The Disciples Life

“YOU ARE MY WITNESSES” (Acts 1:6-11) Speaker: Bruce Sloan Evangelism & Church Health Consultant Northwest Baptist Convention – Region 4 Vancouver, Washington

Chinook Salmon -- 50 lb., 8 oz. - 22” girth Siletz River – September 5, 2006

Tom & Jimie Nousen – 1/19/2019

WHAT IS A WITNESS? Greek word = “martus/martyr” (1) describing one who has seen and/or experienced something or someone (2) one who testifies (under oath – in a court room setting) to what he or she saw  (3) open profession of one's religious faith through words or actions (Wikipedia).

Acts 1:6-8 (NASB95) 6 So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; 8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Act 1:9-11 (NASB95) 9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

OUR CHRISTIAN WITNESS The first sense = we are witnesses about Jesus (objective genitive) giving testimony of His life, death and resurrection. The second sense = we are witnesses of Jesus (possessive genitive) as those who belong to Him and are His feet on the ground so to speak.

Luke 24:44-48 (NASB95) 44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.”

WITNESSES OF GOD’S LOVE “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16, NKJV). “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13, ESV)

WITNESSES OF THE GOSPEL “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NIV). “We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14, NKJV).

WITNESSES OF OUR SALVATION “He [Christ] commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he [Christ] is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that through his name everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins” (Acts 10:42-43, CSB).

WITNESSES TO OUR HOPE “But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, 16 but answer in a gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed” (1 Peter 3:15-16, NCV).

WITNESSES OF HIS RETURN And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:10-11, NASB95).

REVELATION 19:11-13 (NASB95) 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

REVELATION 19:14-16 (NASB95) 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

NOW WHAT? “…but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NASB95)

Dr. Howard Hendricks - DTS “…It’s not, ‘You are going to be witnesses and then receive power,’ but the other way around: ‘You are going to receive power, the result of which is, you are going to be witnesses.’”

OUR WITNESS TODAY? JERUSALEM = our home Sharing our witness with a family member JUDEA = our neighborhood / city Sharing our witness with our neighbors SAMARIA = our enemy Sharing the gospel with those opposed to truth WORLD = to the ends of the Earth Equipping, Sending, Going with the GOSPEL

JOSH & AUTUMN – Orrville, OH