How to Spread the Word

Acts 1:12-26

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
    and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

By Danny Sathyadass

…in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The book of Acts, narrates the work of the Holy Spirit through His witnesses who gradually spread the word to the world starting from Jerusalem. We are a continuation of that story as we fulfill our God given destiny, to reach the world.

While progression of the gospel can be viewed from a geographical point of view-Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria leading up to the whole world, we can also view it from a socio-cultural perspective. In the first instance the gospel was shared in Jerusalem among the Jewish people. They were like the apostles-They worshiped a monotheistic God, and who had a Jewish heritage.

Later, we observe how the Lord supernaturally led Philip and Peter to witness to those who were unlike them, namely the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8) and Cornelius (Acts 10). Then, it was Paul along with Barnabas who were commissioned and sent out by the Antioch church (Acts 13:3). Church history tells us that none of the disciples died in Jerusalem but almost all of them died as martyrs in different parts of the world. They reached out to people who were unlike them and not near them.

This pattern can be observed from Christ’s method of training His disciples too. He first started ministering with His disciples in Galilee, stating that he would make them fishers of men. Later, he clearly instructed the disciples to focus their energies only on ‘the lost sheep of Israel’, though his intention was to eventually send them to the ends of the earth.

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. Matt. 10:5,6

However, by way of example, Christ demonstrated how to witness and serve Samaritans (John 4), Romans (Matt. 8) and Syrophoenicians (Mark 7). What can be observed is a pattern; there is a progressive pattern of revelation as well as a gradual increase of the sphere of service and ministry.

Let us first start serving within our God given limits among people who are near us and like us, then in time among people who are like us but not near us, and if God wills possibly to people who are unlike us and not near us.

*  This devotion was found at Bible.com titled “Acts Chapter Two” by Danny Sathyadass of City Light Global.