Named Pioneer.

"Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about." As my family winds down their time at the Korean Church of Knoxville, I taught for the last time from Acts this past Sunday. We have walked through the first 11 chapters over the last year together. I am rewinding to this first sentence which is all the way back in verse four of chapter one of the bible book of Acts. And so a small number of bewildered, grieving, changed men and women lived each next day. They lived the next day after Jesus was crucified. They lived the next day after He appeared to them, resurrected. They lived the next day after He ascended before their eyes into heaven. And they are living the next day after they were told not to leave the city before they receive a gift from the Lord.

If you and I are alive today, which your breath and reading of these words would indicate, then we are also living the next day from the previous one. We're living the next day after one with normal daily routines. Living the next day after one where you closed on two homes. Living the next day after one where you received news from a doctor. Living the next day after one where you grieved about people you love going through really difficult things.

And this group of waiting hearts, living the next day, grew from a few to 120. And then from 120 to several thousand. And the Lord was adding to their number daily those who were being saved. And there we arrive at a really important question. How did we get included in this number all these thousands of years later? Of course, the answer is severely beautiful.

Stephen has been stoned. While they were stoning him, they laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. It says that Saul was there giving approval to his death. "And on that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. THOSE WHO HAD BEEN SCATTERED PREACHED THE WORD WHEREVER THEY WENT."

That last sentence is worth a pause.

It affects our roots.

Saul is trying to destroy the church and the church is spreading and flourishing simultaneous. Out of destruction comes new life. That sounds familiar in this Holy Week. Don't rush past this.

Away from this pin in Jerusalem, routes are beginning to emerge. Scattered seeds of multiplication.

8:1 to Judea and Samaria

8:5 to a city in Samaria

8:26 to Gaza

9:1 to Damascus

9:32 to Lydda

9:35 to Sharon

10:1 to Caesarea

10:5 to Joppa

11:19 to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch

11:20 to Cyrene

From 31 miles out of Jerusalem to 1129 miles out of Jerusalem. And tucked right in the midst of some of these emerging, seed routes are some very holy words. Don't miss them. Chapter 11, verses 19 and 20. Some of those who were scattered were telling "the message" only to Jews, but some "began to speak to Gentiles also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus." Oh dear hearts. Receive the balm of this historic intersection of the gospel. It's for Jews and Gentiles. Male and Female. It's for you, wherever your heart pin is dropped.

Verse 20 tells us that it was men from Cyprus and Cyrene that went to Antioch and began to tell the good news to Gentiles. Nameless pioneers. These nameless men have been used by God to bring salvation to you if you are in Christ. Thank you God for the nameless pioneer women and men whom have impacted my life and salvation. Thank you.

For whom will God use you to bring salvation....and they'll never know your name? The honor of being a nameless pioneer in the rugged landscape of a soul.

How is this even real? How is this even possible?

Only because of the Named Pioneer.

Jesus.

A new seed route emerges.

There's more.