Go tell (Not …. come hear !)

The most well known scripture verse among Missionaries is undoubtedly ….

GO YE into all the world and preach the Gospel Mark 16 : 15

And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and
confirming the word with signs following Mark 16 : 20

And so many have followed this command, and still do, bless them all
Those who have left their comfort zone, to answer this directive
To labour, to ‘spend and be spent’ on many a foreign field
Mostly un-heralded, un-known (except ‘on high’), often un-paid
‘Salt of the earth’, numbered among the ‘heroes of faith’
Thank you for your willingness, your single-mindedness, for giving of your self

But to us ‘at home’ in ‘security’ and familiar surroundings, and a degree of comfort
I turn on the TV to a religious programme, I read the advertisements of our local paper
And I hear the religious radio and read another message that has crept in …..

COME HEAR …..
“Come to my Church building, this my group, this my assembly, this my ‘whatever”

When our Lord and Master, our example, was completely itinerant
As he moved around the countryside and towns.
As he visited the people where-ever they were.
As he drew the crowds with a loudly proclaimed message – just how loud would a person have to speak to enable 5000 men plus women and children, say 10,000, to hear him – the mind boggles at the very thought !

He who had no place to call home – no place to lay his head

And so God used persecution to scatter the disciples around the region Acts 6 : 4
(otherwise there would only be one true assembly on earth, and that in Jerusalem)
And St Paul and his 3 missionary journeys - read the Book of ACTS again, and be thrilled.

Thank you John Wesley, Whitfield, Billy Sunday, Moody, Billy Graham, and so on
Thank you

And still I hear the advertised plea …. COME HEAR

And so the Church pews are filled with passive listeners, soaking up message after message, shining pews and seats, when our neighbours are in need of someone to merely cross the fence, or cross the road, or walk up or down the street –
Dear Lord forgive us !

Church buildings, little Empires, little kingdoms of religious security,
Monuments largely to the charismatic founder and their building energies
And listeners turned into pew – shiners

GO TELL has been turned into COME HEAR
And usually ignored by a world largely fed up with religion, formality, hypocrisy, number gathering, performers, legalism, institutionalism, religious jargon, TV evangelists and the like.

Oh, for those who can see the need and go out to meet it, where it is, amongst the hurting, and the pain. Bless them all in their efforts and in their labours

And if we cannot go to some foreign shore, in these days when there are so many immigrants instead coming to a place near us …………

Into the Schools,
into the Prisons,
into the community, its clubs and organisations
among the poor and needy
Where-ever, how-ever, our talents and His Spirit equips and leads

Following His example

GO..ing TELL..ing, as the Master did

And as countless of his true followers have done ever since

GO TELLing in deed where the people are

Administering GRACE to all

Freely we have received, freely give Matthew 10 : 8

GO TELL, He said

Take the Gospel message … and (as someone has said) … if necessary … SPEAK !