- Witness about Jesus In the power of the Spirit. (Acts 1:1-8)
- Witness about Jesus In every context. (Acts 1:8)
- Witness about Jesus In light of the future. (Acts 1:9-11)
Guest Speaker - Taylor Brown
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
-
00:00-00:01
Walmart.
00:02-00:03
Dream job, right?
00:04-00:07
No, but to be honest, that was the last place I wanted to be.
00:08-00:10
But I know I wasn't brought there by accident.
00:10-00:12
I was brought there by the hand of God.
00:13-00:19
And while I was there, God opened up a lot of opportunities for me to share and witness to the guys I worked with.
00:20-00:25
But, to be honest, there were a lot of times when Jesus opened up a window for me and I didn't take it.
00:26-00:32
I missed a lot of opportunities there because because I was too busy hating where I was instead of being faithful where I was.
00:34-00:38
Hear me, you're called to witness even in the place you don't wanna be.
00:39-00:42
God has you there for a reason.
00:42-00:52
No matter where you end up or how menial your context seems, you were called to witness, you were called to make disciples and be bold for the gospel.
00:55-01:00
So what people in your life have you been too afraid to share the gospel with?
01:00-01:21
What people that God's placed before you and you just know the Holy Spirit's prompting you to share with them and you're just like, "I don't really want to, "I don't wanna risk the relationship, "I don't wanna be embarrassed, "that person's just a lot different than me, "I'm very uncomfortable with that." I pray that the Holy Spirit would break down barriers today and you would stop making excuses, I would stop making excuses, and we would be faithful to share the gospel with these people.
01:23-01:25
During this time, could we just please close our eyes?
01:26-01:31
I want you to envision that person, of those people that God has in your life, who he's called you to witness to.
01:33-01:35
But you've been making excuses, you've been too afraid.
01:36-01:47
I'm gonna pray that the Holy Spirit would give us boldness and courage to share the gospel with these people, not to beat them over the head with the Bible, not to be annoying, but to be faithful and to be loving.
01:48-01:48
So let's pray.
01:49-01:58
God, thank you so much for this opportunity we have to come before you and pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the boldness and the power that is needed to share the gospel with these people.
01:58-01:59
I trust you, Holy Spirit.
02:00-02:05
I trust that you're putting people on our minds right now who we were called to witness to.
02:06-02:11
I pray that this week or the upcoming weeks, we would stop making excuses and we'd finally witness about you.
02:11-02:13
We'd finally speak up about you.
02:14-02:16
In the name of Jesus, amen.
02:18-02:32
I also want us to pray and consider how the Holy Spirit, how Jesus wants us to witness across the face of this earth, because there are millions of people across the face of this planet never even heard the name of Jesus Christ.
02:33-02:35
And they are dead in their sins, and they are without hope.
02:36-02:38
And we are called, we are commissioned to spread the gospel to them.
02:40-02:42
So let's start taking this call seriously.
02:44-02:49
Let's start caring more about the eternal destiny of those around us and not being embarrassed.
02:50-02:55
Let's not ignore this call anymore, but play our part in whatever way we can.
02:59-03:02
So first, we are called to witness about Jesus and the power of the Spirit.
03:04-03:07
Secondly, we're called to witness about Jesus in every context.
03:08-03:13
Thirdly, we're called to witness about Jesus in light of the future.
03:15-03:20
So Jesus is preaching to the disciples and then all of a sudden he starts floating away.
03:21-03:25
It's kind of like, it's like a balloon you let go, you know, when you're a kid, let go of your balloon.
03:25-03:32
He starts floating up and the disciples are just kind of like...
03:36-03:39
And then the word says the two angels come up behind them.
03:39-04:02
I just kind of imagine them just strolling up, just kind of get up behind them like, "Oh, what you guys looking at?" "Oh, well, you know, Jesus kind of flew away and we're just waiting for him to come back, you know?" And they're kind of like, "Yeah, you're gonna be waiting a long time." And they're like, "In the meantime, you have work to do." And I think so many Christians today are like the disciples in this passage.
04:03-04:11
We lazily look for the return of Christ without actually doing something in this moment now.
04:12-04:22
And the angels call the disciples to stop focusing so much on the return of Jesus that they are lazy and stand in the same place and they're calling them to live in light of this future.
04:23-04:35
So yes, of course, Jesus calls us to eagerly long for the day when he returns but he also calls us to work and to witness in light of this future not be lazy and complacent because of this future.
04:37-04:44
You know, I've been a student for about 18 years now and I'm about to head into three more years of graduate work at seminary.
04:44-04:46
So I'm technically heading into 17th grade, if you think about it.
04:47-04:58
And to be honest, I'm at the point in schooling where thinking about writing another paper and taking another test makes me want to die a little bit inside and just curl into a corner and just like cry.
04:59-05:03
I just, I am totally not into school as much as I used to be.
05:04-05:13
But in all those years of being a student, I've been tempted a lot to slack off and not give it my best, but then that future reality of final grades pops into my head.
05:14-05:16
And if you're my friend or you're my family, you know how much I freak out about grades.
05:17-05:18
It's pretty, it's pretty annoying.
05:20-05:23
But that future reality of grades pops into my head.
05:23-05:29
I'm like, "Oh, I have to work hard. I have to work hard." And that propels me to work hard in the present, even when I don't feel like it.
05:30-05:38
And in the same way, this future reality of the return of Jesus Christ should compel us to work hard in this life and be faithful with the mission He has given us.
05:40-05:52
The second coming of Christ shouldn't make us lazy, but it should make us work harder and be faithful because a citizen commissioned with a task works differently when they know the King who entrusted them with that task is returning.
05:53-05:58
We have been commissioned by the King and I for one do not want to be found sleeping on the job upon His return.
06:00-06:11
So we tend to get so easily distracted from our true mission, and we forget the call of Jesus upon our lives to witness of his life, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension with everyone we come into contact with.
06:12-06:28
Because this is why we have breath in this moment, to glorify God by making disciples in every nation so that they might in turn worship, serve, and bring further glory to our God, who is infinitely worthy.
06:30-06:36
Have you ever had one of those days when you're trying to get a task done, you're trying to get accomplished, something accomplished, and you totally forget what you were doing?
06:37-06:55
Like I go upstairs to grab something, and I get distracted, and I go back downstairs, laying on the couch, and I'm like, "Oh, I totally forgot to get what I even went upstairs for." Or like I'm working on a paper, or I'm studying for a test, I get sucked into Facebook world, I'm like, "Oh, I'll just do it for a minute." And you're on Facebook for like 30 minutes, like creeping like deeply into people's profiles.
06:56-06:57
You know, that happens to me all the time.
06:57-06:58
Does that happen to anyone else?
06:58-06:59
Don't leave me alone.
06:59-07:00
Okay, come on, be honest.
07:00-07:01
We all do that.
07:01-07:03
We all creep on people via Facebook.
07:03-07:04
We all get distracted.
07:05-07:06
Facebook is the biggest time waster.
07:07-07:11
But I think in the same way, Jesus has given each and every one of us a mission.
07:12-07:16
And we get so distracted with lesser things and we fail to do what we were even created to do.
07:17-07:23
And at the end of my life, I don't wanna realize that I failed to accomplish the mission that was given to me.
07:24-07:29
'Cause I think it's a serious thing to stand before God someday and say, I didn't make one single disciple.
07:31-07:33
I didn't do the one thing you called me to do.
07:34-07:41
As believers, we're not gonna come under judgment and God's wrath for that, but I think that is a very serious thing to think about.
07:44-07:46
Stand before God and said, I didn't make one single disciple.
07:46-07:52
I was too afraid, I was too busy, I was too distracted to do what you told me to do.
07:53-08:02
That's a very serious thing that I think all of us to think about this week and reorient what we're living for and what our daily lives are about.
08:04-08:12
I don't think this message would be complete if I didn't talk about our need to witness in light of the present and future reality of hell.
08:15-08:25
'Cause we must witness about Jesus because the Bible clearly teaches that everyone who does not come to faith in Him will spend eternity apart from Him in a place called hell.
08:27-08:32
I know we want to ignore this doctrine, we don't want to believe it, we want to push it out of the side and not think about it.
08:33-08:35
But the Bible clearly teaches this, right?
08:36-08:39
And it calls us as believers to live in light of it.
08:41-08:46
One of the most sobering passages in the Bible to me is 2 Thessalonians 1, 7-9.
08:46-08:59
Where Paul writes, "When the Lord Jesus returns, whenever He is revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels and flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
08:59-09:07
They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.
09:08-09:10
This verse should break our hearts, right?
09:10-09:12
This verse should keep us up at night.
09:13-09:23
This verse should compel us to obey the call of Jesus, to make disciples everywhere and to share the gospel so that people might be saved from their sins, and they might spend eternity with God.
09:26-09:31
Let's not care more about being embarrassed in the eternal destiny of those we love and come into contact with.
09:32-09:37
We must share the gospel because hell is real, eternity is long, and time is short.
09:40-09:58
So as I said before, yes, we should eagerly await the day when Jesus returns, whenever He comes back, where he comes back to restore this earth, banish evil forever, unite heaven and earth, destroy evil forever, makes all things right.
09:59-10:07
Yes, we should long for that day, but that day should propel us forward to obey the mission of Jesus, not backward into lazy and complacency.
10:09-10:30
The return of Jesus should fuel us to witness and share the gospel because Jesus once said that for the end to come, "The gospel must first be proclaimed among all nations." And again, he said elsewhere, "This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed "throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, "and then the end will come." So if you wanna see Jesus Christ return again, start sharing the gospel.
10:31-10:32
Never stop talking about Jesus.
10:33-10:37
Do all that you can to spend yourself, spread the gospel everywhere you go.
10:40-10:44
Let's spend ourselves and sacrifice to make this gospel known.
10:46-11:08
And if you've been distracted, if your passion for witnessing and making disciples has been waning, I pray that the reality of hell, the reality of Jesus Christ returning would shock you out of complacency, would shock me out of complacency, and we would make witnessing about Jesus and making disciples our first priority.
11:10-11:12
Because if that's not our first priority, why are we even here in this room?
11:12-11:13
This is the biggest waste of time.
11:14-11:19
If all we do is come here to get nourished and all we do is go out and do nothing with it.
11:19-11:21
I'm guilty of that, to be honest.
11:22-11:25
I come to church and I get fed with the word and I go out there and share with no one.
11:26-11:35
I hang out in my Christian bubble, I hang out with my Christian friends and I never speak about Jesus to those who are perishing, to those who do not know him.
11:37-11:39
I think church has become a hobby to a lot of us.
11:40-11:43
And I think church is the weirdest hobby in the world if you don't take it seriously.
11:45-11:52
Let's make this a serious thing that we are called to this church to get poured into so we can go out and pour into others.
11:53-11:58
So we can spread the gospel, make disciples, and be bold for the gospel.
11:58-12:00
That's why we have breath in this moment.
12:00-12:02
That's why we exist right now.
12:05-12:10
So to wrap things up, I spent the last three weeks talking about who Jesus is and what he requires of us.
12:11-12:16
So let me ask you one last time to close up this series, who is Jesus?
12:17-12:26
And as I've said before, your answer to this question is the most important thing about you, and it will determine how you live your life.
12:27-12:33
To you, is Jesus Christ just some safe and comfortable felt board character that you can control and contain your daily life?
12:34-12:42
Or is he the living ruler and king of the universe who you are submitting to, following, and witnessing of.
12:43-12:48
I hope and pray that through this series that God has revealed who Jesus Christ truly is to you.
12:48-12:51
And this knowledge would change every aspect of who we are.
12:52-12:54
And we begin to take a risk for the mission of Jesus.
12:56-13:02
Our Lord and master has given us a mission to tell everyone of who he is and what he has done.
13:03-13:09
And I for one do not want to keep ignoring his call and acting like half-hearted obedience is good enough.
13:11-13:15
So today let's decide to take witnessing and making disciples seriously.
13:16-13:23
And let's witness in the power of the Holy Spirit in every context we find ourselves in, because our King is returning.
13:24-13:29
Let's stop resisting Him, making excuses, getting distracted by lesser things.
13:30-13:44
Let's decide to step out in faith in the power of the Holy Spirit because we believe that the real Jesus of the Bible is all we truly need and He will be with us every step of the way. Let's pray.
Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read Acts 1:1-11
What are some ways that you have failed trust in the power of the Holy Spirit and quench His promptings instead of following them? What are some steps we can take in order to start obeying the Holy Spirit and allow Him to lead and guide us daily?
What are some ways you can faithful in your context to share the gospel and make disciples? Discusses people in your lives that you feel that God is leading you to share Jesus with and how you can be faithful to this prompting this week.
What has distracted you from fully obeying Jesus’ mission to make disciples? What are some things that God wants to remove or re-position in your life so you can fully obey this call?
Has your understanding of Jesus and what He requires from us changed over the last several weeks? How can this message series not just stop here but continually alter and transform us throughout this year?
Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.