The Sending Savior
For Meditation
Most people think of the book of Acts as the story of the early church. In the most straightforward sense, it is. But if we take seriously what Luke describes in the opening chapter of Acts, it might be more accurate to say that the book of Acts is the story about Jesus’ mission to the whole world, which he carries out in and through his Spirit-empowered church. As Chris Wright puts it, “It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, as that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission – God’s mission.” The book of Acts is the continuation of the story of Jesus as he extends his Kingdom into all the earth.
And the astonishing thing is that Jesus uses us, his ordinary people, as agents of his mission in the world. "I am sending you.” (John 20:21) “Go therefore and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). “You will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8). Jesus is a sending Savior and we are his sent people. But what does it mean to be sent? What are we sent to do? Who are we sent to? We’ll try to look at all those questions this Sunday.
As we wrap up our six week series on “Life with God, Life with Others, Life for the World,” take some time to think back over the practices we have looked at and ask God what is the next step he may be calling you to make.
Acts 1:6-8
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”