July 27, GO!

Go, therefore.

Matthew 28:19a

This is following redefined. We cannot adequately follow if we do not go.  So, "go" we must!

We cannot sit and watch. We cannot cheer from the sidelines. We cannot passively exempt ourselves because we have falsely concluded we are not equipped or called. We are indeed mandated by our Lord to go. So, we must go.

In a world that was dangerous and uncertain, Jesus still meant it.  He said to His small band of followers, “go.”  

I realize that such a command today may resound with ambiguity in many ears.  One may rightly ask, "where should I be going?"  Ours is a culture that delights in the details and is normally dismissive about any message of ambiguity.  But Jesus’ simple “two-letter” mandate was anything but ambiguous.  He said “go.”  And the direction to go was implied in what would be done in the "going."  This mandate to go was accompanied with the call to make disciples, teach, and baptize. (Obviously, the call of Jesus was to share the gospel, to lead people to a relationship with Jesus, and to teach people how to walk with Jesus).  In short, the call was to build the church.  And this call implies the direction of the mandate to “go.”  

The answer!  EVERYWHERE.  

Everywhere you go as a follower of Jesus, your chief concern should be Jesus and His mission in this world.  Everywhere you go, your conversation should always prioritize a good word about the Gospel news.  Everywhere you go, the desire should be to build up the church - the living reality of the Body of Christ.  

So many people are giving up on the church today.  So many have concluded the irrelevancy of following Jesus.  Now more than ever, we have an opportunity to display the love of Christ, to build up the church through our commitments and ministries, and to meet the broken right where they are with the full acceptance of Jesus Himself.  

When Jesus said “go,” He was directing us everywhere.  He was directing us to go outside our homes, outside our safe church environments, out of our Sunday morning worship services, and into the lives of others.  

So today, recommit to the simplest of our callings: “go.”  Do not forsake your commitments in the home, the church environments, and the Sunday worship services. But go outside as well.  And as you go, remember that all you say and do should testify not of a general idea of faith, but demonstratively of Jesus Christ and the love of the Father.  So, go.  

Blessings.

READ

Read Matthew 28:1-20 and relive the commissioning of the first disciples.  And, be encouraged to go.