Hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 

“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God.”  Revelation 2:7

“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor shall not be harmed by the second death.”  Revelation 2:11

“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna; I shall also give a white amulet upon which is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it.”  Revelation 2:17

“To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations.  He will rule them with an iron rod. Like clay vessels will they be smashed,  just as I received authority from my Father. And to him I will give the morning star. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Revelation 2:26-29

“The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father and of his angels. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Revelation 3:5-6

“The victor I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again. On him I will inscribe the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, as well as my new name. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Revelation 3:12-13

“I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Revelation 3:21-22

These of course are the commands of Jesus in His letters to the seven churches in the book of Revelation.  Each of these commands gives a promise to those who are victorious in following Him.  To those who persevere.  To those who listen to the Spirit.  These are for our encouragement and motivation.  There will be tests.  There will be difficult days.  It will all be worth it in the end.  The rewards are worth the sacrifice.  Hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all My commands.

Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you.   And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus tells us when and where to make disciples, as we are going.  He tells us how to make disciples, baptizing and teaching to obey all His commands.  He tells us who is to do it, the same people to whom His promise of His presence is to…all His followers.  He tells us by what authority to make disciples, His (complete) authority.  In one sense, this is the primary command of Christ, because in it, all His other commands are included.  In making disciples, we are ourselves obeying all His commands and teaching others to do the same.  If you have to prioritize one command above all others, make it this one.  Make disciples.

Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel.

He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”  Mark 16:15

Some manuscripts do not include this portion of Mark.  In any case, this command is consistent with other passages.  Jesus has completion on His mind and in His heart.  It needs to be on our minds and in our hearts as well.  He is worthy.  Every creature needs to know it.  His greatness and goodness and grace are news which we need to get to every corner of the globe.  Everyone needs to hear it.

Receive the Holy Spirit.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.  Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”  John 20:19-23

This is the first post-resurrection appearance to the inner circle of disciples as a group (except for Thomas).  This is a precursor of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given more broadly to His followers.  Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the disciples in the context of sending them to continue His ministry of announcing the Kingdom of His grace and peace.  This empowering and this ministry were not optional.  The Spirit was necessary for carrying out this ministry.  The same is true for each of us today.  We are called and we are empowered and commanded.

Take courage.

“I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” John 16:33

Jesus gives this command in the context of instructing the eleven disciples about the near future when He would be tortured and killed and things would look dark and hopeless.  He was making it clear to them that God was in control, the future was bright, and that He was going to bring good out of apparent evil.  He was winning despite all appearances.  He wanted them to take the long view and allow that perspective to give them courage.  The same thing is true for each of us who follows Him.

Pray in My Name.

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”  John 15:7-8

“Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”  John 16:24

We benefit through complete joy when we pray in His name and He answers.  He benefits by glory going to God when we pray in His will and He answers.  This is evidence of the fact that we are His.  What possible reason could we have for not doing this?  Let us obey Him in praying in His Name, remaining in His will.

Remain in Me and in My love so you can keep My commands and vice versa.

 “If you love me, keep my commands.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”   John 14:15-18

 Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.  Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.  By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.  As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.  If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.  John 15:4-10

In regard to God, love and obedience are inseparable.  Love is demonstrated by grateful obedience and obedience is enabled by our grateful love.  We remain in God through our obedience because it is the expression of His presence.  The same can be said of our love.  His presence with us and His living in us are demonstrated by our loving obedience.  He is literally living His life and will through us if we are His.  The more clearly we hear Him and the more fully we discern His action in our lives, the more fully we can live out this obedient love.  This is how we grow in Him and bear fruit by and for and to Him.

Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”  John 14:27

Jesus gave this command in the middle of His promise to send the Holy Spirit to live within His followers.  In other words, He gives this command in the context of giving us the means to obey it.  If we are living in the Spirit, walking by the Spirit, we will not be fearful or have troubled hearts.  He is peace just as he is love and joy and kindness and goodness and faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.  Abide in Him.

Believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.

“Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.  Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”  John 14:11-14

This is one of the times when I find Jesus’ words a challenge to believe.  He says that if we believe in Him, we will do greater works than He did.  Forgive my incredulity, but really?  Yes, really.  I may not be able to explain it, but it’s true.  We will glorify the Lord by doing these works.  Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.  Glorify Yourself in me and in those works.  Help me so clearly and fully discern Your will and Your ways that I might recognize the good works You have prepared beforehand for me to walk in, and let me not miss doing a single one of them.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God and in Me.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.”  John 14:1

Jesus said this in the context of the Last Supper.  He said this to strengthen the hearts of the eleven disciples in anticipation of their confusion and fear at what was about to happen over the following 24 hours.  He wanted them to know that none of it would take God by surprise.  The future, His future, and their future with Him were assured.  We need to take His instructions to heart in the midst of our own dark days when fear and confusion are real temptations.