Watch, Witness, and Wait Upon (The Lord's Action Plan)

I am convinced that Jesus desires a huge family. Speaking to His immediate disciples and all future believers, Christ declared His leaving was in preparation of our Heavenly home and to fulfill the promise of Father God sending the Holy Spirit to guide us in the meanwhile.

• "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that 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." (John 14:1-3)
• "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—" (John 14:16)
• "But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7)
• "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me." (John 15:26)
• "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (John 14:26)

The meanwhile has been long, but there has always been an action plan attatched to one's faith in Christ, because without a display of our good works for Christ how would people know to associate us with Jesus? 

• "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:17)

The action plan for believers after their faith declaration is to -

1. watch for His return,
2. witness to others about the Good News and God's faithfulness and
3. wait upon others or develop a character and life of servantship.

Since Jesus said in His days, 

• “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:37-38) 

imagine how much more believers in Christ should be diligent about recruiting more disciples of Jesus today, espcially with The Lord being long-suffering in His return.

Particiaption in anything takes a measure of convincing that supports one making the decision to go forward. Paul was presented with enough proof, the risen Christ, to not only stop persecuting the Christians but become one of Christ's largest Champions of the faith. He would later declare his conviction(s) and I claim them as my own as well.

• "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

If you are convinced of your Salvation through Christ and your destination - Heaven - therefore because of Christ, then there is only the action plan to exectue. After we have accepted Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, Jesus commands us to Watch, Witness and Wait Upon.

There is a day, even an hour and moment when The Lord will return mid-air for His Bride, the church. Many believers refer to it as The Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). There are signs this event is coming soon by reading Matthew 24 and realize the signs increase in frequency and intensity the closer we are to Christ's return. But as of the specific day and hour - no one knows. This is why Jesus says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:42)

The second action item, The Great Commission, commands us to witness to the ends of the earth. "Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'" (Matthew 28:18-20)

First Christ gives a word of assurance and comfort - "All authority in heaven and on earth has been give to me." Second, Jesus gives all believers the "therefore". This word placed here refers back to the previous statement and says, Since all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, follow the next set of instructions I am about to give you - "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." 

So, our tasks in witnessing are -

1. travel and make disciples of the whole world
2. baptize them and
3. teach them to obey His commands.

Then the Lord comes full-circle with supportive, comforting words saying, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

The last part of the action plan, Wait Upon, is serving God by serving others. Like a waiter or waitress - waits upon you at a restaurant or serves you, we should be servants of God and His kingdom. Jesus gave Himself as a wonderful example. He gave up His glory and clothed Himself with humanity to live our life - good and challenging - while not making one mistake and getting killed for everyone else's.

The verses that the Holy Spirit reminds me of and ties the Watching and Witnessing and Serving altogether is Luke 12:37-38 -

"It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak."

This passage is a call to action. Actually, this passage is a reminder you should have already been acting - as in watching for Christ, witnessing about the Lord and waiting upon others. So, how are you doing on The Lord's Action Plan?