“… you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8b
Israel needs missionaries. But you don’t have to pack in order to honor the Great Commission. You can lead from where you sit.
1.Take the time to define ‘What is your Jerusalem, your Judea, and your Samaria?”
My father, a strong evangelist, suggested that family is our Jerusalem. For some, it might be easier to reach out to ‘the ends of the world’ before reaching their own world. It’s difficult to live a powerful Christ-like life with an atheist spouse, rebellious teens, nagging in-laws, self-absorbed siblings, or even difficult parents . “So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 NRSV
2. While our Jerusalem is a life-long ministry, we should simultaneously be intentional on our Judea. Living in a very transient community, this might be a temporary opportunity to evangelize our neighbors, our co-workers, anyone God might bring in our vicinity. So, let’s leverage these relationships.
3. Concerning the ‘ends of the earth’, anyone can be a part of that; boarding on a plane or not. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe, yet it is a catalyst of missionaries world-wide, and I don’t mean Canada or France. My father was sharing in a conference that the largest offering their church had collected was for a poorer community in Africa. These Moldovans may never step out of their bordered country, but they’re sending their pennies on a mission abroad. If empty pockets of Moldova can make a difference, so can the rest of us.
As my father loves to say “Let’s not go empty-handed to heaven. Share the gospel. And share as if you believe it, with passion. And when you don’t know how to do it, apply the simplified evangelism- lead them to someone who can.”
Let’s lead from where we sit.