An Effective Witness
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4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
A quest for relationship
A quest for relationship
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Choosing Sides
Choosing Sides
25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies),
26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him.
Not everybody is with God
++Some fight against God
++Some rebel against God
++Some dismiss God
30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
Jesus calls his disciples
Jesus calls his disciples
14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach,
15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:
Jesus called his disciples
++To be with him
++To send them
++To empower them
Jesus in his life
++The Way of God
++The Will of God
++The work of God
He spoke of His relationship to God
++From a human perspective
++Sonship
++Fatherhood
++Oneness
He also spoke of his purpose.
He also spoke of his purpose.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Even after his death burial and resurrection found still his greatest earthly comfort being with his disciples
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
Jesus is with them
Jesus is with them
It is one thing to be with God and another to know that God is with you.
23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
This is the witness that you have heard from me
++Stay together
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!
3 It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.
13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;
This is the witness that you have heard from me
Stay together
++Wait in Jerusalem
Why Jerusalem?
Why Jerusalem?
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
This is the witness that you have heard from me
Stay together
Wait in Jerusalem
++Receive the Promise of the Father
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
The Power of the Holy Spirit
The Power of the Holy Spirit
You will need more than
++Ceremonial cleansing
++Prophetic word
++Religious service
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Why do we need the Holy Spirit?
Why do we need the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit
++Clarifies truth
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
The Holy Spirit
Clarifies truth
++Activated faith
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
The Holy Spirit
Clarifies truth
Activated faith
++Declares the Lordship of Jesus
3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Declares Jesus
The Holy Spirit Declares Jesus
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Temporary focus
Temporary focus
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
There is in every culture, ethnic group and even church a desire for significance.
The Holy Spirit connects us to our purpose.
The Holy Spirit connects us to our purpose.
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
A vision reveals potential power
A vision reveals potential power
Look what the Lord has done
Look what the Lord has done
God
++That knew you
++Sanctified you
++Ordained you
God created you with purpose
God created you with purpose
Did Jeremiah have a choice?
Did Jeremiah have a choice?
A relationship with God
++Helps us understand who we are
++Reveals our purpose
++Makes life make sense
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, But at the end it shall speak, and not lie: Though it tarry, wait for it; Because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
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.
Were does the power come from?
Were does the power come from?
Potential power
++Is always available
++Has an access point
++Only speaks to the possibilities
20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
An effective witness
++Knows God’s Word
++Walks in God’s Will
++Honors God’s Word