Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And
behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. – Matthew 28:19-20
These verses are used so often that you probably just glossed over and didn’t let them sink in.
You may be daydreaming right now, or thinking “Great, just what I needed to hear, someone telling me
to go and make disciples… I’ve heard that sermon a thousand times.” You may have read the book (by
the modern day saint) David Platt titled “Radical”, where he tells us to go unto all nations and share
the Gospel. We all think we are self proclaimed experts on this verse, but guess what?
This lesson isn’t about what you think it is.
It’s not about international missions. Not about even about being “Radical”, I’ll leave that one to
my man David, this lesson is about the moment between apathy and action.
The spark that ignites when we actually start moving to share the Gospel.
INITIATING.
If you want to be useful to God, you will need to be the person who moves first. You have to
take the initiative to move toward the people God has put into your life and the people God has
sent you to. God, in his infinite wisdom, has placed you in a strip club tonight where you’ll be face
to face with dancers that
God loves immensely. You are a integral part of the process of God calling
his children to himself. What an amazing job you have!
Yet people will not seek out your advice, and most will not strike up a conversation with you.
You will have to go to them. It may be awkward, difficult, and draining.
You can probably think of a thousand reasons to not initiate.
You don’t want to be that intrusive person who invites herself into someone else’s life, or
space. Maybe you don’t want to be rejected. You just want things to happen naturally, and
“initiating” sounds like a sales pitch. Yet the assumption in this verse is that you are already going –
taking the first steps to reach out to those around you.
God has placed you in a unique context and equipped you in a unique way to be the one who
reaches out to those in need. Tonight inside the clubs take a look around yourself. God will give you
chances to act. He will put women near you who need to hear the good news, women who may
need help relationally, physically, or words of encouragement and love. The opportunities will be
there, but they may be difficult to see if you are too focused on yourself. Take the time now to be
truly present where God has put you, sharing the Gospel with dancers that are in desperate need
of his Grace.
Be the first to move tonight. Initiate for the glory of God and the good for those around you.
