God can sometimes move us out of our comfort zone and make us His witnesses. Sometimes this change can be used to accomplish His purposes, such as in the example of the dispersing of the people at the Tower of Babel. “This dispersion was the means of peopling the earth, and thus the Lord’s purpose was accomplished through the very means that men had employed to prevent its fulfillment.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 120. Abraham, meanwhile, went from his home country to another (Genesis 12) as a means of witness. The disciples of Jesus went from working among only their own people (Acts 3) to working for others, as well (Acts 8:1–4). In Acts 1:8, Jesus laid down a principle of evangelism: they would start locally, Jerusalem and Judea, then go to Samaria and, ultimately, to the ends of the earth.
But even if we do not leave our country, God still wants us to reach out to the people around us. When the church in Jerusalem was becoming complacent, its members were dispersed. Though persecution came and people suffered, these unfortunate events became a means of spreading the good news all over the world.
Thought question: How important is it that we examine our hearts and seek power from above to be purged from prejudice against those unlike us?
God's call to mission (Qtr 4 - Week 3: 21 October) Part1
God's call to mission (Qtr 4 - Week 3: 21 October) Part2
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