Do We Have A Problem With GO?

Well DUH!!! It is obvious that the church of today has a problem with the command: GO! It appears that in far too many congregations that the members have come to relax in their nice buildings and they do not want anything to change. It seems that the members feel that if they have the truth, the lost should be coming in droves to receive the gospel message. It appears that they do not want outsiders coming into their fold, because they are certainly not following the command to GO! It seems as if many congregations are put out when a new convert arrives. That means the preaching will be the same old stuff they already know. Well, what is wrong with that? Such teaching needs to become “old hat” to us. We need to know it so well that we can be prepared to do what Jesus has asked us to do. Actually, Jesus commanded you and I to GO! As a result of not going as we should, our churches are getting smaller, and we wonder why? It should be obvious to all that we are not following the command to GO as we should.

The command to GO was given to the disciples and apostles in the great commission. We can read of the phrases such as: “Go into all the world”; and “Go teach all nations”. We see that some of the early churches were so concerned about souls that they sent people who would be called missionaries, and we can just imagine that their words to these missionaries was “GO teach, preach, spread the gospel message to all mankind”.

We see in Acts 8 that a great persecution arose over the entire church and the members were scattered. Now, did they go around whining and complaining about their situation? No, verse 4 tells us that “those who were scattered went about everywhere preaching the word”. This is the command so many who claim to be a Christian avoids. It appears that the message of the Cross is something they are ashamed of. There are many who have been in the church a long time and have NEVER taught a soul the gospel so as to save them. We claim to have a heart that wants everyone to go to heaven, but our behavior suggests that those we want to go to heaven are only our brethren in the church where we attend.

As we see there is a problem with the GO, let us review some ways that we can GO today.

Sure, if you want to go on a missionary journey, there is nothing wrong with that. Yet, even in our own communities, there are lost souls. We have neighbors, friends, co-workers, and others in the community. God has told YOU to teach them. So do not put this off as a duty of the preachers. So you might be wondering about ways to GO. Here are some suggestions.

GO by visiting your neighbors. You do not have to go in pounding a pulpit and yelling that they are doomed. Just visit and show them Jesus in your life. Show them that you really enjoy going to church and worshipping God in spirit and truth. Show them that you care about their soul and you have concern over their spiritual condition.

Go by picking up the phone and calling your friends and others who are in a lost condition. Offer to take them to services. Offer to host a home bible study if they are not comfortable in church. Believe it or not, many are intimidated by church, so we have to teach them to desire Jesus and salvation over their fears.

GO by and through the internet. This recent innovation can have a great potential. Sending an invitation to serve God can be sent by e-mail, instant messaging, or even one of the social media sites. It is not hard to set up a blog or a social media account. Many people are on sites such as Myspace; Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and other types of communication. Rather than just send funny stuff and crazy pictures, if you are a Christian, why not use this tool to tell people about Jesus and what He can do for them. Why not teach them about heaven and how to get there. Why not talk about the importance of the church and the work it is supposed to do.

One might have the ability and resources to set up a web page that is designed to assist Christians reach their goals, and teach the gospel message. Providing this service allows people around the world to access your site, and hopefully (and prayerfully) they can learn the truth of God’s word, and make the adjustments in their life where they can learn to live the life of a Christian.

There are many ways in which a person can GO! If you have been complacent about going, perhaps it is time to do one of the many methods available to you. Do not let it bother you that you might fail. God already knows that many will choose to ignore the gospel call. But to do nothing is a violation of God’s command, and a soul cannot go to heaven if they do nothing to share the gospel message. This soul may sit in church for many years, but they are lost just as much as if they went out and sinned in many ways.

By Carey Scott

Schultz Lane

Church of Christ

Schultz Lane

Church of Christ

Do We Have a Problem With Go?