As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. John 17:18
To be God’s outgoing people doesn’t simply mean that guests will be welcomed warmly in worship, though it certainly does include a warm welcome. Following Jesus means that we are following him out into the world that he lived in and died in to save. Jesus saves people from evil and its power in the world. But just as much, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, saves us for the purpose of going out to share God’s kindness and love.
The Bible tells many stories about people God blesses and then sends out to demonstrate God’s love in the world. For example, when God first singled out Abram and Sarai for a special blessing, God told them “I will bless you…so that you will be a blessing.” To be a follower of Jesus means that we are going out into the world.
