The Gospel Goes Out

Introduction

Scripture

Father God, we thank You for Who You are. A great Big God who sees each and every one of us here and cares deeply about us. We ask this day, as we are continuing in this time of worship to You, reading Your Word and hearing Your Word, that You refine us with it. Mold us, make us, shape us, rearrange us so that we can more like You, and more made into the image of Christ. Help us be a people who love You and love others so much, that we are moved into action by whatever it is You are going to show us about Yourself today and what that means in our lives. Help us do this, because all to often our selfish and sinless flesh war against our will to follow Yours. As we are doing this, and as we are coming into Your Word today, we ask that You take away any distraction that we may have, and make it go as far away as it possible can, because we want to see and we want to know You better. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.

4 While he was[a] with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?”7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”

Context

Today, we complete a journey that we began on Jan 8th, 2023; this of course was through our expository, verse by verse sermon series through the book of Acts. In today’s sermon, we will be doing a recap of sorts, going through some of the key points through this book of the Acts of the Apostles.

This book itself, was written by Luke, who also wrote the The Gospel of Luke, and these two books, Luke-Acts have historically been included in manuscripts and bibles together, as their were written both by Luke and to the same person, Theophilus, who was most likely a helper and benefactor of Luke. This book was in and of itself, a sort of missionary report of all the goings on in the early Christian church. All through this book/report, we see a continued theme, a theme that Jesus had told the disciples before he ascended back into heaven. This is, that Jesus gave a command to go and share the Gospel far and wide (Jerusalem, nearby), (Judea and Sarmaria, close but to people a little different then us) and to the ends of the earth (everyone, everywhere, and to people very much unlike us) through and with the empowerment of the promised gift of the Holy Spirit.

So, we can say that this book has three division (The Gospel shared in Jerusalem), (The Gospel Shared in Judea and Samaria), and (The Gospel shared to the ends of the earth). This mission and commission given by Jesus to the apostles and believers everywhere, of course could not be fulfilled without the empowerment of God the Holy Spirit, who’s primary ministry is to point others to Jesus. So, what’s clear about this to you believer, it’s that God gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit for a reason. So, let's dive into some of the key moments in the books of Acts and from them, I want you to see, be a part of, and do these actions that The Holy Spirit enacts as The Gospel Goes Out.

Message

The first action I want you to see and be a part of is to be: Spirit Empowered Witness’s (Acts 1:4-11)

These verses, we might call them part b, of what Luke wrote regarding what Jesus said and did after He met his disciples in Galilee and before he ascended back into Heaven, some 40 days after his resurrection. Here, Jesus gave the disciples a command to go to Jerusalem and not leave this place until they receive the Father’s promise. What was this? That they would be baptized (that is given) The Holy Spirit. In excitement, they mistakenly ask Jesus if was going to restore Israel now. Jesus tells them, you will not know this time, when Israel will be restored (in fact, we are still awaiting this day ourselves). The Father has this under His own direction and authority. In the meantime, you will receive power, for the Holy Spirit will come upon and within you, and he will empower you to be my witness in Jerusalem, Judean and Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

There is a story of a young man, who had recently joined the army, who decided that he was going to be a witness for Jesus in his rough and tumble world and unit. You see, he had a habit back home, that he thought he would continue. This was that every night, before he went to bed, he would place his bible on his bed, and kneel next to it to pray and read. One night, with loud swearing men all around, he did just that. As he did it, the room fell silent, no one said anything until he had finished. The next day, he did it again, with a few others joining him in the habit. By the end of the month, every man had approached him with questions about Jesus and their need for relief for what we know would be troubles due to the curse of sin. This young man let the Holy Spirit convict him to continue his honoring of God, which would lead to a public witness that would see others saved.

Believer, God gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit for a reason. He doesn’t come to dwell in you for no reason. No, God seals you with promise of the Holy Spirit, thus his very presence in you for many reasons. Chief of these reasons though, is that you would be a witness (a sharer) of Jesus with others. That is, The Holy Spirit uses you as His vessel to perform His ministry of pointing others to Jesus. Jesus then makes a person right with the Father when they submit to Him; The Father then sends The Holy Spirit, all of this circles around into Kingdom Growth both in number (new people added to the kingdom) and in your own spiritual growth as you learn to rely and love Him more. So, then, be Spirit Empowered Witnesses of Jesus. Do not go about in fear, go forward bravely with a purpose and a great hope, for God the Holy Spirit empowers you and Jesus commissioned you to do just that. So, remember God’s words to Israel through the prophet Isaiah, this is a promise to them and a promise to you; So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. So, be Spirit empowered witnesses.

Let's look at The next action I want you to see and be a part of is a: Spirit Enabled Church (Acts 2).

The next key moment in Acts is the Events that happened on the day of Pentecost, while the disciples were in Jerusalem. So, the fulfillment of them being Christ’s witnesses in Jerusalem. This was a day of importance for the Jewish people, known both as Pentecost and the Feast of Weeks, it was an important religious Holiday, so all Jerusalem would have been filled with religious pilgrims and worshipers. On this day, The Promise of the Holy Spirit came upon them while they were all together. Suddenly, they were given supernatural power, the ability to speak in languages they never had spoken or studied before, but many in the crowds would know. They went out, giving God glory in every word, witnessing Jesus.

Then, Peter himself, with a crowd in front of him, rose up and spoke from them from the scriptures, about how Jesus was the long awaited messiah, the savior of us all. The crowd called out in response to his message, “What should we do!?” Peter tells them, “ “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” In that moment, 3000 people become believers, followers of Jesus Christ the righteous. Now 3000 plus, with the gift of the Holy Spirit upon them, the text tells us they were filled with awe as they observed everything God had done and was doing through the apostles. They committed themselves to Christ, selling their possessions and distributing the proceeds, then it says they devoted themselves to: “the apostles teaching, fellowship, to breaking bread together, and to prayer.”

So, did you notice that? What does a church that is acting in the enablement of the power of the Holy Spirit do? They devote themselves to teaching (that is both taking it in, and doing the teaching). They devote themselves to being together, encouraging one another, and helping one another. They devote themselves to sharing life, time, and meals together. And they devote themselves to prayer. So, what then is at the heart of all these actions that a Holy Spirit enabled church does? At the heart of it is the 2 great commandments and the great commission. To Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples. God gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit for a reason. A big reason is not just for your benefit and the people around you, but also for the church. That is, this particular church you are in and are a member of (LaFayette Baptist Church) but also for The Christian Church (that is, believers everywhere). The Holy Spirit gives you, each and every one of you, gifts and dispositions for the growth and increase of God’s kingdom. So, if you are not using your giftings for that, for the growth and increase of God’s kingdom both inside already made believers and the growth and increase of new believers, then let me ask you. What are you doing?..... Why are you squandering a gift that God has given you? Earlier this year, we did a spiritual gift survey, so, are you doing or fulfilling or verifying those gifts that you have? Have you approached a leader within your church to see if you are 1. Using your gift or 2, how you can cultivate it? If you need a reminder of what your results said, don’t let that stop you, I can share them with you after service. So, let’s endeavor to be a spirit empowered church, and not one where He is not honored, remembered, and ignored.

The third action I want you to see and be a part of is the: Spirit Poured Out (Acts 10)

Another key moment in Acts is when Peter has a vision and is prompted to go meet the Roman Centurion named Cornelius. We would find this in the “Witness in Judea and Samaria” division within acts, as the town of Caesarea that Cornelius lived in was in the region of Samaria. Now granted, this is not the beginning of the gospel going their, as in previous chapters we saw Phillip the Evangelist (one of the 7 chosen men) go out as well. However, this moment, was critical in the early church, and for Peter, as now he (the key leader of the church after Jesus left) realized that indeed, Jesus meant it when he said that salvation would be given to the gentiles as well, instead of the old ways of it just being given to the Jews with only a few small exceptions. In this moment, Paul receives a vision of unclean animals, to which he hears from God the words, “Rise Peter, Kill and eat.” Peter at first refuses, but hears from God the words, “What I have made clean, do not call unclean.” At the end of this vision, men that Cornelius had sent to retrieve Peter and bring him to him (as cornelius had a vision as well) arrived to retrieve him. Peter willingly went, and shared the gospel with those gentile believers, and witnessed the Holy Spirit pour Himself out and come upon those believers, and Peter, recognizing the significance of the moment, baptized them.

Turn with me, in your bible, to Romans chapter 5, starting in verse 1…….. Paul writes about the Holy Spirit to the Romans here, Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace[a] with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through him by faith[b] into this grace in which we stand, and we boast[c] in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

God’s love is poured out to us by the Holy Spirit. In turn, the Holy Spirit Himself is poured out as an act of Love. A love from God to the person fallen in sin, a love from the repenting fallen person of God as The Holy Spirit reveals Himself in, through, and to a person. Also, and importantly, you cannot forget our part of that as someone on the outside, who God has called to share Jesus’ offer of salvation with others, when this offer is accepted, immediately The Holy Spirit indwells, who ministers by pointing to Jesus, Jesus ministers by pointing to the Father, and The Father sends The Spirit….. God gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit for a reason. So, submit yourself to one of those reasons as an act of loving God, loving people, and making disciples. Be a part of the Holy Spirit being poured out in others in whatever and whichever way that God convicts you.

Another action I want you to see and do is: Spirit shown mission (Acts 28)

Not so long ago (last week) we saw what happened at the end of the books of Acts. Of course, this was the end of Paul’s missionary journey (while under arrest) to the city of Rome. Finally, after great difficulty and lots of personal peril, he made it to Rome, and had the opportunity for 2 entire years to just as Jesus told him he would, to witness the name of Jesus in Rome, just as he had done in Jerusalem. For two years, people came into Paul's home and freely and openly without hindrance heard about Jesus, and a great many responded in faith to Jesus’ offer of salvation. But, before he did that, do you know what Paul did? He did as was always his custom, he went to the Jewish population in the town, and shared Jesus with them. As per usual, their would be mixed results. Some would, some wouldn’t, and so it has always been. At the end of his address, Paul said to them bickering crowd, “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your[e] ancestors through the prophet Isaiah 26 when he said,Go to these people and say: You will always be listening, but never understanding; and you will always be looking,but never perceiving. 27 For the hearts of these people have grown callous, their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.[f] 28 Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

The Holy Spirit made it clear to Paul here, the mission zone for him the Gentiles, who would hear him. And I can say with absolute confidence, that every person in this room today, can in some way shape or form find their spiritual heritage from Paul’s missions (which were many) to the Gentiles (people who are not from Jewish ancestry). God gave you the gift of the Holy Spirit for a reason. So then, what is your spirit shown mission that God has called you to? What is our Spirit Shown Mission? That God has called our church to? To me, this is obvious. Here it is: The mission of LaFayette Baptist Church is to be and make disciples that: Love God, Love People, and Make Disciples. Throughout the ages, decades, and generations, how this mission manifests itself will be different; but the heart will always be the same, that God is pointed to, honored, and loved near and far.

Conclusion

Beloved, I cannot tell you precisely you will live that out. Many of you hear having been living it out in a way that is best for you for a long time, maybe that needs to change, maybe that needs to stay the same, maybe that needs to be altered a little. Many of you are still figuring that out, what the Holy Spirit has called you to precisely. Whatever category you find yourself in, let me tell you, There is no great secret to discovering and relying on the Holy Spirit, His empowerment, His particular mission for you. All you have to do iw earnestly ask Him, and train yourself to hear Him/Know Him/ and Perceive Him better. What i’m saying is, it’s only a mystery so long as you let it be, ask Him to reveal it, and keep your eyes open, and He will indeed do it; because He is God and He is ready for you to be a part of God’s glory.

With all of that being said, I would be remised if I didn’t share the Gospel (or the Good News) of Jesus Christ with you today, for the benefit of both believer and non-believer in the room. This begins all the way back at the beginning, God created everything, and he created all things good. He gave His most treasured creation (us, mankind) the ability of free will, the ability to choose Him or rebellion. Man was deceived by Satan and desired to be like God and sinned (or rebelled against God). This brought the curse of sin and death into the world and it remains with us to this day; which separates us from God. God though, loved His creation (mankind) so much that He worked through history to redeem all mankind that would turn to Him from sin so that we can experience a full and perfect relationship with Him again. This was through the perfect and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the pay for sins. Accepting this free gift from God, makes you new and forgiven. All you have to do accept this free gift by repenting and believing in the Lord Jesus and you will get to experience the good side of God’s justice forever. So, now that you know this, you can no longer plead ignorance. I invite and urge you to respond today non-believer and apply this to every part of your life believers in the audience today.

With that, Let’s conclude. Brothers and Sisters, I love you all. During our last song together, if you need prayer, or want to talk more about Jesus, or have something you want to talk about, I’ll be here, don’t be afraid to come on down. Let’s pray. Father God, we thank You for who You are and what You are doing to us here in this place. May whatever it is that You are doing in each of heart here, continue as we leave go out into the world this week. Change us, mold us, make us, re-arrange us, that we can be both better lovers of You and better showers of You. It’s in these things that I ask and in Jesus Christ’s Holy and precious name that I pray, Amen.