Acts 1:6-11
God loves people. “For God so loved the world. . . “ John 3:16. Because God loves people He sent His Son to save people. God’s plan to save people is not finished. Jesus has done everything necessary for people to be saved, but not everyone has heard the good news of Jesus. God wants His people to share Jesus with them. We are part of God’s plan to save the world.
The disciples seem to still be focused on building a physical, politically kingdom for Israel where Jesus would conquer all opposing nations and kick out all the unrighteous religious leaders. Jesus wanted His people to focus on reaching the whole world with the gospel
I. We must share Jesus under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:48–49
The task was not easy and could not be completed in human strength. The power of God was needed. The unfinished task is still not easy. It cannot be completed in human strength. The power of God is needed. God promises to empower His people so they can share Jesus effectively.
There are many good things we can accomplish apart from God. (Well, apart from a cognizant dependence upon the Holy Spirit. We can’t even take a breath without God!) You can become wealthy apart from God. Advances in medicine and technology that benefit humanity have been made without God. Couples remain married without God. As a church, we can grow without God.
But, we cannot impact a generation for the glory of God and for their good without God! We need the Holy Spirit. We need His power. We need is illumination. We need His Boldness. We need His wisdom. We need Him working in our life and we need Him working in the life of those we are sharing with.
You can do a lot of things apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. But you cannot turn the world upside down for Jesus apart from God’s power.
2 Timothy 1:7 – For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Where are you weak when it comes to sharing Jesus? God wants to empower you for that very purpose! Do you need boldness to overcome fear of rejection? Do you need wisdom to know what to speak? Do you need compassion so you care for the spiritual condition of others? Do you need awe so you that you desire to see Jesus made known and famous?
II. We must share Jesus by declaring our personal experience of salvation.
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Revelation 12:11
We are not sharing something we have no clue whether it works or not. We are not like paid actors who are advertising products they have never used. We are sharing Jesus, the one who has personally saved us! We are called to bear witness to what we have seen and experienced. Unfortunately, Sunshine and I have been called to give our testimony in a very serious case on a couple of occasions. As we met with the DA to go over the trial He told us, I don’t want you to say anything to help the case or hurt the case. I just want you to share what you saw and experienced.
We aren’t deceiving people into trusting Jesus, we are just telling people what Jesus has done in our lives and what He can do in theirs.
A personal testimony includes 1. My life before Jesus 2. How I met Jesus 3. My life since I met Jesus. That is what Paul shared and then He told others how they to could personally receive Jesus.
Some say, I don’t haven’t anything to share. My testimony is so boring. Boring? How is it boring to say that I God sent his eternal Son to earth to die in my place to save me from eternity in Hell!
III. We must share Jesus everywhere He is not known.
God wants all peoples to have an opportunity to receive His Son. God’s love and salvation is for all peole, not just Israel. That means Jesus must be share everywhere.
Jerusalem – Our City, Our neighborhood, Our Block
Judea – Our county or our state
Samaria – other states, cultures (There were culturally, racial, and religious differences – The gospel overcomes all prejudism.)
The ends of the earth – all nations, cultures completley different than ours. We are trying to make their culture like ours, we are taking Jesus to their culture!
This is a summary of the book of Acts – A growing influence upon the world, An expanding witness to all peoples!
IV. We must share Jesus in expectation of His return.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2 Peter 3:11–13
Just as Jesus ascended bodily, He will return bodily. He first came as a lamb to be slaughtered, He will come again as a Lion to rule.
He will be the righteous judge of all who reject Him and choose to remain in their sin. He will hold Christian accountable to whether or not they shared Him faithfully to others. The watchman who is responsible.
There should be a since of urgency because He can come anytime, unexpectedly. Like a thief in the night.
When will He come again? Let’s let Jesus answer that.
Some say that Mayan people predicted the end of the world to be December 21, 2012. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Jesus ain’t coming back on December 21, 2012. Maybe the 20th. Maybe the 22nd. But not the 21st. If Jesus didn’t know, I’m pretty sure the Mayan didn’t!
The point is we are not to be overly consumed with date of His return, we are to focus on doing what He has called us to do until He does. Faithfulness.
When He comes (or when He takes you home), will you be ready? Will you be found faithfully serving Him. Are you prepared knowing that you have received Him as your personal Savior?
