Witnessing 101
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This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to our church, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”. What that means is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to understand what the Bible means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the book of Acts. A NT book that was written for two primary reasons:
First, to give us a history of the church and how it started.
Second, to give us a template to accomplish the mission that Jesus has given us to take the gospel from where we live to the rest of the world.
All that to say, the book of Acts teaches us what church should look like and how God has designed it to help us reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, if you haven’t been with us, I would encourage you to go to mcf.life where you can listen to all the messages leading up to today.
As we come back to our study of Acts today, we find ourselves once again in .
You may recall, represents a transition in the life of the early church. A transition that was brought on by the murder of a Christian named Stephen, the first Christian to be killed for his faith in Jesus. A murder that resulted in a great persecution breaking out against the early church. A persecution that was largely led by a man named Saul. Luke puts it like this in verse 8:1:
1 And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Acts 8:
Luke says overnight the early church went from meeting and worshiping together to being scattered throughout the region as their world was literally turned upside down.
3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
But as we’ve learned, there was purpose in this scattering. Because as a result of the persecution, the early church was forced out of the comfort of Jerusalem and into the world that Jesus had called them to reach. Jesus puts it like this:
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.”
Luke writes:
So, with the persecution upon them, the church is now forced to leave Jerusalem, and go into Judea and Samaria. Luke writes in :
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
And preaching the word they did as
And so overnight, the first century Christians go from being church goers to witnesses. Witnesses that are now carrying the message of the Gospel out into the world. Because at the end of the day, that’s what Jesus has called the church to do. To be His witnesses.
And what was true for the first Christians in Acts is true for Christians today. The fact is, if you’re a Christian, Jesus has called you to be His Witness.
Last week we looked at what it takes to be a witness. And what we learned is outside of just being a Christian, it requires you to adopt a specific strategy.
Number 1, you have to be willing to LOVE ALL PEOPLE. We saw that through the witness of a man named Philip. A Christian who after leaving Jerusalem went to a place called Samaria to a group of people known as the Samaritans. A people group that was despised by the Jewish people. But as we learned, Philip looked past the hate and saw the Samaritans the way God saw them. As a group of people who God loved and Jesus died for.
And like Philip, we have to be willing to do the same. When it comes to being a witness for Jesus, we have to be willing to love people where they are at. To look past their reputation. Look past their sexual orientation. Look past their sinful lifestyle. Look past the mess that sin has caused in their life and see the person that Jesus gave his life for. A person who desperately needs Jesus.
Number 2, you have to LEAD THEM TO JESUS. In other words, while you need to love them where they are at, you can’t leave them there. You have to lead them to Jesus. You have to lead them to the one who has the power to save them. The one who has the power to transform their life from the inside out.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Number 3, after loving them where their at, after leading them to Jesus, you have to PROCLAIM THE WORD. In other words, you have show them and teach them what the Bible says. The Apostle Paul writes:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
The writer of Hebrews adds this:
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
That’s why we place such a high value on proclaiming and teaching the Bible at MCF. At MCF we believe the Bible is God’s Word and that through the work of the Holy Spirit, God’s Word trains us, equips us, and transforms us.
All that to say, if you want to be a witness for Jesus, you have to be committed to LOVING ALL PEOPLE, LEADING PEOPLE TO JESUS, and PROCLAIMING GOD’S WORD.
But it doesn’t stop there. In addition to that, there are some important factors for witnessing that we need to be aware of as well. Factors that if we’re not aware of could bring discouragement, stunt the spiritual growth of those we are leading to Jesus, and keep us from further expanding the mission of the gospel.
Factors we are going to consider today and next week as Luke continues to tell Philips journey to Samaria.
You may recall after arriving in Samaria, Philip began by proclaiming the Word and leading people to Jesus. And the results were supernatural. Luke writes:
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.
Acts 8:
Luke says as Philip proclaimed the Gospel, miracles began to take place. Demons were cast out. People who were paralyzed walked. And as a result, there was much joy in the city.
And what was true then, is still true today. The fact is, when people come to faith in Jesus, the miraculous takes place.
Ezekiel
It first takes place as the Holy Spirit enters that person and spiritual transformation begins to take place. The prophet Ezekiel puts it like this:
26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit enters the new believer and begins the work of spiritual transformation, and in that moment a miracle takes place as they literally become a different person. The Apostle Paul writes:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
So, that’s the first miracle. But the miracles continue. Because as the Holy Spirit begins to transform you spiritually, the healing spreads to other parts of your life.
For some, it brings relational healing as broken marriages, friendships, and other relationships are healed.
For some, it brings emotional healing as people are delivered from depression, discouragement, unforgiveness, and despair.
For some, it brings financial healing as God becomes their provider and provides in miraculous ways.
For some, it brings physical healing as bodies are restored and people are healed.
And the list goes on of the ways God begins to supernaturally work in the new believers life.
That’s what was happening in Samaria, and its what happens in the life of anyone who puts their faith in Jesus. In that moment a supernatural work takes place that impacts every part of your life. And with it comes great joy.
But the Christian life can’t stop there. In fact, that’s just the beginning of what God wants to do in and through us. Because now that He’s saved us, now that He’s set us free from the bondage of sin, He wants us to be His witnesses. And now it’s our turn to lead others to faith in Jesus. But, like I said, there are some factors we need to take into account as we begin our witnessing journey.
So, over the next two weeks, I want to introduce you to 5 factors for witnessing that we need to be aware of. Five factors that when understood, will help us become highly effective witnesses for Jesus. We’re going to look at the first three this today. Here’s the first one:
So, a good question would be, “Where did they go to preach the word?” Well, based on what Luke has told us, they first went to the regions of Judea and Samaria. The regions that Jesus had instructed them to go too. And as we saw last week, Luke gave us a specific example of where one
When it comes to sharing your faith, always remember:
Witnessing 101
The world has its own counterfeit versions of happiness, hope, and salvation.
Picking back up in , Luke writes:
Acts 8:9-
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
Luke says after Philip led the Samaritans to faith in Jesus, a man named Simon showed up on the scene.
So, who is Simon? Luke says Simon was a magician, and apparently a pretty good magician. Because Luke says for some time he had amazed the people of Samaria. In fact, what the people were saying about Simon was, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”
So, what does that mean and what is this power called Great? Well, let’s talk about what it doesn’t mean first.
It doesn’t mean that Simon is your average Las Vegas magician. In other words, this isn’s a guy who is pulling rabbit’s out of hats and doing some card tricks.
No, Simon is what you might call a sorcerer. In other words, he practices black magic. Meaning, his magic involved incantations, spells, and charms. It’s also possible that his magic consisted of the use of drugs that involved potions and poisons.
All that to say, this isn’t a guy performing cheap tricks or illusions. This is a guy who has given himself to occultic practices and has attained supernatural power through it.
I want to make that point clear because believe it or not, magic is real. And it is something we should avoid at all costs. Why? Because magic is the work of demonic forces.
That’s why it’s dangerous to mess with stuff like Ouija boards, Terra Cards, psychics, and mind altering drugs. In many ways those are gateways to the demonic. They open doors of demonic activity into our lives. It’s not fantasy. It’s not scifi. It’s not a movie. It’s real. And Simon has given himself fully to it.
And because it’s real, it presents a counterfeit version of hope and salvation. It becomes something that people do put their hope in. Because after all, it’s supernatural and it appears effective.
Now, at this point, you might be thinking, “Well Pastor, that’s interesting, but that’s nothing I have to worry about. I’m not into the dark arts or magic.”
I’m glad to hear that. But here’s the deal, magic isn’t just about spells, potions, and charms. Magic from a broader perspective could be defined as anything outside of God that a person invokes in order to obtain wisdom, knowledge, healing, hope, and maybe even salvation.
Here’s a better way to put it. Magic at its core is rebellion against God’s Way and God’s Will. In other words, one who practices magic refuses to put their hope and trust in God, and instead seeks other avenues for hope, happiness, and salvation from other sources.
Let me show you what I’m talking about, because we see a great example of this in .
In we read about an OT king named Saul. And while we don’t have time to study Saul in detail today, what I will tell you is that Saul never did put his trust fully in God. In fact, on several occassions Saul disobeyed the word of the Lord and at one point even went to see a witch in order to get spiritual guidance.
Saul was continually seeking alternate avenues for hope, happiness, and salvation. As a result, listen to what the prophet Samuel says to Saul concerning his constant rebellion against God.
Samuel says, “For rebellion is as the sin of divination...” (ESV)
23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has also rejected you from being king.”
What Samuel is saying is, when we deny God and refuse to put our hope in His Will and His ways, we are practicing witchcraft. Because in that moment we are turning to counterfeit sources for happiness, hope, and salvation. In a way, we are coming up with our own formulas or potions. In that moment we are giving ourselves to demonic influence.
Let me give you the greatest example of when this first happened.
God’s Word says, marriage
This is what happened to Adam and Eve. Instead of trusting and obeying God’s will and way, they listened to Satan. They bought into Satan’s counterfeit version of happiness, hope, and salvation. Satan said to them, “If you eat the fruit, you won’t die. Instead, you’ll be like God. In fact, you’ll be your own god.” And they believed him, and they put their hope in the counterfeit version. A decision that didn’t end well for them or us.
In a way, Adam and Eve practiced the sin of divination.
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So, a good question might be, “What are some ways we might be guilty of this as well?” Well, there are many, because the world has multiple formulas for happiness, hope, and salvation.
For example, when it comes to happiness we have our happiness formulas.
One formula is the more money you make and the more material possessions you have, the happier you will be.
Another formula says, if your not happy with your marriage, then get a divorce and find somebody who can make you happy.
Another formula says, to be happy, live how you want, do what you want, love who you want, live with who you want, and have sex with who you want.
And the list goes on of ways the world encourages us to find happiness. All of which run contrary to God’s Word and God’s way for true contentment and wholeness in our lives.
When it comes to salvation, mankind has come up with their own formulas as well.
For example,
For some, salvation comes through being a good person. If you do that, then you have nothing to worry about.
For those attached to religion or another religion, its about measuring up. It’s about attending church, being a good Christian, performing good works, praying certain prayers, and keeping certain rituals. Do all that, and you’ll be right with God.
And even for some Christians, it’s prayer this prayer,
But the problem with that is, none of that is in the Bible. None of that lines up with God’s Word. All of those things are counterfeit versions of salvation. Because at the end of the day, the only thing that can make you right with God is Jesus. The only thing that allows you to measure up is His grace. A grace that you can’t work for, buy, or barter for. Something only that can be given to us through faith in Jesus.
Here’s my point. When you go to witness to people about Jesus, that’s what you’re going to be up against.
You’re going to be up against the worlds counterfeit belief system that has convinced people this world and this life can offer them hope and happiness.
You’re going to be up against counterfeit religious systems that has convinced people they have to work really hard, perform really well, and be associated with a specific church or denomination in order to be right with God.
And the fact is, on the surface, the counterfeit versions seem legit. On the surface, they appear to deliver and provide everything they promise.
That’s why the people were saying, ““This man is the power of God that is called Great.”
So, the question then is, “What do we do? How do we combat counterfeit versions that appear to be legitimate? How do we expose them?”
Here’s the good news. We don’t have to. And that’s what makes the next factor for witnessing so important. Because while the counterfeits may seem real:
The Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to expose and discredit the counterfeits.
But the world has its version. And it goes something like this. Guy meets girl. Girl and guy have sex. Guy and girl decide to move in together. Girl and guy may or may not ever get married.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to expose and discredit the counterfeits.
Listen to what Luke tells us:
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Luke says as Philip began to proclaim Jesus, people started to believe. People put their faith in Jesus. And people were baptized. And so powerful were the conversions, that even Simon started to believe. Luke says, “And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.”
So, what’s going on here? What’s going on is the power of Jesus to transform lives has surpassed Simon’s counterfeit version of happiness, hope, and salvation.
What’s happened is the power of the gospel has proven legitimate and has exposed the counterfeit version Simon had been offering. Because try as he may, Simon can’t duplicate what only the gospel can do. And now he stands amazed.
Here’s the principle. Up to a certain point, the counterfeit versions are convincing. Up to a certain point they appear to offer happiness, hope, and salvation. But when the true power of God shows up, the counterfeits eventually reach a point where they are out performed and exposed.
Let give you an example of this from the OT. In we read about a man named Moses, a man that God had chosen to lead the people of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. And to do that, God gave Moses signs he was to perform before Pharaoh that were meant to demonstrate the power of God and persuade Pharaoh to let the Israelites go.
So, what were the signs? The first sign was Moses turning his staff into a snake. Listen to what we read about this in :
8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.
Can you imagine if you were standing next to somebody, they were holding a stick, they threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake. You’d think that would be a rather convincing miracle, right? But for Pharaoh, it wasn’t. Listen to what happened next:
“Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents.” (ESV)
I guess not such an amazing trick. Because Pharaoh’s magicians were able to perform the same miracle.
This then led to the second sign. In we read:
“And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood. Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood.” 19-20 (ESV)
This time God tells Moses to hold his staff out over the waters of Egypt, and when he does, the water turns into blood.
Now, you’d think that would convince Pharaoh that God is somebody he should fear. But, again, it doesn’t. Why? Listen to what happened next:
“But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts.” (ESV)
Now, at this point, if you’re Moses, you’re probably getting frustrated. Because every time God does something miraculous, Pharaoh’s magicians are able to duplicate it.
And believe it or not, it happens one more time as Moses performs anothe
Strike 2. So, a third sign comes as Moses calls down a plague of frogs on Egypt, but the magicians duplicate it a well. In we read:
“So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.” (ESV)
Now, at this point, if you’re Moses, you’re probably getting frustrated. Because every time God does something miraculous, Pharaoh’s magicians are able to duplicate it.
But that’s about to end as God gives Moses another sign to perform. In we read:
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17 And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.
Exodus 8:
I don’t know about you, but an infestation of gnats doesn’t sound pleasant. I’d be calling the exterminator.
So, what does Pharaoh do? Well, he goes to his magicians again. But this time, it’s different. Because in the next verse we read:
18 The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.
Finally the magicians have been out performed, and they know it. Because listen to what they say to Pharoah.
“Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” (ESV)
Here’s what this is saying and here is the point I’m making. To a certain point the counterfeit will appear to be legitimate, but eventually it will reach its limit. Eventually the power of God will expose and discredit it for the lie that it is.
You see, to a certain point, the world’s version of happiness will appear to be true. The world’s version of hope will appear to be hopeful. The world’s version of salvation will appear to save. But eventually, it will reach its limit.
For example, eventually, the promise of happiness that sexual immorality promises will reach its limit. Before long, the sex won’t be enough to make you happy.
Eventually, the promise of happiness that a new or different marriage promises will reach its limit. Eventually that person will fail your expectations.
Eventually, the promise of happiness that money and material possessions promise will reach its limit. Eventually the new smell will wear off.
Why will that happen? Because they’re counterfeits. Because they’re temporary. Because their not the source of true happiness, hope, and salvation.
And it’s at that point that the truth and power of God’s Word will prevail as true joy, and true hope, and true salvation will prove to be found only in the arms of a loving savior.
And that’s why we can’t get discouraged. I mean imagine if Moses would have given up after the second sign or third sign. Imagine if he would have gotten frustrated and threw his hands up. But he didn’t. He continued to speak the truth. He continued to trust God. And eventually the counterfeits were exposed and the power of God prevailed.
Here’s what this is saying to us. As a witness, there are going to be moments when your witness for Jesus may feel ineffective. Moments when your unsaved friends, co-workers, and family members look at you and say, “Why should I put my faith in Jesus. Why should I believe what you believe? I already have everything you say Jesus can provide me. Why would I need your version of happiness, hope, and salvation?”
But in that moment we can’t get discouraged. We can’t lose heart. We have to remember their version will eventually reach its limit. Because there’s going to come a point when it fails them.
A point where their material possessions fail them.
A point where their immoral relationship falls apart.
A point where their sinful lifestyle comes unglued.
When all of a sudden, their wordly happiness, hope, and salvation reaches its limit.
And it will be at that point they see your life. A moment when they realize what you’ve put your hope in is greater than what they’ve put their hope in. A moment when the power of Jesus prevails over the empty promises of this world.
You see, that’s the confidence we can have. Because our hope isn’t in the counterfeit. Our hope is in the risen savior. And His power exceeds all other power. His truth is able to expose the lie. Over time, the gospel of Jesus Christ exposes and discredits the counterfeits.
11 for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
At the end of the day, the gospel will prevail.
This leads us to a third factor, and the factor I want to spend the remainder of our time this morning considering. Because while the gospel has the power to expose the counterfeits, if we aren’t functioning in that power, it’s going to be difficult for us to effectively lead people to Jesus. Here’s the third factor:
In order to become effective Witnesses, we need more than faith in Jesus.
Listen to what Luke says happened next:
Acts 8:14-
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Getting baptized in the Holy Spirit is step 2.
In my opinion, this verse represents one of the most important aspects of being a witness for Jesus, but where most Christians and churches tend to stop and fall short.
Let me show you what I mean as we walk back through this passage.
Luke says as the Samaritans began to put their faith in Jesus, word got back to Jerusalem. And because it was such amazing and unexpected news, the Jerusalem church sent its top two representatives to investigate. They sent Peter and John.
It’s kind of like on one of those tv shows where something significant happens in a small town, something the local Sherif isn’t used to dealing with, and then all of a sudden some FBI agents show up and take over the investigation.
That’s what’s going on here. Something miraculous has taken place. People who the Jerusalem church would have never thought could be saved have been saved. And so Peter and John are sent to find out what’s going on.
And what’s interesting, is when they arrive, while they acknowledge the salvations, they do recognize that something is missing. Yes, the people have accepted Jesus has their savior. Yes, they have been baptized to symbolize their new faith.
But something is missing. So, what’s missing? Listen again to what Luke says:
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 8:14-
Luke says while they’ve put their faith in Jesus, and while they’re now followers of Jesus, they haven’t yet recieved the Holy Spirit.
So, what does that mean? Well, depending on your theological background, there are a couple of different explanations. And to be honest, we don’t have time to go into the depth of discussion it would take to fully flesh it out. But here’s a simplified version of the explanations:
Some theologians believe that while the Samaritans have believed in Jesus, they haven’t fully committed and received salvation at this point. In other words, they have head knowledge of Jesus, but it hasn’t made it to the heart yet. And so when Peter and John arrive, they give further explanation, pray for them, and it’s at that point the Samaritans fully commit their lives to Jesus.
The problem with that explanation though is, the language Luke uses to describe their conversion and baptism is salvation language. In other words, based on the context and verbage, prior to Peter and John arriving, the Samaritans are saved. In other words, Luke says they are full fledged Christians.
So, if that’s the case, why hadn’t they recieved the Holy Spirit yet. Because that’s what happens at salvation. When a person puts their faith in Jesus, that’s when the Holy Spirit takes up residence in that person and begins the work of spiritual transformation. So, if that’s already happened, why does Luke say they hadn’t recieved the Holy Spirit?
Here’s why. Because the work of the Spirit is twofold. The first work is the work of salvation. A work that takes place when a person puts their faith in Jesus. It’s what Paul is talking about in . In he writes:
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Paul says it’s the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, that brings life to our spiritually dead bodies. So, that’s the first work.
But there’s a second work of the Spirit. A work of empowerment. This is what Jesus was talking about in . Remember what He said before He ascended into heaven? Luke writes:
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.”
Jesus tells the disciples that there is a work of the Spirit they haven’t recieved yet. A work of empowerment. A work that will allow them to be His witnesses.
You may recall we talked about that work in depth in chapter 2 last Fall. Because as the disciples waited in the upper room, what Jesus promised would happen happened. In we read:
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Luke says as the disciples waited, suddenly the Holy Spirit came upon them, and a supernatural sign fell upon them as they began to speak in other tongues.
Now, it’s at this point that a lot of people start getting nervous, because this is starting to sound a little weird. But it’s not weird at all if you look at it in context. Because their’s a purpose for the tongues. Listen to what Luke says happened next:
Acts 2:
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.
Luke says as the disciples began to speak in other languages, it matched the languages of the people who had gathered in Jerusalem that day. People from all over the world who spoke different languages. And in that moment, they heard the gospel in their native tongue.
And what this symbolized is that the Gospel is for all people. And that nothing, not even language was going to stop the gospel from going out. In that moment, the tongues symbolized the the empowerment the Holy Spirit can give us to take the gospel to anybody and everybody regardless of the barrier.
And now that the disciples have been Holy Spirit empowered, nothing can stop them. In fact, when they are arrested and confronted by the religious leaders in chapter 4, the religious leaders don’t know what to think. Luke writes:
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13-
The religious leaders can’t explain how Peter and John are functioning in such power. And the answer is, it’s not their power. It’s the empowerment of the Holy Spirit working in and through them. An empowerment that is allowing them to be the the witnesses Jesus has called them to be.
Here’s what I’m getting at. When Philip led the Samaritans to faith in Jesus, in that moment they received the first work of the Holy Spirit. They recieved salvation. But what they hand’t recieved yet was the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses. And that’s what Peter and John recognize is missing. So, what do they do? Luke tells us:
17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:
Luke says they laid their hands on them and prayed they would receive the same empowerment they had. And Luke says, in that moment they received it.
So, did they speak in tongues as well? We don’t know. Luke doesn’t say, and really that shouldn’t be the focus. But what we do know is something visible and supernatural took place in that moment. How do we know? We know because of what Simon the sorcerer says and does. Listen to what Luke tells us:
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
Acts 8:
Apparently something significant takes place that causes Simon to say, “Hey, I want to learn how to do that trick. I want to be able to give people that power.” And next week, we’ll talk more about the problem with his request.
But for today what I want you to consider is that what the Samaritans were missing and needed, is something that we need as well. That if we’re going to be effective witnesses. And that if we’re truly going to reach our community, county, and region with the gospel, then we need to be spirit empowered. We need the second work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
To be honest, I think that’ something we are missing at MCF. I think if Peter and John showed up here today like they did at Samaria, they would say something is missing. Yes, I think they’d recognize that many of you have been saved. That you’ve put your faith in Jesus. That you’ve even been baptized to symbolize your faith. But they’s say, “Many of you haven’t recieved the Holy Spirit.” You haven’t been empowered for witness.
And the fact is church, we need that. You need that. Because putting your faith in Jesus isn’t enough. Jesus didn’t save you so you could just come to church each week, hang out with other Christians, drink coffee, and go home. He called you to be His witness. To be empowered and equipped to reach the world you live in.
But to be His witness, you have to be empowered by His Spirit. And to be empowered, you have to want it. You have to seek it.
I think that’s why a lot of Christians get frustrated and eventually hit a spiritual cieling in their faith. Because without the empowerment, your faith will reach a point of staleness. A point where the initial joy of salvation levels out. A point where you begin to wonder what’s next and what’s missing.
In my opinion, that’s why many churches eventually become ineffective. Because a church can’t manufacture what only the Spirit can do. Because eventually good promo isn’t enough. Commercials at the movie theatre reach their limit. The smell of the new building wears off. And if the empowerment of the Spirit isn’t present, the church will eventually become ineffective. I don’t want that for our church.
But that’s where some of you are this morning. Yes, your saved. Yes, you love Jesus, But you know theirs something missing. And what I want to suggest to you is that what you are missing is the empowerment of the Spirit. What you are missing is empowerment to become a witness. Because it’s not enough to just be saved. God has called you to be more.
So, if that’s the case, then how do you get empowered?
I’m glad you asked, because I have an answer for you.
This Wednesday night at 6:30PM, we are going to have an empowerment service. A service dedicated to exclusively to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
And to help us with that, I’ve asked a friend of mine, Dr. Doug Oss from Springfield to come share with us. Because not only is Dr. Oss a friend of mine, he’s a professor at the Assembly of God Theological Seminary. And Dr. Oss has a gift of helping people receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
So, on Wednesday night, along with some worship, Dr. Oss is going to further teach on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and then he’s going to give those present the opportunity to come up and be prayed for to receive that empowerment.
Now, at this point, some of you might be thinking, “Boy, I don’t know pastor, that sounds kind of goofy to me.” I get that. But let me tell you what it sounds like to me. It sounds pretty Biblical. It sounds like exactly what we read in the Bible. It sounds like something we have to have if we want to be effective witnesses for Jesus.
And I don’t know about you, but I want to be an effective witness. I want everything that God says I need to be His witness. I don’t want to just exist as a Christian. I don’t want to just be mediocre in my faith. I want everything God offers me to be the most effective witness I can be in order to lead as many people to Jesus as I can. And if you want that, then I invite you to be here Wednesday night at 6:30 as together we seek greater empowerment.
To be honest, without this, we will never reach this community and county to the degree God wants us too. And I can promise you this, without the empowerment, your faith will reach a limit. A point of frustration. Because God didn’t save you just to be saved. He saved you to be His witness.
Let’s Pray
Acts 8:18-
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
When people fully embrace the Spirit filled life revival takes place.
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
Acts 8:
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.