Go

“To whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” Colossians 1:27

 

God had left the building. 

 

It’s my favorite line from a devotion I read last week about the moment after Jesus died on the cross and the veil in the temple tore in two, from top to bottom.

It makes me cry when I think of it.

Mostly because it meant something so wildly impossible was about to happen only days later. 

 

I imagine the days after the resurrection there must have been a euphoric fog. 

What is this that is happening? 

What’s next?

What does each new day look like?

What do we do now?

 

Scripture gives us glimpses into the posture of their hearts. They were filled with joy and they went back to Jerusalem worshipping and blessing God. The same people only days earlier who were filled with dreadful defeat, the ones who had denied and abandoned Him, they returned to Jerusalem with joy. That is the power of the gospel. Changed lives.

 

Before His final goodbye, Jesus had given them some very clear instructions, go into all the earth, preach the gospel, baptize… but wait until you receive the power to do this. 

 

What they did next was something that is so amazing to me... something so rare.

 

They didn’t rush, they didn’t go to outside sources, they didn’t try to figure it out, they didn’t start their own religion or try to solve their own puzzle.
 

They came together and waited. 
They simply pressed in to God... together.

They had already seen that God was faithful beyond their wildest expectations, so they trusted him to show them... together.

 

And that is exactly when the miracle happened.

The God who had left the building showed up IN THEM. 

 

Suddenly, His command to go into all the world meant something more than telling people about this Christ. It meant bringing Christ to the world.

 

It’s as if He was saying... TAKE ME TO THE NATIONS.

Take me to your neighbor.

Take me to the grocery store.

Take me to work.

Take me to where you are comfortable.

Take me to where you are uncomfortable.

Take me everywhere you go... because I will be in you. 

 

Let the weight of that sink in…

Let it make us uncomfortable.

 

We are who the world will understand Christ to be.

We are the temple HE has chosen to inhabit. 

We are His choice to dwell in and show His glory through.

 

Imperfect vessels gloriously qualified to carry a perfect God into the world. 

 

Will they recognize Him?

Will they see His love?

His forgiveness?

His kindness?

His patience? 

His mercy?

His grace?

His truth?

 

Saints, I know how often I have failed, but somehow, in spite of my failures, He hasn’t left this building. 

 

He has not disqualified me… or you.

 

Because even now, in our messy lives, whether we see it or not, He is in us. His power is at work in us. His nature is recreating us. He is literally transforming us for the purpose of showing the world that He is very much alive and very much able to save everyone who puts their hope in Him. 
 

That mystery, Christ in YOU, the hope of glory…

It is not meant to wait until you have all the answers.

It is not meant to be quietly worked out until you have a "perfect life".

It is too valuable to conceal until you’ve got it all figured out… you likely never will.

Truth be told, you will fail in the journey. Just humble yourself and keep going.
There is no magical amount of time that needs to pass between failing and following.
For Peter it was days.
For the thief on the cross it was hours.
And the failing, well, that is part of the story, too.

When Christ entered into you... you became a city on a hill... a light that cannot be hidden. A new creation. 

Each one of us has a unique story about the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in our lives. A story that needs to be told.
So tell your story.

Go into all the world, your world, right were you are, and everywhere He is yet to send you. Go just as you are, as Christ is being formed in you (Galatians 4:19), go growing in Him (2 Peter 3:18), go perfected in Him (James 1:4). 

No matter what stage you are in, take Christ in you... and go.