Into The World

“Go into the world. Go everywhere and announce the Message of God’s good news to one and all.” Mark 16:15 MSG

Jesus instructs us to go, to get out from the safety of the church walls and into the world. What does going into the world look like? What compels us to go besides a scripture passage? Are we limited to places we can go?

I recently listened to the Simple Man Radio Show which broadcasts in my local area Sunday’s from 1 – 3 PM.  This is a Christian man presenting the good news on a non-Christian rock station. I wondered – why go there instead of a Christian station where people tuning in expect to hear a message about Christ?  How do you present the gospel without compromising the message or turning listeners off?

I was curious, so I tuned in. Later I sat down with the Simple Man, Jack Sutcliffe, to get his heartbeat on why he is doing this. Jack describes himself as a simple man, with a simple love – for who God loves.  The show is geared to bring some good news to a dying world, and draw back those who have left their beliefs due to church hurts. To bring the good news of Jesus, to a group of people who do not think of Christianity as good news. He explains the format changed how the message is presented, but doesn’t change the message.  The secular music is screened to have redeeming qualities and tie into the message he presents.

Doing a radio show was not on Jack’s bucket list and came about ironically by a call received at a wrong number. Making a long story short he did an Easter show for the station. However, when the opportunity presented itself to do a regular show he had to overcome fear. He started making excuses: I don’t have the right voice; never did it before; etc. The enemy was playing on his insecurities, trying to stop him from doing something God wanted.

I left my time with the Simple Man challenged, encouraged and humbled. I reflected on how God doesn’t always ask our opinion about something; instead tells us what to do. And, like Joshua, He tells us to be strong and courageous. Is it easy? Well, since God repeated himself to Joshua, to be strong and courageous, perhaps it’s not as easy as we would like.

A familiar saying is “Do it afraid”. Courage is not the absence of fear, but moving forward doing what we should in spite of fear. Sometimes we have to push through insecurities to really do something amazing. If we are not courageous to step into what we believe the Lord is calling us to do, we may never know if we missed a life’s calling.

Is there something stirring inside that just won’t be shaken off; a dream, a heart’s desire; nudging from the Holy One?

What will become of it?