Today we will be looking directly at a verse in Acts 1:8 and asking ourselves what does that mean for us?
For some historical background, the Book of Acts was written by Luke in Rome around A.D. 70-90 and was compiled within the first 30 years of the early churches’ birth.
Because we know Luke also wrote the Gospel of Luke, we can get a greater picture of what was happening around the early church and also through Jesus’ life, death, burial, and Ascension by reading them both together.
The verse we are looking at today reads:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
When I read Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, I instantly thought, what would that be for me? In my life, that is reaching Belfast, County Antrim, and Northern Ireland, or Belfast, Northern Ireland, and the UK.
For you, that might be reaching the Bronx, New York, or Paris. It is important in our Christian walk that we do not reach far-off places and leave where we came from destitute.
But what I see here is that all our actions of evangelism or social action will only be as effective as our willingness to wait on the Holy Spirit to be present with us and give us the strength and power to do those deeds.
Alongside these thoughts I had while reading that verse, my mind also recalled the words of Jesus found in Matthew’s gospel in chapter 28, verses 19 and 20, which reads:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (emphasis added).
So, automatically we see here, by reading both verses, that the idea of reaching all nations is not a post-ascension mentality, but it also came from the words of Jesus while he was on earth as well.
We are to be a people who do not hoard the gospel for ourselves but open people who share the love, grace, and mercy of God with others in the hopes that they too will find the love of God attractive and desire that for themselves also. We are to reach all nations.
Even the ones we find hard or the ones that we struggle to connect with. Philippians tells us that in Christ, we can do all things, even reaching the hard places and putting our self-interests or feelings aside in order to see God's name glorified.
My mind also considers the words of Abraham found in Genesis 12: 1-3, also known as the Abrahamic covenant, which states:
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (emphasis added).
I suppose some will wonder what the connections are here between these verses, to me, there is an instant reminder that this is not just New Testament thinking, but it is also found in the Old Testament.
When God took Abraham aside from the idol-worshipping ways, He took him with a plan, and that plan was to see Abraham blessed, his family grows, a land for him to place roots, and all of that would be so that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him. That’s some plan, eh friend?
2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God's desire is that none should perish, and John 3:16 states that whosoever is welcome to believe in God will be instantly saved. These verses are so important.
I know we all have a certain level of bias on who we believe should be allowed to be saved, but to God, every single human, no matter what they have or haven’t done, is welcome in the family.
No sin is too great that God cannot forgive, and no sinner is too far gone that they cannot be changed by God.
But let’s ask ourselves what it would feel like to be a people who blessed all the nations of the world because God was blessing us. Blessings should flow through us, never just come to us and stay with us.
Through all of this, we see that blessing all nations or being witnesses to the ends of the earth is not post-ascension or New Testament thinking, but it is a gospel story; it is a running theme of Scripture. It is a thread that runs from the Old Testament to the New.
Friend, we are saved and blessed to then go and share that salvation story and blessing with others.
As it states in Matthew 5, we are a light to shine brightly for God. We do not hide lamps but as verse 16 states: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
The purpose of any blessing or light we hold is simply that others may see and glorify God in heaven!
Israel was God’s chosen nation, born out of Abraham and Sarah’s child, Isaac. Within four generations of Abraham, they were a mighty people. God's promise to make them a great nation was fulfilled.
But there was more to that promise. He also promised them that they would have a land that was yet to be fulfilled, but Abraham knew it was coming because God was so faithful.
Israel had a redemptive role to play in reaching the nations, and they were to show who God was and the blessings that flow from His throne, which made them a special people with a very important job.
But the Gentile people were never Plan B. They were always a part of the “whosoever.” They were always welcome as part of the family — loved people to be reached.
So, out of curiosity, is it worth asking yourself today what would reaching Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria look like to you? Would that be reaching your street, neighborhood, and city? Would that be cities, counties, and countries?
Or would that be your home, your street, and your neighborhood? For all of us, that idea of reaching the ends of the earth is different based on talents, purpose, and ability. But for each of us, this is an important task left to us by Father God.
Each of us has a place where we have been put to reach for the Kingdom and the glory of God. So, friend, talk to God, pray, and ask Him to light your lamp afresh and go, make disciples, and see the glory of God shine and the people you encounter glorify God.
For further reading:
What Did Jesus Mean to 'Go and Make Disciples’?
3 Things to Focus on When Being a Witness for Jesus
5 Fresh Ways to Spread the Gospel
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/lentolo