Acts 1:8 - But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Be witnesses... A witness is someone who has seen and can now testify. The 500 people standing before Jesus were given a clear command to witness to the world about the truth of Jesus. However, there is something that is many times overlooked in this verse. Notice, that Jesus also gave his disciples a strategy for how to most effectively become witnesses. He specifically prioritized where they were to go and in what order.
Go to Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, and ultimately the uttermost parts of the earth. What does that list mean to us? It is potentially surprisingly significant!
Jerusalem was their city--their home. It symbolizes their local area. Judea was their region. Samaria represents an area recognized as a state and the uttermost parts of the earth is self-explanatory.
We have a list of priorities passed down from Jesus himself as to how we are to approach becoming witnesses for Him. Our vision such start and thrive locally, then move outward into the region, state, nation and world!
I believe we would be much better served as churches and ministries to utilize the effectiveness this approach could bring. In fact, Acts 1:8 is the main reason HPC has established strategic GO Teams with prioritized areas: Local, Regional, State, National, & International. Each team has a leader and our congregation is challenged to progressively move through the process. I believe it is more than just a good idea, perhaps it is actually a God idea! May this Biblically-inspired approach help us to be successful to the maximum level as we share the good news of Jesus with all the world...
No comments:
Post a Comment