SERMON SPOTLIGHT * 9/29/24
As we wrap this mini-series, we see how Jesus’ final words in Acts 1:8 profoundly shape our mission and evangelism till He returns. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.
SERIES: Going Not Knowing
TEXT: Acts 1:8
TITLE: You WILL BE My Witnesses
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: The ascended Christ calls you to be a gospel witness by the power of the Holy Spirit.
POINTS:
1. The People in the Mission
2. The Power for the Mission
3. The Person who Commissions
SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Acts is a one-of-a-kind unique, New Testament book. There is no other like it. Four gospels about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Thirteen epistles. Acts could have easily been titled THE ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT or even THE ACTS OF THE RISEN CHRIST THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING THROUGH THE CHURCH.”
“Only in the book of Acts do we know that it was a 40 day period where Jesus presented Himself alive to the Apostles. Acts is also unique because it’s our crucial link between the gospels and the established Churches like Romans, Corinthians, etc.”
“We see from the earlier verses that the risen Christ ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem. They were to wait for the power that would come with the Holy Spirit – even if they had no idea when or what it would be all about. Then we come to this scene that begins in V. 6. As we parachute in to learn and be challenged by this account, we’ll take a closer look at the PEOPLE, the POWER and the PERSON that surfaces with Jesus’ final words.”
“In their excitement building over a 40-day period, we can imagine Peter speaking on their behalf they ask the Risen Savior a question ‘Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ Jesus doesn’t answer the question but gives a mild rebuke. Rather than major on correction the Ascended Christ gives them a commissioning. He tells them they will be His witnesses. No longer will you be hoping for a political theocracy, now you will focus on being my witnesses. This is a crucial theme in the book of Acts, the birth of the Church and expansion of the gospel to the known world.”
“The main thread in the book of Acts – the core mission in the growth of the Church is this idea of witness. 39 times this idea of witness is used throughout this amazing book. Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15, Acts 10:39!”
“What is a witness? one that gives evidence. Specifically - one who testifies in a cause or before a judicial tribunal.”
“All Christians are called to be His witnesses. In Jesus’ last words, he commissions these Apostles. In 10 days it becomes 120 people, then 3,000 then 5,000 and the witnesses of Jesus Christ fill the entire known world.”
“All Christians ARE a witness. When the risen Christ says “you WILL BE my witnesses” then you will be. Witnessing is not some activity you put on when there is time in your schedule. We ARE HIS WITNESSES. You might be a bad witness for Christ or a good witness for Christ but part of your new identity is that you ARE a witness of the ascended Christ!”
“Church, we believe God is calling us to take our witness of the gospel of Jesus to the east side of Tucson. Begin by examining yourself as a witness of the Ascended Christ. Be ready for God also to do a transforming work in your life.”
“Jesus says you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses. The power of the Holy Spirit comes to transform – literally change you identity and how we see ourselves – into being His witnesses.”
“What happened to the group of 120 timid believers huddled up on the sidelines in the upper room for 10 days? THEY WERE ENDUED WITH POWER! God calls you and I to be His witnesses but gives the power to do so!”
“The Ascended Christ sent the Holy Spirit to give them power TO BE HIS WITNESSES. It’s no different today. Nobody in this room who has been born again came to Christ outside of someone being a witness – a witness testifying to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Do you feel like you are one of the timid believers in the upper room? God has power for your witness!”
“Who do you say Jesus is? Accurately understanding WHO is tellingthe Apostles /telling us we will be witnessesis key. Who is this Person about to ascend to the heavens right in front of them? How you answer that question is fundamentally important as we seek to be His Witnesses walking in the power of the Spirit.”
“Some would say that’s a silly question Tim. We all know that it’s Jesus. True. But just like we say to the unbeliever ‘who do you say Jesus is?’ I want to ask the same question to believers today. ‘who do YOU (believer) say Jesus is?’ Or maybe I can say it this way – ‘When it comes to being on mission for the ascended Christ, who do you say Jesus is?’”
“Why is it so easy to drift away from personal evangelism? You ever wonder why you grow in spiritual disciplines like Bible reading, doctrinal growth, prayer, Biblical fellowship, recognizing/putting to death sin but never seem to get much progress when it comes to evangelism? Ever ask yourself why you have the sincere and godly desires to BE A WITNESS and see family and friends know the living God that saved you but for some reason the sincere desires seldom translate to actual evangelism? We all have a longing to be bold witnesses but too often it doesn’t translate into actual evangelism. Why is that?”
“If you’re not careful you can subtly resent this call on your life. It can almost feel like bait and switch. Living on mission as a witness of the ascended Christ is the inevitable catch for all the benefits we received in Christ. On top of that, if you’re not careful you can get way off and begin to think that God is up in heaven with his feet up on the desk and we are called to do all His messy work with sinners to make His name known. How do you see/view the Ascended Jesus?”
“Church, ask yourself this question – deep down in your soul do you find Jesus beautiful? Do you enjoy God? God is on mission to make the beauty and glory and grandeur of who He is known into the world. His call on us to be witnesses so we will be like Him and make Him known to others. God is filling the world with the knowledge of who He is and invites us to be His witnesses to this. This is God displaying His glory through His Son and we are called to join Him.”
“The nature of the ascended Christ fuels our mission Jesus Christ came into this world because Jesus, the Person calling us to be witnesses, in his very nature is full of life and goodness and in His very being overflows. We are witnesses to the Person and work of Jesus because Jesus is the Person God sent in His abundance and natural fullness. Jesus came not be served but to serve. Jesus came to make God known. Nobody knows who God is apart from Jesus revealing who God is. God’s mission from the beginning was to reconcile people to Himself NOT BECAUSE HE NEEDS ANYTHING but because He wants to fill the world with His goodness.”
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 4:13
Psalm 96:3
Matthew 28
Romans 10:14
Acts 1:8
Hebrews 1:3
2 Corinthians 4:6
QUOTES:
Kent Hughes - “To be a witness for Christ is to bring a message that is a marvel of simplicity: Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh; he died to pay for our sins; he was resurrected; now he is exalted in Heaven; he calls us to believe in him and so receive forgiveness of sins. This is good news. There is nothing to join, no system to climb—just a person to receive and, in him, eternal life.”
Michael Reeves - “Unless we honestly find God to be beautiful and enjoyable, we’ll have nothing worth saying to the people around us. Until we see him aright, we’ll have no genuine desire to fill the world with the knowledge of our God.”
Martin Luther - “I did not love, yes,, I hated the righteous God…. And secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God.”
APPLICATION:
In our mission as a Church, we state that we exist to proclaim and demonstrate the transforming power of the gospel – THAT’S WHAT A WITNESS DOES. That’s at the heart of why we exist as a Church. That’s the consistent message in the Book of Acts.
The proclamation and demonstration of your life witnesses to something. What is it?
Regardless of what position you play when you get off the sidelines and get into the game – all of us need to ask ourselves this question – what kind of witness am I?
Do you have an accurate view of WHO THE PERSON IS THAT COMMISISONS US? If you have a wrong view of who the Ascended Christ is you will have a wrong view of what it means to be a witness. As one author put it – you may be suffering from an impoverished view of God.
Examine your witness. What does your life proclaim and demonstrate?
Has mission and evangelism become a clunky and despised add-on to your Christian life of forgiveness and fellowship with God?
In what ways does my view of the Ascended Christ need correcting?
SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
There is One Gospel
How Firm A Foundation
Father You Are All We Need
Let Your Kingdom Come
As You Go
NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 1:1-2