Your Job Is to Spread It

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:6-8)

Right before this promise, the disciples asked Jesus a very natural, very limited question. They wanted to know whether He was about to restore the kingdom to Israel, still thinking in terms of national restoration and an earthly position. Jesus redirected them entirely. He was not focused on restoring one nation's status. He was launching a global mission that would reach every corner of the earth.

The power of the Holy Ghost was given for a specific purpose: to make the disciples witnesses, first locally, then regionally, and eventually to the uttermost parts of the earth. That is a deliberately expanding circle. God's plan was never meant to remain confined to one group, one culture, or one comfortable circle of people. Samaria alone would have stretched the disciples' assumptions, since Jews and Samaritans typically avoided one another entirely.

God's heart has never been limited by ethnicity, background, gender, or nationality. It is people, not God, who tend to draw those lines and remain comfortable within them. The power of the Holy Ghost was given to push believers beyond their natural boundaries, into places and toward people they might not have chosen on their own.

Practical Application

Ask the Holy Ghost to show you one person or one group outside your usual circle whom He wants you to reach with the Gospel. Take one step toward that person this week. Your job is to spread the Good News!

Matthew 28:19; Revelation 7:9