Think outside the box....

 
When I mention the "Great Commission" around Bible reading believers, they generally know what I mean.


"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 28:19-20


It seems like a pretty cut and dried command, in my opinion.  "Go", "Make", "Teach" - those are all action words.  Jesus meant for us to be in continual motion.


I enjoy church.  I think those that say 'you don't need church' are missing the mark.  Church is like our spiritual supermarket.  If we didn't go to the supermarket and get food, we would starve.  Sure, we could survive on what we had around the house to sustain us for a little while but we would be malnourished.  The same goes for our spiritual health.  If we do not go to church and get 'fed' the Word, we will starve.  Yes, we can feed ourselves but not having other believers to pour into us will make us spiritually malnourished.


However, as much as I love going to church and meeting God there, it isn't what Jesus commanded us to do.  He didn't say - "Get up on Sundays and go to a building, worship me for 45 minutes, listen to a message for 30 minutes, then go to lunch.  In a week, rinse and repeat."  Jesus was a doer.  He was never in a place where he was at a stale-mate.  He was a mover and a shaker.  He was constantly looking for opportunities to not only help those around him but to be an example to those listening.


Perfect example is found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 19.

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.  He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.  So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”


As the story begins, we see that that Jesus was just passing through Jericho, minding his business.  Enter Zacchaeus into the story.  Right off the get go, it states who he was "a chief tax collector and wealthy".  In Biblical times, tax collectors were viewed as the lowest low even though they were wealthy.  Their wealth came from other people's money, therefore they were not liked very well because they would beat on your door, demanding taxes and if you didn't have it, they would take your home, children, crops, livestock, etc.  They would connive and lie to get it.  Even so, Zacchaeus had heard about this Jesus and wanted to see him but was too short to see over the crowd.


At this point in time, Jesus' reputation had gotten around so wherever he went crowds would gather.  Even though it says Jesus was just passing through, a crowd had already gathered, waiting to see what Jesus was going to do or what miracle he might perform.   So, Zacchaeus saw Jesus coming his way, and he climbed up into a tree to see him.  The Bible says when Jesus got to the tree, "he looked up".  The man did not yell out to Jesus.  He did not drop a stick on his head.  He merely climbed up the tree and waited.  Jesus was the one who looked up.  He was the one who saw Zacchaeus and called out to him.


The people grew angry because Jesus was going to stay at this "sinner's" house.  However, once Zacchaeus experienced the acceptance of Jesus, he offered to turn his life around and make right what was wrong.  Jesus claimed that salvation came to this HOUSE (not just Zacchaeus himself but his house, meaning those inside it) and he clearly stated that the "Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost".


"Seek" and "Save", again - action words.


How often do we leave the comfort of our four walled church and look for those waiting for someone to meet them, to help them, and share the good news?  Jesus was merely passing by and he looked up at Zacchaeus.  He saw him perched in that tree.  Jesus had to look up and above where he was to see a person that was going down the wrong path and needed the realization that there was better.  

We live in communities where people are watching the churched.  They are seeing us get out of our vehicles on Sunday morning, laugh and fellowship in the parking lot on a Wednesday evening, eat and pray over our lunch.....they are sitting in that tree, watching us and waiting for us to lift our heads and take notice of them - to see them and say, "Come down and let me help you".  We don't have to throw the Bible at their heads to get them to come down, sometimes all we need to do is NOTICE them, to accept them for who they are and where they are at - to be seen with them even when society says they are worthless. - to show them love when they feel unloved. 

When Jesus reached out to Zacchaeus, his entire household was saved.  All because a short man couldn't see over the crowd and climbed a tree.


It is a simple concept that many of us have forgotten to grab a hold of.


"Go"
"Make"
"Teach"
"Seek"
"Save"

Church is an amazing thing.  God tells us to not forgo assembly.  It is important.  However, let's not forget that there is an entire world out there, lost and trying to get a glimpse of hope and some will even climb a tree to see it, waiting for us to take notice when we are just passing through. Church isn't merely inside 4 walls.  4 walls is a box and as Christ-followers.....we need to think outside the box.