True Christians are Evangelistic

Intro:

TS: So far in our study of true Christians, we have noticed that true Christians:

love God

Love Others

Are Holy

Are Truth-based

This morning, we now look to Jesus’ final words on earth before ascending to heaven found in . Here we will see that true Christians are evangelistic.

RS:

Acts 1:6–11 ESV

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.” 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. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 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.”

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8a ESV

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.”

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”

Acts 1:

Spreading the gospel was the main reason the Holy Spirit was sent to empower the Apostles.

He still enters us upon conversion for the same reason!

The Apostles and early believers had experienced the Spirit’s saving, guiding, teaching, & miracle working power.

Now they were to receive the empowerment to witness and begin their ministry.

In fact, it was so important, they were told to wait.

Jesus didn’t want them to get started

He didn’t want them to work

He wanted them to wait.

The power of the Holy Spirit is vital in the work of the Master.

,

Ephesians 3:16 ESV

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Ephesians 3:20 ESV

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Spiritual power is the mark of every Christian

This is vital for any work of ministry

It is especially important in witnessing.

You and I are incapable of saving anyone!

Witnessing is not a sales pitch wherein we overcome human reluctance to “buy” our product.

It is a spiritual encounter

Jesus has to convict and call the sinner to repentance.

Be a Witness

“you will be my witnesses.”

In court, a witness takes an oath to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

Acts 1:8b ESV

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.”

They are called in order to state the facts of what they observed or know about the situation.

Christians are to tell the truth of Jesus

John 14:26 ESV

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

We have the greatest hope of all.

If we are living as we should, the Lord will open doors for us us to testify.

Empowered by the Spirit, we share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

RO 10:1

The gospel in a nutshell

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 ESV

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

The story of Jesus is the gospel!

Who He is

What He has done

To the Ends of the Earth

“in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the Earth.”

Jeruselem= Jacksonville (your community)

Judea= county/state

People close to and like us

Our own culture

Samaria = neighboring county/state

People not so close to us

People of different cultures

Ends of the Earth

Everyone and Everywhere!

We have a mission from Jesus to carry the gospel to all.

Conclusion:

I came across a good way to measure your evangelistic tendencies:

We are once again in a political season. (2020 looms on the horizon)

During this time, compare the time you spend campaigning vs the time vs the time you spend witnessing.

Time spend on the not irrelevant, but definitely the non-eternal things.

Witnessing must be a driving force for each of us.