Jesus had promised that his followers would testify about him “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). How could a small group with so few resources and no prior experience in mission work possibly testify to the ends of the earth? The answer was unexpectedly simple. God brought the ends of the earth to their front door.
Those people “from the ends of the earth,” heard the testimony about God in Christ as the sounds wafted through windows, out of doors, across courtyards, down alleyways and into the streets. Perhaps the amazing thing about the first Pentecost is not simply that the disciples were able to speak other languages, but that the Holy Spirit made it possible for them to engage in mission in this unexpected way: to live their faith out loud.
How is the Spirit prompting you or your church to be a visible and audible proclamation of God’s good news for the world, even when you feel anxious, or your success feels unlikely? Whom has God brought to your “front door,” so to speak?
This message is excerpted from “A mighty wind” by Audrey West in the May 2015 Gather magazine.
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