The Bible declares that “the church is subject unto Christ” (Ephesians 5:24). Paul went on to write in that same context that Jesus wants to “present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (5:27). Such is the desire of the church’s head, Christ Jesus (5:23). It is obvious that the Lord wants the church to do His will at all times. Let us briefly note four things that Jesus wants His church to do in our day: Know, Go, Sow, and Grow.
Jesus wants the church to Know - know God’s word. “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). Knowing God’s will means knowing the message of the Bible for it is His inspired word (2 Timothy 3:16), His lamp for our feet and light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). God’s truth can make us free, but only when we know it (John 8:32; 17:17). And, it just makes sense: we will be able to carry out the Lord’s instructions only when we know what those instructions are, right? Brothers and sisters, how much are you and I living up to the Lord’s expectations? How well do we know His word, and how much effort are we putting into increasing our knowledge?
Jesus also wants the church to Go. Our Lord’s marching orders are, “Go ye into all the world . . .” (Mark 16:15) and, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations . . .” (Matthew 28:19). How seriously do we take these words of the Master? Do we read such passages and immediately think of how they apply to him, her, them, and everyone else, but they somehow “don’t count” for us?! In order to do the Lord’s will, it is not necessary for each of us to travel halfway around the world. You and I can “go” with the gospel to our neighbors, our co-workers, our fellow-students, our extended family members, and even to those that live under the same roof that we do. But, regardless of where and to whom we go, Go we must! It is not an option.
When the church goes, Jesus wants it to Sow - sow the seed. “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). It is by the incorruptible seed of God’s word that a person is born again (1 Peter 1:23). It is not a problem to get people to go places. God’s people, like others in society, are on the move, going to and fro. The challenge is to get God’s church to be a mighty force to sow the seed as it goes! We need to be looking for opportunities to open our mouths and teach the gospel, like Philip did (Acts 8:35). Not only did Philip go, he took advantage of the opportunity and sowed the seed as he went. Did he act wisely? You know he did. The persecuted disciples of the first century went everywhere. But that is not all, is it? Those devoted saints “went every where preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). What holds us back from doing the same? To Know and to Go make for a great start, but they do not help lost people obtain salvation unless we go one step further and Sow the seed.
Finally, Jesus wants His church to Grow. First, He wants each of His disciples to grow in grace and in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). Such comes about by desiring the milk of God’s word (1 Peter 2:2,3). Christ wants each of us to grow by adding those character traits listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. In addition to such spiritual growth, our Lord wants His church to grow in number. God wants all men to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Saved souls are added to the church (Acts 2:47). Souls are saved only when people obey from the heart the gospel of the Christ (Romans 6:17,18). People obey the gospel only when it is preached to them (Romans 10:13-17). That brings us back to our old idea, doesn’t it? If we want the church to grow by souls being saved, then you and I need to be going and sowing the seed! There is no other way to get the job done.
As the head of the church, Jesus has the authority to direct and rule it as He sees fit. Among the many things that He expects from His followers, Jesus wants His church to know, go, sow, and grow. These are simple concepts to understand and easy words to remember. May each of us set our heart to fulfill the Lord’s will in all of these areas.This item originally appeared in The Reminder, 8/25/2002, Union Grove church of Christ, Cleveland, TN
