“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come 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).
If Matthew 28:18-20 is Christ’s Great Commission, then Acts 1:8 is His Great Commission Strategy. In the former, Christ gave His disciples an overarching mission: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” In the latter, He gave them the strategic process:
First, be filled and empowered by the Spirit. For it is the Holy Spirit that empowers the one proclaiming the gospel and it is the Spirit that convicts the hearer’s heart of sin and need for salvation in Jesus.
Second, be witnesses of Christ everywhere you go, beginning at your “Jerusalem,” which is where you live. So start at home. Then move out to carry the gospel to the surrounding areas, which is your “Judea.” These people are similar to you in language and culture and live near you.
Third, give special attention to reach those who are near you, but not like you. This is your “Samaria,” the people who are near, but are foreign to you. This will require cultural bridge-building and incarnational living with those who are different than you.
Finally, we are not to give up until the whole world knows that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who will soon return just as He said. For the Lord desires that people from every nation, tongue and tribe will one day be together with Him in glory.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we thank You for Christ, who not only saved us, but called us to be witnesses of Him. Empower us afresh with your Holy Spirit to carry the gospel to the whole world, starting at home and moving out until everyone has heard that Jesus saves. It’s in His name we pray, amen.