Christ
commissions His followers, to ‘Come!’, then ‘Go!’
Between the two
is the command, ‘Me, hunger to know.’
Spending time
with Him, His Word, and like-minded others,
As
iron-sharpens-iron, so do we, your sisters and brothers.
Of these three,
the command to ‘Come!’ is easiest to heed,
While getting
to know Him takes time, like planting a seed.
But
whether/where/when to ‘Go!’ is a whole ‘nother story,
The end of
which is all about who will get the glory.
If to ‘Go!’
in trust vs. presumption looks alike.
And between your mind and heart there remains a big fight,
Then carefully examine your motives and roots.
Rather than ‘GO!’, home may be where to keep your boots!
Then carefully examine your motives and roots.
Rather than ‘GO!’, home may be where to keep your boots!
As your seed
faith sprouts, roots downward, shoots upward,
Prompting you and others to look Heavenward,
And fruits of The Spirit in your life starts to abound,
And fruits of The Spirit in your life starts to abound,
You’ll be quite
ready to ‘Go!’, without a fear or frown.
Don't be
shocked when people say, ‘To go is
presumptuous,
And to stay at your comfy job is far more scrumptious!’
Don’t be surprised
when the spirit of stay adds to your
load,
Giving all
sorts of reasons to stay in your comfy abode.
God knows and
sees the souls He, through you, will feed,
If only His
still, quiet voice you will finally heed.
Check your motives,
get them right, strengthen your trust,
Making sure
comfort and ease are not what you lust.
When you go,
whether far away or a place nearby,
To your
self-centered desires you must certainly die.
And when you
die, His DNA inside will surely thrive,
Giving you and
others through you LIFE...incredibly ALIVE!
Today, some say Christ’s Great Commission,
May have become His Great Suggestion,
Since sharing the Gospel proactively,
Is something we may do hesitantly.
Commission - instruction, command or duty
given,
Requiring the right
attitude, some words and action.
The context in which
commissions are issued,
Will help determine how
they should be pursued.
Let’s take a closer look
and you will clearly see,
Christ’s Great Commission
is ‘sandwiched’ resolutely,
Between a well-earned rebuke and a warning to wait:
Scolding for unbelief and power to compensate!
1
Commissioned to ‘Go!!!’
on the heels of an upbraiding!
Yet commanded to ‘Wait!!!’
for God’s power enabling! 2
Imagine the tone of commands issued forcefully,
And the sense of them as somewhat contradictory.
Recall other occasions of
rebukes Jesus issued,
To Pharisees and cities for
their errant turpitude! 3
Feel the heat, imagine
His passion.
Apply that to His ‘Go!!!’
commission!
If we never feel Christ’s
passionate rebuke,
By the notion of going, we will be spooked!
If we’re never baptized
with power enabling,
To all involved, our going
will be …frustrating!
Yep, Come! Know! Go! But first
Wait!
Steps of Christ’s Commission, Great!
This is what I see written
in His Word.
The 2nd and 4th
empower the 3rd.
Endued with power from on
high,
We cannot help but
testify.
When God’s
in-dwelling power in you runs
over,
You will be a most enthusiastic …Goer!
----------
1 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat
at the table; and He rebuked
their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who
had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, ‘Go
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…’ (Mark 16:14-15, NKJV)
… He took them to
task most severely for their stubborn unbelief (Message)
2 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father
upon you; but tarry [wait] in the
city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)
And being assembled
together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem,
but to wait for the Promise of the Father… you shall be baptized with
the Holy Spirit not many days from now. (Acts 1:4-5)
3 Wickedness and depravity. See:
Matthew 11:20-24 and 23:1-36
