Matthew 11:27 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

This is a huge claim on the part of Jesus, and as such it is extremely important. It makes it clear that prayer is an essential part of evangelism, because we can talk until we’re blue in the face, but people won’t know God until Christ reveals Him to them. Accordingly, we need to pray that Christ would indeed do that by His Holy Spirit. The other side of that is that we do need to be available as His instruments, proclaiming the Gospel so that the Holy Spirit may use the words that come from our mouths in convicting and convincing people of God and their need for Him. It is something of a truism, but God indeed doesn’t need our ability, but just our availability. Everything He gives us is for the advancement of His kingdom and for His glory, however much it blesses us in the process. We need to remember the first part of this verse, which is echoed in the first part of the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20) Jesus really is Lord, and the only way to the Father, and to eternal life, is to acknowledge that. (John 14:6)

Again, I have had the incredible privilege of being raised in a home that acknowledged the Lordship of Jesus in every area. However, I still have room to grow in applying that Lordship to all the details of my life. I need to apply the truth I have just written and be faithful in prayer for the salvation of those I encounter. I am to be active in sharing the Gospel, but not think for a moment that I can persuade anyone to receive it, unless the Holy Spirit does that work in their heart. As a pastor, I need to teach and train the believers in prayerful evangelism, not being limited by their self-perception but rather emboldened by their perception of God. Our most recent baptisms should be a good object lesson in that, because they are people whose own son had essentially given up on, but now they are beautifully saved. I need to help the believers understand that God does the saving but they are part of the process, so that they will rejoice to be available both to pray and to witness, for the salvation of many.

Father, we need to keep growing! We need to grow spiritually, in our understanding of and obedience to You, so that we will be prepared to receive, nurture, and disciple those You want to bring into Your kingdom through this church. May we not hobble our own faith and obedience by continually looking at our own weaknesses and difficulties, but rather lift our eyes to Christ and expect great things of You, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!