go

Matthew 28

16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, 

going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!


  18 Jesus came and told his disciples, 

"I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

19 Therefore, 

go 

and make disciples of all the nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. 

And be sure of this: 

I am with you always, 

even to the end of the age."



I've always thought the operative word in all that was "go".

Jesus wants us to go.

The to whom, what, where, when, & how are secondary & situational to each of us specifically.

Unfortunately, most of us won't step across an aisle or speak up in a familiar social setting when it comes to sharing what we've found in knowing & following Jesus.

Most of us think this passage means "go to deepest, darkest Africa", live in a mud hut, eating crap food, no indoor plumbing, being eaten by mosquitoes or wild animals, & dying in some forgotten backwater.

The hilarious thing about all that is that Lynn & I would leave for Africa TODAY, this instant, if we felt God would allow us.

Yes, this passage can certainly mandate us to go across town, across the state or country, or even somewhere else in the world.

But Jesus said go to ALL the world - all the world starts with the people closest to us, & branches out from there.

And what do we go with?

The eternal truth that God loves us & that He sent Jesus to make a way for us to connect with Him.

So?

Go...

Ask God to show us where to go, & then get ready for the answer.

God is very creative, & if we ask, He will lead us to the who, what, where, when, & how.

I know this - I've experienced it all my adult life,& still am.


And if us ask & the answer seems to be one that makes us say, "you want me to do what?!" - that's usually God.