THEREFORE – Is going an option? Following Jesus from the Edges

Following Jesus From the Edges

Therefore

Pastor Calvin Cook

May 19, 2026

I feel this morning there is so much I want to share with you, but in sharing, I am very cautiously affirming  what the Holy Spirit desires me to share or has the me in me tried to micro manage what I want God to do – a fatal flaw in all of our lives and in the church today. With the arrival once again of the celebration of Pentecost, I see, hear, and feel the need of considering the option all of us have as Spirit filled followers of Jesus regardless of who we are where we are or what is happening.

Let me begin with this recent reminder:

This past weekend I was one of the adults (using the term adult loosely – lol) with youth from our churches at a youth retreat in Somerset County PA at Camp Allegheny. The Way Maker retreat held annually and sponsored by a cooperative of churches from Johnstown PA has been a great refreshment not only for young people but for this old guy as well.

The scripture base – was Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

Here is the option – It is not optional that God will, God does, and God can. That God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit will and can move mightily in our lives. At the center of every situation there is powerful Jesus transformation of our lives, our families, our communities, our churches. Here is the tough option. Many times, we have this new heart available we choose not to receive it and our heart gets harder, harder, and harder all the time.

The tough question exist today. What heart is beating in your soul? Is it a heart of God’s making of the power of grace and hope or is it a heart of the world of evil which will turn you into stone.

Second recent reminder :

A few weeks ago we preached on the Great Commission especially highlighting the Matthew 28:16-20: “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Great words, great inspiration, great direction for centuries have come from these words. Lately it seems to me that in some places these words fall flat and because these words have not been taken seriously it seems that this heart that Ezekiel spoke about has become rigid even like rigor mortis has set in. Is rigor mortis reversable, some say yes after life has come back into the body and the blood once again begins to flow through the body. Oh my !

However, on that Great Commission Sunday and preaching my friend Pastor Frank Young was worshiping with us. At dinner afterwards to our normal group that is assembled he said “Did you notice the word “Therefore” (vs 19). I don’t know how many at the table heard his proclamation that “therefore” didn’t mean we have a choice or option to go into the world, that it was a direction of Jesus.

This has begun my journey these last several days of options which we will continue to highlight as we prepare for Pentecost, but here is the jist today.

Because we have been given this heart of flesh, and because Jesus came to earth died for our sins, and is coming back – we have a responsibility to “therefore go” and share what Jesus has done in our lives and where we are in our own faith journey and be the church and the people of God that was birthed at Pentecost. 

Which option will you choose?