Where Are We Going?
Moving Forward: The Church's Mission to Rescue, Redeem, and Remember
There's something powerful about understanding where you're going. Without direction, even the most passionate people can find themselves spinning their wheels, expending energy without making real progress. This truth applies to our individual lives, but it's especially critical when it comes to the collective mission of the church.
The question isn't just "What is the church?" or "Why do we gather?" but ultimately, "Where are we going?" And the answer to that question changes everything about how we live today.
The Tension Between Doubt and Worship
In Matthew 28:16-20, we encounter a fascinating moment. The eleven remaining disciples (Judas having betrayed Jesus) traveled to Galilee where Jesus had directed them to meet. When they saw their resurrected Lord, scripture tells us something remarkable: "they worshiped him, but they doubted."
How can someone worship and doubt simultaneously? It seems contradictory, yet it's profoundly human.
These disciples had witnessed incredible miracles. They'd seen Jesus heal the sick, raise the dead, and demonstrate authority over nature itself. But they'd also watched him die a brutal death on a cross. They'd hidden in fear, wondering if they would be next. The tension between what they'd experienced in the past and what they were witnessing in the present created an internal struggle.
This tension is familiar to many of us. We carry the weight of past disappointments, past hurts, past failures. We've seen prayers go unanswered. We've watched good people suffer. We've experienced the gap between what we hoped for and what actually happened. And yet, something in us still reaches toward worship, still longs to believe that God is real and present and powerful.
Here's the beautiful truth: worship and doubt can coexist. Doubt is often rooted in our past experiences, but worship is directed toward the One who can handle our doubt. As we lift our voices in worship, something shifts. The doubt begins to decrease. The anxiety starts to settle. We're reminded of who God is and what He can do.
God inhabits the praises of His people. When we worship, we create space for divine encounter, even in the midst of our uncertainty.
Three Destinations: Where the Church Is Going
Despite their doubts, these disciples received clear marching orders from Jesus. He declared that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him, and based on that authority, He commissioned them with a mission. This mission gives us three clear destinations for the church.
1. We're Going to Rescue the Lost
Jesus commanded His followers to "go and make disciples of all nations." Not some nations. Not the respectable nations. Not the nations that look like us or think like us. All nations.
The church exists to reach people who are far from God. This means creating spaces where doubters are welcome, where the broken can find healing, where those carrying shame and guilt can encounter grace. It means designing our gatherings not for the religious elite, but for those who've been burned by church, hurt by Christians, or have never darkened a church door.
Lost people are everywhere. They're in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our families. They're carrying burdens they were never meant to carry alone—depression, anxiety, addiction, broken relationships, financial stress. They need to know there's a God who sees them, loves them, and sent His Son to die for them so they don't have to remain trapped by their past.
The church's success isn't measured by how big it gets or how impressive its programs are. Success is measured by how many people are being transformed by the gospel and then sent out to transform others. It's about planting churches that plant churches, creating a movement rather than building an empire.
2. We're Going to Redeem the Least
God has always specialized in using the unlikely. He doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called. Throughout scripture, we see God choosing the uneducated, the unqualified, the unknown, the unpopular, the marginalized, and the poor to accomplish His purposes.
This is radically countercultural. Our world values credentials, connections, and clout. But God values availability, humility, and obedience.
The church has often made the mistake of creating hierarchies where only certain people are considered worthy of leadership or ministry. But scripture teaches the priesthood of all believers. You don't need a seminary degree to share what Jesus has done in your life. You don't need to be polished or perfect to serve others.
God wants to use you—yes, you—to be the change in your family line. To break generational curses. To be the first business owner in your family. To overcome addiction. To model what a healthy marriage looks like. To demonstrate that there's hope beyond trauma.
Jesus simplified discipleship by giving us clear commands: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. He modeled nine practices that integrate these commands into daily life: scripture, Sabbath, prayer, solitude, witness, community, generosity, fasting, and service.
These aren't complicated religious rituals reserved for the super-spiritual. They're accessible practices that anyone can incorporate into their life, regardless of education, background, or status. When we engage in these practices, we're shaped into the image of Christ and equipped to redeem the spaces we occupy.
3. We're Going to Remember What's Left
After giving the Great Commission, Jesus made a promise: "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
What's left when everything else is stripped away? Jesus.
If you lose your job, you still have Jesus. If your marriage falls apart, you still have Jesus. If your health fails, you still have Jesus. If your bank account is empty, you still have Jesus.
And if all you have is Jesus, you have everything you need.
The early church understood this. When Peter encountered the lame beggar at the temple gate, he said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Peter didn't have material wealth, but he had something far more valuable—the presence and power of Jesus.
This promise of Christ's continual presence is what empowers the church to move forward with confidence. We're not going alone. We're not relying on our own strength, wisdom, or resources. The One who has all authority in heaven and earth is with us, every step of the way.
Moving Forward Together
Understanding where the church is going changes how we live today. It means we can't be content with comfortable Christianity that never moves beyond our own four walls. It means we must be willing to sacrifice, to give generously, to serve sacrificially, so that more people can encounter the life-transforming power of Jesus.
The mission is clear: rescue the lost, redeem the least, and remember what's left. This isn't about building impressive buildings or creating entertaining programs. It's about seeing lives changed, families healed, and communities transformed by the gospel.
The question isn't whether God can do it. The question is whether we'll participate in what He's already doing. Will we move forward with faith, even when doubt whispers in our ear? Will we worship our way through uncertainty, trusting that God inhabits our praises?
The best is ahead of us, not behind us. Forward is where faith lives. Forward is where families are healed. Forward is where the future is transformed.
So let's go forward—together.
The question isn't just "What is the church?" or "Why do we gather?" but ultimately, "Where are we going?" And the answer to that question changes everything about how we live today.
The Tension Between Doubt and Worship
In Matthew 28:16-20, we encounter a fascinating moment. The eleven remaining disciples (Judas having betrayed Jesus) traveled to Galilee where Jesus had directed them to meet. When they saw their resurrected Lord, scripture tells us something remarkable: "they worshiped him, but they doubted."
How can someone worship and doubt simultaneously? It seems contradictory, yet it's profoundly human.
These disciples had witnessed incredible miracles. They'd seen Jesus heal the sick, raise the dead, and demonstrate authority over nature itself. But they'd also watched him die a brutal death on a cross. They'd hidden in fear, wondering if they would be next. The tension between what they'd experienced in the past and what they were witnessing in the present created an internal struggle.
This tension is familiar to many of us. We carry the weight of past disappointments, past hurts, past failures. We've seen prayers go unanswered. We've watched good people suffer. We've experienced the gap between what we hoped for and what actually happened. And yet, something in us still reaches toward worship, still longs to believe that God is real and present and powerful.
Here's the beautiful truth: worship and doubt can coexist. Doubt is often rooted in our past experiences, but worship is directed toward the One who can handle our doubt. As we lift our voices in worship, something shifts. The doubt begins to decrease. The anxiety starts to settle. We're reminded of who God is and what He can do.
God inhabits the praises of His people. When we worship, we create space for divine encounter, even in the midst of our uncertainty.
Three Destinations: Where the Church Is Going
Despite their doubts, these disciples received clear marching orders from Jesus. He declared that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to Him, and based on that authority, He commissioned them with a mission. This mission gives us three clear destinations for the church.
1. We're Going to Rescue the Lost
Jesus commanded His followers to "go and make disciples of all nations." Not some nations. Not the respectable nations. Not the nations that look like us or think like us. All nations.
The church exists to reach people who are far from God. This means creating spaces where doubters are welcome, where the broken can find healing, where those carrying shame and guilt can encounter grace. It means designing our gatherings not for the religious elite, but for those who've been burned by church, hurt by Christians, or have never darkened a church door.
Lost people are everywhere. They're in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our families. They're carrying burdens they were never meant to carry alone—depression, anxiety, addiction, broken relationships, financial stress. They need to know there's a God who sees them, loves them, and sent His Son to die for them so they don't have to remain trapped by their past.
The church's success isn't measured by how big it gets or how impressive its programs are. Success is measured by how many people are being transformed by the gospel and then sent out to transform others. It's about planting churches that plant churches, creating a movement rather than building an empire.
2. We're Going to Redeem the Least
God has always specialized in using the unlikely. He doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called. Throughout scripture, we see God choosing the uneducated, the unqualified, the unknown, the unpopular, the marginalized, and the poor to accomplish His purposes.
This is radically countercultural. Our world values credentials, connections, and clout. But God values availability, humility, and obedience.
The church has often made the mistake of creating hierarchies where only certain people are considered worthy of leadership or ministry. But scripture teaches the priesthood of all believers. You don't need a seminary degree to share what Jesus has done in your life. You don't need to be polished or perfect to serve others.
God wants to use you—yes, you—to be the change in your family line. To break generational curses. To be the first business owner in your family. To overcome addiction. To model what a healthy marriage looks like. To demonstrate that there's hope beyond trauma.
Jesus simplified discipleship by giving us clear commands: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. He modeled nine practices that integrate these commands into daily life: scripture, Sabbath, prayer, solitude, witness, community, generosity, fasting, and service.
These aren't complicated religious rituals reserved for the super-spiritual. They're accessible practices that anyone can incorporate into their life, regardless of education, background, or status. When we engage in these practices, we're shaped into the image of Christ and equipped to redeem the spaces we occupy.
3. We're Going to Remember What's Left
After giving the Great Commission, Jesus made a promise: "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
What's left when everything else is stripped away? Jesus.
If you lose your job, you still have Jesus. If your marriage falls apart, you still have Jesus. If your health fails, you still have Jesus. If your bank account is empty, you still have Jesus.
And if all you have is Jesus, you have everything you need.
The early church understood this. When Peter encountered the lame beggar at the temple gate, he said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." Peter didn't have material wealth, but he had something far more valuable—the presence and power of Jesus.
This promise of Christ's continual presence is what empowers the church to move forward with confidence. We're not going alone. We're not relying on our own strength, wisdom, or resources. The One who has all authority in heaven and earth is with us, every step of the way.
Moving Forward Together
Understanding where the church is going changes how we live today. It means we can't be content with comfortable Christianity that never moves beyond our own four walls. It means we must be willing to sacrifice, to give generously, to serve sacrificially, so that more people can encounter the life-transforming power of Jesus.
The mission is clear: rescue the lost, redeem the least, and remember what's left. This isn't about building impressive buildings or creating entertaining programs. It's about seeing lives changed, families healed, and communities transformed by the gospel.
The question isn't whether God can do it. The question is whether we'll participate in what He's already doing. Will we move forward with faith, even when doubt whispers in our ear? Will we worship our way through uncertainty, trusting that God inhabits our praises?
The best is ahead of us, not behind us. Forward is where faith lives. Forward is where families are healed. Forward is where the future is transformed.
So let's go forward—together.
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2026
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