Be Part of Something Bigger: Witnesses
Acts 1:8; 4:4-20
Years ago, I was asked to speak to a gathering of pastors and Christian leaders from all over Japan. When I was asked to do this, I had no idea that I would be speaking 10 times over a period of 2 ½ days. Just before I was to speak at the 10th session, the head of the conference introduced me in this way: “We have arrived at the ‘last five minutes’ of this conference. We have listened to our speaker bring 9 messages from God’s Word but he is coming now to bring what we call his ‘last five minutes’. When we have little time left and we know it, we do not waste time on trivial things. We use our last moments to pass on the most important things. So, now, let us listen carefully as Dr. Waybright speaks to us in his ‘last five minutes’.”
I had never before been given such a sobering introduction. And, I sensed that day that the audience listened with great earnestness. As I prepared the message for you throughout this past week, I remembered that day in Japan when I read what Jesus passed onto all his followers in what he knew were his “last five minutes.” Jesus had taught his 12 disciples for three years. Then, after his death and resurrection, Jesus met again with his followers over a 40-day period to teach them (Acts 1:3).
After all that, we read Jesus’ words in his “last five minutes” before he ascended to heaven and the right hand of God the Father: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).”
So, it’s very clear that, in his “last 5 minutes” Jesus called all his followers to be his witnesses.
What Jesus calls us to be: Witnesses -- You will be my witnesses…
This is a word that means almost exactly the same in English as it did in the original language, in our culture as in theirs. The word for witness was commonly used in a courtroom for the person who had experienced something that needs to be made known. As we read the rest of Acts, we see what a “witness” actually does. That’s why I had us read Acts 4 earlier in the service. In that passage, we heard the report about how Peter and John gave witness one day in Jerusalem.
What happens in that episode is that the best educated and most powerful men in Israel (see Acts 4:5-6) confronted two Christian fishermen (Peter and John) about a miracle that had happened. In contrast to the religious and political leaders, Peter and John were described in 4:13 as “unschooled and ordinary”. Imagine being there. This surely could have been intimidating for Peter and John. It would be like a Cal Tech science professor confronting an LAC middle schooler who had professed to believe in miracles and saying, “Explain how you believe in supernatural occurrences in a world that operates by natural laws?” I think the middle schooler might have felt overwhelmed by the situation, don’t you?
But the two fishermen were not anxious or afraid! They simply gave witness to what they had experienced with Jesus. It’s not that giving reasonable answers was unimportant. No, Peter, the man who answered the intellectual elites of his world was the same Peter who told us in 1 Pet 3:15 that we should learn to give answers for the hope we have in Jesus. However, in this situation, Peter was faithful simply to do what Jesus calls all of us to do, i.e., to give witness. In fact, Acts 4:20 gives us a clear understanding of what the word witness means: “We must speak about what we have seen and heard!”
All this begs a very significant question: Have you genuinely experienced anything with Jesus? Have you experienced his forgiveness of your sins? Have you experienced “how wide, high, high and deep the love of Jesus is for you? I have been discovering that many in our church have been having some very personal experiences with God in recent months. If you have experienced anything with Jesus, you are a witness. Now, Jesus says you must give witness to him. Anyone who meets him through can give witness to him: little children, brand new believers, and even full-blown failures who have experienced God’s mercy.
Jesus calls us all to be witnesses as the blind man in John 9 was a witness. He had been healed on the Sabbath by Jesus and the authorities tried to intimidate the man into repudiating Jesus. The once-blind man simply said, “All I know is this: I was blind and now I see. And Jesus did it.” That’s being a witness.
From where (or Whom) the power comes: The Holy Spirit -- When the Holy Spirit comes on you...
After the disciples in Acts 1 had been with Jesus, the person that they had personally seen die on a cross and then personally seen as risen from the dead, they were ready to go out and tell the world what they had seen. But Jesus said, “No, not yet. This is God’s work and you will need God’s power.” And we still do.
So, let me say this to you today: The Holy Spirit does many things in our lives. In John 14, Jesus said the Holy Spirit convicts us when we walk away from God. I’ve experienced this often and am sure many of you have as well. Jesus also said the Holy Spirit comforts us and supports us in times of trouble and of doubt. Again, I’ve experienced that personally. They Holy Spirit is our advocate and our comforter in times of trouble. And last Fall, we spent several months learning how the Holy Spirit strengthens us to break from sin and to live as God created us to live. The Spirit does these things and much, much more.
But, in his “last five minutes”, Jesus makes it clear that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to be witnesses. Peter was there in Acts 1 when Jesus said this and Peter reminds us of it in his 1st letter: If you speak, speak as one who speaks the very words of God (1 Pet 4:11).” That’s quite a powerful statement, isn’t it?
Let me tell you how I’ve seen this empowering by the Holy Spirit has worked out in my own life. When I was in high school, I somehow sensed that I was to give witness about Jesus to one of our school athletes, one of the most popular guys in school. I confess that I didn’t really want to do it. I was anxious about giving witness. But, I got up the courage to go speak to him one day. I said something like, “Steve, I really believe that God wants me to talk to you about Jesus.” Remember that this was a long time ago! But, I still remember that he looked at me with a strange look – and then just walked away. I felt like a failure.
Many, many years later, I went to a high school reunion. Steve saw me and, literally, ran through people to get over to speak with me. “Greg,” he said, “I’ve been wanting to talk with you for years. After you talked to me about Jesus our senior year in high school, I left for college and could never get that conversation off my mind. In my freshman year in college, I gave my life to Jesus. He’s changed my life.”
We are only asked to be faithful to be witnesses. God’s Spirit is the one who uses our words. We often feel like failures when we seek to say something about Jesus to people. But Jesus simply asks us to use whatever words we can to speak of what we’ve learned from and experienced with him. Then, the Holy Spirit will do more than we could ever ask or even imagine. It will be to God’s glory – and not ours.
What kind of witness: Words or Deeds – “We are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed… It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Acts 4:9-10).”
For many years, churches have been divided over the matter of whether our witness should be through deeds of love or through words that communicate the gospel. But, I’m very, very sure that “word-witness” and “deed-witness” go together. If we lose either, the good news about Jesus will be undermined. If we only use words to try to argue people into the kingdom of God, then we will ignore almost everything that Jesus did when he entered into the lives of people. He cared about people because they were people. He entered into their lives and offered help and hope. Just to use words without caring for the people we’re witnessing to will usually be viewed as no more than an attempt to recruit people to your religion. God uses many things to draw people to himself. However, in my experience, rarely are people argued into being saved!
But deed-witness without word-witness is equally inadequate. I know that people in our world will be positive about us when we help the poor or care for the sick. However, if we don’t speak about Jesus, we will offer them no eternal hope for their deepest needs, their spiritual needs.
Good evangelism almost always involves both deed-witness and word-witness. That’s why I had us read the episode in Acts 3-4. That story started in Acts 3 with a lame beggar wanting some financial help. Peter and John did not ignore him but stopped to talk with him. They entered into his life. Their witness started with deed-witness. The man wanted money. Peter said to the man, “I don’t have any money – but I do have something to help you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And the man did.
I have found that most evangelism begins when we truly care for people as Jesus cares for people. We enter into their lives and listen. We give witness to the hope we are finding in Jesus. We invite people to find a new life in him as we have. Read through Acts 3-4 and you will see that over and over again, Peter and John both care for the man’s needs and spoke the name of Jesus. This would not have been easy. They lived in as pluralistic a world as we do here in Southern CA. People in their day were as “spiritual” as people here think they are. Most would have been OK with Peter and John if they had only loved people and said that everyone can have their own religion as they like. Let’s learn from them: The love of Jesus that flowed through them reached out both to meet the needs of people and to call them to find salvation in Jesus.
The story that began with a healing then culminates with Acts 4:12: “Salvation is found in no one else than Jesus, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Some Pastoral Advice for New Witnesses
All week, I’ve asked myself how I might help those at LAC who are new to the faith actually begin to live your life as a witness. Saying this, I must also say that newer believers are often the most effective witnesses because their experience of the love of God is so fresh and real!!). Here’s what I want you to consider doing:
- Name Drop – Find ways to identify with Jesus. In the course of talking with people, simply let them know that you are a Christian. I try to make sure I use the name of Jesus in the course of a conversation. I find people will sometimes come back to it on their own. Find ways to use the name of Jesus in your FB post or on Instagram. You don’t have to say everything you know about the Bible each time you speak to a person. Start by for opportunities to use Jesus’ name.
- Care About People as People – Peter and John cared about the lame man. They knew Jesus could do more in and through this man’s life than anyone had yet seen. So, they didn’t ignore the man simply because he was a beggar. They stopped. They entered into his life. They addressed the whole of his life – beginning with his physical need. You’ll find that when you do the same, i.e., caring about what a person is going through, that is often the beginning of effective witness both to the love and the truth of Jesus. Meet people with respect – even people very different from yourself. Sit down and share with them about Jesus. God often does more than you ever could imagine.
- Be Open About Your Experience with God – Remember that “witnesses” simply reports what they have personally experienced. Don’t pretend to be more perfect than you are. Don’t act like you know more than you know. Simply share the story of your faith. Share what’s happening in your life and how your faith in Jesus is changing things and giving you hope. The, don’t be afraid to ask about the religious views of those you are talking to – and genuinely listen. I’ll tell you this: If you’re faith in real and vibrant, people will sense it. I’m convinced you will lead others to trust him too.
- Keep Growing in Your Life as a Witness – Here, I remind you again of what Peter, the man who was witnessing in Acts 3-4, said to later Christians: In your heart revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15).
So, do this: Keeping learning what’s in the Bible. Learn what the Bible says about the questions people ask – so that you can give answer. In just a moment, I’ll ask Pastor Jeff Liou to come to tell you about some training we will soon be providing here at LAC so that you might become a more effective witness. I also recommend going to “ALPHA” course here at LAC yourself. ALPHA is series of courses that deals with the big questions of life, the questions people always ask. Go – and invite others to go with you. If you do, you’ll find it will open the door to many unforgettable conversations. And, sometimes a person will say, “I’m ready to follow Jesus right now!” Grow as a witness. Learn how to lead people to confess their sins, ask for the forgiveness of Christ and to trust in Jesus as Savior.
All this is why we specifically have in our LAC Guiding Statement, “We are a community that individually and corporately calls people to follow Jesus.” I’ll stop there and ask Pastor Jeff Liou, our Pastor of Missional Outreach to come now to discuss some very practical steps you can take to be a more effective witness today. As he comes, remember the important of this message. There is no human being who is not loved by God. There is no human being who is beyond the saving reach of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In his “last five minutes”, Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).”