Mike shares two graphics as he closes out his video commentary on Lesson 1 of Acts. He shows how the apostles carried out the Great commission to take the gospel to the then known world. They lived carrying out God’s plan with God’s power. In the second graphic Mike shows the locations where the apostles gave up their lives for Christ. These men laid the foundation for the church today. We too are called to continue this work of God, and only through power of the Spirit, and the proclaimed gospel can we accomplish this task.
They were given revelation by God, as they were guided by the Spirit of God. Today we don’t have to come up with any new revelation. We get to share what they gave us. They gave the Christian church the message of the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t get any better than that and we never outgrow it either. We all need the gospel everyday of our life. Christ, who is “God with us”, came into our life when we first trusted in Him. Christ continues to be with us on this journey and in the end, Christ is our destination too.
Sometimes we allow ourselves to be robbed of the enjoyment of the present task by being so focused on the end goal. If we would just take each and every day as a wonderful journey with our Savior, who is always present with us (Matthew 28:19-20), then we would never be robbed of the pure joy that is ours to walk with Christ.
We should never approach this challenge as though it is something we have to do, but rather that it is something we get to do. We get to carry out His will everyday until we go to be with Him where all believers will one day be.
Christ is our destination and He is our journey too. May God help us to experience the power of the apostles, but may it be a focused power. May our power not be like it is when a hen has its head cut off, and runs about in a haphazard way, until it drops to its death. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s work in God’s way, with focused energy that is directed to others through the gospel of Christ.
Are you waiting for a VISION from God before you get on board with Christ’s mission? We don’t need to be given a VISION, when God has already given us a VERSE! (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:48-49; Acts 1:8).
If we are willing to take up this challenge, it won’t be easy but it will be fulfilling. We will be sharing with others the glorious gospel until we breathe our last breath. When that day comes we will not find heaven to be a strange place to us. We will be quite familiar with knowing what it is like to have spent plenty of time as a co-laborer with Christ.
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