Untitled Sermon (3)

1. The Command to Witness

Matthew 28:18–20 KJV 1900

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Going by two is a good idea when witnessing for it squares with the Old Testament law that “Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established” (Duet 19:15) but one that the Jesus instructed to use in the church in disciplining openly sinner members (Matt 18:16). Jesus gave an imperative command to the disciples to go into all the world to teach them to observe everything that Jesus commanded them and part of that command is to be a faithful witness so Jesus “sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:1-2). It takes a man of God with the Word of God and the Spirit of God to make the children of God for the glory of God and course you can insert the word “woman of God” too because God wants all of us to be His witnesses.

Why did Jesus send out the seventy in pairs (of two)?

What was it that Jesus commanded or taught the disciples?

Have you ever prayed “to the Lord of the Harvest” to send forth more laborers?

2. The Power to Witness

Acts 1:8 KJV 1900

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

We have no power within ourselves to be sure but with the Spirit of God and the Word of God, we can be effective witnesses for Christ for we are not alone in this endeavor because it was “To [Jesus] all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43). The power of the Holy Spirit comes upon every believer but what we do with that power is up to us. We can either restrain this witnessing power to ourselves or we can use God’s Spirit and God’s Word to unleash the very power that the gospel contains. Paul reminds us that “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1st Cor 1:18) so don’t take rejection personally.

What does the power of the Spirit do for us in witnessing to the lost?

How can the prophets of old “bear witness” to those who will believe in Christ?

How can we go “to the end of the earth” to be His witnesses if we’re only one person?

3. The Power of the Gospel

Romans 1:16 KJV 1900

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Paul knew it didn’t depend upon human power, skill, or persuasion but knew that “neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1st Cor 3:7). After Peter’s Pentecost Day sermon “about three thousand were added to their number that day” (Acts 2:41) “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Paul once again mentions power as being associated with the gospel in 1st Corinthians 1:18 where he wrote, “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” so don’t miss the fact that the gospel will be foolish to most until the Holy Spirit makes sense of the gospel. In preaching about this power of God Paul writes “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1st Cor 1:23-24).

What is the power of the gospel?

What caused so many to be saved from Peter’s sermon on Pentecost (Acts 2:37-41)?

Who actually causes a church to grow? (1st Cor 3:7)?

4. The Witness of Creation

Acts 14:16–17 KJV 1900

Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Paul and Barnabas were at Lystra and told those listening that God has a witness in nature itself coming from the “rains from heaven and fruitful season” that “satisfy [their] hearts with food and gladness.” Even looking at the creation, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1) so only a fool would believe there is no God (Psalm 14:1). Paul adds that God’s “invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom 1:2) and in fact, they “suppress the truth” about this (Rom 1:18).

What is obvious in nature that God was the Creator?

Why are men and women without excuse?

How do they suppress the knowledge of the truth?

5. False Witnesses

Acts 20:29–30 KJV 1900

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

No one imitates gum wrappers. No, most will counterfeit things that are valuable like money but also the gospel because false teachers will try to bilk people out of their money and like a lot of prosperity preachers they tap into the natural, carnal, fleshly desires of humans to want more than they have. Instead of teaching that “godliness is great gain” (1st Tim 6:6-10) they teach that gain is godliness and so instead of coming to Christ because they see themselves as a sinner, they will come to Christ to be blessed monetarily and to see what they can get. These so-called “seeds of faith” or how I spell it, $eed$ of Faith, are begged for by false teachers. They make God out to be a “quid pro quo” God or “If you do this, God will do that” making God into a cosmic bellhop. Paul tells Titus that “They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach” (Titus 1:11).

Do prosperity preachers and teachers make you mad?

Have many “wolves” appeared recently in the so-called churches?

What is their main goal in preaching a prosperity gospel (1st Tim 6:5)?

How can we silence these false teachers?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of this lesson on witnessing. It’s not our responsibility to save anyone; we are only responsible to witness. It is their response to His ability but it is still our responsibility to tell them and remember that “whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you” (1st Thess 4:8) and “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16) so don’t take rejection personally. Remember they hated Jesus too (John 15:18-25) and it’s not so much the messenger that they hate as much as it the message.

Does the gospel’s effectiveness depend on us?

Are we to be Jesus’ witnesses to everyone?

What has changed in your understanding about witnessing in this study?

EIGHT ESSENTIALS FOR INTRODUCING OTHERS TO JESUS CHRIST

1. You must know Christ personally.

2. You must have no unconfessed sin in your life.

3. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit.

4. You must be prepared to witness.

5. You must pray.

6. You must go to those who need Christ.

7. You must talk about Jesus Christ.

8. You must expect results.