Acts 16
By Pastor Steve
To The Ends of the Earth
Anyone who recognizes the words above remembers that in Acts 1:8 the resurrected Jesus informed His followers that they would be His witnesses from Jerusalem To The Ends of the Earth. In Acts chapter 16 we witness the process of His follower’s faithfulness to that command. In the first 15 verses of this chapter, Paul, Silas, Timothy and others on this second missionary journey travel nearly 2000 miles to proclaim the Good News of God to people searching for inner peace beyond human circumstances. The Map link below shows the route they traveled and some of the places mentioned in our text for today.
Click here to see map of Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey
If we take into consideration the devotion it would take to travel these distances and the conditions they endured while they traveled, I would venture to say that not many of us today would be too willing to take on the challenge they accepted to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Let’s fast forward some 2000 years. Here we are today at our Ends of the Earth called Twin Falls Idaho or The Magic Valley. Sometimes I wonder if we forget that we are an intricate portion of the command that Jesus gave His followers. In Acts 1:8 Jesus was speaking to a small group of hearers. The voice was heard, the command was given, and the people responded. They left everything comfortable for the cause of the Gospel and spread across their known regions of the world in an act of obedience.
I don’t know what God is asking you to do today as one of His followers, but I do know that He is still asking us to participate on the Missionary Journey. You may not be asked to go from Jerusalem to Rome; but He may be asking you to go across the street to your neighbor. You may not be asked to go from Troas to Corinth; but you may be asked to go to the next cubical in your workplace or to the desk of that person who works in your office. You may not be asked to go from Ephesus to Caesarea; but you may be asked to go to the room down the hall in your home and share the love of Jesus with a family member. I don’t think it matters if we are asked to travel 2000 miles or 200 feet to share the Good News; I think what matters is if we hear when God speaks and if we are willing to go when He asks. He is asking—are you hearing?
