Ministering In Uncertain Times
Uncertain-The Church During Difficult Times Series • Sermon • Submitted
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· 51 viewsThe disciples were challenged by Jesus and had to change the way they saw God and the world.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I want to talk to you this morning from the topic of “Ministering in Uncertain Times.”
“Ministering in Uncertain Times.”
This text records our Lord’s last meeting with His disciples while He was here on earth.
He is preparing to ascend back into Heaven to sit down at the right hand of God.
Before He leaves, He commands and commissions His men to reach the world with His message.
He reminds them of what should be the central focus of their ministry.
He had to overcome a distraction
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
The disciples want to talk about future things.
Jesus is trying share with them how to Minister in Uncertain Times.
They want to know if the time has come for Jesus to establish His kingdom here on earth.
He tells them that the “times and seasons” are not their concern. Their responsibility was to be faithful to Him and work while they waited.
Nothing has changed.
Our duty is not to get caught up in future events, or any other theological dispute that distracts us from Minister in Uncertain Times.
We need to be careful that we do not allow Satan to distract us from our very purpose in being left in this world.
Our duty is to be busy working for the Lord while we wait for Him to return. Verse 8 tells us what our duty is.
Jesus, here, commands His disciples, living in all time periods, to be His witnesses to the world of His Gospel and of His saving grace.
Verse 8 is clear! Every believer is commissioned, commanded and constructed to share the Gospel with a lost world. We are His “ambassadors” in this world
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Let me share some of the qualities shared by all Gospel witnesses.
This text reminds us of exactly what we are to be doing as we move through this world. This passage teaches us about Ministering in Uncertain Times.
Why do I say we should be Ministering in Uncertain Times?
I say it because, here is Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected from the dead, and about to ascend into Heaven.
He could have talked about anything in the world. But, His last words were a command and a commission to share the Gospel.
If it was that important to Him, it should be equally important to us! The church needs to learn this lesson about Ministering in Uncertain Times.
I. WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT MESSAGE
I. WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT MESSAGE
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Jesus tells His men that they are to be witness “unto Me”. Jesus is to be the sole focus of their message.
That has not changed! We are to tell the world about Him. We are not to talk about us, our lives, our beliefs, our denomination, our church, or our favorite preacher. None of those things have saving power! His message does
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
We are to tell the world about Jesus!
We are to tell the message of His love, His death and His resurrection.
We are to share the message of the Gospel – 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 10:9-10; 13; John 3:16; Acts 16:31.
We are to tell the world that Jesus will save anyone who comes to Him by faith!
Our only mission is to point people to Jesus. He is the only hope the world has for salvation, John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Acts 16:31.
When Ministering in Uncertain Times...
We Must Have The Right Message
II. WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT METHODS
II. WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT METHODS
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The word “witness” translates the Greek word “martus”. It refers to “those who bear witness to the truth.” It came to be used of those who bore the ultimate witness to the truth; of those who laid down their lives for the truth. Thus, we get the word “martyr” from this word. The issue is not myths and legends, but facts and truth. Jesus is calling His people to tell others the truth about Him.
The word “witness” was used in Bible times like it is used today. It speaks of those who testify in a court of law.
A witness in a trial is called upon to tell what they have seen and what they know to be true.
God is calling His people to tell what they know and what they have seen to be true.
Do you know anything about Jesus Christ?
Has God done anything for you through Jesus Christ?
If you can answer yes to those questions that is what you are to tell the world.
Do you know that God loves you? Tell the world!
Do you know that you are saved? Tell the world!
Do you know how God saves sinners? Tell the world!
Do you know who to tell? Tell the world!
When Ministering in Uncertain Times...
We Must Have The Right Message
We Must Have The Right Methods
III. WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET
III. WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The witness in a court of law is to testify to the judge and the jury.
The witness to Jesus Christ is to testify to the whole world!
That is a big task, so Jesus breaks it down for us. We are to begin close and move out!
We need to adopt the mindset of John Wesley who said, “The world is my parish!” Wesley knew that anywhere sinners could be found, there was a need for the Gospel and the Gospel witness.
Our mission field is anywhere lost people can be found!
Most of us will never go to “the uttermost part of the earth”, but we can serve in our Jerusalem.
We can witness to our families,
our friends,
our co-workers,
total strangers,
to anyone we meet, anywhere we go.
We are to always be “on mission” for Jesus, telling a lost and dying world that Jesus saves.
If we get the opportunity to go to our Judea, our Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth, we should make good use of those open doors.
Everyone we meet is either a believer, or they are in need of the Gospel!
What is really sad is that most believers will not talk to anyone who is outside their comfort zone. They will visit friends, family and acquaintances, but they won’t go to someone who is lost. They are afraid to share the Gospel outside their own realm of safety. As a result, most church members are not involved in any kind of evangelism.
They have the mindset, “My four and no more”, when there is a whole world that must be reached with the Gospel of grace, and it is our job to take it to them!
Why aren’t we out there telling a lost world that Jesus saves?
Could it be that we really don’t believe everything we claim to believe?
Could it be that we are saved and satisfied?
When Ministering in Uncertain Times...
We Must Have The Right Message
We Must Have The Right Methods
We Must Have The Right Mindset
If our message is to have any power; if our methods are to be successful; and if our mindset is ever to be what it ought to be; we are going to need help from outside ourselves. Jesus tells us in this verse that our help comes from the “Holy Ghost”.
The people in the upper room were promised that the Spirit of God was coming, and that when He came, He would fill them with God’s power, Luke 24:49. When that power came on the day of Pentecost, those terrified disciples, who had been hiding from the Jews in fear, became bold preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Acts 2:1-21. When they preached the Gospel, 3,000 souls were saved, Acts 2:41.
What made the difference? It wasn’t their eloquence. It wasn’t their oratory. It wasn’t their delivery. What made the difference was the power of God on their lives!