Tuesday, August 3, 2010

The Gospel's Epicenter and Expansion




But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8

This verse is significant because it is the command from Jesus that defines the vision and scope of ministry that He intends for His church to accomplish. It is nothing short of worldwide impact. It is the goal of Jesus that the gospel always goes global. This is what the first disciples were instructed to do.

And really this helps us understand the structure of the Book of Acts because we can see how from the epicenter of Pentecost in Jerusalem, the gospel spread in waves to the known world. Jesus conveyed a clear vision and the Holy Spirit empowered a generation of men to take the world the message of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Churches followed all over the Roman world as people came to faith. It is absolutely and miraculously amazing that in one generation the gospel was firmly planted in such a way that Christianity has flourished for over two millennia.

As the gospel enters into its third millennium, the challenge has not changed. It is still the same: continue to go global. There are always pioneering opportunities with every tribe and nation and ethnicity needing to know that Jesus will save sinners. My generation must be as obedient as that first generation was!


- Posted with my iPad. The Apple Kool-Aide tastes fine.

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