You Can't Have A Gospel Without the Word, "Go"

Acts 1:4–11 ESV

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed 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 and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Introduction: Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn’t able to buy it.

Acts 1:4-

Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner’s home and offered to buy the violin.

The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. “Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?” he asked.

Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector’s emotions were deeply stirred. “I have no right to keep that to myself,” he exclaimed. “It’s yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.”

Gods has placed into our hands a treasure which is far more valuable than a exquisite violin. But, instead of giving it to the world - as God intended - we have put it in our own little display case, locked away under glass so that we can admire it for ourselves.

We have no right to keep it to ourselves when Jesus has told us to take it to the world. Yes, I’m preaching on THAT subject again. Some of us need to be reminded of what we ought to be doing and some need to be reprimanded for refusing to do what Jesus commanded us to do.

Do we have a burden for the Lost or have we lost our burden?

As we look at the passage today, we need to ask some basic questions that will reveal where we stand with Christ in terms of our obedience to his command to be witnesses.

WHO IS OUR MASTER? (vv. 4-5)

Church: Jesus is our Master.

That concept might seem like church 101 as well it should. It is one of the things that we as believers ought to learn and know from the beginning of our walk with Christ.

Colossians 1:17–18 ESV

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

Colossians

Ephesians 5:22–23 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.

Ephesians 5:22–25 ESV

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Ephesians

Ephesians 2

The truth is this: We may say we believe the Christ is the Head of the church but in practice, we operate as if we are.

Do we put serious matters to prayer and seek God’s will first or do we plan, present and pray that God will bless our plan?

Do we put more trust in our processes and procedures than we do in the Savior and Shepherd of our souls?

Do we believe that where God guides, He provides? Or do we think it’s our job to hold on to the very last nickel so we can pay the last bill?

WHAT IS HIS MANDATE? (v. 8)

Who died for the church? Did you? Did I?

No, Christ died for the church, was buried and rose again on the third day.

Sometimes we are tempted to think that the church belongs to us because we have given money or our name has been on the roll for 40 years.

And when we think that the church belongs to us, we will find ourselves running it according to our own personal preferences and desires.

If Christ is our Master, then we must submit to His leadership.

As our master, he sets the mission. He gives the marching orders. He issues the mandates. Our job is to follow his leadership by seeking His face in humble submission to his will.

Illus. I heard it put this way at the SBC annual meeting pastor’s conference. If I bought a train ticket to some destination, do I get to lay the tracks? Hardly! Does the conductor get to lay the tracks? He might check the tickets and make sure the train runs efficiently under his headship, but he doesn’t get to lay the track either. The owner of the train lays the track. The train must follow the track. If the train tries to go where there is no track, what will happen?

We don’t get to lay the track upon which the church follows. The track is the mission. The train is the church. Christ has already laid the track; we just follow it. If we don’t follow his track, His mandate, we won’t go anywhere.

WHAT IS HIS MANDATE? (v. 8)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...

In this verse, the word for witness in the original language is the same word that we get the word “martyr” from. But don’t panic…it doesn’t mean you are going to die to you try to witness to others.

There are many Christians who are in danger of being held in contempt of Court…or worse, they have plead the fifth amendment.

In this verse, the word for witness in the original language is the same word that we get the word “martyr” from. But don’t panic…it doesn’t mean you are going to die to you try to witness to others.

A witness is one who gives testimony to an event, person or circumstance. So a witness is one who has seen something, experienced something, heard something.

There are 3 requirements necessary for one to be a witness...

(1) A witness must have seen or experienced that about which he or she seeks to bear witness.

(2) A witness must tell others what he or she knows.

(3) A witness must remain loyal to the end.

While the disciples in this account had physically seen Jesus, Believers today have experienced Jesus and his life changing power.

The mandate here is to be his witnesses. You and I have a divine subpoena to testify to this broken world of all we have seen and heard concerning Christ the healer of the broken-hearted.

There are many Christians who are in danger of being held in contempt of Court…or worse, they have pled the fifth amendment.

Listen, I have heard all the arguments as to why people don’t witness so many times…I get that. But this is not a mandate that we must undertake alone.

Prior to telling them that they would be his witnesses, he told them that they would be empowered for the task by the Holy Spirit of God.

You will receive power...

In fact, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit was so critical to their mission, they were commanded not to leave Jerusalem until they had received the Gift of the Spirit.

Howard Hendricks pointed out that "It’s not, “You are going to be witnesses and then receive power,” but the other way around: “You are going to receive power, the result of which is, you are going to be witnesses.”

He then went on to share this illustration: suppose one of my female seminary students gets engaged over the summer. In the fall, she walks into my class, and the first thing you know she’s waving her ring finger in front of my face. I never have to beg her to show me her ring. No, there’s something inside that compels her to take the initiative. She’s in love with a man, and she’s got co share it. She can’t keep it to herself.

That’s the kind of dynamic Luke wants us to see in this passage. As a result of what the apostles receive, they are going to be witnesses. But whose witnesses? Christ’s witnesses. His by personal identification. They are going to represent Him.

WHAT MEANS WILL HE USE? (v. 8)

To fulfill this mandate of being witnesses, God chose to use ordinary people. None of these men standing with him that day had seminary degrees or political pull or impressive resumes.

What they did have was the Holy Spirit and three years of discipleship with Jesus.

That is the pattern revealed in scripture over and over again…God saves ordinary people, fills them with His Spirit, and then sends them back out to make disciples who will make disciples.

2 Timothy 2:2 ESV

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

Robby Gallaty Said: “Could it be that we have spent a lot of our time teaching people what they're saved from, and we haven't spent time teaching people what they're saved for?”

He doesn’t mean we are saved for heaven, we are saved to make disciples.

As I think about that, I thought of the conversation that took place between Jesus and Peter and the disciples when he asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” After they responded, he then asked, “Who do you say that I am?”

As I think about that, I thought of the conversation that took place between Jesus and Peter and the disciples when he asked, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” After they responded, he then asked, “Who do you say that I am?”

Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That was Peter’s witness - his testimony. Jesus then went on to say that on this rock - this truth - I will build my church. I’m glad he didn’t “upon this truth I will build my church, but first, let’s form a pastor search committee so you guys will have someone to do the job for you.”

August Boto - the Interim president of our SBC executive committee said during the SBC annual meeting, said, “I do not see anywhere in scripture the idea that the NT church had to hire more ministers so that they could tell more people about Jesus.”

So tag…you’re it. You are the means. You can't just come in to church on Sunday morning and audit the sermon and expect to get a diploma. You have to put in the work.

WHERE IS OUR MISSION FIELD? (v. 8)

He then goes on to tell them where they were to be witnesses.

He begins with where they are - Jerusalem. It was the epicenter of their mission. It would serve as a sending base. But he didn’t stop there: he said Judea and Samaria and even to the ends of the earth.

I do find it interesting that the writer of Acts, Dr. Luke, chronicles their effort to obey Christ.

shows their effort to reach Jerusalem

shows their efforts to reach Judea and Samaria

shows Paul’s missionary journeys to the ends of the earth (As they perceived them at the time.)

We have an ever increasing circle of concern that is our mission field. We start in our own neighborhood and work our way to the nations: locally and globally.

Ever drop a rock into a still pond? You know the splash is biggest near the impact point, but the ripples quickly move outward to cover the surface of the pond.

I have heard people say this, “We don’t need to go to all those other places, we haven’t reached our community yet.” I must admit, my first inclination is to say, “Well bless your heart...”

I have two responses to that. (1) It’s not a matter of what we need or even what we want; it’s a matter of what we have been commanded to do. (2) What time and day works best for you that I can come by and pick you up? I’m always in need to help.

Let me translate for you what people mean when they say, “we are not reaching our community.” That is code for, “The church isn’t doing enough for me and my family.”

Let me sum it up for you in the words of John Stott using an expression that came out of the First International Congress on World Evangelization convened by Billy Graham. It takes the whole church to bring the whole gospel to the whole world.

Watch this video explanation that sums it up better than I do: YouTube video.

WHERE

LET’S MAKE IT HAPPEN! (vv. 9-11)

After Jesus ascended to heaven, we see the disciples standing, staring at the clouds that he had just passed through. I’m not sure if they were dumbfounded or in awe. I do know that I have seen that look before…on Sunday morning…after the message is over...

What do we do now? Is it over? Is he coming back? How can we go on without him? There were many questions that the could have asked.

Two men appeared to them in white robes - probably angels. And they said, “What ya’ll hanging around here for. He’s coming back. You’ve got work to do.” That was a very loose translation of the original.

Well, I end my message today with this thought. “What ya’ll hanging around here for. He’s coming back. You’ve got work to do.”

After all, You can’t have a gospel without the word “go.”