Go

At just one word, it is the shortest complete sentence in the English language. “Go.” For the Christian, it is a word brimming with importance.

In some of the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples,

He encouraged them to be directly involved in the great work of sharing the gospel with others. The Ethiopian government official would never have been baptized if Philip did not go. Paul is famous for his missionary journeys, traveling to reach people he had never before met. Yet the church today must wrestle with the fact that the vast majority of people alive have no functional knowledge of Jesus Christ or the Bible.

There are still great cities with large populations where few, if any, have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. While technology gives us opportunities we once did not have, it is still necessary for God’s people to go, to get out of their comfort zones, and actually take the gospel to people living in darkness.

Not everyone is called to leave their home and travel to a foreign land to share the gospel. Missionaries are needed close to home and are often needed in the home. The number of people in the United States who claim no religious affiliation is on the rise. The same is true in other Western countries.

While it used to be true that the majority was in some way connected to a church, things have definitely changed. And perhaps that is for our own good.

Decades ago, it was possible for a church to secure the services of a professional evangelist and expect a crowd of people to come out to hear a Bible-based lecture series. While there are still many who are attracted to the preaching of God’s Word, we have discovered it is necessary to pray, to sow seeds prior to the harvest time, and to engage in personal evangelism in preparation for public evangelism. As we do this work, God will bless His church with success.