Winning Witness Series

Chico Alliance Church

Pastor David Welch

“Winning Witness”

Review

Habitual engagement in the spiritual disciplines produces spiritual maturity. We have covered nearly all of the major healthy habits that that enable a healthy walk. Each discipline or habit serves to diminish the pull of the flesh and release the power of the renewed spirit that brings significant transformation of our life. I have presented each of them in a somewhat logical order. Each discipline interacts with the others and each discipline reinforces the others.

Silence, Submission, Confession, Interaction with Scripture, Faith, Praise, Prayer, Sacrifice, Simplicity.

Without silence and solitude we will never experience the connection necessary to grow.

When we connect with God in silence and solitude we admit our need to surrender and submit to His will and work in our life.

When we submit to His will, we realize how stubborn and rebellious we really are and are encouraged to humble our hearts in confession of our failure to do what we should and fortitude to do what we should not.

With a submitted humble heart we are ready to interact with God’s word without some personal agenda and the scripture ignites faith which inspires praise and activates prayer.

With a humble, pure, directed, trusting, grateful, dependent heart we become motivated to sacrifice what we value in order to offer ourselves and our resources to the one who gave Himself for us.

We are ready to use any and every means to live simply and find ourselves content with knowing He will never leave us or forsake us and will provide whatever is necessary to accomplish what He has asked us to do.

Such a state of surrender and connection with God makes us fully usable as servants.

Such a level of connection with God also becomes hard to keep to ourselves.

We will find it hard not to share our excitement with those around us.

Just as with all the other habits, this next habit is also an activity every believer is commanded to do on a regular basis as a way of life. The spiritual disciplines must become our WAY OF LIFE. That is why I call them habits. Just like any activity, we must expend initial effort to practice them until they become a natural way of life. God instructs every believer to be ready to share Christ with others. I have placed discussion of this discipline next to last because for good reason. Until my relationship with Christ reaches a point where it continually transforms my thinking and living, I will feel little motivation to share Him with others.

Jesus is the answer – I think.

Jesus can fill your empty soul – I hope.

Jesus is our only source of life – so I am told.

2 Kings 7:3-9

We have the best news ever to a condemned and dying world. What we are doing in not right!

I. The Powerful Commission

A. The Great commission

The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20

1. The basis of the commission – the authority of Jesus

2. The Scope of the commission – make disciples of all peoples

Some focus on the “go” part of this verse. “Go” is not the main verb, it is a participle or “ing” word “going”. The main verb is “make disciples”. On the basis of the authority of Jesus in heaven and earth, make disciples as the natural course of your life on this earth.

“disciple” = student, follower

3. The process of the commission

a) Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

b) Teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded

The great commission does not stop with receiving Christ. The great commission includes obeying Christ. The Bible presents more instruction concerning our responsibility after someone becomes a Christian than before.

4. The power of the commission – I am with you always

5. The duration of the commission – to the end of the age

B. The assigned roles

1. Powerful witness

While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” [He said, “is what] you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, at this time are You restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8