[kisstheson]

Dear ones, after looking through the verses in the Gospels and the book of Acts where our Lord Jesus charges His apostles concerning their labor for Him, I am beginning to see what TAS was getting at in message seven. The mandates given to the apostles really were 100% Christ-centered. As each of the twelve labored for Christ, their center was not themselves. Their center was not their ministry. Their center was not even the assemblies raised up by their ministry. Their center, their focus, was proclaiming Chirst and bringing the presence of Christ with them wherever they went. TAS's view of true ministry for the Lord is really marvelous! To His apostles, Christ truly was all!

Here are the marvelous portions from the Scriptures upon which I base my conclusions thus far:

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even until the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)

“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)

“And He called the twelve together, and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God, and to perform healing.” (Luke 9:1-2)

“Tend My lambs . . . Shepherd My sheep . . . Tend My sheep.” (John 21: 15b, 16b, 17b)

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

Accorrding to these wonderful words form our dear Lord Jesus, the veiw that the Twelve had of their labor for the Lord was this: They were to teach the things Christ commanded, to proclaim Christ’s gospel, to be given power and authority by Christ, to feed Christ’s lambs, and to be witnesses of Christ all over the earth. It is all so fully centered on Christ! Hallelujah! Amen!