1. Wh a t can
Wor ld?
one
little
church do to c hange
the
by Nate Adams
IN ACTS 1:1-8 JESUS CHALLENGED
HIS FIRST FOLLOWERS WITH
FIVE BOLD NEW WAYS OF THINKING
AND BEHAVING TO CHANGE THEIR WORLD.
THEY LAY THE FOUNDATION
FOR A STRATEGY
MANY MISSIONS LEADERS TODAY
ARE CALLING
THE ACTS 1:8 CHALLENGE.
IS YOUR CHURCH CONSIDERING IT?
IS YOUR CLASS OR SMALL GROUP STUDYING IT?
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2. I W ROT E T H E
I admit that sometimes my church
feels pretty small and insignificant.
We rarely have all the workers or
money we seem to need, and sometimes
we even lose track of why we’re really
kingdom to Israel?” Their question con-
veyed an attitude that is still prevalent
in churches today, where there seem to
be two main perspectives among
Christians. One simply says, “The
proven it could not return the lost peo-
ples of the world to God, but in the
fullness of time Israel had been used by
God to bring the world its Savior, Jesus.
That Savior had accomplished His re-
He must look at my little church to-
day the same way sometimes, wonder-
ing if we are ready to stop doing our
own thing and rely on the Holy Spirit
to lead and empower us back on the
“ T H I S ,” H E S A I D, “ I S
F I R ST N A R R AT I V E , here. But, as I studied the first chapter church is for me. This is where I enjoy demptive purpose on the cross of track of His mission to the world. It re- W H AT YO U H E A R D F RO M
of Acts recently, it dawned on me that friendship and spiritual growth, and this Calvary, and He now stood before that minds me of my friend Bob, who told
T H EO P H I LU S , A B O U T the “first congregation” in the New is where I connect with God and find first little church promising to send me about the hours he spent trying to M E ; FO R J O H N B A P T I Z E D
Testament probably felt much the same fulfillment in serving Him.” The other them Someone who would lead them blow the leaves in his yard on a windy
A L L T H AT J E S U S B EG A N way when Jesus spoke to them just be- perspective says, “The church is for the and empower them to reclaim the lost day. His little gas blower could not W I T H WAT E R , B U T YO U
fore He left earth. world. These wonderful things that take peoples of the world as worshipers of move the leaves west as long as the
TO D O A N D T E AC H It was a momentous occasion but place within our church’s walls are not the King. wind was blowing to the east. Finally WILL BE BAPTIZED WITH
with modest beginnings. Only about ends in themselves but are designed to Jesus reminded that first church and his wife came outside and suggested,
U N T I L T H E DAY H E 120 Christ-followers met in a rented propel us out into the world where so my own church today that our little “Why don’t you work with the wind, T H E H O LY S P I R I T N OT
room, and— while these early disciples many are still lost and outside the slice of history is only one link in a long dear?” When Bob changed his own
WA S TA K E N U P, A FT E R were no doubt excited about the resur- Kingdom.” chain of God’s history-long, worldwide plan, sought the direction of the wind MANY DAYS FROM NOW.”
rection of Jesus— they had little idea Announcing the Kingdom of God to mission. He was saying, in effect, and utilized its power, his task was fin-
HE HAD GIVEN ORDERS SO W H E N T H E Y H A D
what to do next. But in the first eight the lost is still the worldwide priority of “Regardless of your current situation or ished in a few minutes! With his newly
verses of this amazing little history, we Jesus for churches like mine today. challenges, step back and realize the discovered power, he was able to make
T H RO U G H T H E H O LY CO M E TO G ET H E R , T H E Y
discover five bold attitudes and actions bigger picture of what God is doing! quick work of his neighbors’ yards as
S P I R I T TO T H E A P OST L E S
W H O M H E H A D C H OS E N .
Jesus challenged that first little
Jerusalem congregation to embrace
which would turn them inside out and
2
A WORLDWIDE PERSPECTIVE
Jesus challenged the first church to see both
God is not going backward to Israel at
its zenith, or to your church’s better
days. God’s epic, redemptive plan has
well.
I don’t understand everything about
the Holy Spirit, any more than I under-
A S K E D H I M , “ LO R D, AT
T H I S T I M E A R E YO U
allow them to change their world. history and the world from God’s point of been moving steadily forward since the stand everything about the wind. But
view. beginning of time—now are you ready every time I experience His power, I
A FT E R H E H A D
S U F F E R E D, H E A L SO 1
A WO R L DW I D E P R I O R I T Y
Jesus challenged the first church to under-
Jesus’ second challenge and patient
answer to that first church when they
asked about “the kingdom being re-
to discover the next chapter and your
part in it? Are you ready to see how
great God’s salvation will be, even com-
wonder why my little church and I
don’t stop and adjust to His movement
more often.
R E STO R I N G T H E K I N G -
D O M TO I S R A E L ? ”
stand that His primary focus as the risen turned to Israel” was that God was pared to your past experience?” And
PRESENTED HIMSELF
A L I V E TO T H E M BY M A N Y
Christ is on the Kingdom of God.
During the 40 days after Jesus’ resur-
rection, the Bible tells us that He ap-
ready to do something much larger than
the nation of Israel. When Jesus replied,
“It is not for you to know the times or
then Jesus gave them, and us, these “fi-
nal words,” this “Acts 1:8 Challenge”
before He ascended into heaven:
4
A WO R L DW I D E P L A N
Jesus challenged the first church to radiate
H E S A I D TO T H E M ,
“ I T I S N OT FO R YO U TO
CO N V I N C I N G P RO O F S , peared to His followers and spoke to dates the Father has set by His own au- But when the Holy Spirit has come the gospel to its own Jerusalem, Judea, K N OW T I M E S O R P E R I -
them with laser-like focus about one thority,” I believe He was inviting His upon you, you will receive power and will Samaria and Ends of the Earth.
A P P E A R I N G TO T H E M thing: the Kingdom of God. His pri- followers to step back and look at God’s tell people about me everywhere—in In His “final words” to that little O DS T H AT T H E FAT H E R
mary purpose on earth— and now their redemptive pattern throughout all of Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, church in Jerusalem, Jesus makes clear
D U R I N G 4 0 DAY S A N D primary purpose as a church— was to history and His loving heart for all of and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 that even little churches like mine are H A S S ET BY H I S OW N AU -
invite the Jewish people and ultimately the world’s lost. designed and commanded to have
SPEAKING ABOUT THE
K I N G D O M O F G O D.
all the lost peoples of the world back
into the loving Lordship of their
Creator. The good news is that all is
Consider the “times and dates” that
God had already revealed to His young
church. God’s glory— the glory re-
3
A WO R L DW I D E P OW E R
Jesus challenged the first church to rely on
worldwide influence. And He maps out
a plan for at least four types of mission
fields where we are to have plans for
T H O R I T Y. B U T YO U W I L L
R EC E I V E P OW E R W H E N
forgiven because of the sacrifice of flected in His marvelous creation and in the indwelling Holy Spirit for boldness and that redemptive influence:
W H I L E H E WA S T H E H O LY S P I R I T H A S
Jesus. We are invited to run back into His ultimate creatures, man and effectiveness.
the arms of God just as frightened, lost woman— had been tarnished and cor- Jesus must have looked at that first …a plan for my church’s Ends of the
TO G ET H E R W I T H T H E M , CO M E U P O N YO U , A N D
children would run back into the open rupted by sin. At the Tower of Babel, little church and seen a room full of Earth. While new people groups are be-
H E CO M M A N D E D T H E M
arms of their Father. This one thing, the rebellious peoples had scattered gunpowder that was about to meet its ing reached with the gospel every year, YO U W I L L B E M Y WIT-
this “mission” that led Jesus to the into the world, their very confused lan- match. He had already told them that more than 1.5 billion people in about
N OT TO L E AV E cross, is still to be the one thing that guages a judgment by God for their own those who believed in Him would do 5,000 people groups still have little or NESSES IN JERUSALEM, I N
the first church— and now my kingdom-building sin. Yet God had the works He did and even greater, be- no access to the good news about Jesus
J E RU S A L E M , B U T TO church— is commanded by Jesus to continued His loving, redemptive mis- cause Jesus was going to be with the Christ and the Kingdom of God. So ALL JUDEA AND
keep in the forefront of its vision. sion by initiating relationship with a Father (John 14:12). Later Jesus even thousands of people groups in the world
WA I T FO R T H E Surprisingly, even after the resur- man (Abram), a family (Abraham’s said that His followers would benefit are waiting for my church (and yours) to S A M A R I A , A N D TO THE
rected Jesus spoke to His followers for family) and ultimately a people (Israel) from His departure, because His going bring them the good news.
FAT H E R ’ S P RO M I S E . 40 days about the priority of the who were invited again to reflect His would mean the coming of the ENDS OF THE EARTH.”
Kingdom of God, they asked, “Lord, are glory and show the world what it meant Counselor that would convict the world …a plan for my church’s Samaria. For
you at this time going to restore the to be the people of God. Israel had of its need for God (John 16:7-8). today’s church, as for the early church,
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3. Samaria is “a close-by place that we Just as the Holy Spirit compelled that
rarely visit,” and Samaritans are “those first little church out into the streets of
who live relatively near us, but who are its Jerusalem, God calls my church—
not like us.” It’s estimated that in North and me—out into our local community,
America seven out of 10 people do not even to people who need a new or dif-
have a personal relationship with Jesus ferent church.
Christ. North America’s lostness is as
A FT E R T H I S
deep as the world’s lostness is wide.
Today God still calls churches like mine
to personalize the gospel for the diver-
5
A WORLDWIDE PARTICIPATION
Jesus challenged the first church to be wit-
sity of people in and near our home- nesses— personal participants in the world-
I LO O K E D, A N D T H E R E land. wide mission of God.
I suppose that first little congrega-
WA S A VA ST M U LT I T U D E …a plan for my church’s Judea. For tion in Jerusalem could have affirmed
today’s churches, as for early churches, Jesus’ challenge and then chosen to stay
F RO M E V E RY N AT I O N , Judea can be seen as the surrounding within their rented room, waiting for
state, region or province in which peo- their resources to increase or their prob-
T R I B E , P EO P L E A N D ple tend to share or adapt to a predomi- lems to be solved or their strategy to be-
nant language, culture and regional come clearer. But they didn’t. Every one
L A N G U AG E , W H I C H
identity. If Samaritans are seen as of them became not only a worshiper
“those who live relatively near us but but also a witness. Every one chose to
N O O N E CO U L D N U M B E R
are not like us,” then Judeans can be participate in the worldwide mission of
STA N D I N G B E FO R E T H E
seen as “those who live relatively near God and to tell what they had seen and
us and who, in many ways, are like us.” heard. They spilled out into the streets
T H RO N E A N D B E FO R E The Judea mission field of the first cen- of Jerusalem and beyond with such
tury reminds us that a more homoge- boldness that the world was changed,
THE LAMB. THEY WERE neous culture and some religious not only then, but throughout history
familiarity can provide bridges as well as and for eternity.
RO B E D I N W H I T E W I T H barriers to the gospel. Yet one great And like that first church, my little
challenge of the Judea mission field is church should be out gathering wor-
PA L M B R A N C H E S I N the barrier of “presumed familiarity” shipers from the peoples of the world as
that people have with the gospel. Those if gathering treasure to present to our
T H E I R H A N DS . A N D T H E Y who were lost in a works-based religion beloved King.
in the first century were likely to de- I admit that sometimes my church
C R I E D O U T I N A LO U D clare “I’m Roman” or “I’m Jewish” just seems pretty small and insignificant.
as those lost in the Judea mission field We rarely have all the workers or all the
VO I C E , “ S A LVAT I O N of the church today might declare “I’m money we seem to need, and sometimes
Baptist” or “I’m Catholic.” Those de- we lose track of why we’re here and
B E LO N G S TO O U R G O D, pending on a works-based religion what God’s purposes are for us. But
rather than a grace-based relationship when I read again what the Holy Spirit
W H O I S S E AT E D still don’t understand the gospel. And did through that first little church, I
God calls Christians to nearby people pray that He will do it again and again,
O N T H E T H RO N E ,
who may share regional identity or reli- beginning with little churches like
gious familiarity but not real fellowship mine.
A N D TO T H E L A M B ! ”
with Christ.
For information and help with how
R E V E L AT I O N 7 : 9 - 1 0 …a plan for my church’s Jerusalem. your church can embrace The Acts 1:8
The Jerusalem mission field is the sur- Challenge, visit www.ActsOne8.com.
rounding community where we live,
work, shop, play and go to school. And Adapted from The Acts 1:8 Challenge:
it requires just as much intentionality as Empowering the Church to be On
the mission fields of Judea, Samaria and Mission, by Nate Adams, vice president
the ends of the earth. Every week of Mission Mobilization, NAMB. This
Christians drive by countless people 2005 Doctrine Study is available from
who, for a variety of reasons, might LifeWay Christian Resources at www.life-
never set foot in their church building. way.com or 1-800-458-2772.
16 Special Issue 2005 • ON MISSION