The Power to Witness
Posted by Randy | Labels: Acts, Eternity, Evangelism, Holy Spirit, Luke, Witness | Posted On Monday, October 12, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Today we turn to the Book of Acts, looking at chapter 1. Scholars tells us that originally the Gospel of Luke and Acts were one book, written by Luke, a doctor (and most likely a Gentile, or non-Jew) who traveled some with the Apostle Paul. As in his gospel, Luke is writing this to "Theophilus." This name literally means "lover of God," and may be the actual name of an individual, or a more general letter to those who love God.
Luke writes Acts to show us the growth of Christianity from a few dozen followers of Jesus after his death to a movement that within thirty years had reached Rome, the center of the western world. He shows us that God's hand was involved in every step of this expansion, through the Holy Spirit, and he will show us the coming of the Holy Spirit almost immediately, in chapter 2. He shows us that Christianity spread, in spite of all kinds of hardships and persecutions. It spread, even converting some of its worst enemies into its biggest advocates.
In Jesus' last appearance to the disciples, he gives them this promise: "'But 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.'" (1:8 - italics added) Jesus says his followers are to be his witnesses, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
To be a "witness" is to be one who observes something and testifies to others. This is really the basic calling of every Christ follower - to be a witness for Christ; to share the Good News of who Jesus is and what he has done. But, as a witness, while we should tell what we know, even more important is what we've experienced.
It seems like many times when Christ followers hear they are called by Jesus to "go and make disciples" or be his "witnesses," they freeze or think that, surely, Jesus is talking to the "trained professionals." He couldn't be talking to me, could he? Yet, a witness is simply someone who recounts their own experience. What is your experience of Jesus? There's a simple and basic formula to telling your witness or story: (1) what was my life like before I met Christ? (2) How did I meet Christ? (3) How has my life changed since I met Christ? Notice, there are no deep theological explanations - it's just telling my story. That's what Jesus desires for us to do.
But, he doesn't leave us to witness all by ourselves. He tells us we will receive the power to witness through the Holy Spirit - Christ's living presence with every Christ follower. When I become a Christ follower, his Spirit comes to live within me, to guide me, to encourage me, to convict me (when I make the wrong choices), and to empower me to do God's will, even when I don't think I can. He empowers me to be His witness, but I have to act on this by faith. I have to believe that He is working in me and will use my witness to affect the lives of others.
In fact, this is one of the greatest privileges you or I have - to be used by God to open the door of eternity for another human being. It's one of the few things we can do here on earth that lives on forever, that has eternal implications. I may think I am just telling my story, but, the truth is, much more is going on. The Holy Spirit is empowering my telling, and He is empowering the hearing of my story, my witness, in the heart and mind of the listener. He is coordinating my witness with the witness of others, working to give that person every opportunity to accept Christ into his or her own life. I may not see the results of this - I may be just one witness in a string of witnesses - but my witness will not be wasted, for God is empowering it and using it. And with God, all things are possible!
So, you and I need to take seriously Jesus' expectation to be his witness. We are never saved for ourselves but always for the sake of others. How will the Holy Spirit use you today to be His witness? Are you looking for opportunities? Are you listing for leadings of the Holy Spirit? Today God just might use you to change another person's eternity!
