Another Look at Acts 1:8

Various attempts have been made to apply the geography of Acts 1:8 to the personal situation of Jesus' disciples.   A common view is to see "Jerusalem" as the city/town/village where one lives, "Judea" as the state/province/district, "Samaria" as the nation, and the "uttermost parts" as the world.  The writing of missiologist David Mays has given me another way of understanding these levels.

Mays points out that we can classify the peoples who need our witness as either "like us" or "not like us."  "Like us" may include similar factors such as language, ethnicity, culture, socio-economic status, or even age-group.  When we don't share one or more of those factors, we tend to see others as "not like us."  Usually, that means that there will be some barrier to get over in order to share the gospel.

Mays further points out that peoples are either "near us" or "not near us."  This distinction is based solely on geographical location.  Some, regardless of the other factors already mentioned, are right around us, readily available for contact and conversation.  Others will require us to make a journey or relocate in order to develop a relationship with them.  Again, there is a barrier to cross--simple geographical distance.

Combining these two types of distinction yields four classifications:  (1) like us and near us; (2) like us and not near us; (3) not like us and near us; and (4) not like us and not near us.  Applying these four categories to Acts 1:8, we see Jerusalem as those both like and near us; Judea, like us but not near us (that is, not so close); Samaria, not like us but near us (that is, not so far); and the uttermost, not like us and not near us.

As pointed out in a previous post ("Both ... And"), we are not to think in terms of progressing through these levels sequentially.  We are to address them all simultaneously.  It is not logical to ignore the lost around us to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.  It is heartless to neglect those in lands with little access to the gospel while repeatedly evangelizing those around us.  And while it may be more comfortable and pragmatic to share with those of our own kind (think "homogenous unit" principle of church growth), it would be utterly selfish to save our own at the expense of Jesus' "other fold" (John 10:16).

Let's pray that we will be complete in our obedience to Jesus' instruction.

Global vs Local

"People are just as lost in the United States as they are in India."  "The United States has the fourth highest number of lost people of all the nations in the world."  I have heard statements like these on more than one occasion.  The owners of these sentiments are usually expressing the point of view that American Christians should take care of America first.  They object to international missions with the question, in David Platt's words, "What about the needs here?"

Platt calls this objection a "smoke screen."  In Radical he writes, "They [objections like this one] are smoke screens because most of us really are not very concerned about the needs right around us.  Most Christians rarely share the gospel, and most Christians' schedules are not heavily weighted to feeding the hungry, helping the sick, and strengthening the church in the neediest places in our country."  In other words, the person who expresses such an opinion is usually showing a disproportionate defensiveness to cover up a hard heart.  He doesn't want to expend himself for the nations because he doesn't want to expend himself at all.

It is not a question of who is more lost because the same terrifying destiny awaits any lost person.  It is not merely a question of numbers.  It is a question of access to the gospel.  In the United States there is an abundance of churches, Christian media, and neighbors who are believers.  But at least one-fourth of the world has little or no access to any of those resources.  When I resigned my pastorate to go to South America, there were over a hundred applicants wanting to take my place.  When God led me to return to the states, no one took my place.  A missions spokesman once asked the disturbing question, "Why should anyone get to hear the gospel twice before everyone gets to hear it once?"

As stated in earlier posts, the debate over global versus local is a false dichotomy.  It is not "either-or" but "both-and."  The Apostle Paul who said, "It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known" (Romans 15:20 NIV) also said, "I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel" (Romans 9:3 NIV).  His missionary zeal and his concern for his own nation were one and the same passion.

In prayer today, let's ask God to help us to overcome any and all forms of self-deception.  Let's ask Him to help us eliminate any and all excuses based on false thinking.  Let's ask Him to use us both at home and for the nations.