The World Is at Our Doorstep, Will You Say "Here Am I, Send Me"?

What if the biggest threat to spreading the gospel wasn't persecution, government opposition, or even apathy from the outside world, but the inward focus of the church itself? As the FIFA World Cup arrives in America this year, with 5 billion people watching and 48 nations competing, the world is literally at our doorstep. And that raises a question every follower of Jesus has to answer: when God says go, will we go?

Two Churches, Two Very Different Stories

In the Book of Acts, there are two famous early churches whose stories couldn't be more different. Both knew the Great Commission. Both had heard Jesus say in Acts 1:8, "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." But when it came to actually living that out, they chose very different paths. Those two churches were Jerusalem and Antioch.

To understand their stories, you need a little background. After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to the Father, his followers stayed in Jerusalem. They were all Jewish believers, living fully Jewish lifestyles — kosher food, temple worship — with Jesus now as the center of their faith.

The problem? The rest of the world was Gentile. And Jewish people simply did not socialize with Gentiles, largely because of food laws. If you went into a Gentile's home, social customs required you to eat something and that food wouldn't be kosher. So how were they going to tell the whole world if they couldn't sit down at the table with anyone outside their own culture?

When God Pushed Peter Out of His Comfort Zone

God addressed this directly through the apostle Peter. Peter received a vision, described in Acts 11, in which he was told three times to eat non-kosher food. Shortly after, he was called to the home of a Roman centurion, a Gentile, where he shared the gospel and the entire household became believers.

When Peter returned to Jerusalem, he was questioned. As Acts 11 records, "The circumcised believers criticized him and said, 'You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them'" (Acts 11:2-3). The key word is ate. That was the scandal.

Peter defended himself, and eventually the Jerusalem church conceded. As Acts 11:18 records, "When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, 'So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.'" But reading between the lines, their attitude seemed to be, “Well, if God wants to grant repentance to Gentiles, I guess we won't get in the way.” That was the Jerusalem church.

The Church That Actually Said Yes

Three hundred miles to the north, something very different was happening. In Antioch, a small group of believers began doing something radical. Acts 11:20 tells us that "Men from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus."

This church needed leaders, so Barnabas traveled to Tarsus to find a man named Saul, who we know as the Apostle Paul. Acts 11:26 tells us that "For a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. And the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch."

Antioch picked up the dropped mantle of the Gospel. Antioch became Paul's home church. Antioch implemented the worldwide Great Commission of Jesus.

Three Characteristics That Made All the Difference

1. Mission vs. Inward Focus

The church at Antioch was outward-focused. The church at Jerusalem was not. Jesus was pretty clear about what he wanted churches to do, Acts 1:8 leaves no room for ambiguity. When Jesus said go, Antioch said, "Let's get the boats ready." Jerusalem, on the other hand, knew the message of the Messiah was for the whole world. They just weren't willing to take the initiative.

You would think Jerusalem would be the church from which the worldwide mission thrust of Jesus Christ came. But not so. Instead, this mission was laid at the feet of a church 300 miles to the north.

2. People vs. Tradition

The church at Antioch put people first. The church at Jerusalem put tradition first.

Jesus modeled this perfectly. In Luke 13:10-14, Jesus was teaching in a synagogue when he saw a woman who had been crippled for 18 years. He healed her on the spot. And the synagogue leader's response? "There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath" (Luke 13:14). This poor woman had been crippled for 18 years, and the response was: wrong day for miracles.

Don't let tradition keep you from focusing on people. If we are to be Christ followers, we have to have on our hearts what God has on his heart and God's heart is for people.

3. Risk vs. Retreat

The church at Antioch took risks. The church at Jerusalem retreated.

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships are for. The church at Jerusalem balked at the ends of the earth. Too scary. So it was Antioch that risked it all for the Gospel.

What Happened in the End?

The Jerusalem church was destroyed in AD 70 when a Roman general marched in, destroyed the temple, and took the people as slaves back to Rome where they were forced to build the Roman Coliseum using the treasures looted from their own temple. The inward church died out.

The church at Antioch sent missionaries across the Roman Empire. By AD 313, Christianity was legalized throughout the empire. The empire that sent innocent believers to the lions eventually became the empire that spread the gospel to the whole world. The outward church became the missionary church to the world.

Putting It Into Practice

Two passages bring this home. In Jeremiah 6, God says to his people: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." But the people said, "We will not walk in it."

Isaiah's answer was different. When God asked who would go, Isaiah responded simply: "Here am I. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8).

That is the only proper response to the Great Commission. Today, travel is unfettered. We can be anywhere on earth in 24 hours. God has opened doors all around the world. The world is at our doorstep. So the question is simple: when God says go, will you say, "Here am I. Send me"?

Reflection

Take a few quiet moments with these questions. Be honest. Let the Holy Spirit do His work.

• If you're being real with yourself, does your life look more like the church at Jerusalem or the church at Antioch? Are you primarily focused inward, on your own comfort, your own community, your own traditions, or are you actively looking outward toward people who need the Gospel?

• The Jerusalem church wasn't against the Gospel, they just weren't willing to act on it. Is there a difference between what you say you believe about the Great Commission and how you actually live it out day to day? Where is that gap the biggest?

Application

The church at Jerusalem had the right message but the wrong posture. They were waiting for the world to come to them on their terms. The church at Antioch went to the world and they turned the Roman Empire upside down.

Here's your challenge today: Identify one person in your life who is far from God. Write their name down. Then take one concrete step toward them this week, not a grand gesture, just one step. Invite them to coffee. Send a text to check in. Pray for them by name every day this week. Ask God to give you an opening to share what he means to you.

The world is at your doorstep. The only question is whether you'll open the door. God is not calling you to be safe. God is calling you to be sent.

Prayer

Loving God, as I look honestly at my own life, I have sometimes let comfort, tradition, and fear keep me from stepping toward people who need you. Forgive me for the times I've stayed silent when I should have spoken. Forgive me for the times I've turned inward when you were calling me outward. Lord, use me however you want. Use my home, my voice, my relationships, my ordinary Tuesday afternoon. Give me eyes to see the people around me the way you see them. Give me courage to take the risk. And remind me that the same Holy Spirit who sent Paul out from Antioch to the ends of the earth lives inside of me right now. In the name of Jesus, Amen