My Pulpit Message Notes | 5

My Pulpit Message - notes

Acts 1:8 - The disciples are told begin with Jerusalem , those near you and like you, in the same WhatsApp group, in your neighbourhood.

In Acts 1-7 we see that this is what happens. They are in Jerusalem Acts 8-12 we see them in Judea and Samaria.

Acts 13-8 we see them going to the ends of the earth.

We see they are first told to begin with that which is familiar and proximate distance to you. The word of God tells us the same today. Identify homogenous communities around you because now you have been 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 lives, you will not be denied. Begin in Jerusalem.

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit you will be My witnesses to Jerusalem. Have you been to Jerusalem?

The Heterogenous ministry - Judea and Samaria

Those near you, but not like you. Jerusalem was in Judea, in the same way we can say NCBD (Nairobi Central Business District) is in Nairobi, and so is Ruai.

So He makes a distinction to begin in Jerusalem where everything is familiar for you, there are relationships. there is proximity, but also go to all Judea, the countryside and even to those people who don’t like you and you don’t like them.

They are near you, but not like you. You know the history of the Samaritans; the did not agree with the Jews, but only accepted the first five books of Moses. Looking at the story of the Samaritan woman she says, ‘We worship here and Mount Gerizim, you worship in Jerusalem.

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 were near them they were not like them and so Jesus by example did not go way round like people avoiding Samaria, he went to Sychar where he met this Samaritan woman.

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 them.

For example those who are championing ministry among those who are abled differently, those who provide wheelchairs, those who minister to 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?

One Bible commentator, Bevin Ginder says that Acts 1:8 has two misunderstandings that affects the effectiveness of mission. He says, we have changed the meaning of the words in Acts 1:8. And so where it says, ‘Go to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost ends of the 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 and not Judea or Samaria.

We are all called to go to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost 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 mission, by prayer or by giving, but Judea and Samaria and ends of the earth must feel your impact as a witness. Not a witness of convenience and then when the day of reckoning comes you have no commitment.

So the first misunderstanding is when we render it either Jerusalem, or 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 different according to our giftings. Some may be short term missions and 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 second misunderstanding is when we decide, it is a first, then, as opposed being a both and.

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 and Samaria and when you finish then you can go to the ends of the earth. A misunderstanding called first, then. This is not supported by the Scripture. You may realise that they did not finish Jerusalem then go 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, Acts 13-18 the ends of the earth, and stay there. They went out, but there is a lot of coming back to Jerusalem because you realise that James who was the apostle who remains in Jerusalem, during the persecution 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.

Revelations 7:9 has a very interesting phrase, we are told that John saw a number that no man could number. The whole world, all the nations. Some of the nation that you and I are called to reach, God has already 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.

This going out did not begin in Acts 1:8. In Genesis 12:3 Abraham is 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 interested in the nations and that is why He says in Psalms 2:8 “Ask of Me, and I will give you the nations as an inheritance.

My Pulpit Message Notes are extracted from the sermon preached at the Nairobi Baptist Church (NBC) Ngong Road on Sunday 16th January 2022. Preacher: Reverend Munengi Mulandi, NBC Senior Pastor. Topic: Empowered to Go. Scripture: Acts 1:4-8