The First of Ten days

Acts 1:1-10

As followers of Jesus, we have become witnesses.

Jesus never gave a choice when it came to spreading His message. When He called Peter, Andrew, James, and John he said, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." The only choice was whether or not they would drop their nets and follow Him. As they did, Jesus began to teach them what their lives would look like as they joined Him on mission in the world.

The question they ask Jesus in verse 6 shows that they still haven’t caught on to Jesus’ plan and agenda. They are still thinking about themselves and hoping Israel would be restored to power over all other nations. Jesus answers their question by redirecting their thoughts. Instead of an earthly kingdom, they should focus on the task at hand. They are going to receive power when the Spirit comes, and the result is they will BE His witnesses. These are Jesus’ last words to his followers. This is not just a call. It is even more than a commandment. It is a description of the life of a true follower of Jesus. If you follow, you are on mission.

As a follower, have you caught on to His plan and agenda or do you find yourself much like the disciples concerned mainly with your own life, your own success, and your own country?

God’s plan for His witnesses is global in scope. He desires for us to join Him "On Mission" across the planet.

Too often we use Acts 1:8 as an excuse instead of as a mission statement. We try to make it sound as if we are on pace with Jesus if we take it one step at a time, starting in our hometowns, moving out to our state, our nation, and then out to the world. There are many problems with this attitude. First, the disciples were not from Jerusalem, they were mostly from Galilee. If Jerusalem is to be the beginning point, then we at least have to admit that they weren’t sent to begin in their hometowns and move out. The second problem is that Jesus is not giving a step-by-step formula, but is simply describing the life of a witness. We will share his message where we are, all around us, and even in the extreme parts of the planet when we follow Jesus. Jesus’ target for us is the world. If we aim for the world, surely we will also hit our hometowns. Many of us need God to broaden our view so we can see His vision for the nations.

Not only does God empower us for the task, he prepares us for the task as well.

Jesus’ disciples were asking him about political power, but he responded by promising them another type of power, much more suitable to the task. This power would enable them, in fact would cause them to become His witnesses around the globe. This power would come to them along with the Holy Spirit. As believers on this side of Acts chapter 2 (when the Spirit arrived), we have been indwelled by the Spirit from the moment of salvation.
"And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." Romans 8:9b

This means that we have already been empowered, and we have everything we need to be His witnesses wherever we are and to the ends of the earth. However, if you continue to read this story into chapter two, you will find that the disciples were instructed to wait in Jerusalem for the Spirit to come. After Jesus ascended, they spent the next 10 days praying and meeting together in the upper room before the Spirit was sent to empower them as witnesses. We don’t know everything that happened in those upper room meetings, but chances are God was getting them ready for the task at hand. Attitudes like selfishness, prejudice, and apathy towards others had to be dealt with if this group was going to take this message of hope to the rest of the world. God had to prepare their hearts and their minds to cross cultural barriers, suffer persecution, overcome opposition, etc. in order to get them ready to join God’s mission. Over the next 10 days, God will hopefully show you some things, stretch you, and challenge you as you seek to join Him on mission in your world, even to the ends of the earth.

Father, I want to be about what you are about. My desire is to be used up like fuel for your glory to spread throughout the earth. I am asking you to show me what it means to BE your witness where you have already put me, and to allow me to be part of making you famous in all the earth. Thank you for sending me your Spirit when I first believed in you. I know that the Spirit was given to empower me as your witness, and I want to align my life’s agenda accordingly. I am setting aside these next 10 days to hear and learn from you. I give you total freedom to work in my life in order to enable and equip me to join your mission. Show me things in my life that would hinder my ability as a witness, and I will confess them and turn them over to you. Please help me to live my life for your fame and your glory. Amen.