"All Authority" (Joey Shaw)

TITLE: All Authority: How the Authority of Christ Upholds the Great Commission
AUTHOR: Joey Shaw
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing, 2016, (214 pages).

God has all authority and not just any kind of authority. It is over all. It is superior to all. It is above all. Indeed, if Jesus is not lord over all, He is not lord at all. The whole of the Christian life must begin with this basic premise: We serve a living God who is the giver and the inheritor of all authority. The first words of Matthew 28:18 says it. On this authority, we learn to gaze at God through worship. With the Word, we proclaim the glory of God through the witness of the Holy Spirit. Mission begins with worship. It needs doctrine. It needs conviction about the truth. A conviction about the truth comes with a convicted heart by the Holy Spirit. These are all connected. The title of this book is essentially to help us gaze at God with awe, that we will be empowered the share the gospel with zealousness. Based on the Great Commission verses of Matthew 28:18-20, all ten chapters in this book expounds the verses with personal stories, biblical references, doctrinal truths, and reasons why God is to be worshiped and obeyed.

Reading this book helps us shift our paradigms from passivity to activity. It speaks from the authority of God against the idolatries of the world. It helps us move from the omission to the Great Commission. It emphasizes the "make disciples" more than mere talking about Jesus. Being Christlike is more important than mere knowledge.

As the International Field Office Director for Austin Stone Community Church, Shaw serves outside the United States as one of the more than 100 workers out in the field. The idea of God's total sovereignty grip his heart so much that fear is replaced by courage and urgency replaces complacency. Throughout the book, readers can sense the gospel passion flowing out of every page. Sharing the gospel must not begin with ourselves or with human needs. These are important but they are also temporal. Sharing the gospel begins with an acknowledgement that we are not in control. We do not know what is best for ourselves. We need help. By anchoring the entire book on the authority of Christ, we learn to begin with God, continue with God, and end with God. All of our sharing must be this manner whether through verbal or non-verbal means. The good news is not simply about our salvation or some nice heavenly apartment. The good news is God is love, God loves us, and God demonstrates his love for us by sending Jesus to die for us. God is all authority over all life, all death, and all creation.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of B&H Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.