p. 7 | GO by G. | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 8, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 19.

GO

By G.

IN the great commission which our Lord gave to His disciples, the first Word is, “GO.” He had previously told them that “the field is the world.” To carry the Gospel to such a vast field requires much going. It is not necessary to double or treble the work by much going and coming on the part of many workers. An extraordinary amount of coming back is not in the commission. It is “Go ye into all the world;” not that one individual can go to all the world, and be able to accomplish much in any one place; the commission is to the body.

When Christ was doing missionary work on the earth, He was always “going about doing good.” A missionary is one sent; his calling is to “Go.” Christ, having set the example to others, sends them to do as He did. When He had chosen twelve disciples, He sent them out with the commission, “As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 10:7. “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Verse 16. They were not sent out on a pleasure excursion, just to see the country. They were to expect persecution. “Ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city,”—what then? come back home? No—“flee ye into another;” keep going; “for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.” Verses 22, 23.

So it is also with the proclamation of His second advent; the work of the disciples must be done first. It is therefore urgent; “the King’s business requireth haste.” “Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.” The same dangers beset the work that lay before the first disciples, and the same warnings are given. “They shall deliver you up to be afflicted;” yes, and the devil will afflict you with disease in order to frighten you and get you to run back. “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” See Matt. 24: 9-14.

Christ is now directing by His Spirit the great Gospel work. He is not only directing men, but angels also, in the grand, benevolent enterprise of saving sinners. The disciple who is imbued with the Master’s Spirit, when he hears the query, “Whom shall I send?” is ready with the answer, “Here am I; send me.”

Abraham was a missionary. “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.” Gen. 12:1. “So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him.” Verse 4. After he reached the land to which the Lord sent him, he was confronted by a great famine. But the missionary did not turn back to his old home in discouragement. He had been told to get out of that country; and he had not gone to Canaan for experiment, just to see if he could make a little money in connection with the Lord’s work. He had been called of the Lord, and went to stay. So when the famine came, he went in the opposite direction from the old home; he went into Egypt until the famine was over, and then returned to the field where the Lord had planted him.

Notwithstanding the commission to go to all the world, the first disciples were not disposed to go away from Jerusalem. Perhaps they thought that as long as there were thousands of unconverted people in that city, there was plenty to do there. Everything was going well with them. “Great grace was upon them all.” They “had all things in common,” and “distribution was made to every man according as he had need.” They had “favor with all the people,” and disciples were added to the church daily. Why should they think of going anywhere else under such favorable circumstances? But persecution arose. The adversary thought to break up the work entirely; yet that was the very thing which, in the providence of God, set the disciples to going. “They were all scattered abroad,” and “went everywhere preaching the Word.”

But the word “Go” in the Christian commission does not necessarily mean to a foreign country. It may not mean further than the next door. But it does mean that Christians are to take the initiative in the matter of giving the Gospel to the world. The world is right around home, as well as on the other side of the globe. The people of the world do not know their danger; they do not know the truth; and many who profess the name of Christ have been deluded by false teachers (Matt. 7: 15; 24: 11; 2 Peter 2: 1) until they know nothing of the Gospel of the soon-coming kingdom of Christ. They are not likely to ask about these things until they hear of them. Some one must “go” and tell them. If a neighbor’s house were on fire, no one would think of waiting for that neighbor to come in and ask if his house was on fire. No, he would “go out quickly” and give the alarm.

On the subject of going to the world, Dr. H. C. Trumbull aptly says: “The word ‘Go’ is often lost sight of by preachers and other Christian workers. There are those who seem to think that this message reads, ‘Come ye from all the world, and hear the Gospel.’ Ministers complain that people do not come and hear them preach. Christian workers complain that their godless neighbors are not ready to come and sit under pulpit preaching. Well, what if those who need the Gospel will not come and seek it? How about this word to you—‘Go’? Go and preach to those who will not come to hear. Go out after the little ones who never come to Sabbath-school. Go and ‘compel,’ by loving entreaties, those who would be welcome if they came unasked, but who will not come unless you go and bring them.”

The missionary idea originated in heaven. The Lord did not stand off at that great distance and say to sinful man, “Come up here, if you want to be saved.” No; He went where the sinners were. He humbled Himself, and adapted Himself to their surroundings. He adopted their dress, their customs, and outwardly their manner of life. His Pharisaical enemies spoke a great truth when they deridingly said, “This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.” He even took upon Him the nature of sinful man, in order that He might die with them and for them.

In these days of extraordinary facilities much going can be done by proxy. It is not always possible to go in person. Some can go by helping others to go. Much effectual going can be done by sending a tract or a paper containing the truth. Many souls are saved by this means. Often one may go to great advantage by sending the necessaries of life to those in want. “Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” Ps. 41:1. “Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good.” Mark 14:7. To the sinner the Word says, “Come.” To the Christian the command is, “Go,” and give the invitation to come. G.