Most things start small. Chief example is human life. The biological catalysts for human life, the male sperm cannot be picked by the naked eye, yet humans of all shapes, heights and size spring out of it.Jesus Christ our Lord stated that a church that attracts the presence of God starts with a few as two or three!
In His teachings through the parabolic illustrations, Jesus illustrated the kingdom of God and how it works with life of a mustard tree, whose seed is the smallest of all seeds yet exceeds all trees when planted and fully grown.
Even though Jesus had large gatherings in His crusades and teaching seminars, one time they recorded 5,000 families that could total to over 20,000 people. Yet when leaving the earth to return to the Father, He left 11 men trusting them to turn the world to the Faith.
In His last words as His return to the Father was underway, Jesus instructed emphatically, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8NIV
The ultimate goal of God and of the Lord Jesus was to turn all men to God. Even though God chose the descendants of Abraham through Isaac to be His covenant people, it was the process through which He was going to restore all mankind to Himself.
In the fullness of time, Christ was born and the process was officially consummated when Jesus fulfilled all sacrifices. He fulfilled the Jewish daily sacrifices and brought the redemption that all mankind needed. Salvation And restoration of fellowship between God and man was now established, not depending on man's inadequate effort but absolutely and completely by the mercy and grace of God.
This made salvation open to all mankind.
Having achieved that, Jesus had accomplished the perfect plan of salvation. What was left was for man to know.
And that's our job as Christians. That's our part in bringing man back to God. The Bible calls us ambassadors for Christ, reconciling man to God.
The Process
Having known our place in this great plan of reconciliation, how do we go about it?
Jesus did not leave us to just figure out something, anything, anyhow, he gave us a clue,a skeleton to build the flesh on.
As recorded in Acts 1:8 by Luke, they were supposed to start in Jerusalem, then reach out to Judea, then Samaria and from their reach the entire world.
It is a spiral process.
Jerusalem
This was their immediate locality. This was where Jesus left them. This is the base from which they were commissioned. Jesus told them to do nothing yet but wait in Jerusalem where they will receive empowerment, by the Holy Spirit.
On a personal level, everyone must have a starting point. His "Jerusalem". There you will begin small scale evangelism. One on one witnessing. Street by street and door to door.
It applies likewise to the local Church. The primary assignment is to reach her community and represent Christ very well, with the aim of winning all to Christ.
Judea
Judea was the main administrative geographical region. Jerusalem was their city of residence but there were other towns and villages in Judea.
This was a larger geographical reach. It is like going out from our city or town to neighbouring communities. Jesus here would like us to go a little further. Thus gives us the opportunity to reach out to more people.
For most people their community is micro. Most people know most people and there is a common culture and lifestyle. This stage brings us to a place where we meet strangers and a different culture.
Samaria
Samaria the capital city of the Northern Kingdom. However, it was the same nation. This is taking the gospel message to a nationwide coverage.
When we launch effectively within our communities, it will spur us to reach out to neighboring communities and towns. With that success, our impact increases and the number of disciples multiply.
Then the nation begins to feel the impact.
The Ends of the Earth
This is taking on nations and peoples.
God wants us to ultimately win nations and cities on large scale as well as in small communities and one on one basis until the earth is filled with the knowledge of what Jesus did for all mankind.
Paul, in Athens best put it to the Areapagus in Athens this way:
Acts 17
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.
25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
The purpose of nations is that they may seek and find Him. The purpose of the Church is that all men should find God and be reconciled with Him.
The strategy given by Jesus is spiral. Start from your community, reach out to the neighboring communities, take it to the national level and finally to the ends of the earth.
This is the main purpose of the Church. This is her first calling. This is her raison d'être. This is where the energy, the resources, the time, the strength and focus of the Church should be.
Until this gospel of the kingdom is preached as a testimony to all nations, and then the end shall come.
God bless you. Get it right.
David Pam McQuel
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