People get ready

It struck me early this morning that we don't teach our people enough about engagement with the world, we appear to teach about keeping away from it (especially if some Christians I meet are typical).

We don't teach people about being servants, but major on them being 'safe', that is kept away from hell and the separation from God that this is (for eternity).

But being a Christian isn't about buying (or even receiving free) a ticket for salvation, it's about looking like Jesus, acting like Jesus and submitting to God's Holy Spirit so that where we go, Jesus is!

We don't do stuff to bring people into our church buildings (bit of a shock for many, that statement).

We don't do stuff to get people to come in and pay the Parish Share (bit of a shock for Treasurers, Archdeacon's and Diocesan Board's of Finance perhaps?).

We do stuff, OUT THERE, because that's what we are commanded to do. Not asked. Not suggested or recommended, but TOLD!

Let's take a moment to examine the words of Matthew 28:

And Jesus came and said to them,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Now this bit is relatively simple - Jesus is Lord of all, therefore, this is THE Boss speaking. And what is it He is telling them (and therefore us)?

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
Again, this appears to be rather a simple sort of set of instruction in that we are told to:

1. GO. Now isn't this really easy to grasp, it means get out from your pathetic little 'holy huddles'; leave your "Oooh, we want to keep ourselves pure and not mix with the sinners, the liberals (or perhaps those who don't have a clue what IHOP is) or don't do BCP, or those who think differently from us," and meet the real people!

2. MAKE DISCIPLES. Again, not difficult. This means that we have to share the 'good news' (i.e. the Gospel) and tell people about Jesus and get them to want to look like Him (which means becoming disciplined and keeping to the rules like what Jesus wants). It means that we put our desires and and lifestyles second to being like Jesus and honouring God.

3. OF ALL NATIONS. Wow! That means we seek to make the Jews, the Islamics, the Hindus, the Buddhists and all other faiths aware of Jesus (for the right reason- sit down Phelps, Jones and Sap!). This means we take the message of God's love to people who have different coloured skin, speak in different languages and occupy different places geographically, politically and socially.

4. BAPTISING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT. Yep, that's what it says. Nothing about age or volition mentioned there (perhaps Jesus wasn't into anabaptism - me neither!). That's what makes it valid, not that you did it again in your cosy little holy huddle in your comfortable little church building. It is what you do and it is the way that you do it (sorry).

5. OBSERVE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED YOU. This sort of stuffs much of the liberal thinking and (Hallelujah) people like Phelps, Jones and Sap too! We have to keep the rules - Jesus doesn't just want us all to be happy after all. He wants us to be obedient and holy! Shocker!! We can't just rewrite the stuff and neither can we manipulate it to suit our own desires and make it give us the God we want to have (there goes the Daily Fascist readership). We van't reinvent God to make our sins acceptable (and the liberals) and we can't dictate that 'our' way is the right way (there goes the rest) - we have to do it HIS WAY!

And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus tells us that He is going, but he will leave us with His Holy Spirit, the paraklete (he who comes alongside), the comforter, the dot-for-dot image of Christ (homoousious) and He will never leave us. HALLELUJAH (or what?)!!!

So, if He is with us, and for us and guiding us, and teaching us - why worry about when He comes - we need all the time we can get because we haven't scratched the surface when it comes to reaching the lost. Better hope Harold is wrong people!

Pax