–Matthew 28:19-20
Jesus Christ, prior to his ascension, spoke these words to His disciples. This command is an interesting one because preacher after preacher has always tried to spurn his people into action. What action? Reaching out to a lost and dying world. But what has happened to the church today?
First, I think that society itself has infiltrated the church of our day. That is not to say that we ought not have people from our world in our church. On the contrary! We should be reaching out to our society with the Good News of Jesus Christ—the Gospel! But it seems that the whole idea of “tolerance” is pervading the church today as is the case with our society. In other words, we shouldn't’t be so intolerant of thinking that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. Others believe strongly in their religion and they all teach about going to heaven or paradise or bliss. So what makes us think that we have the market on the Good News? Well, because Jesus Christ said we do! I am the Way, the Truth and the Life is what Jesus Christ said.
Secondly, I think that fear has infiltrated the church of our day. People in the church today seem to be frightened of what others will think of them if they share their faith in the Good News of Jesus Christ. Quite frankly, I suspect that there are people just waiting for you and I to share the Good News of Jesus Christ!
I remember hearing of a story from a pastor friend of mine who traveled to South Africa on a mission trip. A ninety year old woman told him that she had waited for nearly thirty years for his arrival. She had never known who the Savior was until he arrived. But prior to his coming—thirty years prior– she saw in a vision someone who would bring her Good News of the Savior. People are waiting for us to tell them about Jesus Christ!
Third, I think that we have become too lax in our faith. What I mean by this is that there seems to be too many of us that are quite comfortable with the knowledge that we have. We sit and glory in what we know but do we really know it? If we know that the Good News is that Jesus Christ died according to the Scriptures, he was buried and he rose again according to the Scriptures and then we don’t tell others, do we really know it to be true? If it is true for you then it has be true for everyone else. Relativism is alive and well in the church today and it ought to be killed! It’s not what I think or what you think but what God thinks!
So how do we apply these verses to our church today? First, we need to “stick to the stuff” as my friend Ed Ethridge says. Stick to what the Bible says and live it out and tell it to others. Second, we trusted Jesus Christ for salvation so we can trust him to take care of our fear of sharing the Good News. Finally, we need to simply live out what it is that we believe! That means going and making disciples. It is an action that is continual.
