Jesus was very clear about how the church would grow. Just before He ascended into heaven He told His disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes 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 (ESV).
As Jesus said, the Holy Spirit came in wind and fire. Immediately, the praying believers were sharing their faith in Jesus—even in different languages. Peter courageously publicly spoke about how Jesus had been killed but rose again. Although done out of jealousy by Jewish leaders, it was God’s plan to bring forgiveness of sin and transformation of life. 3000 responded and the new church in Jerusalem was born (Acts 2).
In Acts 1-7, Jerusalem experienced God’s mission. But Jesus predicted mission expansion. Martyrdom and persecution allowed the church to grow beyond Jerusalem. God changed people’s lives through Philip in Samara and the leaders only left Jerusalem when pushed (Acts 8:1-4). In Acts 8-12, God’s people witnessed about Jesus in Judea and Samaria.
However, God’s message was only going to people of Jewish background. The cultural barrier had to be broken. Humans were not going to do it by themselves. God gave visions to a Roman Centurion and Peter so the gospel could go to Gentiles (Acts 10,11). Unnamed believers from Cyprus fled to Antioch and witnessed to Gentiles—they broke both geographical and cultural barriers. (Acts 11:19).
In a special leaders’ prayer meeting, God chose Barnabas and Saul to go on the first missionary journey to Cyprus and Pamphylia (Acts 13). Now God’s mission was going to the ends of the earth. The rest of the book of Acts tells that story—as does the history of the Christian church throughout the ages. For God’s mission to succeed the Holy Spirit had to break the “comfort zones” of the leaders and church.
As the church expanded at Jesus’ command, each of the following elements were involved—prayer, receiving the Holy Spirit, witnessing about Jesus, baptism and gathering. God challenged His people to mission. God broke the barriers and intervened. He had to use supernatural means for His mission to succeed. When we are obedient to the voice of God and the leading of the Spirit, we are a part of God’s mission. There are still billions who have not heard of Jesus. God has succeeded in mission in the past. It will happen now, but will you and I be a part of it?
