Send Home the Crowd! God Uses Equipped Sons and Daughters ~ 

From: Derek Schneider

“Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” (Matt 14:22)

One of the challenges that today’s Church faces, is the mentality that “a large crowd” is the way by which we create national influence. 

The reality is that God looks for a man or woman who is willing to pay the price, lay down their own agenda, and give themselves fully and radically over to the agenda and will of the Lord. This price is higher than most realize, hence why so few are able to be fully used by God. 

As Jesus “learned obedience as a son,” and “only did what He heard and saw the Father doing.” He lived out a lifestyle of “not my will, but yours be done.” 

We as believers are called to take on this mentality as well. A son (or daughter) has a right to ask the Father for great Kingdom influence and for souls in exchange for his maturity and sacrifice. The Father was able to say to Jesus, “Ask and I will give to you the nations as your inheritance” (Psalm 2:8). 

Inheritance is of eternal value. Therefore, God gives souls (nations) in exchange for your suffering or obedience as a son. In the Bible, the concept of a person laying down His life for the advancement of God’s Kingdom is clear in the life of Jesus as well as in the life of others. 

It is the principle of suffering and death that brings forth life; the principle of obedience and the sacrifice of a man or woman that becomes the access point for God to move in a powerful way. This concept can be seen all throughout history and the Bible. It is a spiritual law.

“For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life” (Isaiah 43:3–4, NASB).

This passage from Isaiah reveals an amazing principle: Your life is precious to God and you are of great value. As you lay down your life in prayer, fasting, and even persecution, for the sake of the gospel, God must reward you with something of equal value or greater—a life, lives, and even nations. This kind of thinking contradicts some extremist views that money, cars, and material wealth is your inheritance. But material wealth is merely a byproduct or comfort that sometimes accompanies Kingdom life and blessing. 

After all, your life is of such great value and your sacrifice for those God has called you to reach is so holy and precious that mere paper and material things could never be an eternal reward for all you have been through. God must reward you with something of equal value or greater—a life, lives, and even nations. We can put this demand on God in prayer and petition.

God bless!