Principles of a Sent Life: What to Expect when Christ Says, "Go."

Two critical moments occur in the life of a disciple, moments that hearken us to Christ and faithfulness to His commands.

The two I speak of are these: the call to follow Jesus and the call to go into all the world. These two critical moments occur in the Gospel of Matthew at the beginning of the Lord's ministry with His disciples and at the end of His time with them on earth.

And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." ~ Matthew 4:19

"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

Like bookends, these two commands of our Lord Jesus bracket in the believer's life and are the quintessential expression of the Christian faith: to follow Jesus and obey His call. A life that is called to follow Christ is ever to be a life that is also sent out by Christ. And a life cannot ever be sent out by Christ who is not also a life that follows Christ.