Partnering with God to Get the Word Out!
INTRODUCTION
Time Capsule—Riverside Elementary
The Monroe Evening News (Monroe, MI) reported that:
On Thursday Mrs. Matthews, a teacher at Riverside Elementary, and a group of her former classmates got together and opened the long-lost treasure box. For a short time, they traveled back to 1976 and reminisced about days gone by.
"It was awesome," she said. "It was so nice to see everybody after so many years. It was a lot of fun. Just a lot of fun."
The time capsule contained many items, including a John Denver 45 record and a Fonzie poster from "Happy Days," a hit TV show back then. There were coins and Greenfield Village artifacts since that’s where the class took a field trip that year.
Mrs. Matthews found her contributions. Prior to opening the wooden box, she thought she put in a bicentennial quarter. But it actually was a penny and a bookmark that she described as "lame."
They were remembering History. Remembering what was. They lived it. Most of us LIVE history, and some of us aspire to MAKE history
Hank Aaron
Einstein
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Bill Gates
Wilbur and Orville Wright
Gutenburg
DaVinci
They certainly have “made” history, and we can read about them in history—
Here are some other historical figures:
Stephen, Dorcas, Apollow, Ananias and Sapphira, Peter, Paul, & Mary, Dr. Luke, Festus—
What am I talking about? Not Gunsmoke—the book of ACTS! It is one of my favorite books of the Bible!
• Family album—of my Christian family and forefathers and mothers
• Time Capsule—what Christian life was like back then
• An eyewitness account—and reports of other eyewitness accounts, passed down through the ages
Acts is often viewed as a history of the growth of the early church.
• How does it get so big?
Luke shows how the church grew
• Numerically
• Geographically
• In spite of Problems
o Persecution
o Controversy
We are going to be camping out in Acts the next couple of weeks
KFC—Paul/Communication (HEY KIDS!! What are you learning about . . . we will be too, in church!)
Earlier this week, I was watching “the Brothers Grimm”—not a movie for young children—portraying them as money driven scam artists posing as Enlightenment era “Ghost Busters”—they promised to drive out ghosts and other scary creatures for cold hard cash. All goes well until they encounter a real, live, “fairy tale” story.
Set in Germany, it got me thinking about your heritage and my heritage. Though Germany was considered a “Christian Land” at this time (think of Martin Luther) it was still a land whose folk tales drew on their pagan past, with all kinds of gods in charge of music, trees, brooks, etc.
I am German. I could have been a tree worshipper.
And lest you think you could have escaped that fate, you out there that are English or Irish or Scottish, or French, etc, you also have in your history: druids, Stonehenge, “magic”, charms, superstition (THAT still exists today for some Christians!)
What is the difference?
ACTS 1:1-11
MOST, if not All of us sitting here today, are believers in Jesus, rather than the tree in our front yard, because of 12 men who came from all walks of life to follow Jesus, doing whatever it took to be history makers for Him.
How did they make such history? Jesus gave them exactly what they needed to turn he world upside down for Him. And just like them,
Big Idea: With the help of Jesus, We can be History Makers for God!
This little—but growing--collection of believers, this church, this family of believers in God almighty can continue the long line of history makers since the early days of the church, if we let Jesus equip us as he did the apostles:
How did he equip them?
Jesus started up by providing them
1. Proof: that he is really alive and resurrected!
3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days
40 days (ring any bells?!) he hung out with them, teaching, encouraging, giving fishing tips, eating
What was important about this?
His words are true and he is the Christ, the son of God
Paul, the Apostle, (KFC!!) says, if the resurrection (Jesus’ physical rising from the dead) is not true, then
• Our preaching is useless (not just mine!)
• Our faith is useless
• The Apostles are false witness
• Our faith is vain
• We are still in our sinds
• The dead in Christ are lost
• We are the most pitied of all men.
• (1 Cor 15:14-19)
This is not the time to go into a thorough defense of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, but if you want some good research on that, beyond what the Bible says, you might start with Josh McDowell’s “More than a Carpenter” or Lee Strobel’s “The Case for Christ (and a youth edition). Both men essentially started out as non-believers, looking to prove that Christianity was not based on a lot of fact, and ended up strong believers themselves.
Lee Strobel has this to say about Jesus’ death:
(Some people doubt Jesus really died, that he only faked it.)
“You can draw your own conclusions. What clinched it for me was this question: Suppose Jesus did survive the cross. Suppose he was able to escape from the burial wrappings, roll the rock away from the tomb, and get past the Roman soldiers who were standing guard. After suffering the trauma of the cross and such catastrophic blood loss, would he have inspired the disciples to hail him as a victorious conqueror of death? Would they have been motivated to start a worldwide movement based on the hope that someday they too would have a post-resurrection body just like his?” (Lee Strobel, Case for C,hrist student ed. P.88)
This just points to his actual death. What about proof for his resurrection?
There are many explanations, one of them is that Jesus’ body was stolen. Strobel gives this semi-fictitious dialogue that is based on this theory, and is actually brought up in the Bible itself:
Christian: Jesus’ tomb is empty—he’s been raised from the dead!
Jewish Leaders: No, the disciples stole the body
C: How could they? The guards at the tomb would have topped them.
JL: Oh, but the guards at the tomb fell asleep.
C: Right. Trained guards falling asleep on the job—and sleeping through the noise of someone moving the stone. I don’t think so. The Jews bribe the guards to say they fell asleep. (Strobel, pp. 95, 96)
Strobel says this line of argument makes no sense if there WEREN’T guards, but if there were, and there is ample evidence to suggest there was, then you have to wonder: would guards have dropped the ball in guarding Jesus’ body if it meant the loss of their very own life, if they failed?
So we have an empty tomb, and the Bible asserts it was because Jesus was resurrected.
And for 40 Days, Jesus showed himself to his disciples in many ways and occasions.
Many people, according to Strobel, have explanations for how Jesus’ believers could claim he was resurrected, and yet the fact would not be true:
• Legends
• Hallucinations
• Wishful Thinking (103-106)
Strobel, like many before him asks essentially: HOW can a world religion that spans the globe start with a bunch of fearful, dejected, rejected losers, if the resurrection were not true? Would they stake their lives—literally—on a fake claim?
Strobel says he used to say, “well, other religions have grown big, and their claims were false, like the Islamic faith.” Then he realized that while other religions can start with falsehood, most of the believers operate on the assumption that it is true. In the case of Islam, the notion that Muhammed got his revelation straight from Allah was something that happened in secret. It wasn’t verified by anybody but him.
However many people claim to have seen the risen Lord. They based their faith and ministry on this fact. If it were a hoax, if they really didn’t see him ALIVE, would they risk beheading as James did, or crucifixion as Peter did, or imprisonment or stoning, as early Christians did?
Jesus began to equip his disciples to be history makers and world changers by proving to them over 40 days that he was alive.
Are we convinced of his resurrection? It will make a big difference in not only our claims, but also in our fervor.
And though we may not have been there during the 40 days he proved himself, many of us have gotten to know Jesus, his presence and his power, in a real way. (Gary Betway: “I KNOW he is alive and I can feel his presence in my life)
But that is not all that Jesus did. He also equipped them through thorough
2. Preparation: to Proclaim God’s Kingdom.
(v.2)
Luke expands a bit more at the end of his Gospel by saying:
Lk 24:44 - 47
Jesus spent considerable time, beyond the 3 years he has taught them and led them and admonished and rebuked them, because he knew they needed to get it right.
The Bible says that our faith is built on the Foundation of the Apostles.
That the church devoted themselves to the Apostles Teaching.
They were the ones through whom Jesus would take his message global!
They couldn’t just be making stuff up on the fly, or miss key parts of God’s plan to save the world by his grace through the Messiah! So Jesus taught them, and continued to teach them after he ascended to heaven through the Holy Spirit.
“He will guide you into all truth”
Think about this Privilege we have:
Proclaim God’s Kingdom!—that was Jesus’ message, and that continued to be the message of the early church! (Acts opens and closes with “proclaimed the kingdom of God”) You don’t mess around with the message of the King!
Likewise, we need to be prepared to proclaim the Kingdom of God—God’s rule on earth and in our lives.
So some of you, who like me have had a history of being weak in “evangelism, telling the “good news”, or proclaiming the kingdom” will breathe a sigh of relief and say:
“Phew, since I haven’t had seminary training yet, I am OFF THE HOOK!.” Well not really. Because the Biblical witness encourages us to
Start with what you know:
• The demon possessed man sent by Jesus to proclaim what Jesus had delivered him from to the Ten Cities (and people were ready when Jesus came back because of his message). He didn’t say “first, enroll in a 4 year Bible college, then proceed to get your master of Divinity . . .”
• Many examples of this in the NT. And modern day Christians will tell you that newly reborn Christians
o Are some of the most effective witnesses for Jesus, and are key to winning people over to Christ
TURN THEM LOOSE!
o It takes them a while before they realize that witnessing is really a scary thing, or that their lives are too busy to take time to tell their friends, neighbors, coworkers or family about Jesus
Nevertheless, notice, they START with what they know. But the Bible encourages us to
“move beyond milk, into the meat”
“be prepared in season and out of season to share the hope that is within you”
“learn and apply all that Jesus taught us to obey”
Continued Preparation is about MATURITY and EFFECTIVENESS.
• The more we learn, the more seasoned and mature we get. I didn’t say STUFFY, or COMPLICATED, or LACKING PASSION. I said “seasoned and mature.”
• The more seasoned and mature we are, the more effective we are in helping others to come to know Jesus
I learned the humble lesson in Chicago that I could be full of the Spirit, but yet still be ill prepared to witness and use my Bible effectively.
(no reason to NOT do it, but every reason to GROW DEEPER)
Are you taking time to let Jesus mold and hone and prepare you for his service? I hope and pray so, because we need it to
Carry out His
3. Purpose: To be Jesus’ witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Penetrate the whole world with the Gospel
Debate between evangelism and maturity: which should have a priority in the church?
BOTH.
Jesus said he came to seek and save the lost.
People are LOST until we, with the help of Jesus, find them and save them by grace through faith in Jesus!
LOST! Not “can’t find Wal Mart, I am lost,” or, “where am I, I am lost,” or “you must be a freshman, you look lost.” NO,
“I am going to hell, and have no hope in the afterlife without your message of Jesus taking root in my soul: LOST!”
Who are WE to tell Jesus evangelism, being his witnesses, is to take a backseat to ANYTHING?? And yet, many churches find themselves struggling to be churches that reach out!
South Dade was a church like that—evangelism was one of our greatest weaknesses!
• People are afraid! Feel dumb! Ill prepared!
• It’s uncomfortable and inconvenient:
o I’ll have to go out of my way to tell someone
o I will have to back up what I say with something, which means I will have to study and miss my
favorite TV program,
or softball game,
or golf tournament
or final chapter in my riveting novel, or
sale at Target,
o or just plain get off my derriere and tell someone.
etc etc etc
• It is easier to hang around people who already share you joy and hope than to go out and tell others so that THEY can HAVE IT TOO!
We have seen some growth here, new people coming to be a part of our family.
And that is exciting!
• And at the same time most of them
o Were already Christian
o Found our church on their own efforts
o Or were raised in faith by their family
I don’t know anybody—and I could be wrong—who has come to faith and identified with our body, as a result of our witnessing to them.
It was Jesus expressed intent, that we go to the ENDS OF THE EARTH. We are beneficiaries of those who have been true to Jesus’ desire.
Will we be the ambassadors for him that HE desires? Statistics have told us that quite often about 10% of any church body is GIFTED in evangelism. They have a real knack, focus, and giftedness for it.
But the Bible declares that ALL of us are to be his witnesses. Not door to door knockers. But witnesses: “This is Jesus, this is what I know and am excited about, this is my hope!” or “I am sorry at the pain you are feeling right now. Would you like me to pray about this matter to Jesus? I have seen him work in my life, he can in yours, too!” etc.
And I am chief of all slackers. I grew UP as a missionary kid, and somewhere along the line developed and aversion or fear to getting the WORD out. To my shame. But the Bible has an answer to that, that completes us and empowers us to do His will:
To all of his disciples, to all of us, Jesus gives us his
4. Promise: the Power of the Holy Spirit will come to them.
We have power to complete his Mission;
This power is not something we control
This power is given by God to all believers as a gift
This power can transform us and the world
This power is the Holy Spirit
This Holy Spirit is an EVANGELISTIC HOLY SPIRIT
Acts places great emphasis on the HS’s activity in the church. And the overwhelming way the HS is portrayed is in His role in
GETTING THE WORD OUT:
• Here he is giving them boldness to speak in the midst of persecution
• There he is giving them words to say when they are under trial
• Here he is giving them the ability to speak in many languages they have not learned so that others can hear the good news of the kingdom
• There he is evident in the precise and profound teaching of a willing servant
• Here he is coming mightily on people viewed as religious outcasts to show his favor on them and their salvation
• There His joy permeates a community that results in the favor of all those around them
• Here He is setting aside specific workers for a specific evangelistic tour
• There he is closing doors and opening others so that the missionaries will take the Gospel to specific areas, in one case opening the door up to the European continent (Macedonia, Greece)
All throughout Acts, the missionary heart of God is made plain and fulfilled by the Holy Spirit as he guides and empowers ORDINARY PEOPLE for GETTING OUT THE GOOD NEWS!
Our Holy Spirit is an Evangelistic Holy Spirit, and if we for one moment deny Jesus’ mandate to be SPECIFIC witnesses in the world,
If we glory in the HS’s role in our personal lives, but deny other the opportunity to have that same Spirit, that same salvation,
We DENY a KEY REASON the Spirit was given and are guilty of trying to RESTRICT Him of a key function in the life of the Church: EVANGELISM
I am happy this church is a good and growing supporter of missionaries.
• KFC, writing to missionaries
• We were started not too long ago as part of a world wide plan of God to let the WHOLE world know about Jesus and life with him
• But we can do a much better job at fulfilling the mandate of Christ to let our neighbors, our family, our friends, even strangers—
o Be open to them. I will talk more about this in the future, but there is talk in Christian circles about “divine appointments” or opportuntities set up by God where a believer will have an opportunity to share Christ on some level, whether it is asking how they can pray for them, or whether that leads to a sharing of the good news,
As we follow the lead and serve under the empowerment of God—and Christ’s—Spirit, we will INDEED Be
History Makers
You think God will care about who won the academy award, Forbes 500, or who made “who’s who?” or in the case of a publication’s typo where critical “w’s” were left out: a woman was listed among the Ho’s Ho!” (Christopher . . . )
NO
But the smallest life in the worlds eyes is critical to God, the newest reborn heart is what makes the Creator’s heart full of joy.
MAX LUCADO—When God Whispers your Name (p.31)
A hero could be next door and you wouldn’t know it.
• The fellow who changes the oil in your car could be one. A hero in coveralls? Maybe. Maybe as he works he prays, asking God to do with the heart of the driver what he does with the engine.
• The day-care worker where you drop off the kids? Perhaps. Perhaps her morning prayers include the name of each child and the dream that one of them will change the world. Who’s to say God isn’t listening?
• The parole officer downtown? Could be a hero. She could be the one who challenges the ex-con to challenge the teens to challenge the gangs.
I know, I know. These folks don’t fit our image of a hero. They look too, too, . . . well, normal. Give us four stars, titles, and headlines. But something tells me that for every hero in the spotlight, there are dozens in the shadows. They don’t get press. They don’t draw crowds. They don’t even write books!
But behind every avalanche is a snowflake.
Behind a rock slide is a pebble.
An atomic explosion begins with one atom.
And a revival can begin with one sermon.
History proves it.
John Egglen had never preached a sermon in his life. Never.
Wasn’t that he didn’t want to, just never needed to. But then one morning he did. The snow left his town of Colchester, England, buried in white. When he awoke on that January Sunday in 1850, he thought of staying home. Who would go to church in such weather?
But he reconsidered. He was, after all, a deacon. And if the deacons didn’t go, who would? So he put on his boots, hat, and coat and walked the six miles to the Methodist Church.
He wasn’t the only member who considered staying home. In fact, he was one of the few who came. Only thirteen people were present. Twelve members and one visitor. Even the minister was snowed in. Someone suggested they go home. Egglen would hear none of that. They’d come this far; they would have a service. Besides, they had a visitor. A thirteen-year-old boy.
But who would preach? Egglen was the only deacon. It fell to him.
And so he did. His sermon lasted only ten minutes. It drifted and wandered and made no point in an effort to make several.
But at the end, an uncharacteristic courage settled upon the man. He lifted his eyes and looked straight at the boy and challenged: “Young man, look to Jesus. Look! Look! Look!”
Did the challenge make a difference? Let the boy, now a man, answer. “I did look, and then and there the cloud on my heart lifted, the darkness rolled away, and at that moment I saw the sun.”
The boy’s name? Charles Haddon Spurgeon. England’s prince of preachers.
Did Egglen know what he’d done? No.
Do heroes know when they are heroic? Rarely.
Are historic moments acknowledged when they happen?
You know the answer to that one. (If not, a visit to the manger will remind you.) We seldom see history in the making, and we seldom recognize heroes. Which is just as well, for if we knew either, we might mess up both.
But we’d do well to keep our eyes open. Tomorrow’s Spurgeon might be mowing your lawn. And the hero who inspires him might be nearer than you think.
He might be in your mirror.
As we close with a simple, but profound song by the group delirious?, think of 5 specific people you know of in your sphere of influence. Ask God to guide you in those names.
Make the List on a small piece of paper.
Carry it with you
Post it on the mirror, or fridge, or prop it up on the kitchen table
Pray for God to open doors for you to tell them about the gospel
Spend time connecting with the resurrected Jesus
Pay attention to what you are reading in the Bible, or learning from other Christians in the classes you attend and the books or articles you read, or the songs you hear. And choose to obey Jesus and be a
History Maker (by delirious?) Roll the song.
Is it true today that when people pray
Cloudless skies will break
Kings and queens will shake
Yes it’s true and I believe it
I’m living for you
Is it true today that when people pray
We’ll see dead men rise
And the blind set free
Yes it’s true and I believe it
I’m living for you
I’m gonna be a history maker in this land
I’m gonna be a speaker of truth to all mankind
I’m gonna stand, I’m gonna run
Into your arms, into your arms again
Into your arms, into your arms again
Well it’s true today that when people stand
With the fire of God, and the truth in hand
We’ll see miracles, we’ll see angels sing
We’ll see broken hearts making history
Yes it’s true and I believe it
We’re living for you
