Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. (Matthew 28:19a)
The Great Commission, the parting command of the resurrected Christ to all who would follow him, has been the impetus behind all evangelism, missions, and discipleship for the two millennia of the church’s existence. These words were not a suggestion, not a platitude, not some mere truism. Rather, these words define the outward thrust of the church’s joint life as Christ’s body. He didn’t say, “Make your buildings comfortable, your programs relevant, your hospitality warm so that they will come to you.” Those things are all good, but his command was to go out. Into all the world, in fact. Not discriminating by color, race, or culture. His command is to go and let the light of the gospel penetrate into every corner of the world…through us. It’s an amazing command.
Like I said just a few weeks ago, Jesus never commands his followers to do anything he hasn’t already done or is doing himself. To go essentially means to follow him and his example. He is the first Missionary. He is the first Evangelist. He is the ultimate Discipler. By his Spirit we are born into a new sort of life – his very life – a life that is defined by a heart turned out toward others. And that is what this weekend is all about: having a heart that is not turned in upon itself. It is this kind of heart, a heart like Jesus’ own heart, that propels us into the world. By grace, he wants to transform us into something like himself, and once his reality becomes our own we can no longer remain in. A heart turned out in love always precedes a person going out into the world.
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