As the pastor drove home from church one evening, things lay heavy on his heart. It was cold and cloudy, unseasonable weather for the middle of May. But the gloominess in his head was worse as thoughts of disappointment and concern overcast his mind.
The Bible Information Class which the outreach committee had planned for months didn't turn out so well. Of the invitations sent out twice to some 80 households, besides other notices posted in newsletters and bulletins, only 1 individual showed up – and that was a committee member. What should be done for next week's class? Should it be canceled?
As the pastor drove on his thoughts also went to the members of the congregation. Several were struggling – some mightily. He had just talked with one earlier that evening whose life had been turned upside down. Things weren't going as smoothly as they had before. In fact, the member's life had run into a brick wall, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle that made the future dark, even fearful. What was going to happen? Could things get any worse? Several others were going through unsettling times, too, and it affected how things were going at church.
While mulling over these matters, the pastor turned on the radio to hear the news counting the toll of deaths in Mynamar and China after the terrible storms and earthquake there. Thousands, yes, tens of thousands of lives snuffed out in an instant, of which, he sadly guessed, the majority did not know the Savior. Without faith in Him those souls are lost in eternity. Such thoughts clouded and discouraged his heart that evening. But, as they say, life goes on.
( I. …keep going for God. His authority is behind you.)
The next morning he continued his sermon preparations for Sunday. His study centered on this text from Matthew. They are a few of Jesus' farewell words to His disciples before He went back to heaven. In them the Lord of the Church gave His people their marching orders until the end of time. As the pastor considered them, he remembered the comments that his fellow pastors had made during their joint study earlier in the week. They noted how the Greek words in their context imply more than many English translations indicate. Jesus said, “All power-wielding, Church-building authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, while going, keep discipling all people by baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to guard as a precious treasure everything I have commanded you.”
Lots of words to pray about there! And his thoughts first settled on the words so often heard as the command, “Therefore, go, and make disciples of all nations.” In actuality those words aren't so much a snap-shot command as they are an on-going encouragement for one's life: “While going, disciple people.”
“Ah,” the pastor thought to himself, “the Lord Jesus wants our lives to be a continuous going for Him. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, no matter the circumstances or the happenings around us, a Christian's life is an ongoing evangelism excursion into God's mission field.” Like St. Paul says, “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1Cor.1:31). And Jesus makes it plain here that a Christian glorifies God in one of the highest ways by bringing others to Him in the every-day life circumstances He gives.
For example, one of the pastors that he met with earlier in the week, likes to rebuild old cars for a hobby. He told of a time that one of his restoration projects became, as he called it, his “evangelism car.” As he worked on it in his driveway, men passing by would stop and talk to him. But they ended up talking more than about motors and drive trains; they ended up hearing what really moves us – the Gospel of Christ Jesus. Two of them were baptized and confirmed into the faith, all because the car-rebuilder had “let his light shine” while he went on in life, doing his customary things.
Yes, dear friends, While You Go On in Life, simply keep going for God. Take the things and the moments God gives you. Utilize them as you go, no matter what it is, no matter what happens - whether you feel encouraged or discouraged by things around you that you cannot control. Your feelings will fluctuate; they will go up and down because of the circumstances in life that you find yourself in. But feelings by themselves dare not dictate what we, as God's redeemed people, are in life, nor should they influence what we do with our lives – God's word and promises in the Gospel do. Regarding the outcome Jesus said, “All power and authority has been given to me.”
Oh, how often aren't we tempted to forget that? When things don't seem to be going right, or the result we wanted to see didn't materialize, or we see people suffering in this world, at such times we get discouraged; we have our doubts. The disciples had theirs too, even though the risen and victorious Lord Jesus stood in front of them. Here He was, the King of kings and Lord of lords proving His triumph over sin, death, and the devil right before them, and our text says that their feelings took over, “some doubted.”
Do you have such days of doubt, when life hits a brick wall, when disappointment mounts and it seems like people aren't responding – as though the Gospel invitation goes unheeded? What do you do? Give in to disappointment? No. Why not? Because our Lord's words are still true and full of such comfort and promise: “All power and authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” Jesus said.
Your Savior is still in control, and everything must bow to Him. Oh, what a calming truth as you accept it in faith. He will lift you up and bless the matter as you keep going for Him, because His authority is behind you.
(II. …keep going in Him, because His means of blessing are with you.)
And He will bless you because His means of blessing are with you. What are they? Jesus replies, “While you go in life, disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to guard as a precious treasure everything I have commanded you.”
“You know,” the pastor thought, “Everybody wants to see some grand display of power at work. But God works in very simple ways through very simple means. He uses the simple spoken word; He uses water, just plain, ordinary water connected with His Word. Simple things, that's all, nothing fancy, nothing beyond anyone's means, just His Word and water and He makes believers out of them – no matter how old or how young they are. With these simple means He blesses them.”
For example, he thought of the story another pastor had told at their meeting. That pastor had been called to the hospital one day because a prospective member he had once visited had been in a bad car accident. The man wanted to talk to a pastor. So he had gone to the hospital to see him.
As he entered the hospital room, the pastor chose the words of Hebrews 12:7 for his devotion. There it says, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.”
After reading the verse, the pastor explained that because God the Father loves us so much, He sometimes uses troubles and accidents to discipline us and wake us up, like a caring parent. But the greatest proof of His love is that He sent His only dear Son, the Lord Jesus, to take our place on the cross and endure the punishment we deserve for our sins. Those who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
At that point the injured man interrupted him, “Pastor, would you baptize me?” The pastor had not expected that. “Ahhh, why yes, of course, I could baptize you. What did you have in mind.”
“How about right now?” came the reply. “Well, I wasn't thinking about it, but that's okay. All we need is water and God's Word. That's all. Do you understand what baptism is?” To make sure that he did, the pastor explained how baptism was “the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Ti.3:5) that everyone, even the smallest child needs. In baptism the man would be born anew spiritually through the working of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus had said, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit” (Jn.3:5). So the pastor asked if he repented of his sins and believed that Jesus was His Savior. “Yes,” the man replied. “And I don't want to put it off any longer. It's been on my mind for a while and I have let it go. Now the Lord Jesus has given me another chance and I won't wait any longer.
So the pastor took a Styrofoam cup, poured some tap water into it. Three times he poured some of it over his head and said the simplest of words: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” And it was so. God's means, His simple means of blessing brought life eternal to him.
You see, dear friends, even accidents bring blessings. Use them and all other situations as you go on in life. And as you go, keep going in Him. There's no need to fear; no need to be concerned because you never go alone. The Lord Jesus promised: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” With His power-wielding, Church building authority behind you, and His means of blessing with you, you have all that you need. Let the Holy Spirit do the rest. God grant it in our lives for Jesus' sake. Amen.