The summer is upon us. School is out and the sun is up. It is time for traveling. Many of us will be traveling in the next few months. Some of us will travel for vacation, some for work. The children and youth will travel to camp in July, and some of us will travel for college orientation. Perhaps you’ve planned a 4th of July trip or simply a day trip to enjoy the beautiful North Carolina weather.
As you go, if you find yourself away from Mount Hermon on a Sunday morning, find a church nearby and join them for worship. Meet other brothers and sisters. Learn how they study the Bible together and worship. Who knows, perhaps you can bring something new back to Mount Hermon! What we know is that God will edify the believer who seeks after God and the family of God.
During my time in the Navy, whenever we found ourselves at the port on a Sunday morning, a friend and I would put on our Sunday best, call a cab, and ask the driver to drive us to a nearby church. I cannot remember a time when the church was not a blessing to us and us to the church. Every port the calls was a new adventure.
In the Great Commission, Jesus commands his disciples using a series of verbs. I have underlined the relevant ones for emphasis.
Then Jesus came to them and said,
"All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them
to obey everything I have
commanded you.
And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age.
" Matthew 28:18-20
In English translations, we often emphasize “go.” In the Greek, however,
the imperative is “make disciples,” and all the other verbs are dependent
upon that verb. Consequently, some translations will begin the sentence
with, “Therefore as you go…” which I believe helps elucidate the point, Jesus
is making with “go.”
We are all going places throughout our lives. When Jesus commissions us, he is not asking us all to cancel our vacation plans, college plans, and work plans to become missionaries overseas. Instead, Jesus is infusing new meaning to our travels, wherever we go, whether overseas or down the street. Nearly every profession, educational endeavor, and the restful trip can now be a missionary calling. Through our diverse travels, God is using us to fill the earth with, “the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.”
Isaiah 11:9
And so this summer, as you go, wherever you go, take the Great Commission and make disciples with your words, your actions, and your example with the people you meet. And do not forget to bring your stories back with you!
In Christ,
Pastor Rich