Now Is the Time
Luke 24:46-49; Acts 2:1-5
Intro: Earlier we talked about how Christ came to earth to live, to die, and to rise again. We talked about His betrayal. We talked about His mocking, scourging, beating, and crucifixion. We talked about how He was laid in a borrowed tomb. We also talked about how, three days later, He rose from that tomb and was seen by more than 500 people (1 Cor. 15:6). But the story doesn’t end there. Jesus, after rising from the dead, is gone on to Heaven and is sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. And before He left Earth, He left something for us. He left us a mission and a commission. The mission is to preach the Gospel. The commission was given by Him to us that we will go in His authority and with His presence.
Jesus told us to work while it is day for the night is coming when no man can work. We live in a world that is growing darker every day. The sun is starting to set. We live in a world that is Harry Potter-crazy and Twilight-fanatical. We have Vampire Diaries, True Blood, and Supernatural. Our children, through entertainment, through the schools, movies, books, and video games, are being indoctrinated to accept the occult, the supernatural, and witchcraft; to devalue life and disrespect authority. This is why now is the time for us to be following the Commission Christ has given us—make disciples of all nations.
I. The Origin of the Commission
a. The term commission means the matter or task so authorized or the act of granting certain powers or the authority to carry out a particular task or duty. The church as a commission is a group of people officially authorized to perform certain duties or functions. Just as the Federal Trade Commission is authorized to investigate fraud in advertising, the church is authorized to bear witness of Christ’s resurrection by proclaiming the Gospel and teaching new believers.
b. He told us that when we receive power, we will become His witnesses, starting at home and moving out from there. They would spread the news to their friends and families. They would spread the news to their workplaces and schools. They would spread it in the town square and they would spread it at the watering holes. What is the news they would spread? They would spread the news that Jesus is the Messiah and that Jesus is alive and well.
c. A witness is someone who tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. They tell what it is they have seen or heard. They don’t speculate, guess, or conjecture. As Judge Judy would say, “Don’t tell me what you heard, that’s hearsay. I only want to know what you have seen, heard, tasted, experienced with any of your five senses.”
d. When we think about witnessing or missions, we think about going overseas to witness to people in foreign nations and hidden tribes. But the truth is we are to begin witnessing to those in our own hometown. If we can’t witness to those across the street, we will not be called to witness to those across the ocean. We have to realize that Jesus has commissioned and sent every believer to witness for Him. No one has been given a pass.
II. The Directive of the Commission
a. He commanded us in Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore[c] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.” Mark wrote a comparative commission in Mark 16:15-16. “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” In Acts 1:8, He told us that we would be His witnesses, beginning at home then spread abroad.
b. The church is to witness not to convert. We oftentimes think we are to convert people to Christianity. Jesus never told us to convert anyone. He said we are to “be witnesses unto Him” and to “preach the Gospel in all the world” and to “make disciple of all nations”. We are to do these things by walking the walk, talking the talk, and living the life.
c. Ezekiel 3: 18 relates to us that we are like watchmen who stand on a wall looking for danger and we are to warn the people of impending danger. If we do not, they will die in their sin but their blood will be upon us; if we warn them and they don't listen then they will die in their sin still but we will be innocent of their blood.
d. I am reminded of a testimony I heard last week about a Muslim who became a Christian because one person took an interest in him and invited him to a Christian function. She didn’t talk down to him; she did try to argue the merits of one faith over the other, she merely befriended him. The reason he went to the function was because he saw the joy in her. The reason he wanted to become a Christian is because he saw what was in the people she associated with. In time, not only was he saved, but so was his whole family. It only takes the obedience and the example of one person to change a person, a family, a nation.
III. The Power of the Commission
a. From where does the power come to talk the talk, walk the walk and live the life? It comes from God. We cannot witness nor win anyone on our own. We fail when we think we can. Paul told Timothy, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.” The New Century James version of verse 8 says, “So do not be ashamed to tell people about our Lord Jesus, and do not be ashamed of me, in prison for the Lord. But suffer with me for the Good News. God, who gives us the strength to do that…” The Amplified reads, “Do not blush or be ashamed then, to testify to and for our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for His sake, but [[a]with me] take your share of the suffering [to which the preaching] of the Gospel [may expose you, and do it] in the power of God.” Jesus said in Matt. 28:18, 20, “All power in Heaven and Earth has been given unto me….I shall be with you even unto the end of the age.”
b. How are we to rely on the power of God? First, we need to stay prayed up. We need to bathe everyday in prayer. Just like we bathe our bodies with Dial or Coast or Irish Spring, we need to bathe our soul with prayer. We need to start each day before the Lord. The Bible says that it was Jesus’ custom to pray often. Luke 5:16 says, “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed” Luke 6:12 says, “Now in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God.” Second, we must stay read up. We need to baptize ourselves in the word of God. Most people don’t witness because they are afraid they won’t have the answer for every question. Guess what? You won’t. But you will have the answers for many. You’d be surprise what the Holy Spirit can pull from your vast resource of knowledge if you let Him. But your soul is like a bank account, if you don’t have any funds in it, you can’t withdraw anything from it.
c. I am amazed how the Holy Spirit uses me in teaching and preaching. Even while I am standing up talking to people, He just gives things for me to say. A good preacher gets a message and scripture from God, then he bathes himself in prayer and study.
Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 5: 18, that God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. It doesn’t matter what your ministry is called, God has given you a ministry and a mission field.
In Luke 2, Joseph and Mary were on their way back from Jerusalem and worshipping at the temple… Now is the time for us to be about our Father’s business. As the church, we are the Called-out Ones. We have been called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light. Not only have we been called out, we have been commissioned to preach Gospel and teach the beliefs of the faith. We are also commissioned to baptize those who believe into the faith.
• Now is the time to tell people about what we have seen and heard.
• …to tell people about what Jesus has done to us.
• … to tell people about what we used to be but are not anymore, and about what we used to do but don’t do anymore.
• … to tell people about how you were delivered from drugs.
• … to tell people how you were delivered from pornography.
• … to tell people about how you were delivered from a life of sin.
• … to tell people how He has come through when you had more month than money.
• … to tell people how He has been a doctor in a sick room and a lawyer in a courtroom.
• … to lift up your family and friends before God and plead with Him to save their souls.
• … for us to be on our face before God to pray for holy boldness and not let go until the place is shaken.
• … to lift us Jesus so He can draw people to Himself.
He wants us to talk the talk. He wants us to behave outside of church like we behave inside of church. He wants us to talk outside of church like we talk inside of church. We are to let no unwholesome words come out of our mouths, but only words that are edifying. He wants us to walk the walk. He wants us to reach out to the lost and the lonely and offer life. He wants us to reach out to the helpless and the hopeless and offer hope. He wants us to put our arms around the unlovable and the unlovely. He wants us to witness to gang members, drug dealers, murderers, rapists, and child abusers. He wants us to reach out to Catholics, Baptists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims. He wants us to share with them what we have found. He wants us to be one beggar showing another beggar where to find bread. In short, He wants us to live the life.
May it never be said of any of us, that a friend or family member is in hell because I was afraid to point them to the Way!
NOW IS THE TIME!
