I'm a Witness. Are You?

Acts 1:6-8 NRSV - 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ 7 He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ 

In this account penned by Dr. Luke, Jesus has come to the end of his post passion experience. He has taught the disciples all they needed to know to carry out the mission he was about to give them.

They had spent the last three years with Jesus. Watching, walking, living, eating, learning, and experiencing things no one else had been privy to. And now they had just spent 40 days with the resurrected Savior, yet, they still failed to understand Jesus’s purpose for coming.

In verse four the disciples were assembled with Jesus and he gave them their final instructions. They were to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father.

Then Jesus tells them, “This is what you have heard from me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Their next question is, and this is how you know they still didn’t get it. Verse six says, “...they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’”

They are still looking for an earthly kingdom. They had not yet received what, or should I say who, they needed to better understand their assignment.

It was no longer merely about the kingdom of Israel, it’s now about the Kingdom of God.

It was no longer about one group of people, it’s now about all God’s people.

It was no longer about one region of the globe, it’s about the whole earth.

Jesus was such a patient man, he begins by telling them, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.”

You don’t need to know the whole plan to carry out your mission. In essence, the answer to that question has nothing to do with what you’re supposed to be doing.

When God gives you an assignment, he may or may not give you all the information that you may want to know. What you need to know is that everything God tells you to do is according to His divine design and if you follow his plan you will have success in your life.

That’s not to say there won’t be struggles, trials, or tribulations, but know that any and all of those things come to get you to the place God wants you to be, doing what he has gifted, appointed, and anointed you to do.

But before you go I need to tell you this. You can be in your own little corner of the world, carrying out the will of God, fulfilling your assignment and still trials and tribulations will come. But they have a purpose. How can I say that?

Romans 5:3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Trials and tribulations have purpose. How can I say that?

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Trials and tribulations have purpose. How can I say that?

Because Jesus said in

John 16:33b In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

There will be times that things don’t go your way.

There will be times when you may have the best of intentions and people will still rise up against you.

There will be times when what you say is misinterpreted, misunderstood or just plain taken out of context...don’t stop speaking, don’t stop working, don’t stop moving forward.

There will be times you’re just not feeling it.

Make the necessary adjustments and continue to move forward. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. The KJV says it this way, “Be instant in season and out of season.” That particular text was instruction given to Timothy about preaching, but it’s for you too with whatever your assignment may be.

Your assignment is in God’s hand and in his timing.

Now here’s the really good part.

Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;”

This is where the understanding will come from.

This is how you’ll know when to move.

This is how you’ll know what to do.

This is how you’ll know where to go.

This is how you’ll know what to say.

This is where you’ll get your strength.

This is where you’ll get your stamina.

This is where you’ll get your drive.

This is where you’ll get your tenacity.

This is where you’ll be able to move forward and carry out your assignment with conviction, confidence, and courage. All because you’re connected to a power that is beyond anything you could ever imagine.

When you receive the power of the Holy Ghost, something happens and you’re made whole. Joy will flood your soul. Joy unspeakable joy.

When you truly receive the Holy Spirit, and you allow him to have authority in and over your life, that’s when you’re made whole.

That’s when you can have peace in the midst of the storm.

That’s when you can smile through your tears.

That’s when you can persevere through your pain.

That’s when you can press on through your problem.

That’s when you can face that obstacle and having done all, to stand.

I believe with everything I am, from the depths of my soul that we are born with a space in us that only God can fill. I believe that until we turn our lives over to Christ we will never be fulfilled.

You can have a lot of money, a big house, an expensive car, a great job, a lot of friends and in one swoop it and they can all be gone.

Being in the military we moved a bit. Less than some and more than others. But, our moves didn’t always come at convenient times, we didn’t always get to finish something we had started. We had to sell a few homes and that didn’t always work out. We had to search for a new home, a new school, a new church, in a new city, at a new base. We had to establish new relationships and friendships, and we had to leave others behind.

It wasn’t always comfortable, in fact, sometimes it was downright painful and distressing. There were some tears, there was some angst, but we got through it.

God brought us through it all and we made new friendships and relationships, we explored new areas of the world.

We grew in knowledge, we gained new experiences and discovered new things about ourselves.

When you allow the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon you, when you allow him to dwell within you, your life will change forever and it will change for the better.

And the very last thing Jesus said to his disciples before his ascension was; “… and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

It sounds a lot like “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This was no longer just about the children of Israel. Jesus had come to seek and to save the lost, all the lost.

Jesus told them they would be his witnesses. If you’ll remember it was witnesses who lied about Jesus that perpetuated his crucifixion.

But these witnesses were his. A witness substantiates what is true. A witness stands up and says yes that is correct, I saw it. Otherwise it is inadmissible and the testimony will not be allowed.

You may be saying, but I’ve never seen Jesus, how can I be a witness?

Have you received God’s grace? If you’re hearing this message, I’m going to say you have.

Have you seen God’s miracles? You may not think so, but let’s review.

If you’ve held a newborn baby and hugged their mother, you’ve seen a miracle.

If you’ve seen a tree grow, you’ve seen a miracle.

If you’ve felt the warmth of the sun on your skin, you’ve seen a miracle.

If you’ve experienced a change of season, you’ve seen a miracle.

So, that makes you a witness.

Absolutely that assignment was given to the disciples because they had witnessed firsthand the power and love of Jesus Christ, but so are we now, if we choose to acknowledge and believe.

You may never have been and may never go to the regions of the world formerly known as Jerusalem, Judea or Samaria, so if you live here, be his witnesses in Douglasville, Douglas County, Atlanta, Georgia, North America, and to the ends of the earth.

Your witness about the goodness of the Lord can start in your house, but don’t stop there. Don’t get stagnate or discouraged if they fail to respond. Jesus was not received by his own, in fact Mk 6:4 Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” 5 And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.”

He wasn’t able to do many miracles in his own hometown because the people refused to see him as anything other than the carpenter’s son. Sometimes it’s your own family who can never see you or accept who God has called you to be.

But here’s the thing, your belief does not affect God’s capability, but it does affect his ability to work in your situation.

Despite your circumstance, despite your situation God is still omnipotent, God is still omniscient, and God is still omnipresent. He is a never changing God, the same yesterday, today, and forever more.

When’s the last time you told someone about Jesus? When’s the last time you invited someone to church? I’ve asked this before, but I have another question for you. If you’ve been outside your house and it’s been longer than a week, why?

Tell God why not. If you have, praise God, you have made the invitation, now it’s on them to receive and respond to it.

Church, as you look around, you can see we have work to do. Not just in filling the sanctuary, but also in carrying out the ministry.

This is where our online family can help out. If you are blessed by this ministry we would like you to commit to being a recurring financial partner with us.

Those who commit to a recurring gift of just $10 a month or more will receive access to a monthly online daily devotional. Our goal is to have 500 partners. The details are coming soon, but please plan to start your recurring gift today. Your $10.00 donation can purchase 40 pounds of food.

Whether you realize it or not, whether you recognize it or not, whether you acknowledge it or not you have the choice and the opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to come upon you, to dwell in your heart.

All you have to do is wait.

Who am I waiting for? The Father.

What am I waiting for? The promise.

When will I get it? Not many days from now.

Where am I waiting? Wherever your quiet spot is, the place where you can go and meet God.

Why am I waiting? Because the Holy Spirit will come.

How long will it take for him to get here? You can have him right now, because we’re told in Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

All is takes is a prayer of repentance similar to this. “Father God, I confess I’m a sinner, I love you Lord, I believe you are the Son of God, that you were born of a virgin, that you died for my sins and that you rose again and now sit at the right hand of the Father interceding on my behalf. I ask you to come into my life. I give you my heart. In you’re name I pray. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time, welcome to the family of God, now find yourself a Bible believing Bible teaching church where you can learn what it truly is to live for Christ.

If you live in the Douglasville, GA are come join us at 3500 Hwy 5, Sunday school begins at 8:45 and worship service begins at 10.

Are you waiting for the power of God to fall fresh? Have you created an atmosphere that is conducive for his appearing? The Lord cannot dwell in an unclean temple.

But don’t fall into the trap of trying to wait until you have it all together before you come, you’ll never make here.

We are all a work in progress, come as you are and allow the Holy Spirit to clean you up. He can do it in ways where you don’t have to worry about hurting others and you’ll be happy to go.

And if you prayed that prayer for the fist time, send us an email and let us know so we can pray with and for you.

We all have an assignment, it’s simple; tell others about Jesus so they have the opportunity for eternal too.

The Holy Spirit is there to help you, let him in.