1. Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard www.GraceDoctrine.org Tuesday, March 27, 2012

2. Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

3. John 17 The Great High Priestly Prayer of our Lord!

4. John 17:6-19 John 17:18 We have been Commissioned by Jesus Christ for Evangelism.

5. John 17:18, “As You (God the Father) sent Me (God the Son) into the world, I (Jesus) also sent them (the disciples) into the world.”

6. “Sent”- APOSTELLO Aor, Act, Ind: “To send away, to send with a commission, to dispatch someone for the achievement of some objective, send away/out.”

7. The authority that Jesus has to send out the disciples is equal to that of the Father who has sent His Son.

8. For the Father’s sending of the Son: John 3:17; 17:3, 8, 21, 23, 25

9. John 3:17, “For God did not send (APOSTELLO) the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

10. John 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

11. John 20:21, “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent (APOSTELLO) Me, I also send (PEMPO) you.”

12. APOSTELLO also lies behind the title the final 12 would later receive, “Apostle”, Rom 1:1.

13. Prior to this Jesus APOSTELLO-ed the 12 (which included Judas Iscariot), to go out and evangelize during His incarnation. Mat 10:5; Mark 3:14; 6:7; Luke 9:2; John 4:38

14. Mark 3:14, “And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send (APOSTELLO) them out to preach.”

15. Luke 9:2, “And He sent (APOSTELLO) them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.”

16. We are not of the world, but are in the world to witness for Christ, and we keep our lives sanctified through His Word so that we are effective ambassadors for Christ.

17. Christ has actually sent us into the world to take His place in evangelizing and witnessing the Truth of God’s Word.

18. The Commissioning of the Believer by Jesus Christ

19. 1. Every believer is in full-time Christian service. It is not a matter of dedication but simply a matter of believing in Christ.

20. Whether you know it or not, try or try not, you are still in full-time Christian service for our Lord.

21. 2. Five categories of full-time Christian service.

22. 2. Five categories of full-time Christian service. a. Christian service related to our spiritual gift. All the spiritual gifts can be involved in witnessing.

23. b. Related to our Royal Priesthood. Every believer is a priest, representing himself before God. 1 Peter 2:5, 9; Rev 1:6, 5:10

24. Three areas of Christian service related to our priesthood: Giving, intercessory prayer, and the execution of the Plan of God for your life.

25. Rom 10:1, “Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them (Jewish unbelievers) is for their salvation.”

26. c. Related to our Royal Ambassadorship. Ambassadors representing God to a lost and dying world. 2 Cor 5:20; Eph 6:20; Philemon 9

27. It includes: 1) Witnessing or personal evangelism, 2) Missionary function, 3) Spiritual gift function, 4) Administrative activity.

28. d. Related to invisible impact for Christ. The phenomenal testimony to billions of angels as well as those in our periphery, Heb 12:1-3.

29. e. Related to our job (inside or outside of the home). This also relates to the Laws of Divine Establishment.

30. 3. Three categories of evangelism: the spiritual gift of evangelism, the Pastor- Teacher and every believer as a Royal Ambassador.

31. Spiritual gift is not an issue in witnessing; it is the responsibility of every believer.

32. Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and in Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

33. Grace Fellowship Church Tuesday, March 27, 2012 Tape # 12-034 We are Commissioned by Jesus for Evangelism Great High Priestly Prayer, Part 83 John 17:18; 3:17; 20:21; 2 Cor 5:20; 1 Peter 2:5, 9 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2012