Daniel Whyte III is a full-time evangelist by calling. Through the Gospel Light Minute X, his main aim is to present a short, clear, understandable presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ which saved him over 30 years ago. Throughout his ministry, he has emphasized a clear presentation of the Gospel because he believes that many pastors and churches mix up the Gospel with other things, and this causes confusion for nonbelievers. In order to do that, Daniel Whyte III uses tracts that he has written, as well as tracts produced by the following ministries: Fellowship Tract League, the American Tract Society, and Good News/Crossway Tracts in the production of this broadcast.
15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:
17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
The Work You Should Be Doing Until Jesus Comes, Part 5
In the final verse of this parable, we come to the conclusive lesson of the Master’s feast. The Master invited “many” to come to his banquet, but they rejected the invitations and made excuses as to why they could not attend. Then, the Master commanded his servants to invite the poor, blind, lame, and crippled, and they came in droves. Yet, the Master’s house was not filled; there were still empty seats at the table. So, the Master said, “Go and grab those who are in the highway and beyond the hedges. Compel them to come in. I want a full house. No wasted food!” And those outsiders who heard the good news of a fabulous banquet thrown at no expense to them came in droves as well.
Now, the Master circles back around to the “many” who were originally invited. He tells his servant, “None of those which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” None of those who made an excuse will be given a second chance to attend. This stark conclusion highlights the importance of the previous verse in which the servant is told to “compel” those who are invited. The Gospel invitation that we deliver is urgent in every way. We can’t promise any person that they can make a decision “later” or that they will have another chance to receive Christ. One day, they may find that the door is shut.
Albert Barnes said, “This passage cannot be understood as meaning that no ‘Jews’ would be saved, but that none of those who had ‘treated him in that manner’ — none who had so decidedly rejected the offer of the Gospel — would be saved. We may here see how dangerous it is to reject the gospel ‘once’; how dangerous it is to grieve away the Holy Spirit. How often God forsakes forever the sinner who has once been awakened. The invitation is full and free; but when it is rejected, and people turn willfully away from it, God leaves them to their chosen way, and they are drowned in destruction and perdition. How important, then, is it to embrace the gospel ‘at once;’ to accept the gracious invitation, and enter without delay the path that conducts to heaven!”
The saving grace of God flows freely to all. There is an unlimited supply at the fountain filled with blood. There is an abundance of food and drink at the Lord’s table. But those who despise God’s good gift are likely to find that, one day, they have delayed too long, shrugged off the invitation too often, and are irrevocably banned from dining with the Lord’s people.
W.J. Holtzclaw wrote:
O hear the gospel call today;
It is the message of God’s love;
O heed it now without delay,
And gain a home of peace above.
O hear the gospel call today;
It tells how Jesus died to save;
Yes, all the debt we owe to pay,
And all the road to heaven pave.
O hear the gospel call today;
It is the old, old story told
Of death and hell and judgment day,
O join the Shepherd and his fold.
—–
Now, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, I urge you to trust in Him because He is coming again and you do not want to be left behind. Here is how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and the consequences of sin.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 368.
Francis Chan said, “In the midst of our failed attempts at loving Jesus, His grace covers us.”
We see the truth of this statement in Jesus’ interaction with Peter in the last chapter of John’s Gospel. After actions which some of us would deem unforgivable or at least job terminating, Jesus is keen to help Peter understand that he is still a part of the family and the ministry. But, as we saw in our last message, Jesus also wants Peter to realize that he is not as strong spiritually as he had claimed in the past. Hence the question, “Lovest thou me more than these?” Jesus asks Peter to compare his love for Him against the love the other disciples had for Him. Peter had boasted about his loyalty to Jesus, but when the test came, he had let the Savior down. How does Peter respond to Jesus’ question?
Notice Peter’s Confession. In response to Jesus’ question, Peter says, “Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.” Some commentators have pointed out that the word Jesus used for love and the word Peter used for love are different. Jesus uses “agape,” meaning unconditional, self-sacrificing love. Peter uses “phileo,” meaning the love of a friend. While some say the difference in terms is not significant, one could say that more than an attempt to try to convince Jesus that he still loves Him, Peter is confessing that he has failed at loving Jesus and that he is not capable of the love that he once boasted of. Peter is saying that he loves Jesus as much as he possibly can in his feeble human way, but He is incapable of loving Jesus the way Jesus loves him. Jesus had proven his agape love for Peter and mankind by going to the cross and dying; but Peter’s actions had shown that he did not have agape love — the kind of love that leads one to risk or lay down his life for Jesus. If you will, Under the weight of Jesus’ questioning, Peter finally admitted this. He did not have the agape love that Jesus had.
Now, notice Jesus’ Command. In response to Peter’s confession, Jesus says, “Feed my lambs.” I think it would be safe to say that if Peter had denied one of us the way he turned his back on Jesus, we would never want him to work with us or for us again. But that is not the case with Jesus. Jesus tells Peter, ‘You are still My disciple. You are still one of the twelve. I have called you to be a fisher of men. My gifts and callings are without repentance. Feed my sheep.’ The sheep are the flock of God, the souls the disciples would win to the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is telling Peter, ‘I want you to be a leader in My church. I want you to shepherd, nourish, teach, provide for, and protect the little lambs who come in from the world.’
With this kind of restoration and reinstatement, I don’t think Peter ever again felt proud about spiritual matters. He had gone as low as anyone could go. Yet, Jesus had restored Him to service. He did not turn His back on him. He brought him back into the ministry and recommissioned him for God’s use.
As we embark on a new year, I think a question that Jesus would ask of us in the church is, “Do you love me? Do you love me more than these?” He has the right to ask such a question after a year when so many who claimed to be Christians bowed down at the altar of politics on both sides. When so many allowed political divisions to tear apart Christian fellowship. Jesus wants to know, Do you love Me more than you love your party? Do you love Me more than you love your candidate, no matter if they won or lost, if they’re leaving office or being inaugurated? Will you stand up for Me just like you stood up for them?
Some of us, like Peter, need to confess that we have not loved the Lord supremely. We have put personal safety, politics, race, culture, money, popularity, and worldly acceptance above Christ and the Gospel. We have allowed the transient things of this world to trump the guaranteed eternal triumph of God in the end. Some of us, like Peter, have been unwilling to go down to the wire for Jesus.
But if we are willing to admit our faults, Jesus has a command for us as well: “Feed my lambs.” He wants us to get back to our first love in this new year. He wants us to love Him with all our heart, mind, and soul through the power of the Holy Spirit. He wants us to have agape love for our brothers and sisters in Christ because that is the only kind of love that will heal the division that has come to light in the past few years. He wants us to have agape love for the lost world as well because that is the only kind of love that will move us to boldly preach the Gospel and stand against sin no matter the cost.
Julia Aldrich wrote:
Jesus said with tender pleading,
Feed My lambs, feed My lambs;
In this world He’s interceding,
Feed My precious lambs.
Seek each little son and daughter,
Feed My lambs, feed My lambs;
Lead them to the living water,
Feed My precious lambs.
Tell them of a home in glory,
Feed My lambs, feed My lambs;
And repeat the old, old story
Feed My precious lambs.
For those of you who are not yet disciples of the Lord, the restoration of Peter reminds us that Jesus can and will forgive any sinner. No matter what you have done, no matter how terrible you think it is, Jesus wants to forgive you, save you from your sins, and bring you into His family. No one is too far gone that he is beyond the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus. Here is how you can receive Him into your heart and life today:
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
———-
Today, I am continuing the daily Just Jesus Evangelistic Campaign sermon series, which is aimed at sharing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ with unbelievers and reminding Christians, in this important election year, to keep the main thing the main thing — and that is reaching unbelievers with the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and praying for their salvation, for the problem in America is not only disobedient presidents, politicians, and people, but disobedient pastors, preachers, and parishioners who have refused to obey the Lord’s Great Commission which is to, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” and who have refused to obey God’s repeated commands to “pray without ceasing” for unbelievers, believers, and political leaders. Yes, you should pray for the right candidate to win; yes, you should vote for the candidate that the Lord gives you peace about voting for. But, don’t get caught up in it like the world does. Nothing much is going to change until people get saved and get their hearts right with the Lord.
This campaign is inspired by the following three verses: 1 Corinthians 2:2 which says, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Acts 5:42 which says, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” And 2 Timothy 2:4 which says, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
This series is not for Christians necessarily. However, I do hope you are one of those saints who still loves to hear the “Old, old story of Jesus and His love” — As another hymn says, “For those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest.” This series is primarily for unbelievers, so they can hear and understand the Gospel and be saved from sin and the punishment of sin which is hell. This is message number 367.
F.B. Meyer said, “When a man is right with God, God will freely use him.”
John ends his book with Jesus and His disciples by the sea in a scene that has been referred to as “the restoration of Peter.” Peter had denied that he even knew Jesus Christ while the Lord was on trial in Jerusalem. Apparently, Jesus nor any of the other disciples held that against him. He was still a part of the group. He was even seen as a leader, as he was the one whom all the others followed to go fishing earlier in this passage. But, Peter likely had some misgivings in his own heart. Every time he looked at Jesus, he would have felt guilt and regret over what he had done. He would have been especially ashamed because he had been the most vocal in his proclamations that he would die with Jesus if necessary. Jesus, of course, knowing all things, knew what was in Peter’s heart. He knew that Peter was still messed up on the inside. And, so, Jesus graciously sets out to restore Peter, the one whom He had called the “rock” upon which He would build the church.
Dr. Warren Wiersbe said, “Peter and his Lord had already met privately and no doubt taken care of Peter’s sin, but since Peter had denied the Lord publicly, it was important that there be public restoration. Since Peter had denied his Lord three times, Jesus asked him three personal questions. He also encouraged him by giving a threefold commission that restored Peter to his ministry.”
First, from this passage, notice the Comparison. “When they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?” Jesus did not call Peter by his usual name which meant “rock,” perhaps as a reminder that, at the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter had not been faithful or steadfast like a rock. Peter is being asked to measure his love for Jesus against the love the other disciples had for Jesus. Surely, all of the disciples loved Jesus deeply. But, Peter had been more vocal than any of the others in declaring his love, commitment, and dedication.
Warren Wiersbe said, “The key issue is Peter’s love for the Lord Jesus, and that should be a key matter with us today. But what did the Lord mean by “more than these”? Was He asking, “Do you love Me more than you love these other men?” Not likely, because this had never been a problem among the disciples. They all loved the Lord Jesus supremely, even though they did not always obey Him completely. Perhaps Jesus meant, “Do you love Me more than you love these boats and nets and fish?” Again, this is not likely, for there is no evidence that Peter ever desired to go back permanently into the fishing business. Fishing did not seem to compete with the Saviour’s love.
The question probably meant, “Do you love Me—as you claimed—more than these other disciples love Me?” Peter had boasted of his love for Christ and had even contrasted it with that of the other men. “I will lay down my life for Thy sake!” “Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet will I never be offended!” There is more than a hint in these boastful statements that Peter believed that he loved the Lord more than did the other disciples.”
Now, Jesus is asking Him, “Peter, is all that still true? Do you still love me more than the other disciples do?”
Anybody can see why this would be a concern: in the moment of Jesus’ greatest need, Peter had not acted like he loved the Lord. Ultimately, he had done just as the other disciples did: he ran away from the Lord rather than standing by Him through His ordeal. Such a question would cut at Peter’s pride. No one likes for others to doubt their words, but Jesus is helping Peter realize that he needs to be more humble and that he cannot rely on his own strength and will. Jesus was helping Peter to realize that, without God, he was no stronger, better, or more faithful than any of the other disciples.
———-
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at dw3@gospellightsociety.com and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
A homily is “a short talk on a religious or moral topic; a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a biblical theme.”
I am sharing a verse-by-verse series of short messages on Ephesians (as well as other passages of Scripture) specifically targeted at reviving families and encouraging and exhorting husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children to do what God has commanded them to do, for if the church is to be revived and the country is to be awakened, the family must be revived first.
TEXT: Ephesians 4:12-13:
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
—-
Jordan Groom said, “If God calls you to be a missionary, don’t stoop to be a king.”
Leonard Ravenhill said, “Peter says we’re to grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Are you wiser in God now than you were last year at this time?”
In their book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever, Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter share with us: “As news of the outpouring spread through the community, the little home on Bonnie Brae Avenue soon became too small. The weight of the crowd gathered on the porch outside was so great that the porch collapsed. While there were no serious injuries, everyone knew a more adequate meeting place had to be found. An abandoned church building at 312 Azusa Street was available. It had most recently been used as a warehouse and livery stable. The building was swept out, and William J. Seymour’s Apostolic Faith Mission moved to its new home on Easter Saturday, April 14, 1906.”
—-
In our last message, we saw that one of the end results of every believer using their spiritual gifts is that every believer in the body of Christ will grow into maturity in Christ — they will grow into being the “perfect man” that Paul writes about. Lest anyone is confused about what or who that perfect man is, Paul adds to that statement the words, “unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”
This phrase reminds us that we are not just to grow up in the faith, but that we are to grow up in the faith until we are like Christ. The word “measure” means a rule or staff for measuring. Who is our measure, our yardstick? It is Christ. Until we measure up to Him — which we will never do on this Earth — we are never to stop growing as believers. The longer we live as Christians, the more we learn that there is something else to be done in our lives that will make us more like Christ.
That might sound discouraging, but it should give us an impetus to keep striving to be conformed to the image of Christ. Paul uses the word “stature” to describe this image — that word means “adult age or maturity.” Christ is the “adult,” and we are the children. Just as little children look up to their parents and often strive to be like them, we, too, ought to strive to be like Christ.
Finally, Paul says we not only should grow up into the measure of Christ and the stature of Christ, but also the “fulness” of Christ. This word means “that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, and riches of God and of Christ.” We ought to want to be so filled with Christ and the things of God that sin and unrighteousness have no place inside of us. The older you get in the Lord, the less of a struggle it should be to say “no” to temptation and say “yes” to self-sacrificial ministry and service.
This poem by Thomas Obediah Chisholm captures the desire which all of us should have:
I have one deep supreme desire:
that I may be like Jesus.
To this I fervently aspire,
that I may be like Jesus.
I want my heart His throne to be,
so that a watchful world may see
His likeness shining forth in me.
I want to be like Jesus.
A homily is “a short talk on a religious or moral topic; a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a biblical theme.”
I am sharing a verse-by-verse series of short messages on Ephesians (as well as other passages of Scripture) specifically targeted at reviving families and encouraging and exhorting husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children to do what God has commanded them to do, for if the church is to be revived and the country is to be awakened, the family must be revived first.
TEXT: Ephesians 4:12-13:
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
—-
Robert Speer said, “There is nothing in the world or the Church — except the church’s disobedience — to render the evangelization of the world in this generation an impossibility.”
Leonard Ravenhill said, “I’m convinced that the greatest thing about the Puritan preachers is that they lived in eternity six days a week and came down to earth on the seventh. Our preachers, today, are golfing on Saturday and goofing around the other five days. Preaching is a profession to most of them when it should be an obsession with them!”
In their book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever, Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter share with us: “As William J. Seymour was preparing to go to the meeting on April 9, 1906, an acquaintance named Edward Lee told him he’d received a vision. He claimed the apostles had come to him and told him how to receive the gift of tongues. Together the men prayed, then made their way to the meeting. That night, “the power fell” on those assembled and several, including William Joseph Seymour himself, began praising God in “unknown tongues.””
—-
Today, we continue looking at the end result of every believer using their spiritual gifts “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Paul says that we ought to use our gifts “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ…”
God wants his children to grow into ‘perfect’ men and women. The word translated ‘perfect’ is the Greek word “te-la-os.” It means something that is brought to its end and finished; lacking nothing necessary to completeness. It is used to describe human integrity and virtue. Speaking of human beings, it means those who are full grown, adult, of full age, or mature. In other words, God wants us to grow up.
But, growing up here does not simply mean getting older in the faith; it means becoming all that we are meant to be in Christ. We must remember that when God made man, He made him in His own image. He made us to fellowship with Himself. When sin came into the picture, we fell short of that ideal. So, God sent Jesus to restore the relationship between us and Him, and it is as we grow more like Jesus that we grow more into what God wants us to be — the perfect, mature man of integrity and virtue.
The Bible tells us in Romans 8:29 that God’s ultimate goal is that we “be conformed to the image of Christ.” Jesus Christ is, if you will, the perfect man. He is the second Adam who did what the first Adam failed to do. He is perfect and we are in Him. He has imparted spiritual gifts to us that we might utilize them in our spiritual growth and in the assisting of others in their spiritual growth. David Guzik said, “The gifted offices and equipping of the saints bring the saints to maturity, according to the measure of Jesus Himself. As years pass by, we should not only grow old in Jesus, but more mature in Him as well, as individuals and as the church as a whole.”
Johann Lavater wrote:
O Jesus Christ, grow Thou in me,
And all things else recede;
My heart be daily nearer Thee,
From sin be daily freed.
Fill me with gladness from above,
Hold me by strength divine;
Lord, let the glow of Thy great love
Through all my being shine.
Make this poor self grow less and less,
Be Thou my life and aim;
Oh, make me daily through Thy grace
More meet to bear Thy name.
A homily is “a short talk on a religious or moral topic; a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a biblical theme.”
I am sharing a verse-by-verse series of short messages on Ephesians (as well as other passages of Scripture) specifically targeted at reviving families and encouraging and exhorting husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children to do what God has commanded them to do, for if the church is to be revived and the country is to be awakened, the family must be revived first.
TEXT: Ephesians 4:12-13:
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
—-
Oswald J. Smith said, “Any church that is not seriously involved in helping fulfill the Great Commission has forfeited its biblical right to exist.”
Leonard Ravenhill said, “Do you know what’s wrong with modern preaching? It’s missing three things: one, it has no intensity; two, it has no majesty; three, it has no eternity.”
In their book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever, Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter share with us: “Several from Sister Hutchins’ church attended the meeting along with others in the shabby neighborhood north of Temple Street. Most of the congregation was composed of domestic servants and women who took in laundry. As word of the home meetings spread, the crowds grew. People came to hear a preacher who had never spoken in tongues tell how the blessing of God would come soon when all would have this unique gift.”
—-
Today, we continue looking at the end result of every believer using their spiritual gifts “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”
Paul says that we do this “till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God…” As we look at what the ‘knowledge of the Son of God’ means, it is important to remember that knowledge in the Bible is not just knowing something mentally. Rather, it is knowing connected with meaningful action. Jesus does not allow us to become more familiar with Him just so that we can say that we know Him better. The more we get to know Jesus, the more we should be becoming like Him.
Some might ask, How long will it take for a local church to attain fully to the knowledge of Christ? If we look around today, it seems as though we are far from that goal. Alexander MacLaren said, “Paul gives no clear definition of the time when one body of Christian believers should have attained to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God, and the question may not have presented itself to him. It may appear that in view of the immediate context he regards the goal as one to be reached in our present life, or it may be that he is thinking rather of the Future, when the Master ‘should bring together every joint and member and mold them into an immortal feature of loveliness and perfection.’ But the time at which this great ideal should be attained is altogether apart from the obligation pressing upon us all, at all times, to work towards it. Whensoever it is reached it will only be by our drawing ‘nearer, day by day, each to his brethren, all to God,’ or rather, each to God and so all to his brethren.”
Our goal must be to learn to live like Christ and to love like Christ. In so doing, we will be moved to obey Christ and to exercise our spiritual gifts in His service. As we draw near to Him, He will reveal more and more of Himself to us, and we will be able to live in the knowledge of the Son of God both here and in the hereafter.
Fanny J. Crosby wrote:
I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.
Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in Thine.
There are depths of love that I yet may know
Before Thee face to face I see;
There are heights of joy that I yet may reach
Before I rest in peace with Thee.
A homily is “a short talk on a religious or moral topic; a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a biblical theme.”
I am sharing a verse-by-verse series of short messages on Ephesians (as well as other passages of Scripture) specifically targeted at reviving families and encouraging and exhorting husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children to do what God has commanded them to do, for if the church is to be revived and the country is to be awakened, the family must be revived first.
TEXT: Ephesians 4:12-13:
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
—-
C.T. Studd said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.”
Leonard Ravenhill said, “The pastor who doesn’t weep for the lost shouldn’t expect people to come and weep for their sins.”
In their book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever, Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter share with us: “At William J. Seymour’s first meeting, Sister Julia W. Hutchins, pastor of the church, recognized significant differences between the preaching of Seymour and her own views of the second blessing. She considered Seymour extreme in his doctrine of the Holy Spirit, perhaps even heretical. It was clear the two could not continue to work together. When Seymour later arrived at the church to preach at an afternoon meeting, he found the church doors locked. He was no longer welcome in the little storefront church on Santa Fe Avenue. Undaunted, he agreed to preach in a home on Bonnie Brae Avenue.”
—-
Today, we begin looking at the end result of every believer using their spiritual gifts “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Paul says that we do this “till we all come in the unity of the faith…” Here he returns to a theme which he previously emphasized — unity. When every believer is using his or her spiritual gifts in service to God and others, we will have a church that is unified in the faith.
The words “we all” indicate that the Christian journey to unity is not conducted in isolation. It involves every member of every local assembly growing together and making progress in their walk with Christ. Every believer ought to participate; it is not a job just for the leaders of the church or for certain “elite” Christians who may appear to be more spiritually inclined than others. Unity comes from one thing — adherence to “the faith,” the entire belief system that makes up Christianity. And that is something that every born again person can get behind.
John MacArthur said, “The ultimate spiritual target for the church begins with the unity of the faith. As in verse 5, faith does not here refer to the act of belief or of obedience but to the body of Christian truth, to Christian doctrine. The faith is the content of the gospel in its most complete form. As the church at Corinth so clearly illustrates, disunity in the church comes from doctrinal ignorance and spiritual immaturity. When believers are properly taught, when they faithfully do the work of service, and when the body is thereby built up in spiritual maturity, unity of the faith is an inevitable result. Oneness in fellowship is impossible unless it is built on the foundation of commonly believed truth.”
Carolyn Arends wrote:
We are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity
may one day be restored.
We will work with each other,
we will work side by side
We’ll guard each other’s hearts
and help rid each one’s pride.
We will walk with each other,
we will walk hand in hand
And together we’ll spread the news
that God is in our land.
A homily is “a short talk on a religious or moral topic; a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a biblical theme.”
I am sharing a verse-by-verse series of short messages on Ephesians (as well as other passages of Scripture) specifically targeted at reviving families and encouraging and exhorting husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children to do what God has commanded them to do, for if the church is to be revived and the country is to be awakened, the family must be revived first.
TEXT: Ephesians 4:11-12:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
—-
Matthew Henry said, “Some people do not like to hear much of repentance; but I think it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I would desire to die preaching repentance, and if out of the pulpit, I would desire to die practicing it.”
Leonard Ravenhill said, “I think one of the serious breakdowns in modern evangelism is this: it has offered too much for too little. What we do mostly is offer forgiveness. We need cleansing! There is no true conversion until a man takes up his cross.”
In their book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever, Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter share with us: “When William J. Seymour met with Lucy Farrow, the woman who had spoken in tongues, he learned she had recently worked as a governess in Topeka, Kansas. Her employer had been a man named Charles Fox Parham, a white preacher who ran a Holiness Bible school, Bethel College, in the same city. Parham had introduced her to the experience he called ‘the baptism of the Holy Ghost,’ which led to speaking in tongues. Before long, Seymour headed to Topeka to seek out Parham. When he found him, he begged to be admitted into the school. In making his request, however, Seymour was once again brought face-to-face with the realities of life in America at the turn of the century.”
—-
Over the past few messages, we have looked at the spiritual gifts of four key offices in the church — the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. In the next verse, Paul explains the overarching purpose behind why God gave these gifted individuals to the church. It is “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Titles, offices, and authoritative positions in the local church are not for show. They are not status symbols, nor are they to be taken lightly. They come with great responsibility.
The first responsibility of the spiritually gifted leader is “the perfecting of the saints.” The saints are, of course, the church. The word “perfecting” means “to equip or to complete furnishing.” This verse is the only time this word is used in Scripture.
When we think of equipping somebody, it puts us in the mind of getting them ready for some endeavor. That is the job of church leadership — to continuously be in the business of getting God’s people ready for whatever He would have them to do. Getting them ready, in a spiritual sense, means praying for them, explaining the Bible to them, and helping them obey God in all things. It is the pastor who sets the tone for the local church.
Dr. Warren Wiersbe said, “The saints do not call a pastor and pay him to do the work. They call him and follow his leadership as he, through the Word, equips them to do the work. The members of the church grow by feeding on the Word and ministering to each other.” And evangelizing the world
The local church is a place where prayer to God, the Word of God, and service for God are paramount. Nothing should ever be allowed to eclipse those three things. John MacArthur said, “The surest road to a church’s spiritual stagnation, to the pastor’s burnout, or to both is for the pastor to become so engulfed in activities and programs that he has too little time for prayer and the Word. It is a lack of knowledge of God’s Word and obedience to it, not lack of programs and methods, that destroy His people. When they fail, it is not because of weak programs, but because of weak preaching and teaching.”
The pastor helps every believer find their place in the body of Christ. He guides his local flock, ensuring that each one is praying, obeying, and serving at his or her maximum level for the benefit of the body of Christ and for the salvation of lost souls.
Joseph Henry Thayer wrote:
By God’s design, there lies in wait for you
Important work that no one else can do.
Just as the planets find their paths through space,
You too must grow to fill your proper place.
A homily is “a short talk on a religious or moral topic; a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a biblical theme.”
I am sharing a verse-by-verse series of short messages on Ephesians (as well as other passages of Scripture) specifically targeted at reviving families and encouraging and exhorting husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children to do what God has commanded them to do, for if the church is to be revived and the country is to be awakened, the family must be revived first.
TEXT: Ephesians 4:11-12:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
—-
Samuel Logan Brengle said, “All great soul-winners have been men of much and mighty prayer, and all great revivals have been preceded and carried out by persevering, prevailing knee-work in the closet.”
Leonard Ravenhill said, “If we had a super revival of a billion people being saved, it would still be too late. Could you imagine a billion people being saved — in governments, in hospitals, in universities, in schools, business people? Yet there would be four billion people in the world still unsaved.”
In their book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever, Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter share with us: “Despite the attractive interracial idealism of the Evening Light Saints, William J. Seymour soon found himself back in the South, in Houston, in a black church. He had little choice: In Houston at the turn of the century, if you were black and attended church, you attended a black church. It was while in this church that Seymour witnessed something he’d never before seen: He heard a woman praying in what seemed like another language. It was widely held by Holiness groups of that day that “speaking in tongues” was a sign that would accompany the arrival of the last days. Seymour sensed this woman had something he longed for but hadn’t yet found. He knew he had to talk with her.”
—-
Today, we are looking at the spiritual gift of the pastor and teacher to the church. “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…” The word translated “pastor” means: “A shepherd; one that has the care of flocks and herds, or a minister of the gospel who has the charge of a church and congregation, whose duty is to watch over the people of his charge, and instruct them in the sacred doctrines of the Christian religion.” The word translated “teacher” means: “One who teaches concerning the things of God, and the duties of man; those who in the religious assemblies of the Christians, undertook the work of teaching, with the special assistance of the Holy Spirit.”
Dr. Warren Wiersbe said, “The fact that the word ‘some’ is not repeated indicates that we have here one office with two ministries. Pastor means ‘shepherd,’ indicating that the local church is a flock of sheep, and it is his responsibility to feed and lead the flock. He does this by means of the Word of God, the food that nourishes the sheep. The Word is the staff that guides and disciplines the sheep. The Word of God is the local church’s protection and provision, and no amount of entertainment, good fellowship, or other religious substitutes can take its place.”
The pastor-teacher has a great and serious responsibility as he ministers to the flock of God. But, he must realize that his authority comes, not just from his ability to teach, but from his own righteous lifestyle before God and before the people. A pastor must practice what he preaches. No one was ever able to accuse Jesus of preaching one thing and doing another.
A pastor-teacher must also truly care for the people of God. He cannot be in his office for fame or money. The Gospel of Mark tells us that when Jesus saw “a great multitude, He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” The word used for “shepherd” in this verse is the same word translated as “pastor” in Ephesians. In another Gospel, Jesus said that He longed to gather the lost sheep of Israel like a mother hen gathers her chicks under her wings.
The pastor-teacher of the local church, as an under-shepherd, should strive to emulate the Great Shepherd.
Someone once wrote:
My Savior the good Shepherd is,
He’ll never leave the flock.
The One Who truly loves the sheep,
Became the Lamb of God.
Despised, afflicted in my stead,
He spent His soul for me.
And to the slaughter He was led,
That perishing I won’t be.
My Shepherd is the Lamb of God,
He calls to me each day,
To drink the waters flowing free,
From His pierced side of grace.
Yet when I stray or choose my way,
He still would search for me,
And bring me home on shoulders strong.
Do I not His love see?
