Global God, Global Church | Week 1 | Palmer Chinchen, PhD

Luke opens Acts announcing that the risen Jesus keeps working and teaching by the Spirit, and Acts 1:8 names where his work goes next. Jesus promises power, then hands his people a map: “Jerusalem, all Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The text insists that God is global, so the church must be glocal, fused to a place and flung to the nations at the same time. The command locates witness first at home. Jerusalem and Judea put the mission on a specific street, in an actual neighborhood, with names and addresses and meals at real tables. The call turns ordinary life into assignment, and insists that a job, a lease, and a school are not random. God places people. Presence becomes the first practice.

Samaria then unsettles the circle. The neighbor story that follows reframes righteousness: love God gets amended with love your neighbor as yourself, and “neighbor” refuses every narrow definition. The Good Samaritan exposes bad religion that walks past pain and names mercy as the metric of love. The point lands sharp: love all the neighbors, not just the familiar ones who look and talk the same.

Acts also shows that Jerusalem was already international. The city was a crossroads, and today’s cities mirror that. Local is global now. A global neighbor lives across the street, sits in the break room, teaches the class, staffs the clinic. The church that sees this asks better questions, learns names, offers hospitality, and listens long enough to hear a story. “Across the street and around the world” stops being a slogan and turns into a rhythm.

Jesus’ “ends of the earth” once sounded impossible, but the Spirit’s power meets an interconnected world. What once took Morse code now takes a tap. If the world is networked, then the body of Christ should be too. Acts 1:8 makes Christianity inherently global, and the Spirit sends the church toward desperate places and people in desperate times. Stories from war zones, earthquake rubble, border towns, and campus bleachers—all of it—show what happens when borders get crossed and neighbors get loved: families are knit, the isolated are seen, and the nations show up in a single congregation. The repeated “you” in the verse keeps the call personal. The Spirit gives power. Jesus supplies the commission. The map stretches from the mailbox to Malawi. The question is simple: where is God sending this life next?

Key Takeaways

• 1. Acts 1:8 fuses local and global [06:28] Acts 1:8 refuses an either-or. The verse roots witness in a street address and stretches it to the ends of the earth. The mission starts where feet stand and expands where the Spirit leads. A church grows strong by holding both at once. [06:28]
• 2. Placement is a divine assignment [08:31] A neighborhood, job, or school is not an accident. God places people, and placement carries responsibility. Ministry begins with learning names, opening doors, and showing up where God already set a life down. Calling often looks like faithfulness to proximity. [08:31]
• 3. Love all the neighbors, even Samaria [15:23] The neighbor story exposes how religion can sidestep mercy. Jesus names the outsider as the true neighbor and ties eternal life to love that crosses hostility. Loving God gets verified by costly love for the inconvenient other. [15:23]
• 4. Local is now truly global [18:38] Cities have become crossroads again. The nations are on the block, in classrooms, clinics, and cubicles. Mission includes cultural curiosity, humble listening, and table fellowship with global neighbors who are already near. [18:38]
• 5. The Spirit empowers ends‑of‑earth witness [23:54] “Ends of the earth” is not hyperbole when the Spirit supplies power and the world is connected. Prayer, courage, and simple obedience open doors across borders and screens. The Spirit turns ordinary people into timely neighbors far away and next door. [23:54]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:54] - Jesus’ post‑resurrection mandate
• [01:57] - Power and witness promised
• [02:15] - God’s global heart revealed
• [06:28] - The map: local to global
• [07:00] - Go glocal: fused mission
• [08:15] - Start in Jerusalem and Judea
• [09:57] - Neighbor names and hospitality
• [12:29] - Everyday life on mission
• [13:10] - Samaria enters the call
• [15:23] - The neighbor story redefined
• [16:05] - Jerusalem as international city
• [18:12] - When local becomes global
• [19:03] - Across the street and around the world
• [23:54] - To the ends of the earth today
• [25:50] - An interconnected world and the church
• [27:23] - Christianity is inherently global
• [27:48] - Going to desperate places and people
• [28:17] - Haiti story and long friendship
• [33:01] - Twenty nations on one campus
• [35:44] - Crossing borders births new joy
• [37:00] - The personal “you” of Acts 1:8
• [37:48] - Dedication of the Malawi campus
• [38:12] - Psalm 121 traveler’s blessing

1. In Acts 1:8, Jesus lists specific locations for witness: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. What do these locations represent in terms of proximity and cultural familiarity for His original audience?
2. How does Jesus connect the Holy Spirit’s power with the call to witness in Acts 1:8?
3. In Luke 10:29, the lawyer asks, “Who is my neighbor?” How does Jesus redefine “neighbor” in His parable?
4. The sermon mentions that “local is global” today. What examples were given of how global neighbors are already present in everyday life? [16:58]

1. Why do you think Jesus structured the mission in Acts 1:8 to move from Jerusalem outward? What might this progression teach about balancing local and global priorities?
2. The Good Samaritan story highlights a religious leader who ignored the wounded man. How does this parable challenge common assumptions about what it means to love others “as yourself”?
3. The sermon states, “Your job, lease, or school is not random—God places people.” How might this perspective change the way someone views their daily routines or relationships? [08:31]
4. How does the Holy Spirit’s role in Acts 1:8 address the potential overwhelm of witnessing “to the ends of the earth” in a complex, interconnected world?

1. Who are the “Jerusalem” neighbors in your life (people closest to you)? What is one practical way to intentionally learn their names or stories this week? [09:57]
2. The parable of the Good Samaritan calls us to love across cultural or social barriers. Is there a person or group in your community you’ve avoided engaging with? What step could you take to move toward them?
3. The sermon shared a story about a Korean family renting a home in Queen Creek. How might God use your home, workplace, or hobbies to connect with someone from a different background? [18:12]
4. Acts 1:8 emphasizes being a witness “to the ends of the earth.” With today’s technology, how could you pray for, support, or encourage someone serving in a distant place?
5. The Haiti friendship story showed long-term commitment. Is there a global need or relationship God is calling you to invest in over time—not just once? [28:17]
6. Mario’s parents crossed borders to see him play soccer. How can you use your skills, passions, or resources to create opportunities for others to experience belonging? [35:44]
7. The sermon asked, “Where is God sending you next?” What is one local and one global action step you feel prompted to take after reflecting on this message?