Christ's command to his followers before his ascension to heaven was for them to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, all Judea, in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth.

Our Lord did not intend for the good news of his death and resurrection to stay local, but

instead it was to be taken globally.

In this third section of Acts, the adventure continues as the gospel is taken to the ends

of the earth.

Let's join Scott Pauli now for today's study.

In the advancement of the gospel and the work of the Lord in this world, there are basically

two groups of workers in the church. There are those who stay and there are those who go.

And both of them, please don't miss this, both of them are essential workers.

In other words, there are those who are sent and there are those who are the senders.

Paul and Barnabas are indicative of the sent ones.

They're representative of that group who are called and gifted of God

geographically to advance to the next region, to the next city, to the next country,

to the ends of the earth.

But it would be impossible for them to get that work done without the authority

and the accountability, without the encouragement

and the support and the prayers of the ones at home base, those that help them launch out and

carry them on their way. And I think it's very important to realize we all have our part. We all

have our place in the work of the Lord. Not everyone is going to be a missionary or an evangelist

or a pastor. Many will, and we need many more. Who will? But the church, the church body,

must have a part in helping further the work of the gospel through those people. And that is the

picture we come to today in Acts chapter number 15.

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