Acts 1
"So when [the apostles] had come together, they asked [Jesus], 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.' And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes and said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'" - Acts 1:6-11
The mission of the apostles is to be witnesses of Jesus' resurrection locally, regionally, and globally. The timeframe of their mission is until Jesus returns. The motivating power of their mission is the Holy Spirit.
Although we are not apostles, we carry on the apostles' mission. We witness that they witnessed Jesus' resurrection. We also witness about Jesus' incredible saving work in our own lives.
We each have a local, regional, and global ministry. Our local ministry is our town or city, our workplace, our family, our neighbours. Our regional ministry is our geographic region, our island, our our nation. Our global ministry is all parts of the globe. It is wise to be involved in some way in local, regional, and global missions.
Jesus told the apostles to wait for the promised Holy Spirit (v. 4). He insisted on this. It was not enough that Jesus rose from the dead. The apostles needed the Spirit's empowerment to be witnesses of Jesus. This is a power reserved for believers for the carrying out of the Great Commission.
Father, thank you for this reminder of our mission, our timeframe, and our motivating power. Help us to be faithful to the mission you have given us through the apostles. May we seek and save the lost, as Jesus did, through our hard work and compassion. Help us to go the extra mile to save others. May we work diligently to fulfil Jesus' Great Commission instructions. Empower us by the Spirit to live extraordinary lives for the gospel. Raise up servants among the next generation who will be dedicated to you. Give us the opportunity to share the gospel with someone today. In Jesus' name, amen.
- Jeff Coleman