Witnessing 101 (2)
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This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to our church, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”. What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand how the Bible applies to our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written for two reasons.
First, to give us a history of the church and how it started. And second, to give us a template for how Jesus intends for us to accomplish the mission of taking the Gospel form our community to the rest of the world.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life where you can listen to past messages.
Today as we come back to our study, we are picking back up in chapter 8 as we finish out a two part message on witnessing. And when I say witnessing, I’m talking about sharing your faith in Jesus with others.
You may recall last time we met, we started to look at 5 factors for witnessing. Five factors we need to be aware of in order to effectively share our faith. And with the time we had, we were able to cover the first three.
So, just to make sure we are all on the same page, I’d like to quickly summarize the first three before we move into the final two today.
The first
The first was this:
To be an effective witness, you have to remember that the world has its own counterfeit versions of happiness, hope, and salvation.
We saw this play out in the witnessing of Philip in . Because as Philip shared the good news of the gospel in Samaria, there was a counterfeit version present. Remember what Luke told us:
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”
:
Luke says there was a magician named Simon who appeared to offer something equal to what Philip was offering when it came to happiness, hope, and salvation.
And the fact is, we see the same thing playing out in our culture today:
For example, when it comes to happiness, in order to obtain happiness, many people have bought into the worldly belief that the more money you make and the more stuff you have, the happier you’ll be.
When it comes to hope, many have bought into the worldly belief that if they can accomplish certain goals, obtain certain degrees, select the right relationships, earn a certain level of income, etc… that they will find ultimate fulfillment and purpose. That somehow obtaining the American dream, so to speak, will fulfill their greatest hopes.
When it comes to salvation, many have bought into man made ideas that we can somehow save ourselves. That if we’re just good enough, work hard enough, pray enough, perform the right rituals, attend the right church, etc…that we will measure up for whatever the next life offers.
And unfortunately, some have even bought into the notion that this life is really all we have to live for and so they give little or no thought to how they live as they indulge in all this life offers.
You see, the world and man has its own counterfeit versions for happiness, hope, and salvation. And the reason we need to understand that is because that’s what we are up against as we share our faith. And the truth is, it’s easy to get discouraged when the counterfeit versions appear to work or be working.
That’s when the second factor for witnessing becomes so important. And it states this:
When witnessing, you have to remember the gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to expose and discredit the counterfeit versions.
We see the evidence of this as Philip share his faith.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Luke says as Simon preached, the message of the gospel overcame Simon’s counterfeit version of happiness, hope, and salvation. So much so, that even Simon the Sorcerer believed. Luke writes:
-12
13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
And what was true then, is true today. Because eventually the counterfeit versions reach their limit. Eventually they prove to be false as the power of the gospel exposes and discredits their ability to bring true happiness, hope, and salvation.
This then led us to a third factor, because while the gospel has the power to expose and discredit the counterfeits, If we’re not functioning in that power, we will be limited in our effectiveness. Here’s the third factor:
In order to effectively witness, we not only need faith in Jesus, but we also need the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Luke writes:
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
:
Luke says after Philip led the Samaritans to faith in Jesus, news spread fast to Jerusalem, and so the Jersualem church sent Peter and John to investigate what had happened. Because up until this point, the only people who had put their faith in Jesus were Jewish. But now, other people groups are putting their faith in Jesus. This has come as a surprise to the Jerusalem church.
And when Peter and John arrive, they discover what they’ve heard is true. The Samaritans have put their faith in Jesus. However, they do recognize that something is missing in their faith. So, what’s missing? Luke says it’s the Holy Spirit.
So, what’s that all about?
Well, as we learned last week, there are two works of the Holy Spirit. The first is the work of regeneration that takes place when a person puts their faith in Jesus. In that moment, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the believers heart, and begins the work of spiritual transformation. The Apostle Paul puts it like this:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
So, that’s the first work. But there’s a second work, what you might call a work of empowerment. Jesus talks about this work. In Jesus tells the disciples:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus says the Holy Spirit also empowers us for witness. In other words, through spiritual gifts and abilities the Holy Spirit enables us to share our faith in His power. Jesus explains it like this in :
11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Jesus says the Holy Spirit will give us the ability to share our faith.
All that to say, when Peter and John show up in Samaria, they acknowledge that the first work has taken place. The Samaritans have definitely put their faith in Jesus. But what they recognize is they haven’t yet been empowered. The second work hasn’t taken place. That piece is still missing. So, what do they do? Luke writes:
17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:
Luke says in response to their need for the empowerment, Peter and John lay their hands on the Samaritans who have put their faith in Jesus, and pray they would receive the empowerment as well. And apparently they do, because in that moment something takes place that catches the attention of Simon the sorcerer. Something supernatural. Because just like on the day of Pentecost in , when the Holy Spirit fell on the 120, something visibly or audibly takes place in this moment as the Samaritans receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Luke writes:
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 8:18
Luke says as Simon observes the disciples pray and the people receive spiritual empowerment, he’s so intrigued by what has just happened that he offers Peter and John money so he too can have the ability to transfer this power to others as well.
And this is going to lead us to the fourth factor for witnessing this morning, but before we get to that, let me just say a couple of things about Holy Spirit empowerment.
First, just like the Samaritans needed this empowerment, we need it as well. The fact is, without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, it’s going to be difficult for you and I as Christians to lead people to faith in Jesus. The fact is, without the empowerment of the Spirit, you’ll be limited to what God can do in and through you.
In addition to that, without the empowerment, at some point you’ll reach a level of frustration in your faith. Because the fact of the matter is, Jesus didn’t save you just to save you. That’s part of it. But He also saved you to be a witness, and the two go together.
It’s kind of like a Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich. I mean can you imagine a Peanut butter and Jelly sandwich without the jelly. Doesn’t work, right?
It’s the same for the Christian faith. Salvation and empowerment are the two important ingredients that go together. And without the empowerment, your are left with a mouthful of Peanut butter, which isn’t bad, but it will leave you frustrated and wanting.
This is something we all need in order to be witnesses.
This leads me to the second thing I want to say. This Wednesday night we are going to have an empowerment service at 6:30PM. We were supposed to have it last week, but our speaker, Dr. Oss, had a family emergency.
So, if you are interested in the second work of the Spirit, and if you want to be fully equipped to lead people to Jesus, I want invite you to the empowerment service as Dr. Oss shares further on the subject and provides an opportunity for you to be prayed for to be empowered.
As I said last week, Dr. Oss has the gift for leading people into the empowerment, so I would highly encourage anyone serious about being a witness to be here on Wednesday night. It’s that important.
With that said, let’s get back to the final two factors for witnessing that we need to be aware of when sharing our faith. Because not only do we need to be aware of the counterfeit versions, not only do we need to remember Jesus has the power to expose and discredit those counterfeits, not only do we need to be empowered for witness, but:
We also need to remember that:
Not everybody you witness too will put their faith in Jesus, and even some who do, may fall away.
To be honest, I find this to be one of the most discouraging aspects of witnessing. Discouraging because it’s hard when the people you love and care, like friends, co-workers, and family members, reject or refuse to put their faith in Jesus. That can be extremely discouraging.
In addition to that, it’s hard to watch as those who do put their faith in Jesus, over time, fall away or waver in their faith commitment.
And the truth is, we’ve all known people like that. People who we shared the gospel and they rejected it, or people who have received it, but as time went on, their commitment faded, their church attendance faded, their spiritual zeal dissipated, and it wasn’t long before they were back to living in their pre-Christian lifestyle.
But as time went on, their commitment faded, their church attendance faded, their spiritual zeal dissipated, and before you know it they’re back to living in their pre-Christian lifestyle.
And please hear me, I’m not saying church attendance and spiritual zeal are the sole indicators of our faith. But they are indicators.
So, what’s going on? Why are some people absolutely opposed to the Gospel. And why do some initially believe, but then waver or walk away?
That’s a great question, and something we need to understand when it comes to witnessing. Otherwise, we could get really discouraged. And thankfully, Luke gives us some insight here to help us find the answer. Because according to Luke, not everybody who initially put their faith in Jesus in Samaria, continued to do so.
So, who wavered? As you might suspect, Luke says it was Simon the sorcerer. Because while he initially believed, when Peter and John arrive, it becomes apparent there’s a disconnect with Simon. Listen again to what Luke tells us:
Acts 8:
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Luke says as Peter and John begin to lay hands on the people, and as the people begin to receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Simon is so amazed by what is happening that he offers Peter and John money. So, a good question might be, “Why would Simon offer them money, and what does that say about Simon?”
Well, what you have to remember is, Simon is a magician. He makes a living practicing the dark arts. And now, Peter and John are doing something he doesn’t have a spell for. Something he can’t reproduce. Because remember what we learned last week, the counterfeits can only go so far. So he asks if he can buy the spell or the ability to do what they are doing.
And what this tells us is not much has changed in Simon. Yes, he’s made a verbal commitment of faith in Jesus. Yes, he’s been water baptized. But his words and actions don’t line up with his claim of faith.
Now, some might say, “Come on pastor. Aren’t you being a little hard on Simon. He’s a new believer. He doesn’t know any better. He’s still learning what it means to follow Jesus. He’s still trying to figure it all out. Can’t you cut Simon a little slack?”
Well, I wish that were the case, but in this instance it’s not. How do we know? We know from Peter’s response. Because as Simon offers money for the spell, Peter recognizes this goes much deeper. Listen to what Luke tells us:
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
Acts 8:
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Not the response Simon was probably expecting. Because no sooner has he offered the money, and Peter responds with a strong rebuke as Peter basically says, “May you be cursed for thinking you could buy the Holy Spirit. Cursed for thinking you could manipulate or control God.”
Here’s what this tells us about Simon. At this point, even though he’s made a faith commitment and been baptized, he’s still thinking and operating like a non-believer. Meaning, Simon hasn’t experienced the first work of the Holy Spirit. He’s still the old Simon. He hasn’t truly made Jesus Lord of his life. If anything, Jesus is just something he has added to his shelf of beliefs, incantations, charms, and spells. It’s called the “Syncretism of Deities”.
In other words, it’s the mixing or blending of different beliefs together in order to obtain the most powerful abilities.
Think of it like this. Let’s say you’re big into working out. And so to maximize your workout, you probably want to have the best gear possible. The best shorts, the best shoes, the best workout shirt, the best fit bit. Whatever the activity calls for.
But the fact is, no one company makes the best everything. So, in order to have the best of the best, you’re going to have to blend brands together in order to obtain the best shorts, shirt, shoes, fit bit, etc.
So, you do some research. And after doing some research, you end up with a pair of Nike shorts, an under armour sweat resistant shirt, an apple iwatch, and Adidas running shoes. You now have the best of the best, each piece representing the best of its kind in order to allow you to maximize your workout.
That’s kind of what Simon is doing. He wants to be the best magician possible. But he doesn’t have the Jesus brand yet. He’s missing that from his collection. So he wants to buy some Jesus so he can maximize his abilities.
And what that tells us is, nothing has changed with Simon. His claim to faith has had no affect in his thinking or behavior. So, what’s the problem? Why hasn’t Simon’s commitment to Jesus made a difference? Peter gives us the answer. Listen to what Peter goes on to say:
21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
Acts 8:21-
21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Couple of things I want you to notice about what Peter says:
First, notice that Peter says, “Simon, you have neither part nor lot in this matter...” That’s Peter’s way of saying, “Simon, you’re not a true believer. Simon, you’re not a Christian.” Kind of seems judgmental. So, how does Peter know that?
Here’s the second thing I want you to notice. Peter says Simon’s not a true believer because his heart is not right before God. In other words, what Peter recognizes is Simon’s knowledge of Jesus is in his head and not in his heart. Because if it was in his heart, then he wouldn’t still be living and acting like the old Simon. That’s why Peter goes on to say:
22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Acts 8:22
Peter basically says, “Simon, you need to truly repent. You need to give your life fully to Jesus. Because right now Simon, you are still caught up in your wickedness. You’re still holding on to your old life. You haven’t fully submitted your life to Jesus. I see in you bitterness and the bond of iniquity. You need to let Jesus set you free from it.”
Here’s what this is saying, “It’s not enough to just know about Jesus and go through some motions. If you want to truly be saved, you have to fully submit to Jesus.” And to do that, you have to give Jesus your heart. That’s the only way true change can take place in you. And to give Jesus your heart, you have to let go of the old you and its desires and embrace the new.
You see, that’s why some people may say they follow Jesus, but their life doesn’t reflect it. And it doesn’t reflect it because they’re still holding on to their old life. And in a way they’re like Simon. They’re trying to mix worldly thinking and living in with Jesus.
In a way, Jesus has just been an add on to their life. Something they think will enhance their life. The problem though is, Jesus isn’t an add on. Jesus is Lord. And to be Lord, you have to give him everything, including your heart. And when you give Jesus your heart, it should lead to a radical transformation in your life.
So, how does Simon respond? Well, on the surface it would appear he responds correctly, but again its just a facade. Luke writes:
24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
Acts 8:
Simon still doesn’t get it. Yes, he’s concerned about what Peter has said. But for the wrong reasons. Because as a sorcerer, the last thing he wants is a curse on his life. So instead of asking God to forgive him and instead of giving his life to Jesus, he asks Peter to pray that the curse would be removed. In other words, Simon says, “I’m sorry I asked Peter, can you please reverse that curse.”
Here’s the bottom line. The reason Simon’s initial faith in Jesus doesn’t stick is because he never truly gave his heart to Jesus. He said the words. He went through the motions. But he didn’t fully submit to the Lordship of Christ in his life. Instead, he continued to give his heart to the happiness, hope, and salvation this world provides. Jesus was just an addition to his collection of formulas.
Here’s what this is saying to us.
You see, that’s why some people may say they follow Jesus, but their life doesn’t reflect it. And it doesn’t reflect it because they’re still holding on to their old life. And in a way they’re like Simon. They’re trying to mix worldly thinking and living in with Jesus. The reason some people never believe and the reason some initially believe and waver is because they won’t give Jesus their heart.
In a way, Jesus has just been an add on to their life. Something they think will enhance their life. The problem though is, Jesus isn’t an add on or enhancement. Jesus is Lord. And to be Lord, you have to give him everything, including your heart. And when you give Jesus your heart, it should lead to a radical transformation in your life.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what Jesus is after. He’s after your heart. And He wants sole possession of it.
You see, the problem is a heart issue. So, when somebody refuses the gospel or accepts and later walks away, it’s because they never fully gave Jesus their heart. So that being the case, as a witness there are a couple of important details we need to remember when sharing our faith.
Witnessing Detail #1 - While its a heart issue, it’s not our job to change hearts.
To be honest, I wish it was possible for us to change hearts. I wish we had the power to do that. But we don’t. The fact is, when you share your faith, when you tell somebody about Jesus, at that point, your job is done. Jesus explains it like this in the gospel of Mark as he uses a farming analogy to explain how witnessing works. In , Mark writes:
3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”
2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
In this parable Jesus explains how a farmer sowed seed in that day. And basically what the farmer would do is go out in the field and scatter the seed with his hand. Aren’t you thankful for modern day technology.
Jesus then goes on to describe what happened to the seed.
He says some of the seed fell on the road, and as a result the birds of the air ate it up.
Other seed fell on rocky ground where there isn’t much soil, and as a result it didn’t get rooted and quickly died as the sun came up.
Some then fell among the weeds, and as a result it got choked out.
But then some fell on good soil and produced a harvest of grain.
The point being, the ability of the seed to grow and produce is dependent on the type of soil it lands on.
So, a good question might be, “What does this analogy have to do with sharing our faith?”
Jesus gives us the answer. Listen to what He says first as he explains the parable:
14 The sower sows the word.
Mark 4:
Right away Jesus gives us some insight into the parable, and from it He gives us some valuable pieces of witnessing information.
First, Jesus wants us to understand in His parable, the sower represents the one who shares their faith. They are the ones spreading the word of God. That’s you and me.
Second, he wants us to understand that that is primary job. He says, the sower sows the word. Meaning, our job is to tell people about Jesus, that’s it. To scatter the word.
What that means then, is it’s not our job to change someone’s behavior. It’s not our job to give them a list of do’s and don’ts. It’s not our job to change them into what we think they should be. Our job is to simply tell them about Jesus and the hope that He provides. To scatter the seed.
Because at the end of the day, the only person that can change a persons heart is Jesus, and that can only happen if the person who hears the word gives their heart fully to Him.
This leads us to a second important detail for witnessing:
Detail #2 - When we share our faith, the Word falls on different types of hearts.
Listen to what Jesus goes on to say as He explains this parable:
18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
Mark 4:
As Jesus further explains the parable, he identifies 4 different types of heart that the Word of God falls upon.
The first type of heart is represented by the seed sown on the path. The seed that the birds take away. And in the Parable, this is the person who refuses to believe. The person who rejects the gospel.
So, why don’t they believe? Well in His explanation, Jesus says after the seed is sown, Satan, who represents the birds, comes and takes the word word away.
Now, when you read that, it almost seems like it’s Satans fault they don’t believe. But that’s not what Jesus is saying. Because the issue isn’t that Satan takes the seed away. The issue is the type of soil the seed fell on. A soil the seed never had a chance to penetrate the soil, leaving it exposed. And the reason the seed couldn’t penetrate the soil is because the soil was hard. Remember, it was a path.
So, it’s not Satan’s fault, but the fault of the person who refuses to believe. The person who is closed to the truth. The person who refuses to listen. The person with the hard heart.
So, why’s their heart so hard? It could be hard for a number of reasons. Maybe their just stubborn. Maybe they refuse to let go of wordly thinking. Maybe they’re so engulfed in wordly desire, they’re not open to the truth. Maybe their holding on to a different belief or religious system. There could be a number of things that has hardened their heart towards God.
But regardless of the reason, the result is the same. Hard hearts aren’t open to the gospel. So the seed sits there, and eventually the enemy carries it away as their heart becomes harder.
This is a scary place for somebody to be. Because the harder a person’s heart becomes, the harder it is for them to ever know and accept the truth.
The second type of heart is the seed sown on rocky ground. In the parable, this is the person who hears, likes what they hear, and quickly accepts the Word with great joy. They are super excited!
And on the surface, everything looks great. The problem though is, underneath, this person is shallow. This is the person who jumps from fad to fad. The person who gets excited for awhile, and then burns out.
Why do they burn out? Jesus says it’s because they can’t handle adversity. Jesus says they’re all excited until persecution or tribulation comes. In other words, the moment it’s no longer popular, the moment somebody makes fun of them, the moment it begins to affect their reputation or status, they’re out.
In my 20 years of ministry, I’ve seen a lot of people like this. They show up at church, they like what they hear, they get all excited about Jesus and the church, but then the reality of following Jesus sets in. And it’s more than they can handle. They didn’t realize it would require such a commitment. They didn’t realize it could affect their social status. They weren’t aware that being a Christian isn’t always popular. So when push came to shove, they backed out. Why? Because their faith was shallow and full of rocks, so it couldn’t take root.
The third type of heart is the seed that falls among the thorns. In the parable, this is the person who hears the Word, receives the Word, but over time it gets choked out by their passions and desires for the world.
To be honest, I think this is the most prominent heart in the American church today. Prominent because unfortunately, too many Christians and churches have bought into some weedy ideas and lies
For instance, the weedy idea that the American Dream is God’s dream. Meaning, you can serve Jesus and live like this is the only life to live for. That you can serve Jesus and live to build earthly kingdoms. That you can serve Jesus and selfishly use all of your resources for the accumulation of stuff and more stuff. That you can serve Jesus and live to fulfill your material passions and desires.
And please hear me, I’m not saying you can’t work to be successful, live in a nice home, or drive a nice car. That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is you can’t live your life like that is the only thing worth living for. Because this life is going to end. This life is a vapor. The most important life to live for isn’t this life, but the life to come. At least that’s what the Bible teaches.
On top of that, to many Christians and churches have bought into the lie that you can have your cake and eat it too. In other words:
You can serve Jesus, and practice sexual immorality.
You can serve Jesus, and go to “R” rated movies full of profanity and nudity.
You can serve Jesus, get wasted, and party like it’s 1999.
You can serve Jesus and live how you want, act how you want, and seek every worldly desire you want.
To be honest, it’s not much different than what Simon was doing. Jesus is just an add on that makes us feel better.
Here’s the problem with that. Not only is it unbiblical to think and live that way, but eventually your love for the world will choke out your love for Jesus. Because your heart can’t serve two masters.
And in my opinion, this is why a lot of American Christians are go nowhere fast in their faith, and then eventually waver or walk away. Because their life is full of weeds. Weeds they refuse to pull. Weeds of sexual immorality. Weeds seeking worldly passions. Some weeds they’ve even planted themselves. Weeds that will eventually choke their faith out.
I’m sorry, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too. You’re either all in with Jesus or your all out. There is no in between. There is no sharing your heart with the world. You can’t live for the world and live for Jesus simultaneously. Paul writes:
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Paul says it’s a battle between flesh and Spirit, and eventually one wins out. Meaning, at the end of the day, you either choose to give your heart fully to Jesus, or give it fully to the world.
This leads us to the final type of heart the seed falls upon. It’s the heart of fertile soil. The heart that isn’t hardened but is open to the truth. The heart that isn’t full of rocks and wrapped up and concerned about what other people think. The heart that understands this life is full of temporary weeds. The heart that absorbs the seed and produces a great spiritual harvest.
Here’s why it’s so important for us to understand this. It’s important because when you witness and share your faith, those are the 4 hearts your witness will fall upon.
Meaning some will be totally closed to what you have to say, because their hearts are hard.
Some will automatically accept, but quickly fade as the reality of what it costs them to follow Jesus sinks in.
Others will profess faith, maybe even get baptized, but because they won’t let go of earthly desire, over time their passion and desires for this life will overtake and choke out their faith.
And then some will root in. Some will give Jesus all. Some will grow and produce a great spiritual harvest.
So, we can’t get discouraged. Because it’s not our job to change the heart. Our job is to scatter the seed and pray the seed falls on fertile soil. And when it doesn’t, to leave it in God’s hands. Because at the end of the day, God is the only one that can change a heart. God is the only one with the power and ability to truly transform us. So, we have to leave it in His hands.
This leads us to a final factor for witnessing we need to understand.
When Biblical Witnessing is understood and engaged in, that’s when revival takes place.
Luke writes:
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Luke says as the gospel is preached, as people are empowered by the Spirit, a revival breaks out and many villages of the Samaritans receive the gospel.
Here’s what we need to understand:
When we are faithful to witness, revival will come. Because revival is the result of Spirit empowered witnessing. In other words, the more people who come to know Jesus, the more people who get empowered by the Spirit, the more the Gospel will spread.
As we close this morning, I want to leave you with a couple of questions and challenges.
As we close this morning, I want to leave you with a couple of thoughts and challenges.
Question #1 - If you’re a Christian, are you committed to being a witness?
I ask that question because the two go together. Meaning, if you’re going to be a Christian, then you have to be a witness. The two go together.
Think of it like this. Let’s say you were hired at Landolls to be a welder. What then is the expectation when you go to work? To weld, right? Why? Because you’re a welder.
Same with being a Christian. With your faith in Jesus comes an expectation. And the expectation is, Christians share their faith with others. That’s your job now.
Now, you might be thinking, “I don’t know about that pastor, that just sounds so radical. I didn’t realize when I gave my life to Jesus it would require me to be a witness. I’m not sure I like that.”
Here’s what I would say to that. It sounds to me like you have some rocks in your faith. It sounds to me like you were all excited about Jesus until you found out what it required. And my challenge to you this morning is to get rid of the rocks and embrace your faith fully. To fully give yourself to what Jesus ask asked you to do. To be His witness. To quit worrying about what others might think, to let go of worldly thinking, and to fully engage your faith.
And to do that, I would highly encourage you to be here on Wednesday night.
Because if we truly want to take the gospel to this community. If we’re truly committed to reaching the 4000 unchurched of Marshall County. If our hope and desire is to spread the gospel even beyond our own region, then we have to be Spirit empowered for witness. And the more of us that are committed to this, the greater the revival will be.
And that’s why everyone of us needs to be here on Wednesday night. Because if we truly want to take the gospel to this community. If we’re truly committed to reaching the 4000 unchurched of Marshall County. If our hope and desire is to spread the gospel even beyond our own region, then we have to be Spirit empowered for witness.
Question #2 - What kind of heart do you have?
I ask that question because your ability to know Jesus and serve Jesus is dependent on the type of heart you have.
So, do you have a hard heart? Are you open to what I’m saying this morning, or are you closed to what the Bible says,? Are you stubbornly holding on to your own belief system or ideas about faith? Do you have a hard heart?
If so, here’s what you need to consider. The more you refuse the truth, the harder it’s going to be for the truth to penetrate your heart. And the harder your heart will become. And over time, the enemy will completely rob you of the truth. And that my friend is not a good place to be. A place you may never come back from.
Do you have a rocky heart? Are you more concerned about what others might think or say if they were to discover you are a Christian or maybe that you even attend this church? If so, here’s what you need to understand. If your fear of man outweighs your fear of God, fear of man will eventually win out. In other words, if the pain of following Jesus is too great for you, then eventually you won’t follow Him. With Jesus the saying is true, “No pain, no gain”. The fact is, following Jesus won’t always be easy or comfortable. In other words, faith isn’t lived out on the mountain tops. With faith comes valley’s. Valley’s that teach us to depend more on God.
Do you have a weedy heart? Are you trying to have your cake and eat it too? Do you have one foot in your faith and one in the world? If you do, here’s what you need to understand. If you continue to hold on to worldly living, passion, and desires, eventually it will choke out your faith. Like smoke that fills a room, your passion for earthly living and desires will suffocate your faith. With Jesus, you’re either all in, or you’re all out. It’s one or the either.
Or, do you have a fertile heart? A heart that is open to the truth. A heart that isn’t concerned with what others think. A heart that has let go of earthly living and desires. A heart that is ready to produce a spiritual harvest.
My prayer is that you have or desire a fertile heart.
But maybe you don’t have that this morning. Maybe your heart is hard. Maybe it’s full of rocks and weeds.
Here’s my challenge for you this morning. If your heart is hard, I would challenge you to pray this prayer. To simply pray, “God, soften my heart.” That you would pray and ask God to remove your heart of stone.
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
If your heart is full of rocks this morning. My challenge to you is to toss the rocks. Stop worrying about what others might think. Be willing to endure the pain. To pray
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
If your heart is full of weeds. My challenge to you is to pull the weeds. To let go of your earthly passions and desires. To pray .
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Colossians 3:5-
If you want a fertile heart, you have to ask God to soften your heart. You have to toss the rocks. And you have to pull the weeds. Only then can your life become the fertile soil that Jesus can use.
Let’s Pray