The Pillar and Ground of Truth

Text: John 20:21-23, “(21) Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.  (22)  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:  (23)  Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”

2 Corinthians 5:17-21, “(17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  (18)  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  (19)  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  (20)  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.  (21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

“…I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves…” (Matthew 10:16).

Anointed and Sent

Ancillary Text:

• Matthew 28:18-20, “(18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  (19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  (20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
• Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
• Isaiah 6:8, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

In 2025, churchtrac shared the latest survey from Gallup (2023) and the Pew Research Center regarding the percentage of regular church attendance. The survey was both eye-opening and astounding:[1]

• 20% of Americans attend church every week
• 41% of Americans are in monthly church attendance or more
• 57% of Americans are seldom or never in religious service attendance
• Regular church attendance has steadily declined since the turn of the century[2] [3]

When Paul and Silas were in Thessalonica their detractors made an interesting statement: “These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.”[4]

How did they turn the world upside down?

They had a purposeful focus (spreading the Gospel, making disciples, and serving Jesus)

How did they accomplish that?

The early Church was focused on two things:

Jesus & People

That focus embodies the approach we must have if we want to see the growth of the early church.

Furthermore, when we get our focus on Jesus & People, we fulfil God’s Law:

(37) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  (38)  This is the first and great commandment.  (39)  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  (40)  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.[5]

God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and He desires relationship with His Creation.

In the Old Testament, the LORD told Moses, “And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.”[6]

In the New Testament, Paul quotes Moses’ words in Exodus, but emphasizes a deeper communion:

“(16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  (17)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  (18)  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”[7]

Dwelling “among” the people now becomes dwelling “in” His people.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

To do this, “God became a missionary”:[8]

• John 1:1-5, 10-14, “(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (5) And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not….(10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  (11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  (12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  (13) Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  (14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

The Father – in the person of Jesus Christ – descends to the earth for the work of redeeming Men and Women and creating the Church.

Jesus then commissioned and sent the Church into the world with the mission of reaching lost humanity with the Gospel message of salvation:

• John 3:16-17, “(16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  (17)  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
• “Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21).
  • We have been Anointed and Sent.

The Church is sent as a continuation of God’s mission, which is to be with and in His people!

What we call “The Great Commission” is God’s plan to fulfil through His Church His purpose for the world.

God has Anointed and Sent you and I to be missionaries and ministers of reconciliation uniting Jesus with people.

The Great Commission[9]

Four Great Commission Passages:

• Matthew 28:18-20, “(18) And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  (19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  (20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
• Mark 16:15-18, “(15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  (16)  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  (17)  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  (18)  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
• Luke 24:44-49, “(44) And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.  (45)  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,  (46)  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:  (47)  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  (48)  And ye are witnesses of these things.  (49)  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
• Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Six Elements of the Great Commission:[10]

1. Belief
2. Repentance
3. Water Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ
4. Holy Ghost baptism and supernatural signs
5. Teaching
6. Healing

For the Church to grow and be successful as the embodied ambassadors of Jesus Christ – relationship with His creation – we need to have a proper balance:

1. Right Doctrine (orthodoxy) – Head
   • Having a right understanding of the Bible – a biblical worldview.John 17:15-19, “(15) I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.  (16)  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.  (17)  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.  (18)  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.  (19)  And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.”
   • Right Thinking confuses the world:
     • (21) For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.  (22)  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:  (23)  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;  (24)  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.[11]
2. Right Heart (Orthopathy) – Heart
   • Your will, affections, feelings, understanding and human spirit.A right heart is necessary for spiritual development and growth of personal character.When out of balance selfish ambitions arise.
   • Galatians 4:4-6, “(4) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,  (5)  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.  (6)  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
     • Jesus was born of a woman, under the law to redeem humanity so that we could receive the adoption of sons and daughters.
     • The result of adoption is that the Son is sent into our hearts – the purpose of the mission – and we cry out “Abba, Father,”
3. Right Practice (orthopraxy) – Hands
   • Truth in action.Action that moves forward the ultimate purpose of God.Unclean hands undermines God’s intent: faith dies, humanity is harmed, and our head and heart is affected.If there is no balance then a superficial faith rises, self-righteousness through works increases, false doctrine is propagated and the mission is compromised.2 Corinthians 5:18-21, “(18) And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;  (19)  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.  (20)  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.  (21)  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
     • The Mission of Jesus Christ continues in the Church each time we are involved in the ministry of reconciliation.Reconciliation required the incarnation: “he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
     • The entire Mission of the Church is about reconciliation.

Four Missional Principles

The psalmist wrote, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps. 126:6). In this verse we find Four Missional Principles of Perpetual Growth:

1. Prayer (weepeth)

Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous. Prayer is inextricably tied to spiritual growth, whether it is in the individual’s life or in the Church. People who pray consistently and persistently with passion will see results from their time with the Lord. Prayer takes discipline and consecration (not to be confused with concentration) but it is the conduit through which Heaven is reached. When we pray we not only speak to God, but He speaks to us. Prayer sets the stage for the miraculous.

2. Praise (rejoicing)

Praise sets the atmosphere for the miraculous. Those who have learned to praise God in everything eventually attain a level of spiritual maturity found only in praise. There are various methods of praise but only one way to praise. We must praise God with our whole heart. A whole heart is one that’s affections are not divided. True praise is authentic and sold out to Christ alone.

3. Preaching (bearing precious seed)

Preaching is the anointed message of the miraculous Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Truly anointed preaching presents Jesus in such a way that people ask the same question asked so long ago on the day of Pentecost and they receive that same anointed answer:

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:37-38).

The difference between preaching and teaching:

“Preaching is the anointed declaration of Truth. Teaching is the anointed explanation of Truth.” -Raymond Woodward

4. Personal Evangelism (goeth forth)

Personal evangelism is passion for the miraculous work of salvation.

Personal evangelism is that element of inner passion and expectation that propels people to go and tell others about Jesus and what He’s doing today.

It is spiritually mature and excellent practice to be a witness of the oneness of God. It is not something that only new converts should be doing.

The longer one is in the Church the more they should be going forth to bring in a harvest of souls.

Remember: Jesus touched others.[12]

(16)  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (17)  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, (18)  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, (19)  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

We are sent to continue this mission – His Mission.

When your head is right (doctrine), your heart is true (spirit), and your practices are correct (right hands) you will see growth in your congregation.

When you’re on the mission in prayer, praise, preaching and personal evangelism then you will see the harvest God had intended for you.

Max Lucado wrote, “The tongue that called forth the dead was a human one. That hand that touched the leper had dirt under its nails. The feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty—and his tears—oh, don’t miss the tears-they came from a heart as broken as yours or mine has ever been. So people came to Him-my, how they came to Him. They came at night. They touched Him as He walked down the street. They followed Him around the sea. They invited Him into their homes and placed their children at His feet. Why? Because He refused to be a statue in a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit. He chose rather to be touchable, approachable, and reachable. He was Jesus and I love Him!”

Jesus is here right now.

We have been anointed, sent and commissioned to fulfil His Mission. How can we do any less?

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[1] churchtrac. (2025). The State of Church Attendance: Trends and Statistics [2025]. Accessed: 10/24.2025. https://www.churchtrac.com/articles/the-state-of-church-attendance-trends-and-statistics-2023.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Pew Research Center. (2025). In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace. Accessed: 10/24/2025. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace/.

[4] Acts 17:1-9

[5] Matthew 22:37-40 

[6] Exodus 29:45-46

[7] 2 Corinthians 6:16-18

[8] James Littles, Jr., Ph.D. (9/21/2012). Balancing Truth for the 21^st Century.

[9] Commissions = “an instruction, command, or duty given to a person or group of people.” –Oxford Languages

[10] Exploring God’s Word Home Bible Study

[11] 1 Corinthians 1:21-24

[12] Littles.