Go, Stand, And Speak, Pt. 1 Series

Go, Stand, and Speak, pt. 1

Acts 5:12-20

The early church is having a huge impact on Jerusalem/1,000s saved, healed, lives changed!/church is unified/magnified/multiplied [magnification in public eye happens when He is lifted up!...affects our public reputation!]

The gospel is spreading like wildfire/church growing by leaps and bounds/everyone is happy about it…well, almost everyone.

The religious leaders aren’t happy about it. They opposed Jesus, and were parties to His death, and resented His resurrection! Now they are losing their power over the people. They are jealous, envious, indignant!

v. 17 “indignation”

v. 28 “you have filled Jerusalem w/ your doctrine”

Not meant as a compliment, but as a complaint…but the Holy Spirit takes and turns it into a great compliment.

[these same ones said of Jesus: He’s a friend of sinners!]

Best compliment we could receive is for people to say, “that church believes…” whatever! Take a stand, let the truth be known, get salt out of shaker!

On front page of paper on Easter was a story about changed lives from “The Passion”. One member of a church in town, unmentioned, but one which, despite what the Bible says, advertises that “you can leave your wallet at home!”, gave public testimony about her church in saying: “I finally got it…all these years of going to church…but this movie helped me understand what Jesus is all about!”

[not a compliment to that church!]

How can we fill Decatur w/ God’s Word? Look at v. 19

vv. 19-20 Simple, 3 point outline! And it’s the obvious way of fulfilling the great commission!

“Go” deals with the consistency of our witness

“Stand” deals with the courage of our witness

“Speak” deals with the communication of our witness

Today let’s just deal w/ that little word “Go”.

v. 32a A witness has first-hand knowledge of something important, and is called to the stand. But before they can take the stand/their stand, they have to get up and go.

We call it the great commission: “Go”

Matthew 28:19

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mark 16:15

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

What are the first 2 letters of the gospel? GO!

Psalm 126:6

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Nothing happens until we go!

Jesus said it, Jesus did it!

Mark 1:38

And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

Mark 5:19 [Jesus cast demon out of man…]

Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Matthew 13:3

And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

Let’s went! Many used to be in the habit of witnessing, but your get up and go…got up and went!

Luke 10:1-3

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. [2] Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest. [3] Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

We can’t know who will accept the Lord and who will reject Him!

John 15:16

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit…

Who are the chosen?

Luke 10:10-11

But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, [11] Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you…

[Because whosoever will may come/God is not willing…]

Some get off track about predestination…it’s tough to understand until you understand the word “foreknowledge”

Moody: God save the elect, then elect some more!

Who are the elect? All who elect to be saved!

Who are the chosen? All who choose Him!

Luke 14:23

And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Luke 15:4

What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

Romans 15:25

But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.