The first part of the book of Acts begins with Jesus' final command to his disciples. Here's a refresher if you've forgotten. " But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. " ~ Acts 1:8 Was Jesus serious? I know, it's a strange question but hear me out. To command his disciples to be on the mission of making disciples from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth means they are going to need to be prepared to face adversity and challenges, but it also means they must go and engage people who are very different then they are. Was Jesus serious? This will be the ongoing tension throughout the book of Acts as the disciples grapple with Jesus' command to be witnesses to all people, even those who are outsiders. This issue is significant, and one we will explore this Sunday in Acts chapter 10. However, it also presses us to consider the same command Jesus gave you and I. If I'm a follower of Jesus, then I'm on the same mission--not only because King Jesus told to me to, but because at some point someone shared the Gospel with me (an outsider) and it changed my life! To continue this important dialogue check out part ten of To The Ends of the Earth.
