READY STEADY GO!
- By Dave Harper
Handovers matter. If they are
done well things prosper,
done badly then everything
can fall apart.
A dropped baton, the wrong appointment, a
misjudged strategy and it can all go wrong
very quickly. Jesus had to get it right. What
he had 'begun to do and to teach' (Acts 1:1)
was to be continued by his followers, they
were to do what he had been doing!
Quite a tall order, but Jesus had said that
anyone who had faith in him would do the
things he had been doing ( John 14:12). The
Book of Acts is testimony to a successful
handover as revival spread across the Roman
empire.
Jesus had prepared his disciples for the
handover and they obeyed and followed his
instruction.
So what were the essential ingredients to the
handover? Three things stand out.
First, he gave clear instructions after his
resurrection as to what his followers were to
do. They where to 'go'. (Matt 28:19). This
command was to propel them into the world
telling people about Jesus. Evangelism has
been described as
‘those who know
Jesus, telling those who
don’t know him’. They went with his authority
(28:18) and with the promise that he would
always be with them .
Secondly, in the 40 days after his resurrection
we are told in Acts 1:2-3 that Jesus gave the
disciples
instruction and spoke about the kingdom of
God. The theology of the Kingdom gives
understanding
and acts as a powerful motivator to action.
The kingdom of God is God's rule breaking
into
this world, revealing the heart and the power
of God to set people free.
Thirdly, they needed the power of the Holy
Spirit to fulfil this divine plan. They had to wait
for this empowering, but once the Holy Spirit
came there was no stopping them!
In summary, they were to go out into the
world, advancing God's kingdom in the
power of the Holy Spirit. We would like to
spend time learning and reflecting on Jesus’
method for gospel advance and considering
how we can put these ingredients into action.
Contact Details:
E: [email protected]
W: www.churchinthepeak.org.uk
T: 01629 584 783
A: Unit 4, Olde Englishe Road, Matlock, DE4 3RR
Church in the Peak, Matlock is a Registered Charity: No 702245
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