Matthew 9:35 “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness.”

There is something to learn from the first two words we run into: “Jesus went.” Sometimes pastors, churches, and those who serve follow an approach that might better be described as “Let them come.” Let’s sequester ourselves in our safe, comfortable building, put out a sign, do a little advertising, and hope that people come to us.

That’s not to imply that we are against people coming to us. We want them to come to our church, our programs, our activities. But the New Testament approach to ministry puts a big emphasis on the word “go.” Go and make disciples of all nations. Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Go out…into the streets and alleys…to the roads and country lanes (Luke 14:21,23).

This is not the time to play it safe, to sit on our hands, to stay inside and lazily let the world go by. Jesus sends us to our friends and family members, our neighbors and coworkers, those who are already Christian but are off wandering in their faith, and those who have never been Christians and need to know Jesus before it’s too late. Christian ministry happens here, in this building, it is true. But it needs to happen out there, where the people are, too. That’s how Jesus worked. “Jesus went.”

Where Jesus went, he had something to say, “teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom.” This was his work. This is the church’s work. The church without a message ceases to live and act as the church. It has forgotten its purpose. Teaching and preaching is always first.

If all the Christian churches were to disappear, there would still be people and organizations to feed the hungry, dig wells in third world countries, show up to help after natural catastrophes, help people pay their electric bills, and do all the charitable things that churches often do. But the fire department is not going to preach sermons. Local businesses are not going to organize Sunday schools. The mayor and city council aren’t going to go door to door on city time trying to teach people the way of salvation. That’s not what they’re there for. If the church won’t preach and teach the gospel, it loses the one activity that makes it what it is, the reason that Jesus leaves us here.

The message is the same one Jesus preached, “the good news of the kingdom.” It always comes back to this. We can teach people about right and wrong, too. Jesus did. We can tell them what it means to be a godly father or mother, son or daughter, husband or wife, employer or employee, citizen or soldier or public servant. The Bible teaches good stuff about all those things.

But no one can do those things right all the time. None of that information by itself ever saved anyone. The good news is that the King has returned to the world he made. Even though it was a world of rebels, he has put down the rebellion. He didn’t do it by slaughtering all the opposition. He has convinced many of the rebels to defect to his side. He invites them all to come over. He laid down his life to secure their pardons, and made it safe to join his forces. He doesn’t rule by fear or force (though the opposition often thinks that’s the way it is). His great sacrificial love makes his subjects willing. It gives them new hearts. It fills them with new freedoms. They serve out of gratefulness for the love that rescued them from their sins and led them from death to life.

Preaching this good news, teaching it, taking it to streets and homes and anyplace we can get an audience–that’s the work of Christian ministry. And people who love their neighbor’s souls enough to do this for them will also love their neighbor’s bodies enough to bring a little relief from life’s discomforts when they can–like Jesus “healing every disease and sickness.” Preaching the gospel and showing people love: that’s what Christians go to do.