an effective witness for Him. Peter is sad and devastated, so Jesus immediately goes on to encourage Peter (and the other disciples). He says, in essence, yes you are going to be in a situation to witness for Me and you are going to blow it. But don't be discouraged and don't give up. Keep your faith and focus on God. Don't give up.

Have you had an unsuccessful evangelism experience? Take heart.. so did Jesus's early disciples. Peter's first outreach, by the campfire in the high priest's courtyard, was a total disaster. Peter went in his own strength (instead of being spirit led), and he backed down and did not speak out for Jesus at all. In fact, he had three blaring failures on his first outreach and left in tears. But Jesus did not disqualify Peter for this unsuccessful outreach. Instead, He commissioned him again, including Peter with the other disciples in commanding them to be in the right place and await His instructions and empowerment:

He [Jesus] appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1:3b-5)

Peter, instead of giving up, listened to God and did it God's way. Yes, God had commissioned and sent him, but he had found that going out for Jesus on his own strength simply did not work. He had to take his orders from his Commander-and-Chief and listen to God for directions, and then follow those directions. It may have seemed counter-intuitive to Peter to sit in an upper room waiting for God's empowerment instead of going out and doing the work. But Peter listened to God and did as God told him. Then, after a short wait, God showed up with power. Immediately after that, Peter had his first sermon to the masses.. and "about three thousand were added to their number that day." (Acts 2:47) What a change... Peter went from a total failure as a witness to leading 3,000 people to the Lord in a single outreach. Wow!!

What accounted for this difference? Peter entered the venue of prophetic evangelism.. of listening to God and finding out what God was doing and then participating with Him in it. And that is what God wants from each of us. He doesn't just want us to go out blindly and witness.. He wants us, like Jesus, to hear and see what the Father is doing in evangelism and then do that with Him.. no more and no less. That is prophetic evangelism, and that is what will make us effective.. hearing from God and doing with Him what He is doing in sharing Jesus.

Jesus is the Saviour of the world. He saved the world, now he wants the world to receive His salvation healing, and deliverance. They can through you. You are the vessel. You are the preacher of the good news. As you become available for the Lord to move through you, He will manifest Himself and reveal His heart through you. Kathryn Kulman said, "It's not golden vessels He wants, its not silver vessels He wants, but YIELDED VESSELS."

Choose right now to become a yielded and available vessel.

[Please Note:

This is intended as a discussion series. Please feel free to send your discussion (comments or questions) to prophetic-school@godspeak.net. We will have online discussion each week, MC'd by Victoria Bouler, the author of this series. These discussions will NOT be put on the course WWW page.