We Are His Witnesses

Introduction - When we come to the fifth chapter of Acts, we already have seen how God has enabled this small band of men to begin fulfilling what He had told them in Acts 1:8 “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.”

In chapter 2, we have the promise of the Father, and then Peter and the apostles empowered by the Holy Spirit preach and 3000 receive Christ as their Savior.

In chapter 3, an amazing thing, the lame beggar is healed. By the beginning of Acts chapter 4, we discover that five thousand more receive Christ as their Savior. )

In this chapter, we see the apostles prisoned for a second time (the first is recorded in Acts 4:3).

On this occasion the Lord sends an angel to release them, and commands them to Go, Stand, and Speak in the temple to the people.

I like the phrase in particular found in verses 20, “…the words of this life.”

When the officers of the court go to bring the prisoners to the high priest and the high council they find them not there.

Where were they?

Verse 25 tells us “25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.”

Can you imagine such a thing?

Released marvelously from prison — they venture at the Lord’s command through the messenger of an angel and go into the Temple to preach the gospel.

Now notice our text once again beginning in verse 28.

Acts 5:28–32 “28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

Would you make note of the expression in verse 32, the first part of the verse, “And we are his witnesses of these things…”

Let’s Pray

There is a real program that exists called the United States Federal Witness Protection Program. (WPP)

Some may of thought that this is something out of the movies. But there is in fact a program designed to “relocate and protect a witness of a federal government or a state government in a official proceeding concerning organized crime or other serious offences.” (Wikapedia)

“Most witnesses are protected by the United States Marshals Service under the Department of Justice, while the protection of incarcerated witnesses is the duty of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.” (Wikipedia)

In some extreme cases there are in fact folks who end up under a lifetime protective status due to the nature of the witness and the crimes involved.

“As of 2020 approximately 19,000 witnesses and family members have been protected.”

Now I imagine for those who are engaged in that program for life, perhaps wish they did not have to be branded as a witness for life.

But the fact remains that they cannot ever not be a witness of those things.

My friend, I want to drive home the following point that is emphasized I believe in this passage.

Notice again was is stated in verse 32, “And we are witnesses his witnesses of these things…”

I want us to read another passage very briefly and connect these two together.

Turn over to Luke 24 and notice with me beginning in verse 46.

Luke 24:46–49 “46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved 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 among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”

We see these words are almost exactly the same as what we find in Acts 5.

The difference is in who is speaking them.

The Lord Jesus Christ told the disciples, “Ye are witnesses of these things.”

They were to be witnesses of the life, death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is what the Lord tells them in verses 46-47. They would deliver the gospel message beginning at Jerusalem.

But before they could go, they were to tarry in Jerusalem and wait to be endued with power — the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Now turn back to our passage.

Would you notice again verse 32.

Acts 5:32 “32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

In Luke 24, the Lord tells them they are witnesses, here in Acts 5, Peter and the apostles state, We are his witnesses.

There are a great many people my friend, that are witnesses but do not personally recognize that they are witnesses.

They take the fact that the Lord has sent them to preach the gospel. They understand that by virtue of the new birth, the Bible says they hold this treasure in their earthen vessel, but they may never get to the point where they embrace the truth that they are witnesses for the God of all Creation, all Heaven and all of Earth, the Lord Jesus Christ.

My friend let me give you 3 points very quickly concerning this statement in verse 32.

We need:

The Realization of the Many who are witnesses.

Would you make note of the word “we” at the head of the verse?

Of course, Peter and the apostles are referring to their own company, the Christians that they knew in that time. But my friend as we read these words today, some 2000 years later, do you realize that you and I are part of the “we” as well.

Can I encourage you this day, even before we pray and leave out to hang some Doorhangers this day? The Lord has many witnesses. In fact, not only our there many Christians in the world today, there are also many who take seriously this matter of being a witness for the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Realization of the Fact we are a witness.

The fact is that we are witnesses. Not only are we witnesses, but we are his witnesses.

Peter and the apostles state the truth not as if someone was telling them so, but in truth, that they claimed and possessed for themselves.

When we come to this understanding ourselves, we understand who we are in this world.

There are cults out there that in their very name claim to be witnesses. And what drives them is a false gospel. But they believe, some no doubt in sincerity that they are witnesses.

My friend when you come to understand that you are a witness, it becomes not just a thing we do on Saturday, it is who we are.

And I want to tell you as I read this passage of Scripture, I see in the words of the apostles and Christians, they understood— this is not something they do, this is who they are.

No only do we have the realization of the many and the realization of the fact, but lastly would you notice with me the realization of the presence and power of God.

The Realization of the Presence and Power of God with witnesses.

Notice one last time what we read in this verse.

Acts 5:32 “32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.”

I believe we forget that we have the presence and power of God. We forget sometimes that the Holy Spirit testifies of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“So manifest and decided was the presence of God attending them, that “they” could have no doubt that what they said was true” (Albert Barnes)

The Bible says in John 15:26 “26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”

The word translated as ‘testify’ in John 15:26 is the verb form of the word ‘witness’ we find in Acts 5 .

The presence and power of God is with us my friend as we testify of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:9 tells us, “9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

Maybe during this week it would do us all well to reckon on this simple truth, We Are Witnesses.

Let’s Pray