Bible

[excel]

The Bridge Christian Fellowship
41 mins ·
The Pastor’s Pen


So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere —in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)
I find it interesting that the eleven apostles, gathered with Jesus during His last few moments on earth, repeatedly pummeled Jesus with questions about future events (“Has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”).
His answer? That’s God’s business. Your business (mission), after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, is to be “my witnesses, telling people everywhere.” And what is it they are to tell? The gospel; the Good News that Jesus is alive after shedding His blood for the full and final payment for the penalty of our sin. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Why do I find the apostle’s attitude interesting? We modern day disciples aren’t much different from the original Christ-followers. We tend to have a deep longing to know and understand the future. When is Jesus coming back? Will the Church be included in the Great Tribulation? What will happen to Israel? When will it be too late to trust in Jesus? Is the anti-Christ real?
Yet, our mission remains the same as was given the apostles: “you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere.” Because this is our mission for as long as we inhabit these earthly bodies, it is important that we understand it and then fulfill it. As I consider this mission found in Acts 1, three important truths jump out at me.
1) Our mission is One that God has uniquely prepared for us to accomplish. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” You and I do not have to waste time with fear and worry regarding our mission. God the Holy Spirit has invaded our hearts, minds and souls with His divine presence, and He provides all of the power and authority we need to complete the mission He has given us. How powerful is He? When the Holy Spirit filled these same disciples on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 of the very same people who had chanted, “Crucify Him” less than two months earlier, believed the disciple’s message and placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) Our mission is NOT to convert others to our way of thinking or believing, but to give witness to a living, resurrected Savior. In other words, I have no argument or debate to win; I simply have a Savior to share. Like the sower that Jesus talked about, you and I are to cast the seed of the gospel wherever we go, in both word and deed. Some will fall on hard ground, some in shallow soil, some in weedy ground, and some, thankfully, in fertile soil ready to respond to the Good News. Only God knows the condition of the soil. It is our job to cast the seed.
3) Our mission begins right where we live. I do not have to go to Africa or Mexico or eastern Europe to cast the gospel seed. In fact, I suggest that no one tries to witness in any other culture until they have experienced witnessing in their own! This is what Jesus told the apostles: in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Don’t start in the ends of the earth; start right in your home town. How many of you live in a community whose population is 100% Christ-followers? Me neither, so we do not need to look far for an audience to whom we can give witness to the Good News about Jesus!
So, my friend, are you ready to go on a mission trip to your neighborhood? Ask God’s Holy Spirit to prepare the soil of your neighbor’s hearts. Ask Him open your eyes to divine opportunities to serve your neighbors and share your faith. Thank Him for the harvest for which He has prepared you. Happy seed casting!