Here’s your sign
Acts 1:8
Intro: In John chapter 2, the first miracle of Jesus is recorded. It’s the story of Jesus and His newfound disciples and their invitation to a wedding. The story goes that Jesus’ mother had been invited and so had Jesus. They ran out of wine that day. I don’t know if they had been partying more than expected or if there were more people than expected or if the “master of ceremonies” as the NLT calls him or had just miscalculated. What I want to bring out though is that after Jesus turned the water into wine and the master of ceremonies tasted the wine he made this statement. Usually the best wine is served first but the groom had “saved the best for last.” That’s where many people believe the statement and the practice of saving the best for last comes from.
. That’s what we have done with today’s sermon.
. We are back into our core values this morning and we have come to the last one.
. It is not the last one in importance just the last one in the series that I have preached using these core values.
. I have saved this one for last because I believe it is the best one.
. All the others are important but this one is the best.
. Evangelism
. This is our directive straight from Jesus himself.
. Make disciples
. We have tried to express this in our mission statement which is:
. To encourage and develop those we meet into committed followers of Jesus.
. That starts with evangelism.
. Several years ago (1985) a celebration took place at a municipal pool in New Orleans. The party around the pool was held to celebrate the first summer in memory without a drowning at the New Orleans City pool. In honor of the occasion, 200 people gathered, including 100 certified lifeguards. As the party was breaking up and the four lifeguards on duty began to clear the pool, they found a fully dressed body in the deep end. They tried to revive Jerome Moody, 31, but it was too late. He had drowned surrounded by lifeguards celebrating their successful season.
What a tragedy. But, it’s just as tragic when people are surrounded by Christians and still die and go to hell not knowing Jesus.
. Folks we gather and celebrate our Lord in worship, which is one of our core values and is important, but all the while there are people around us who are dying and going to hell.
. So many of us are confused about evangelism
. Let me give you an example.
. The story is told of a guy who prayed this prayer every morning: "Lord, if you want me to witness to someone today, please give me a sign to show me who it is." One day he found himself on a bus when a big, burly man sat next to him. The bus was nearly empty but this guy sat next to our praying friend. The timid Christian anxiously waited for his stop so he could exit the bus. But before he could get very nervous about the man next to him, the big guy burst into tears and began to weep. He then cried out with a loud voice, "I need to be saved. I’m a lost sinner and I need the Lord. Won’t somebody tell me how to be saved?" He turned to the Christian and pleaded, "Can you show me how to be saved?" The believer immediately bowed his head and prayed, "Lord, is this a sign?"
. Are you looking for a "sign" to start witnessing?
. Folks, the sign is found in our scripture this morning.
. Acts 1:8 say’s this: 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
. The apostles were with Jesus and they were asking Him when He was going to fulfill the total mission of the Messiah and bring forth His kingdom on the earth. Jesus said and I paraphrase, quit worrying about all this. Only God the Father knows when that will be.
. Stop worrying about things you have no control over. I have a job for you. Make Disciples and I have a sign for you.
. That sign is the Holy Spirit.
. Jesus says that when you receive the Holy Spirit, that will be your sign to start making disciples.
. This sign has two properties. The fist is an Indwelling
. The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
. As Baptists we believe that the Spirit of God, The Holy Spirit, indwells or resides within us when we accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for us when He died on a cross for our sins. When we become Christians, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
. Jesus is saying that when you become a Christian and the Holy Spirit resides within you, here’s your sign.
. The minute you are saved, you are given a sign and a directive.
. Make Disciples.
. Jesus then goes on to say that with this power of the Holy Spirit residing within you, you will be my witnesses.
. What function do witnesses perform, they tell the story. They tell what they know.
. Jesus says to tell the people everywhere you go.
. Tell them about me.
. Tell them who I am and what I have done for you and what I can do for them.
. Quit waiting for a sign that you have already been given and do what I told you to do.
.We have to look at people in the same way Jesus did.
. Jesus saw people in need of salvation.
. In Luke chapter 19:10 Jesus says; “10For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
. According to George Barna, in his book called, “Evangelism That Works,” most churches have only a small group of people who have a passion for evangelism. Barna asks 3 probing questions to churches like ours:
1. “Do people “own” evangelism as the heartbeat of the ministry?”
2. “Is evangelism deemed the highest priority of the church?”
3. “Have the people caught a vision for reaching nonbelievers that gives the church definition, energy and direction?”
He concludes by saying, “If not, the organization is not truly a church but is simply a group of people intrigued by religion.”
. Folks we must be more than an organization intrigued by religion.
. We must see people for who they are either a brother or sister in Christ or a sinner in need of a Savior.
. While speaking in London, evangelist D. L. Moody was approached by a British companion who wanted to know the secret of Moody’s success in leading people to Christ. Moody directed the man to his hotel window and asked, "What do you see?" The man looked down on the square and reported a view of crowded streets. Moody suggested he look again. This time the man mentioned seeing people--men, women, and children. Moody then directed him to look a third time, and the man became frustrated that he was not seeing what Moody wanted him to see. The great evangelist came to the window with watery eyes and said, "I see people going to hell without Jesus. Until you see people like that, you will not lead them to Christ."
. Until we see people as Jesus and Moody see them, we are failing in our endeavors as the body of Christ.
. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit helps us see that the most important need of mankind is a Savior.
. Along with this indwelling of the Holy Spirit comes the other function of the Holy Spirit.
. The Equipping of the Holy Spirit
. Jesus said that He would always be with us. He does that through the equipping of the Holy Spirit.
. When you think about evangelism you get a little overwhelmed don’t you. Most people do. I do.
. Part of the problem is that most don’t know what to say.
. Part of Jesus’ equipping is that He gives you a testimony.
. When we are born again, as He tells Nicodemus what must happen John 3:3 I tell you the truth, unless you are dborn again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
. We become a new person in Christ Jesus as Paul writes in 2 cor. 5:17, This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
.We are Equipped with a testimony of what Jesus has done for us and what He continues to do for us through the Holy Spirit
. I say again, just tell them what Jesus has done for you and means to you. If you can’t do that, maybe you need to reexamine your salvation.
. Have you truly become a new person in Christ Jesus.
. If you have, then you have a story to tell.
. We have to remember that we don’t save people, all we do is tell the story.
. Be witnesses just as we were commanded.
. The Gospel is what saves. Jesus is what saves people.
. I hear folks say that my witness is how I live and treat other people. That’s how I evangelize. That’s how I share the Gospel.
. That is known as lifestyle evangelism.
. Folks that is a byproduct of the Gospel. Our lives, how we live is not the Gospel.
. The Gospel is the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of mankind. We don’t share that just by giving someone a piece of bread.
. We witness, tell the story, by telling people who are going to hell about the One who can save them.
. We must tell them about Jesus and He equips us to do that through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
. Part of that empowerment is our testimony.
. After Jesus gives us our sign through the indwelling and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, He also gives us the environment in which we are to witness.
. Our environment
. Jesus says the environment or area that you are to work in is everywhere.
. Look here in verse 8 again, He says: telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
. Folks these are our mission fields.
. Everywhere.
. Jerusalem is what I want to focus on this morning. We have spent the last six months looking at who we are and what we are supposed to be doing. How we can reach out to our community.
. We have developed mission statements and core values and a vision statement.
. Now this is the first time I have mentioned our vision statement in the context of a sermon.
. Just to review, our vision is:
. To reach our community through exciting and innovative worship, discipleship and evangelism.
. Folks this community is our Jerusalem.
. Jesus said to reach our community.
. Our vision is to reach our community through excitement and innovation.
. We are well on our way toward innovation.
. We have invested time and money for innovation in our worship services through our sound and video upgrades.
. We are moving toward more innovate types and styles of discipleship studies through the Gospel Project and small groups on Sunday night for men and women.
. We are in the process of developing an outreach and evangelism plan that is innovate and meets needs of our community.
. Folks I can lead you into and through that innovation.
. I can bring excitement from myself in all that I do.
. What I can’t do is bring your excitement.
. You, we, must get excited about what is going on here at the Creek.
. Have you shared what’s going on here.
. Can you see what’s going on here.
. Are you excited about what’s going on here.
. Folks we must share our excitement.
. If you are not excited, perhaps you should do some self examination along with prayer and meditation and see what God has to say to you.
. Brothers and Sisters, we need to be about Gods business.
. We need to see the lost for who they are.
. Men and women bound for Hell and in need of a savior.
. If each one of us would reach one, you would be amazed at what God would do in this place.
. I want to close with a little poem this morning.
. • Ten little Christians, standing in a line, one disliked the preacher, then there were nine.
• Nine little Christians stayed up very late, one slept in on Sunday, then there were eight.
• Eight little Christians on their way to heaven, one took his own road, then there were seven.
• Seven little Christians chirping like some chicks, one disliked the song leader, then there were six.
• Six little Christians seemed very much alive, but one lost his interest then there were five.
• Five little Christians pulling for heaven’s shore, but one stopped to rest, then there were four.
• Four little Christians, busy as a bee, one got her feelings hurt, then there were three.
• Three little Christians knew not what to do, one couldn’t forgive another, then there were two.
• Two little Christians, our rhyme is nearly done, quarreled over petty stuff, then there was only one.
• One little Christian, can’t do much ‘tis true; brought his friend to Bible study – then there were two.
• Two earnest Christians, each won one more, that doubled the number, then there were four.
• Four sincere Christians worked early and worked late, each won another, then there were eight.
• Eight splendid Christians, if they doubled as before, in just a few short weeks, we’d have 1,024.
Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources:
The Holy Bible, NLT
Raising the Bar of Evangelism, Douglas Bryan
Owning The Mission, Brian Bill
