The Main Thing

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”       —Matthew 28:19-20

Last week, I had the privilege of attending court hearings at the County Courthouse. It amazed me how much time and money we spent on small stuff. I sat for two hours in the courtroom where minor offenses tied up hundreds of persons who probably make quite substantial salaries with little resulting action. One victim did not show up at court and could not be found. Case dismissed. Three subpoenaed witnesses did not come to court and could not be found. Case dismissed. One person drops charges. “Are you sure?” “Yes.” Dismissed. One case that was acted upon but could not be finalized until the defense attorney was located. We waited while a guard went out to look for him.

Please don’t misunderstand me. We have great judges and highly skilled and caring people working very hard in our legal system, but for what? We seem to major on minor truths while our world continues to descend into sin, violence, greed, and destruction. In government, in court, and in our personal lives, the challenge is to keep the main thing the main thing.

Majoring on minor issues seems to be a systemic flaw in human culture. Even the Church has trouble keeping focus on the main thing. After the resurrection but before Jesus’ ascension, He commanded the disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about” (Acts 1:4). At first glance, one might think the main thing was to wait, but the real main thing was to receive the power of the Holy Spirit and go. Many believers and churches today receive the message of Acts 1:4 but never get on with the main thing that the waiting pointed to. Jesus told the disciples in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The main thing for the church is not to wait but to be filled with power and go: go and be witnesses for Christ. Go and make disciples. As the church, we are good at planning, meeting, redecorating, and restructuring. But God commands us to go and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19). Very similar to our justice system, we are structured for ministry and have very talented persons ready to serve, but we often major on minor issues. We never quite get around to the going.

In the Great Commission passage of Matthew 28:16-20, the command of God, the main thing, is to make disciples. In order to make disciples by baptizing and teaching, we must go. We must go across our living room, across our street, across our city, and across oceans. Where have you gone lately? Whose needs beyond your own have you prayed for? Whose body besides your own have you clothed and fed lately? Whose family besides your own have you given a ride to church? Jesus said, “I have all power and I am with you to the end of the age; therefore, go!”