"Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, '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.'”
Matthew 28:16-20 (The Great Commission)
So, as I mentioned yesterday, it seems as though Christ was fairly clear on whether or not we are to go forth in the Great Commission given to us. We don't exactly have a whole lot of choice in the matter, you know, since we were created for His good pleasure (Ephesians 2:10). And if we are saved Christians, having Christ in us and being in Him, then we rely on greater strength than our own to perform the tasks before us (Philippians 2:13). But I'll ask again, can we follow this command without leaving the church campus?
Don't misunderstand: I spoke at length yesterday about how important those things we do on campus really are. All of the people who serve faithfully, week in and week out, are evangelizing and worshipping and providing whatever service they can, and that is to be admired. But let's be really objective for a moment, step outside of it all, and look at what all that would mean if everyone were already a Christian. Would anyone be saved? Would any Kingdom Purpose be served? Would we be following the Great Commission, or ignoring it with our heads in the sand? Hopefully lost people do come and visit churches, which is why we have all the ministries and volunteers who fulfill them... but what if they don't? Then what?
A dear friend mentioned yesterday that it sometimes seems that much of what we do to minister is done to minister to ourselves. I won't deny that even the saved need it, because we still experience difficult things and tough times and hurts and pains and loss. But shouldn't we be resting on His power the rest of the week, and sharing our salvation and Good News with everyone we encounter (2 Corinthians 12:9)? Shouldn't we have a deeper and greater understanding of what it means to be eternally saved from hell and damnation, and so grateful for it that we worship everywhere we go as a right response to the gift we have been given? Shouldn't our Wednesday and Sunday be a recharging of the Spiritual batteries that we run on, so that we can go forth in service to the kingdom? After all...
"On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'"
Mark 2:17
Jesus didn't move in circles of only saved and/or only followers... so why do we? Why would we ever assume that we could fulfill God's purpose for us in evangelizing and witnessing if the only people we CHOOSE to associate with are inside the four walls of our church? Sure, there are some who walk an aisle every now and again, but it doesn't happen every Sunday, and that tells me that perhaps we should be outside looking for them if they're not coming to us. Think about it... eventually, every created being will have no choice but to recognize Christ as Lord of all (Philippians 2:9-11), and we are supposed to be spreading that Name so that the majority of those in recognizing will have done so already, receiving salvation (Acts 4:12). But if we never leave the sanctuary, how are we impacting that? If all we do is set up gimmicks to try to draw people to us, are we following the Commission? And since there is a named "Seeker Movement," where people seek the "right" church, why are we not starting our own "Seeker Ministry," where we the saved GO OUT and seek the lost?
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3
The world will all come to fear Him at some point (Psalm 67:7), friends. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we are helping in that process. I love a good sermon as much as the next saved Bible-reading Christian... but I cannot have my salvation enhanced by it any more than any other Christian (Ephesians 2:8-9). And I love to worship and sing praises and read and commune together on Sunday and Wednesday as much as every other Christian... but what am I doing the other days of the week, and who am I speaking to about the same things I learn on Wednesday and Sunday?
Inside ministry is good... outside ministry is great! And I will say again, none of this is intended to make anyone feel like they should go and become Spurgeon or Moody. It is all intended to make us think about how we worship and how we serve. Our service in the church is important, and must go on, so keep singing, folding bulletins, cleaning up Kleenex, or any other thing you do to serve the Lord and His saved people. Then go do the same thing for someone who needs to hear that message that saved you once, a long time ago, when the world was a different place, and people went to church more regularly than they do now, and people were walking the aisle regularly for a profession of faith. Bring someone to visit, or talk to them outside the walls of the church... God is still present, you know, and He will bless your efforts to reach and save those who need to be saved. So be bold (2 Timothy 1:7) and talk to someone - anyone - even just one person. If we all did that, the churches tomorrow would have no seats left, and that would be an amazing honor we could offer to the Lord!
God bless you all!!!
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