Famous Last Words

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel...”

These are some of the last words of Jesus before he ascended to heaven after his resurrection. I have read them over many times. Usually the last words someone says are some of the most important. My wife and I went on a trip to California shortly after we got our cat. He was still pretty much a kitten. We left him with some of our friends, and my wife, being the detail oriented person she is, went over all the little details right before we left. Things like making sure they knew how important it was to feed him regularly, and pet him often etc. etc. She made sure that she told them all the important stuff right before we left... I guess in hopes they would remember... which they did and all went well.

“Go into all the world...” what does that mean for you? Does it mean your spouse? Your family? Your neighbors? Your co-workers? Maybe it means people downtown? Or perhaps it means Africa, Europe, or China? All of us have worlds we can make a difference in. We are surrounded by people whom God has called us to serve.

The “go” isn’t the part that most of us get stuck on, I think its the “preach”. When Jesus said “go...and preach” was he meaning to find a park bench and stand on it and give a dissertation on the book of Romans (not written for many years after Jesus)? Did he mean for all of us to go to seminary, get a degree, find a church with a nice pulpit and stand there and preach to a crowd of listeners? What did Jesus mean? Could he have meant what Peter urged the early followers to do in Rome? “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:12

Could Jesus possibly have been referring back to something he had told his followers earlier?

“In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 5:16

It all comes down to your definition of “preach”... I heard a quote once that said “preach often, and if you must, use words” We have an opportunity to preach every day with our lives. To show people God’s incredible love through acts of service. To show them who God is in small practical and tangible ways. I love how John's gospel puts it...
“The Word [Jesus] became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” John 1:14