Sunday, April 28, 2019 - 9 AM

Witness – Acts 5:27-32 Bascomb UMC / April 28, 2019 / 9AM & 11AM Focus: The power of an authentic witness like the first apostles can have in spreading the gospel. Function: To challenge believers to think of themselves as witnesses to God’s saving work and be willing to look for opportunities. 5 Purpose Outcomes of the Church: Worship, Fellowship, Discipleship, Evangelism, Service Acts 5:27–32 CEB 27 The apostles were brought before the council where the high priest confronted them: 28 “In no uncertain terms, we demanded that you not teach in this name. And look at you! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are determined to hold us responsible for this man’s death.” 29 Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than humans! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God has exalted Jesus to his right side as leader and savior so that he could enable Israel to change its heart and life and to find forgiveness for sins. 32 We are witnesses of such things, as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” Children’s Sermon - Object – a gavel to represent a courtroom. There are three types of witnesses: An eye witness — the most common type — is a person who watched certain events and describes what he/she saw. An expert witness is a specialist — someone who is educated in a certain area. He testifies with respect to his specialty area only. A character witness is someone who knew the victim, the defendant, or other people involved in the case. Character witnesses usually don’t see the crime take place but they can be very helpful in a case because they know the personality of the defendant or victim, or what type of person the defendant or victim was before the crime. Neighbors, friends, family, and clergy are often used as character witnesses. The disciples were EYE witnesses – they saw Jesus. But Jesus told Thomas: “blessed are those who have NOT seen and believe.” Are we expert witnesses? No, not even the preacher can claim to know everything about God. So we are BEST as CHARACTER witnesses – we must really get to know Jesus – what he taught us and what he did here on earth and we must BE like Jesus as a church, the body of Christ. Look out in the congregation, you see anybody that looks and acts like Jesus? Let’s pray…… The Context: The fifth chapter of Acts is a pastor’s dream (or congregation’s nightmare!). It kicks off with the unsettling story of Ananias and Sapphira, who both fall down dead for lying about their donation to the church. We also hear about the growing numbers of believers. God’s Spirit is so strong in Peter that his shadow can make someone well. So, many of them come in the hope of receiving a physical healing – they give little thought to following Jesus, to becoming disciples. Then we have the Sadducees - religious powers who don’t believe in the Resurrection and work closely with the Roman government. They are feeling threatened by the popularity of the apostles among the people. They throw the apostles in jail to shut them up, but an angel frees them and encourages civil disobedience by having them return to preaching and healing. The temple police (yes, they have their own police) are sacred of the Jewish crowds (who like the apostles) they gently bring Peter and the apostles to the high priest for more questioning. And that is where our passage begins. These apostles “filled Jerusalem” with their testimony and they were in trouble. That’s where our trial begins: Video Clip: Opening sequence to Perry Mason Call your first witness Mr. Mason! I chose this text to preach because it’s confirmation Sunday and we are growing our witness here at Bascomb. Let’s unpack this a little. A witness can be a symbol. In scripture, angels appear as a witness. Abraham gave seven lambs as a witness in a land agreement (Genesis 21:27-30). Jacob made a pile of stones as a witness to a land boundary and an altar was built as a witness of worship to Israel. The Law and the Prophets were a witness for God, and the apostles (as we have said) were an eye witnesses to Jesus. In court, people’s actions become a witness for or against themselves, and in life, people should give witness to their faith. For Christians, baptism is a witness that identifies us with John the Baptist, Jesus, and the baptized community of the church. Jesus is considered the first and last witness – the ultimate faithful witness to God. The challenge for us is to BE a witness for God. How do we best do that? 1. Our connection with the Holy Spirit We stay in a right relationship with God. John Wesley’s three simple rules are: #1 do no harm, #2 do good and #3 “attending to the ordnances” – corporate worship (BE in church) and especially participate in communion, stay in scripture (it changes us), pray alone and pray together including exercises like abstinence and simple living (do you control your stuff or does your stuff control you?). Keep changing into the image of Jesus. 2. Pray for and create opportunities to present yourself as a person of faith! Two roommates in ministry had the boldness to pray for a student who had attended worship with them but seemed to be struggling with belief. These faithful witnesses decided to pray that God would give this student dreams that would lead him to faith. A few weeks later, the student came up to them before worship, “I woke up in the middle of the night with this picture I couldn’t get out of my mind.” “What was it?” they asked, “Can you draw it for me?” This is what he drew. It was a diagram from the 4 Spiritual Laws – a way those students were learning to share their faith. God made a way for them to explain that picture and witness to their faith. If God makes a way, will you dare to speak up? 3. Be Authentic But remember, people don’t care about how much you know, they want to know how much you care. Don’t be plastic or fake. Paul always told the Christians in those first churches: “God is my witness that I feel affection for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus” Philippians 1:8 (CEB). 4. Be a real friend and listen If God gives you opportunity to talk about your faith, don’t do a monologue. Engage in a conversation. Jesus taught by asking questions. Phillip asked the Ethiopian if he understood what he was reading. Early in the church Peter told the gospel story and waited for a response: When the crowd heard this, they were deeply troubled. They said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Change your hearts and lives. Each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:37-38 (CEB). 5. Let God lead the way. If God knows you are willing to speak, then God will give you opportunities. Paul described his witness this way: When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I didn’t come preaching God’s secrets to you like I was an expert in speech or wisdom. I had made up my mind not to think about anything while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and to preach him as crucified. I stood in front of you with weakness, fear, and a lot of shaking. My message and my preaching weren’t presented with convincing wise words but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. I did this so that your faith might not depend on the wisdom of people but on the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (CEB). Christian Witnessing is simply being willing to share your faith and that assumes we have a faith to begin with – grow your faith and then be willing to share it! And then trust God. I believe today can be a launching point for your life under God’s direction. When you ask yourself: What is the most important experience of your life? I hope you can say: "Knowing Christ as my Savior." Which leads me to challenge you: What is the most important thing you can do for another person? "Help him or her to know Christ." I dare say the majority of Christians today have never witnesses to their faith, or ever introduced anyone to Christ. But you know in your heart that this is what God called you to do. #1 Do no harm, #2 Do Good, #3 Keep growing and changing by attending to your deep relationship with God. Christian witnessing is simply sharing our heartfelt faith in Christ - what Jesus has personally done to change our individual lives! We're not called to argue or debate anyone into heaven. We're merely called to share! As in the courtroom, we're called to be a witness for the Gospel. Leave the rest up to God. We are not the lawyer; we are not the judge or jury… just leave that up to God and trust Jesus! Six times over in the book of Acts, the Christian community is called "The Way." Not "The Society" nor "The Institution," but "The Way!” Our faith is on the way to God’s kingdom and we want more travelers. (invite the band). In our Revelation study God cycles vision after vision of destruction and disaster in front of humanity as a warning to us of the consequences of our actions. If we don’t choose God’s way, evil brings destruction. In the end, everybody and everything dies without God’s intervention. But guess what? Nobody listens! Nobody repents! Nothing changes. EXCEPT - there are voices of faithful witnesses, martyrs under the altar of God in heaven crying out for God to avenge their suffering. Instead, God says – More! I need more witnesses. There are still faithful witnesses on earth and guess what? Their testimony has more effect on other humans than all the warnings and visions combined. Are you one of those witnesses? Witnesses on earth are THE WAY to bring repentance and conversion on earth. God wants us to witness to our faith – we have become humanity’s way to Jesus. Are you one of those witnesses?