My Pulpit Message - notes Acts 1:8 - The disciples are told begin with Jerusalem , those near you to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost ends of the and like you, in the same WhatsApp group, in your neighbourhood. earth, we have decided that instead of putting a conjunction, we have put ‘either’, ‘or’ choice. So we very gladly say, “I am called to Jerusalem In Acts 1-7 we see that this is what happens. They are in Jerusalem Acts and not Judea or Samaria. 8-12 we see them in Judea and Samaria. We are all called to go to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the utActs 13-8 we see them going to the ends of the earth. termost ends of the earth. Eighty per cent of your calling might be Jerusalem, but you still have to step foot in Judea whether by short term We see they are first told to begin with that which is familiar and prox- mission, by prayer or by giving, but Judea and Samaria and ends of the imate distance to you. The word of God tells us the same today. Identi- earth must feel your impact as a witness. Not a witness of convenience fy homogenous communities around you because now you have been and then when the day of reckoning comes you have no commitment. filled with the Holy Spirit, go to these areas. Why? Not to many have relationships with them, but you have access, a direct Visa into their So the first misunderstanding is when we render it either Jerusalem, or lives, you will not be denied. Begin in Jerusalem. Judea and Samaria. It is a conjunction. We are all to go to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. How we go may be difWhen you are filled with the Holy Spirit you will be My witnesses to ferent according to our giftings. Some may be short term missions and Jerusalem. Have you been to Jerusalem? come back. Some of us may not be high school ministers, but will go there, give a testimony and come back, but we are all to go.
The Heterogenous ministry - Judea and Samaria
The second misunderstanding is when we decide, it is a first, then, as Those near you, but not like you. Jerusalem was in Judea, in the same opposed being a both and. way we can say NCBD (Nairobi Central Business District) is in Nairobi, and so is Ruai. We have this feeling and understanding that the disciples were told to go to Jerusalem first and when you finish Jerusalem then go to Judea So He makes a distinction to begin in Jerusalem where everything is and Samaria and when you finish then you can go to the ends of the familiar for you, there are relationships. there is proximity, but also go earth. A misunderstanding called first, then. This is not supported by to all Judea, the countryside and even to those people who don’t like you the Scripture. You may realise that they did not finish Jerusalem then go and you don’t like them. to Judea. They were kicked out of Jerusalem. But then you also realise they did not go do Jerusalem Acts 1-7, Acts 8-12 Judea and Samaria, They are near you, but not like you. You know the history of the Samar- Acts 13-18 the ends of the earth, and stay there. They went out, but itans; the did not agree with the Jews, but only accepted the first five there is a lot of coming back to Jerusalem because you realise that James books of Moses. Looking at the story of the Samaritan woman she says, who was the apostle who remains in Jerusalem, during the persecution ‘We worship here and Mount Gerizim, you worship in Jerusalem. every goes to the ends of the earth and then he comes back to occupy a position that is very similar the chairman of the elders court. The Jews did not like the Samaritans because they were a mixed race. They had diluted the Jewish blood and because of that, although they Revelations 7:9 has a very interesting phrase, we are told that John saw were near them they were not like them and so Jesus by example did not a number that no man could number. The whole world, all the nations. go way round like people avoiding Samaria, he went to Sychar where he Some of the nation that you and I are called to reach, God has already met this Samaritan woman. shown visions of them being reached and so we are not being called to unproductive areas, we are being asked out to bring in the sheaves. Here, the Spirit is saying, Jerusalem, those near you and like you, and then Judea and Samaria, those near you, but not like you, reach out to This going out did not begin in Acts 1:8. In Genesis 12:3 Abraham is them. told, ‘I bless you that this blessing must cascade to all the families of the earth - ethne - cascade to all the nations of the earth. And God is still For example those who are championing ministry among those who are interested in the nations and that is why He says in Psalms 2:8 “Ask of abled differently, those who provide wheelchairs, those who minister to Me, and I will give you the nations as an inheritance. the deaf community. Ministries that are near us, but not like us. Is God sending you in your areas of profession to go out and reach out ………. there? My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at One Bible commentator, Bevin Ginder says that Acts 1:8 has two misun- the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 16th derstandings that affects the effectiveness of mission. He says, we have January 2022. Preacher: Reverend Munengi Mulandi, NBC Senior changed the meaning of the words in Acts 1:8. And so where it says, ‘Go Pastor. Topic: Empowered to Go. Scripture: Acts 1:4-8
TT 36 | JAN 18 -24 | 2022
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