Witness for the Lord
Lessons from the 1st Century Church | A Study through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsJesus had told His disciples to wait for the promise and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Now, He tells them what they will be and where they will go when the promised Holy Spirit comes, indwells, and empowers them. Before they can be On Mission, they need to be On Focus. They need to realize they are witnesses for the Lord.
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Focus Passage | Acts 1:6-8
6 So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”
Outline
The disciples found them selves invigorated, far different than the way Luke finished his first letter to Theophilus. The disciples were encouraged. They found a new vigor after being in the presence of the resurrected Jesus. They were no longer a group of cowards hunkered down in the corner of a locked room. Jesus had revealed Himself risen by many convincing proofs. These proofs had not only been shown to the eleven disciples, but to also to five hundred five hundred brethren and over a forty day period.
3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of things regarding the kingdom of God.
6 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;
Jesus had called them to wait on the promise of the Holy Spirit (v.5). There was a reason they needed to wait for that empowerment. They could not fulfill their mission on their abilities, wisdom, and/or power. As we will see this truth come to light, there was one other reason they needed to wait.
Focused Faith (vv.6-7)
6 So, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 But He said to them, “It is not for you to know periods of time or appointed times which the Father has set by His own authority;
The disciples see Jesus resurrected, they get some vigor, some pep in their step, and now what do they do. Instantly, their faith becomes politics. As we look at our text, let us grasp a truth that many miss today.
Our faith is not political - ‘...they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel...’
For the Jew, the coming Messiah was to bring the Kingdom of God at that moment. They misunderstood the truth of the prophets of old and the Old Testament.
For the disciples, Jesus’ Passion was as much political as it was spiritual. However, we must understand that God’s plan was not, nor is not, nor will ever be about a political agenda.
Jesus’ Passion was about a relational agenda. He died to usher in the kingdom of God, but not as the disciples understood it. It was not about a political uproar and riot against Roman occupation. Nor is the mission of the church today to over throw the democratic or republican parties.
Jesus’ Passion was about redeeming the lost and this should be our focus today. The church would do good to stop focusing on the mule and the elephant and focus on the Lamb.
Our faith is not about knowing the time of Jesus’ return - ‘...It is not for you to know...’
Many people have made a mockery of themselves attempting to guess when Jesus will return.
Edgar C. Whisenant attempted guess when Jesus would return with his literary piece, 88 Reasons why the Rapture will Take Place in 1988.
Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church, predicted Jesus would return in 1835.
Many people believed as Prince, and stated would party like it’s 1999, for in 2000, the world would come to an end.
Again in 2012, the world would come to an end because the Myan Calendar showed no more.
Each of these dates have come and gone, yet Jesus has not returned. Does this null the promise of Jesus’ return, no. Jesus lived, was crucified, buried in a borrowed tomb, rose from the dead three days later, and will return.
Our focus should not be about when, but about the fact He is.
The date of His return is unknown to Himself and the angels.
32 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
The date and return of Jesus is known only the Father and is under His sovereign control, which the Father has set by His own authority.
Our faith is about being ready for Jesus’ return
Paul wrote to believers at Thessolonica
4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, so that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober.
Are you ready? There is but one way to be ready for the return of Christ and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
It is only through repentant faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior that we become children of God, children of the light, and are promised an eternal home in glory with Him
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.
3 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Once one begins to focus their faith on what it is about rather than what it is not about, and the individual knows for a fact they are ready for the return of Jesus, then there should be a yearning to witness to others to give them assurance they are ready for His return.
Witness for the Lord (v.8)
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.”
Why did Jesus tell His disciples to wait? The first reason was that they needed to get focused. The second reason was they needed to be empowered for the mission they were about to embark on. Just as the disciples we are called to be On Mission. We are called to be witnesses for Christ.
We are empowered to be witnesses for Christ - ‘…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...’
Jesus told his disciples to wait because they needed to be prepared for the mission at hand. They needed to be empowered by the promised Holy Spirit.
49 And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Truly, we cannot witness about the promises and redemptive work of Jesus within the flesh. We must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. As the prophet Zechariah wrote...
6 Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of armies.
It is the Holy Spirit of God, speaking through the people of God to a lost and dying world that wins one to Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts, corrects, and redeems.
8 And He, when He comes, will convict the world regarding sin, and righteousness, and judgment: 9 regarding sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 and regarding righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you no longer are going to see Me; 11 and regarding judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
While not every Christian maybe gifted with the gift of evangelism, we are called to witness.
11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers,
25 A truthful witness saves lives, But one who declares lies is deceitful.
Let us be about our Father’s business and be faithful witness of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
We are not to show favor in our witness
God is no respecter of person, nor should we be.
11 For there is no partiality with God.
In Jesus there is no thing as Jew or Gentile. There is only Christ.
11 a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and free, but Christ is all, and in all.
Let us show no partiality in being a witness for Christ.
We are to be global witnesses - ‘...shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth...’
Conclusion
Be ready. Be Focused. Be On Mission.