The Mandate of the Church

At every point and season of life, it is important that the church reiterates the mandate which the Lord Jesus Christ has entrusted to her. This is because many people forget the mandate of the church and go about engaging in other activities that the Lord has not commissioned us for.

As we proceed I. This article I feel it is necessary that we talk about the Mandate. And I belive that the Lord Jesus Christ is pleased that we come to a point of conviction and persuasion in what the Lord has mandated us to do.

It is true that, many receive diverse assignments from the Lord Jesus Christ. That notwithstanding, we must understand that, despite our many dealings with the Lord Jesus Christ, we have all been mandated to do one particular thing in common.

That means, whether you're a Prophet, Teacher, Pastor, Apostle etc, you have a role to play in ensuring that, the mandate is achieved and unleashed.

That means, one can not say they have fully fulfilled that which the Lord has given them do if they didn't contribute to ensuring that, this mandate was achieved..

With this, I want to bring our attention and consciousness once again to the reason why the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is here on earth..

Many Believe that the Church is here because of our maturity. Others believe that, the Church is here to prepare for heaven.

But what is the mandate of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth?

Way beyond all these reasons that many have given is/are the reasons why the Lord has continued to keep his Church here. And it is in the fulfillment of this that, we can say that we finished the course and fought a good fight for the Lord Jesus Christ. It is in the walking in that mandate that we can say that we're doing MORE FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

What is a mandate

*_1. An official order or commission to do something._*

*_give (someone) authority to act in a certain way._*

IMandate is an order or commission that is given to someone to do something.

Dear One, what has the Lord Jesus Christ commissioned the Church to do.

The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to do the order of the Father and when he was leaving, this was what he said👇

John 17:18 (MSG) 

*_In the same way that you gave me a mission in the WORLD, I give them a mission in the world._*

Jesus prayed to the Father and he said, just as the Father have him a mission (mandate, commission) on earth, he also do likewise to us.

We are here on a mission, and on an assignment.. We're not here for fun

There are many people who believe that, they are here on earth because they're parents met and gave birth to them.

And so, they have no mission, assignment and mandate consciousness in them.

All that they do is to eat and sleep and they call it a good life

The truth is that, a good life is the one that is lived in fulfilling the mission and the mandate that the Lord Jesus Christ has given the Church. So, the Church is here on a mission. We're here on an assignment. We're not here for fun. We must see the earnestness of why we're here as believers.

The Lord Jesus Christ says, just as the father commissioned him to come to earth to die for humanity (his mandate), he so have commissioned us..

And what is the mandate that the Lord Jesus Christ gave us?

When I spoke on *SERVING THE PURPOSES OF GOD IN OUR GENERATION* I begun to make mention of some of the mandate that the Lord Jesus Christ has given the Church..

And the Lord Jesus Christ will love for us to reiterate it again.. That tells us the desire of the Father

So let's quickly look at the mandate or commission or mission that the Lord Jesus Christ has sent the Church on👇

Mark 16:15 *And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].*

Mark 16:16 He who believes [who adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death]; but he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned.

The first ever mandate that the Lord Jesus Christ gave the Church is found in this verses of scripture.

And that is in the preaching of the Gospel.

Alot of believers have become so familiar with the preaching of the gospel that, they have lost passion and zeal for the preaching of it.

Many also believe that they have done enough. But there's room to do more of the preaching of the gospel for the Lord Jesus Christ

Again, the Lord Jesus Christ so commissioned the Church for this purpose 👇

Matthew 28:18 Jesus approached and, breaking the silence, said to them, *All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.*

Matthew 28:19 *Go then and make disciples of all the nations,* baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:20 *Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you,* and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).

From the above scriptures, The Church have the following mandate from the Lord Jesus Christ.

1. The Preaching of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

2. The discipleship of people/nations for the Lord Jesus Christ

3. Teaching the nations

So, a man is said to be walking in the mandate and assignment of the Church when the person has given him or herself to these

Tonight before I finish, I want to emphasize on the need for discipleship in the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, discipleship have left our Church these days and replaced it with many things.

*Discipleship is when an individual who have received the Lord Jesus Christ is trained, taught and  equipped to become as the Lord Jesus Christ.*

The essence of Discipleship is *Maturity, and the essence of maturity is Christ conformation*.

The truth is that, there are many people in the faith who are one way or the other confused about what to do with the faith because they have not been discipled.

Most people who are easily tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine are the ones that the Church has not taken her time to Disciple them

Many denominations keep demanding maturity and growth from their members, yet they have not taken the pain to Disciple them.

No body matures and grow in the faith without proper discipleship

And so, even as able ministers of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, it is not only our mandate to preach the gospel but also to Disciple nations for the Lord

We have many people on the church today who have not been discipled. The only way we know they're Christians is that, they might have prayed the prayer of salvation some time and then they are left on their own in the Church.

Believers constantly requires discipleship to bring them to the point where they are👇

When believers are thoroughly discipled, this are the things that happens to them 👇

1. Rooted in the faith

Colossians 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Colossians 2:7 *Rooted and built up in him*, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

A tree is able to stand strong to the degree to which its roots are built in the soil. And this is the exact scenario in the faith.

There are many who easily fall from the faith because they have not been rooted enough in the faith

Discipleship, like the foundation of a building helps the believer to become strong in their conviction in the Lord Jesus Christ

In this scripture, it talks about two things that happens to people who are discipled

1. Rooted and built up in Him

2. Stablished in the faith

And so, the degree to which one does not fall from the faith when situations comes at them, is determined by how rooted they are in the Lord Jesus Christ..

There are many believers who are not yet really rooted in the faith. They are the ones that the Bible says👇

Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

In the coming year, even as we prepare to do more for the Lord Jesus Christ, let us add to our schedules to Disciple people in the faith.

Let's us get people grounded in the faith

Another thing that happens to people who are discipled is 👇

2. Grounded in love and in the faith

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

Ephesians 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; *that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,*

Ephesians 3:18 *May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;*

So, you get to realize from this scripture too that it makes use of two words to describe the one discipled.

1.Rooted

2. Grounded

Also,

3. Established in the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ

2 Peter 1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, *and be established in the present truth.*

Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;

So, we see that, many who have not been grounded, established and built up in the Lord Jesus Christ are the ones that have not been discipled

Discipleship is a strong tool that the Church have to make use of in this season where many doctrines of demons and false doctrines abound and even keep abounding.

To conclude because of our time 👇

One of the things that the Church has replaced discipleship with is Mentorship.

And with this, I don't mean to downplay the relevance of mentorship.

But mentorship is not same as discipleship. With mentorship, we train people to become like us, and in discipleship, we train people to become as the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we desire Christ conformity in the Church once again, then discipleship must return to the church

Even as we prepare our plans and activities for next year God willing, let us target individuals that we're going to take our time to Disciple for the Lord Jesus Christ.

And also, let us also give ourselves to discipleship..

Remember, the Lord Jesus Christ says, he has sent us on a mission and a part of it is to Disciple nations for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I hope these helped you?