Acts 1:8, Acts 13:47

Acts 1:8: “[8] 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.” (ESV)

Acts 13:47: [47] For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (ESV)

Day One

Read the passages a few times and meditate on them.

Day Two

So, the question is how do we go about making disciples? The prescription in Scripture is through witness. What is a witness? In a court of law, a witness is one who testifies to what they have seen, experienced, or been a part of. It is the same with what we are called to. We testify to what we have seen Jesus do in our lives. We testify to the change we have experienced since Jesus came to us. Just as the man born blind in John 9 gives his testimony, “One thing I do know, though I was born blind, now I see.” That is what we are called to do: give a faithful testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives.

Day Three

So, if we are called to witness, how does that work in our lives? Jesus says to His disciples to wait until the Spirit comes, and then we will receive power. What does that power look like? It looks like the Spirit giving us words to say in our witness. Jesus said in Luke 12, “...for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” This is regarding the acknowledgement before men, and tribunals, but it is not limited to those places alone. When witnessing to people, the Spirit, through His power, gives us the right words to say in order to advance His will. Jesus gives His people power for witness through the Spirit.

Day Four

Our witness takes place in various places - Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. What does that mean for us? Some will be witnessing right where they are - Jerusalem. They will witness right where the Lord has them. They will witness in their sphere of influence where they have lived many of their days. Others will experience a growth of their sphere of influence where the Lord calls them to witness, this is the regional influence expressed in Judea. Still others will leave the comfort of what they’ve been used to and cross into a similar but different people group. Those who hold the same beliefs but are expressed differently - Samaria. Then, others will totally cross cultures and go to different parts of the world, with different people groups - to the end of the earth

Day Five

In each of those places, the Lord will appoint people who are called to respond to the Gospel. These people are those who are presently hostile to God, outside of His saving grace, and not His people. But they will become His people. We do not know who they are, yet the Bible calls them by one word: Gentiles. Today we can think of Gentiles as those who do not profess Christ as Lord. So, we must be ready to engage with the “Gentiles” the Lord has put in our lives, because we have been appointed to be a light to them.