Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to Himself! Acts 2:38-39
Pentecost must have been spectacular!
Imagine the massive crowds gathered to commemorate their first harvests and offer sacrifices at Jerusalem’s temple. The day began as every other annual Feast of First Fruits and ended completely different. This Old Testament event foreshadowed for hundreds of years what would happen on this particular day in global history.
The Holy Spirit was unleashed upon the startled crowd when 3000 people bowed their knees to the recently ascended Messiah. Minds were opened, hearts were softened and lives were transformed by the resurrected Christ.
These were the first fruits of God’s new kingdom and reign on planet Earth.
When people saw the power of God at work—people speaking in languages they had never learned, flames of fire upon people, their own religious convictions melting like butter—the apostle Peter courageously stood and proclaimed God’s plan in the power of the Holy Spirit.
God’s direction in a critical moment
Acts 2:38-39 is Peter’s response to the sober-minded masses that asked, “What should we do now?” Note what’s in Peter’s response:
- A call to action: baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
- The promise of the Holy Spirit for all who “take the leap.”
- This salvation and Holy Spirit power is for everyone there!
- This promise of salvation and Holy Spirit power is for all of those who are still far off.
In this critical moment, when hearts were open and minds eager to embrace God’s plan as members of this new Kingdom, part of the directive was to incorporate an orientation for those far off from God.
I find it fascinating that, in such a critical moment in the birthing of Christ’s church, God directs us to bring this gospel to everyone who is far from God. Twenty-seven percent of the world’s population still has no access to the gospel today. These are the unreached and least-reached.
- “Out of sight, out of mind” is not an excuse to ignore them.
- “Too much to do here” is not an acceptable reason to be uninvolved in the work of engaging those who are far off.
Those whom God will call often hear His voice through those who go or those we send. They are the Far Off Saints awaiting beautiful feet in the far-off places of our world, or across the street in the places we live.
This is for you and your children—and for all who are far off.
Ivan Veldhuizen is Senior Vice President of International Ministries for Converge. He is the author of Far Off Saints, a missions curriculum and teaching series designed specifically for pastors that provides tools and insights to enhance their ministry and help their congregations discover their place in bringing the gospel to the nations. The four-week study includes sermon resources, daily bite-sized readings, small-group guides and QR codes linking to video teaching sessions and additional resources. See how some pastors are using Far Off Saints in their churches.
