The Captain and the Seaman Recruit

I have the honor to have served in the U.S. Navy on two destroyers during the Viet Nam war.  My ships were stationed in Hawaii.  It was rough living in Hawaii with all those beaches and bikini-clad girls, but I was willing to make that sacrifice.

On a ship, the highest ranking person is normally the captain.  He has the most authority with everyone else below him and every other rank on the ship must obey his orders.

The lowest possible rank on a ship would be a seaman recruit.  There is no one lower in rank. Anyone could give him an order.  He has no authority over any other person on the ship.  This would be the person who would be given the dirtiest jobs.

But there is a time when that seaman recruit has the same authority as the ship's captain.  If the captain gives that seaman recruit an assignment to be carried out, he has the captain' authority.  When a seaman recruit carries out a directive given to him from the captain, he is doing so as if it was the captain himself.  Every other person on that ship must yield to that lowly seaman recruit so that he can fulfill his assignment.

As Christians, we have a captain who we must yield to in our lives.  God is the one who has the authority to give us orders to carry out.  His missions in our lives are to be followed as if we are that seaman recruit taking orders from the captain.   When the captain says jump, you jump.  When God says jump, you jump.

If God gives you a ministry or a command, you are to carry out that order in His name with His authority.  Anyone who lives inside the will of God follows the directives of God.
 
In the great commission, Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus says "... All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

You are commissioned by Jesus Christ, who has all authority, to bring the gospel to those who do not know him and train them up to become mature Christians able to know and obey the teachings of Christ.  You have the authority of Jesus Christ to carry out this command and every other command of his found in scripture.