So as Jesus' disciples, this is what we ultimately do. We live Kingdom lives. People around us are effected by the power of the Kingdom. And thereby the Holy Spirit causes some of those around us to enter the Kingdom as well.
How did Jesus make disciplines? Proclaim the Kingdom. Manifest the Kingdom. And teach the Kingdom.
Willard's "spin" on John 14.26;
Jesus knew that genuine understanding of the Kingdom had not yet developed in them. He was counting upon their memory of what and how He had taught - along with the assistance of the paracletos, the helper who would be with them later in a special way - to foster their abilities to teach as He taught after He was gone.I was in a small group recently and they were sharing reasons why they don't "witness". Often the discussion was around fear of offending and that type of thing. I had to offer that for me, it simply seems that I do not often enough realize the power of the Kingdom in my own life and therefore fail to have it overflow into the lives of those around me.
... after the "parables of the kingdom" given in Matthew 13, Jesus gives His hearers a general instruction about how to teach: "When, therefore, a 'Bible scholar' becomes a disciple to the Kingdom of the Heavens, he is like a householder who can produce from his store things old and new" (Mt 13:52). Think of all the things one collects in one's house by living in the same place for a long period of time. The Kingdom disciple teaches from his or her storehouse of personal experiences of God's rule in the commonplace events of real life.
As Jesus taught in Mt 13, we must recognize the value of the the Kingdom. And then, as implied in Lk 9.62, having recognized that value, we are not suited to it if we then look back. We must press forward with all we are for our King.
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