“To the Ends of the Earth”
This Sunday as we continue our series through the book of Acts, we reach another tipping point in the storyline. You’ll recall that Jesus told His disciples just prior to His ascension, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In many ways, that statement forms the basic structure of the book of Acts.
In the earliest days, the Gospel was heralded in the city of Jerusalem (1:1–6:7). As persecution arose, we saw how the Good News spread throughout the wider regions of Judea and Samaria (6:8–9:43). Then, beginning with Cornelius and culminating in the very first missionary journey, we saw how the Gospel was reaching the nations (10:1–16:6). Now, as Paul sets out on his second missionary journey, the Lord will redirect him to take the Good News of Jesus to regions unknown. This is the launching point from which the Gospel will now go to the ends of the earth (15:36–21:16). The book of Acts leaves off with Paul in the heart of Rome, the center of the Roman Empire, and from which the Gospel can now travel everywhere (21:17–28:31).
We’re now beginning the fourth part of our study in Acts: “To the Ends of the Earth.” From the very beginning, the Bible tells us that our God has been on a mission to glorify His name by redeeming a people for Himself from every nation, tribe, language, and tongue, who will come alive in joyous relationship the Father through the redemption of His beloved Son and by the power of the His indwelling Spirit. This is God’s heartbeat, not only in the past, but right now, and into the future. As the church, we are part of this mission. We exist to proclaim the Good News of salvation in Jesus to the ends of the earth.
So, let’s join the apostle Paul as he discovers the call of God and what it means to live on mission because we, too, share in this calling. This is our mission as well. Let us learn what it means to put our “yes” on the table for the glory of God. Because we are indeed loved, more than we know. And that love sends us out to go and be the church!
