To the ends of the earth

Acts 1:1-11

Key Verse 1:8

8But 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." 

Happy New Year! Each New Year, CEO’s of companies and presidents of nations give speeches that lay down the objectives of the company or the nation for the new year. For us, Jesus is our CEO. He is our president. It is fitting that we listen to our Risen Christ for the new year’s direction based on Acts 1:1-11. 

First, do everything in love 

Look at verse 1. “In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach.” 

This passage sums up Jesus’ ministry before his resurrection: do and teach. Last year, we studied Luke’s gospel which describes what Jesus did and what Jesus taught. Note here that the word “do” comes first and then the word “teach” follows. Jesus did first and then he taught. This is like a drill sergeant showing his soldiers how to assemble and disassemble a machine gun, and then asking his soldiers to do the same thing. 

What then did Jesus do? Luke’s gospel tells us that Jesus did a number of things. He preached the good news. He healed the sick. He taught the Bible. He invited Galilean fishermen and spent time with them and he called them to be his disciples. He then trained them to grow as his apostles. He died on a tree. And he rose again. 

In following Jesus and doing His will, it is important to follow the examples of not only Jesus’ outward actions but also inner motive. What was Jesus’ motive? With what motive did he do all that he did? A lot of people do many things sacrificially, but they do so with a wrong motive. God sees man’s heart, then man’s outward compliance. When the motive is wrong, God finds a man’s work as unacceptable. 

When we look at Jesus’ words and actions, we can say that Jesus did all that he did with one motive, that is, his love for sinners. It was in search of one lost soul that Jesus went out to the Sea of Galilee and invited people like Simon Peter to his discipleship ministry. It was out of love that Jesus welcomed a man named Nicodemus and gave him a Bible study at night. It was out of his love that in the heat of the day Jesus visited Samaria, met a Samaritan woman, and gave her a Bible study at Jacob’s well. It was out of love that Jesus rebuked the religious leaders to repent and turn to God. In love, before his arrest, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet one by one. In love, even when people were driving nails through his limbs, Jesus prayed, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” In love, after he rose from the dead, Jesus visited his disciples in Galilee. He fixed breakfast for them. After feeding them, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you truly love me more than these?” Then Jesus asked Peter to feed his sheep.  

Now we know what Jesus wants us to do and with what motive, that is, he wants us to do everything in love. 

Second, a Spirit-filled life

Look at verse 2. “[U]ntil the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.” Jesus is God himself. Yet he did not do anything on his own. He served the mission through the Holy Spirit. 

Look at verses 4-5 as well.  “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”

This passage describes the Holy Spirit as a “gift” from God. The word “gift” has many different meanings. Normally, the first meaning we think about is something we receive for free. However, according to Miriam Webster’s Dictionary, the first meaning is “a notable capacity, talent, or endowment.” Its synonyms are also related to the first meaning: faculty, aptitude, genius, or knack. This indicates that it is through the Holy Spirit that we can do God’s work and bear good fruit. 

This practically means that we need to strive to be men and women filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Third, convincing proofs that he was alive 

Look at verse 3. “After suffering Jesus showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.” 

Witnessing the risen Jesus with their own eyes, opened the eyes of the disciples to a new reality – the reality of Jesus’ power of resurrection. Before Jesus’ death and resurrection, Jesus said to his disciples, “Before long the world will not see me any more, but you will see me.” Then Jesus said something very important: “Because I live, you will also live.” At first the disciples did not believe Jesus. But after Jesus gave them many convincing proofs that he was alive, they came to believe him. Then they became a different people. 

In the same way, for those who believe in Jesus, the risen Jesus makes the power of resurrection available to them. The Apostle Paul explained this phenomenon, saying, “[He] is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20) Based on this resurrection power that was at work in him, Paul once said, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

Following the Apostle Paul’s example, let us all say to one other: “I can do everything through him ho gives me strength.” 

Fourth, Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God 

The Scripture continues, to say: “He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.” 

To many, the kingdom of God may sound like a vague concept that is hard to grasp. Because it sounds vague and abstract it looks as if it is of no practical value to these people. So they think about it for a few seconds and then think about something else like a football game. 

But to the risen Jesus no subject matter is more important than the subject matter of the kingdom of God. Under limited time constraints, Jesus talked exclusively about the kingdom of God. Again, according to Jesus, talking about other subjects like the economic problems of the day, the need for the political independence of Israel, or the marriage problems of unmarried people like Thomas or Philip, was not worth spending time—even a minute or two. But it was not so with the kingdom of God. 

Let us stop for a moment and think about why the kingdom of God is so important for everyone - young and old, poor and rich, educated and uneducated. To say the conclusion first, the kingdom of God represents the perfect reality for all who believe in Jesus. This new reality (or environment) embraces all the ingredients that must be secured for the fulfillment of man’s life to its infinite perfection. 

The kingdom of God, as the universal and eternal reality, is of practical value both for the present and for the future. It is most valuable for the present because the blessings that come to the life of a believer are all real, for they make real differences to man’s life, first inside and then outside. The joy that comes from the throne room of God is truly great. [In Psalm 4:7, King David expressed this joy saying, “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.”] This peace is so deep that one can almost touch it, just as one touches wool or silk. And as this joy and peace settles in his heart, he can eat better, sleep better, sing better, and do all other things better. In addition, as the Lord God reveals His vision of his kingdom to come, he no longer lives for the things of this world, but for the sake of God’s kingdom. He no longer lives for what is perishable, but for God’s kingdom purpose. 

Thus by talking about the kingdom of God, Jesus inspired the disciples to live for something not partial, incomplete, temporary or perishable, but for that which is wholesome, perfect, and eternal. Business gurus of this world say, “Think big,” or, “Do not major in what is minor.” But they do not know what is minor or what is major. In the first place, they do not know what is good or what is bad (for life), what is truly worthy and what is really worthless. So they end up working for something that is totally worthless. The result is that at the end of their life’s journey they see that their nets are empty.  

Fifth, to the ends of the earth

Look at verses 4-8. “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’  So when they met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.’”

Here the Risen Jesus reminded the disciples that they should no longer live as narrow-minded nationalists. Jesus directed them to live as servants spreading the gospel to all nations. 

In the day of the disciples, Israel, as a nation, had a lot of problems – economic problems, political problems, and all other problems. But Jesus says that they must leave these matters in the hands of God. The disciples are then to live as witnesses of Jesus Christ. 

In our generation and in the U.S. as well we have a lot of problems. But we Christians must serve our Lord Jesus’ world mission purpose as a matter of first priority. So this year as well, our first priority should be to live as witnesses to all peoples on earth. 

Living in Los Angeles, we are strategically located to be witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ, for in this international city people from all different nationalities flock together. On our college campuses as well we see students from all different nations coming to pursue their academic goals. So we can invite them, teach the Bible, make disciples of them, and then send them back to their home countries to live as shepherds. In this way we can be Jesus’ witnesses to the ends of the earth

One word: to the ends of the earth 

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