Go pt 2

The Family and the Betrayer

Those closest to you can hurt you the most, am I right? Family, friends, instagram influencers..... These are the people that are closest to us. I remember years ago there was this girl in our youth group who was super close to Dest and I. We loved her like our own kid. She was on our cell phone plan, she came over to our house all the time. Then one day, she was just gone. That hurt.

I think we have all experienced this at one point or another. A hurt or betrayal we never saw coming. Or even a misunderstanding that once we realized it, too much time had gone by to change anything. It’s in these moments we need someone older and wiser to show us the way.

Acts 1:8 NLT

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Last week we talked about Jerusalem. Who is your Jerusalem? Where has God given you influence to spread the Gospel? Tonight we are going to look at Judea and Samaria. Now, their inclusion next to each other is no coincident. You see, back in the Old Testament Israel eventually divided into 2 kingdoms. The northern Kingdom was Israel and the southern kingdom was Judah, (Judea in Greek.) As happened in those days, the kingdom of Assyria came in and took the northern kingdom captive leading away a portion of God’s people. Assyria then replaced them with people from other areas. These foreign people intermarried with the people of Israel creating a new people called Samaritans. Over the years this family began fighting and now you have a huge rift between them. Israel, the family of God, is divided and can no longer fulfill their purpose of being a light to the world. This is why Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman or telling the parable of the Good Samaritan was so controversial. Fast forward to Jesus talking to His disciples on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem after His resurrection. I’m sure they all bristled at the thought of talking to Samaritans. They were considered no good, unlcean half breeds.

How does this relate to us? We aren’t anything like them, are we? Or are we? If Jerusalem is our sphere of influence, then Judea in our comfort zone. Jerusalem is in Judea. Judea is a region that they were familiar with. It was bigger than Jerusalem, but still comfortable. But Samaria? That’s further away and uncomfortable. There is awkwardness there. There are misunderstandings there. Those people don’t like me. Ask anyone who has walked with Jesus for a while and they will tell you He doesn’t leave you comfortable for long. Eventually he will push you outside of what’s comfortable because that is where you become completely dependent on Him.

Jerusalem is influence, Judea is intense, Samaria is intimidating. Samaria is being humble about the part you played in the hurt. Samaria is about walking with God when it’s scary. Samaria is about more than you or me. Samaria is about mission. Samaria is where you discover if this God thing is real or just pretend. Samaria is where you find out what you believe. Samaria is hard and tough and ugly and so, so worth it.