Tag Archives: witnessing

Jesus, Our Savior

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Luke 8:26-49

Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?”  And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss.  Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country.Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned.  Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.”  And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

Why do we need a Savior?

Evil Spirits – There is only one devil, but there are many evil or unclean spirits or demons.  The New Testament says of them:

  • They are spirits – Matt. 12:43-45
  • They are Satan’s emissaries – Matt. 12:26-27
  • They know their fate is eternal doom.  Matt. 8:29; Luke 8:31
  • They affect man’s health – Matt. 12:22; 17:15-18; Luke 13:16
  • They deceive the world and blind people to Christ – Eph. 2:2
  • They entice men to a false religion of asceticism – 1 Tim. 4:1-3
  • They entice men to depart from the faith – 1 Tim. 4:1
  • They are cast out of people in the name of Jesus Christ – Acts 16:18
  • They shall participate in the final judgment coming on the earth – Rev. 9:1-11, 20

Results of sin – We see by this man’s life what the devil desires to do in our lives, and what sin can do if allowed to run its full and unhindered course.  Many in our society today are like this man – and we see the results in abused children, overflowing prisons, broken homes, hurting people. 

Romans 6:23 – “For the wages (that which is earned) of sin is death.”

  • This man had lost all sense of shame and self-respect.  He was running around naked.
  • This man had lost his friends and family.  He lived alone among the graves.
  • This man was completely under the control of the evil spirit.  He had lost his “right mind” – his sense of true identity.  Notice that when Jesus asked the man what his name was, the demons answered Him. 
  • The demons’ response to Jesus
  • They recognized who He was – “Jesus, Son of the Most High God”
  • They recognized that there was no possibility of a relationship with Jesus – “What have I do to do with You?” or “What have we in common?”
  • They recognized His power over them – “I beg You, do not torment me!”
  • They were forced to obey Him
  • Our proper response to Jesus

We need to recognize who He is.  Jesus Himself told us in John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  We do not come to the Father based on our good works, on our good intentions.  We do not come to the Father by church membership, water baptism.  We do not come to the Father through Buddha, meditation or any other source but Jesus.  He is not Santa Claus, He is not grandpa, He is not our “good buddy.”  He is – just as the demons recognized – “Jesus, Son of the Most High God.” 

We need to recognize that we cannot maintain a relationship with Him and continue in sin.  Water and oil do not mix. 

Luke 16:13 – No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despite the other.

James 4:4 – Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity (hatred) with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend (a loved one, speaks of a love of emotion and deep friendship) of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Galatians 1:10 – For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

John 14:15 – If you love me, you will keep my commandments…   This statement could also be made – If you do not keep my commandments, you do not love me.

We need to recognize that Jesus has power over the devil and sin.  There can be victory. 

What is a Savior?

Webster’s dictionary defines it as “one that saved from danger or destruction; one who brings salvation.”  “Salvation” is “deliverance from the power and effects of sin; preservation from destruction or failure; deliverance from danger or difficulty.”

The Greek word used in this entire chapter of Luke 8 is sozo.  It shows us the full range of the power of Jesus as Savior.  It shows us all that is meant when we say Jesus is our Savior. 

The demon-possessed man was freed of evil power that took control of his own rational mind and physical actions.  Verse 36 tells us that he was “healed” – (sozo).  Jesus has the power to set us free from those bondages that seem to control us – habits of the flesh (you can make your own list), wrong attitudes or thoughts in our mind (worry, fear, lust, gossip, hatred, etc.) – those things that seem to control us.  Jesus died to set us free from those bondages. 

John 10:10 – I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly (superabundance, excessively overflowing).

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Sophronismos means “good judgment, disciplined thought patterns, and the ability to understand and make right decisions.  It includes the qualities of self-control and self-discipline.

Philippians 6-8 – Be anxious (merimnao means “a distraction, a preoccupation with things causing anxiety, stress and pressure) for nothing….and the peace of God…will guard (a military term picturing a sentry standing guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

Paul then lists the things we are to meditate on (think over, reflect on, contemplate, consider)

Luke tells us in verses 40-56 of two physical healings.  One was a women who had been sick for twelve years and had spent her savings on doctors with no results.  In verse 48 Jesus tells the woman she has been “made well ” – (sozo).  The other was a little girl who had died.  In verse 50, Jesus tells the girl’s father that the little girl will be “made well” – (sozo).  In both cases, Jesus referred to the need for them to believe. 

Healing is one of the gifts of the Spirit.  We see in Acts where the Early Church experienced great healings.  James instructs us to call for the elders of the church when we are sick and states that the prayer of faith will bring about physical healing.  This kind of faith is also another one of the gifts of the Spirit.  We need to pray that we will draw close to God so that the gifts of the Spirit may once again operate in our midst. 

We also see in this chapter the parable of the Sower.  This is clearly referring to our spiritual life.  Yet, again in verse 12 he speaks of someone being “saved” – (sozo).  Here we see that one is saved – healed by the Word of God. 

Jesus has come to be our Savior in all areas of our life.  To heal our broken relationship with God; to save our broken personalities and heal us from our bondages; to deliver us from our physical weaknesses and diseases and ultimately to rescue us from death itself at the final resurrection.

What do we do after we accept our Savior?

  • The “saved, healed, delivered” man wanted to be with Jesus.
  • Jesus sent him on a mission.
  • Show what God has done in your life.
  • Go to your own house.

Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Acts 8:4 – That they were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.

1 Peter 3:`15 – But sanctify (set apart) the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Acts 16:14-15 – …The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized…

Acts 16:30-31 – And said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved and your house.

Exodus 12:3 – On the tenth of the month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

“Train up” does not mean just bring a child to church once a week or teach them a memory verse.  It does not mean to just tell them they should be saved and serve God.  It is much more than that.  It carries the idea of a parent investing in a child whatever wisdom, love, time and discipline is needed for that child to become fully committed to God.  It assumes that the parent has the emotional and spiritual maturity to do so.  “In the way he should go” means to take into account the child’s unique personality, gifts and desires.  It also means to train the child to avoid whatever natural tendencies he/she might have that would prevent total commitment to God (a weak will, a lack of discipline, a susceptibility to depression).  This promise means that if a parent takes the time, uses wisdom and love to instruct the child in the way of commitment to God, both by words and by their own example, taking into account the child’s own personality, and then they can be assured the child will stay committed to God as an adult. 

If you want your child to go to church, how often do they see you go to God’s house?  What is your attitude when you go?  “I have to go,” or “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord.’”

If you want your child to love God’s Word, how often do they see you reading God’s Word?  What is your attitude when you read?  “I have to read,” or “I love learning more about God’s Word.”

If you want your child to worship God, how often do they see you worship God – both at home and at church?  Do they ever see you just stop in the middle of work and sing a song of praise or take time to pray?  Do they ever see you in church entering into worship with all your heart?  What is your attitude about worship?  “Hurry up and get on with it,” or “What a joy to worship our Savior.”

If you want your child to give to God’s work, how often do they see you giving?  What is your attitude about giving?  “I have to tithe,” or “It is a blessing to give to the cause of Christ.”

Have you taken the time to teach your child how to study the Bible, how to look up words they don’t understand, how to do research?  Have you taken the time to teach your child how to pray? 

Receive the Savior – and tell others

Peter’s Great Confession

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Matthew 16:13-20

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”  So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”  Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

  • Not the Confession of the World

Important Question No. 1 – “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

  • False Confessions

Mt. 14:1-2 – At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesusand said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.

Matthew 16: 14 – So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets

  • Peter’s Confession

Important Question No. 2 – “Who do you say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

  • True Confession
  • the Christ – the Messiah, the Anointed One
  • the Son of God – one with the Father
  • the Son of the Living God – source of all life
  • Confession is the Church’s Foundation
  • The Church belongs to Christ
  • Christ is the one who builds the Church
  • Christ will protect His Church
  • Responsibility of the Church
  • Sharing the Confession
  • Understanding death/resurrection of Jesus Christ –

1 Cor. 15:1-4 – Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures

  • Need to be empowered by Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Compassion of the Messiah

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Matthew 9:35-38

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Jesus’ Mission was to Minister.

  • His method – He went to the people

Luke 19:10 – for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Matthew 28:19-20 – Go therefore 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.  Amen.

John 20:21 – So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

  • His area of ministry – Wherever the people were

Matthew 22:9 – Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.

Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

  • His effort – He preached, taught and healed.
  • Preaching – proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ

1 Cor. 1:17-21 – For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.  For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:  “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”  Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

  • Teaching – explaining, establishing those who are saved in the Word of God

2 Tim. 2:2 – And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

  • Healing – meeting the physical, mental and emotional needs of those who are hurting

James 5:13-16 – Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

  • His message – Jesus Christ died and rose again that all who believe in him might be saved

Luke 24:46-48 – Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.

  • Jesus’ Mission was to Show Compassion.
  • He saw the crowds fainting.
  • Responsibilities of daily life weighed them down.
  • Man’s religion weighed them down.
  • Sin weighed them down.
  • He saw the crowds scattered.
  • Turning to legalism (their own Law)
  • Turning to philosophy (Stoics, Epicureans, etc.)
  • Turning to false religion (Roman/Greek gods)
  • Turning to no religion (atheism)
  • He saw the crowds with no leader.
  • Jesus’ Mission was to Share his vision.
  • Vision of a great harvest

John 4:35-36 – Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

Galatians 6:9 – And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

  • Harvest is ready
  • Harvest is great
  • Harvest needs to be reaped now – each generation has a harvest.  If they do not reap it, it will be lost.

Matthew 9:36 – But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

  • Vision of a great need for laborers

Matthew 9:37 – Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few

Romans 10:14-15 – How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:  “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

  • Vision of a great need for prayer

Matthew 9:38 – Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Ephesians 6:18-20 – praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

  • Vision of a great force of laborers

Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Ephesians 4:11-16 – And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

  • The harvest is God’s.  He has chosen to use you and me to reap the harvest.  It can be done if:
  1. There is enough concern within our generation for the lost.
  2. There is enough prayer for laborers.
  3. There is enough commitment to obey his voice and go.
  4. There is enough dedication to live for him day by day.
  5. There is enough faith to believe him and his Word.
  6. There is enough conviction to stand strong and firm through all.

What Have I (You) Done for God Lately?

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Acts 21:10-13

And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”  Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

  • GO!!!

Matthew 28:19 – GO therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 7:22 – Jesus answered and said to them, “GO and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and YOU SHALL BE WITNESSES to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

  • PREACH!!!

Romans 10:14-15 – How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:  “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

  • TEACH!!!

Matthew 28:20 – 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. Amen.

1 Peter 2:2 – as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

  • B – Basic
  • I – Instructions
  • B – Before
  • L – Leaving
  • E – Earth

Arrested

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Acts 4:1-22

Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”

So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

  • Arrested for Proclaiming the Truth
  • Arrested “as they were speaking.” 
  • Arrested by the religionist leaders.

The religious establishment was threatened by what the disciples were preaching.  If Jesus had arose from the dead, then He must have been what He claimed to be – the Son of God.  If that were true, they had murdered the Son of God.  If Jesus was really the Messiah, their very existence as priests and leaders in the Temple would be done away with. 

We should not be surprised if we are condemned, talked about, persecuted when we witness for Christ.  We should not be surprised if the very ones who cause us the most trouble are those who seem to be so righteous.

  • Their preaching bore results in spite of the persecution.

Man may hinder our witnessing, may make it more difficult, but he cannot stop the truth of God’s Word

NOTE:  The Sanhedrin was the ruling body of the Jews.  It had 72 members and was presided over by the High Priest.  The priests were made up of the male descendants of Aaron (Exodus 28:1, Numbers 3:1-3, Numbers 18:1-7).  By the time of Jesus there were over 20,000 priests.  Since there was only one temple, the priests were divided into groups.  Each group served in the temple for one week twice a year (1 Chronicles 24:1-6).  The High Priest was supposed to be a spiritual office appointed by the Jewish leaders, but by the time of Jesus, it had evolved into a political office and the Roman government appointed the high priest.  Caiaphas was the high priest appointed by the Romans.  However, Annas, who had been removed by the Romans, was apparently still the power behind the throne, and had tremendous influence among the Jewish leaders. 

  • Christ is Credited with the Power
  • Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” 

Matthew 10:18-20 – And you will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak, for it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speaks, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

Mark 13:11 – But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Luke 21:12-15 – But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.

  • Peter and John took no personal credit
  • It was the name of Jesus Christ.  To the Jewish mind, a person’s name was the same thing as the person themselves.
  • To sign your name to a document was to pledge yourself.  The name of Jesus simply stands for the power, the might, the very being of Jesus Himself.  There is no magic in the words Jesus Christ.  The power is in the person behind the name.
  • Jesus had been crucified.  He had died.
  • Jesus had arose again.  He was alive.

NOTE:  Remember, we are reading this in the English translation of the Greek.  However, Peter would have been speaking in Aramaic.  What He would have said was Jesus the Messiah.  Christ is the Greek word for Messiah.  Peter was bolding telling the Jewish leaders that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah, the promised Savior of their nation. 

  • Jesus Christ is the Source of Salvation.        
  • He is the Chief Cornerstone.  The main foundation. 

Psalm 118:22 – The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone…

Matthew 21:42 – Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’”

Ephesians 2:20 – having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.

1 Peter 2:6 – Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.

  • Jesus Christ alone saves.  There is no other name to call on. 

John 3:16-17 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.’

1 Corinthians 2:2 – For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 3:11 – For no other foundation can man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

NOTE:  The words used here – salvation and whole – are the same Greek word – sesotai.  It means to be saved, to be made whole, to be safe and sound, to be healed.  It means that a person is made whole and continues to be whole.  It means that the man was made whole in both body and soul.  Salvation in the Biblical sense includes all of man – spirit, body, soul (mind, emotions and will).

  • Fellowship with Jesus Christ Changes Men
  • Boldness
  • Power
  • Knowledge

Here is a challenge to us.  Do we spend enough time with Jesus that the world notices our boldness, our power, our knowledge (knowledge that does not come by natural means)?  Jesus longs for our fellowship with Him.

Matthew 18:20 – For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

John 14:23 – If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

John 17:20-24 – I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word (that’s you and me); that they all may be one, as You, Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us….I in them, and You in Me;….that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am….

Revelation 3:20 – Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

  • Refusal to Compromise the Message
  • Regardless of threats
  • God must be obeyed
  • We cannot help but share what God has done for us

Matthew 5:11 – Blessed (happy) are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

2 Timothy 3:12 -“And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

1 Peter 3:15 – …be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason for the hope that is in you….

1 Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Matthew 5:16; John 15:8; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Colossians 1:12; Psalm 9:11; Psalm 35:28

The prophet, Jeremiah suffered persecution for proclaiming the message of God to Israel.  Finally, he said, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.”  He concluded that “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire (fire shut up in my bones); I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.”

How could someone find a cure for Aids or cancer and not tell it to the world?  How could someone find a solution to the violence in our schools and not tell it to the world?  How could someone find an answer for all our abused children and not tell it to the world?

Well, we have the answer! It is Jesus Christ, crucified and risen again. 

SHOUT IT OUT!!!! LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT JESUS SAVES (heals, makes whole, makes safe, complete, sound.)

NOTE:  After the disciples were released in today’s story, they reported back to the church all the threats that had been given to them.  Notice the church’s response.  They did not, as we would probably do, cry out for protection.  They did not question why God had permitted these threats?  They did not ask for God to rain down judgment on their accusers?  They did not ask God to please stop the threats or the persecution.

Rather, they asked for more boldness for themselves that they would continue to speak the Word and not be intimidated by the threats.  They asked for signs and wonders to be done through the name of Jesus.

Perhaps we need to change our prayers.

What is the Greatest Miracle?

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Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

The Promise

  • Power
  • Witness

The Event

  • One accord
  • Prayer and supplication

Acts 1:14 – These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Acts 2:1 – When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

The Results

  • Boldness (Peter spoke up)
  • Prophecy (the prophet Joel was quoted)

Acts 2:14 – But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.

Acts 2:16 – But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel

The great miracle on the day of Pentecost

  • 3000 added to the church
  • They continued faithfully in doctrine/teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread (hospitality and communion) and prayer
  • There was signs and wonders
  • There was sharing with one another
  • There was unity

Acts 2:41-42 – Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Acts 2:47 – praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The Holy Spirit is a gift, not a miracle, but it will produce miracles in your life.  

The greatest miracle that happened was the gospel being preached and believers coming to know Jesus as Savior. The only event that causes angels to rejoice in heaven is when one soul comes to know Christ in salvation.  

Luke 15:10 – In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit – What is the Sign and Purpose?

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Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

  • What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
  • The initial evidence of the Holy Spirit – Biblical view and denominational view
  • The continuing evidence of the Holy Spirit
  • Some misconceptions of the initial reception of the Holy Spirit
  • Some misconceptions of the reason of and the work of the Holy Spirit in our life
  • Can I speak in tongues or sing in tongues at will?

Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

  • You will receive power
  • You will be witnesses
  • No tongues mentioned

Luke 24:48-49 – And you are witnesses of these things.  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

  • Were to tarry until endued with power
  • No tongues mentioned

Isaiah 44:3 – For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring.

  • God will pour out His spirit and blessing
  • No tongues mentioned

Joel 2:28-29 – And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.  And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

  • God will pour out His spirit
  • Prophesy – dreams – visions
  • No tongues mentioned

John 14:26-28 – But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.

  • Holy Spirit will be a helper (a comforter)
  • He will teach and bring to remembrance what Jesus has said
  • No tongues mentioned

Zechariah 12:10 – And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication.

  • Spirit of grace
  • Spirit of supplication (prayer)
  • No tongues mentioned

Ezekiel 11:19-20 –  Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,  that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

  • New Spirit that will give them a new heart
  • They will then walk in God’s Laws and keep His commandments
  • They will be God’s people

Acts 2:4 – And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

  • They were all filled and they did all speak with other tongues
  • They spoke in tongues “as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Mark 16:17 – And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues.

  • Tongues would be one of the signs of believers

Acts 10:44-46 – While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.  And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.  For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

  • Tongues was an indication to Peter and the other Jews that the Holy Spirit had been given to the Gentiles – the tongues were used to praise God

1 Corinthians 12 & 13 & 14 – entailed use of tongues in the church

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 – But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

  • Gifts of the Holy Spirit are given for the profit of all
  • Holy Spirit gives as He wills

1 Corinthians 12:30 – Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?

Acts 19:2-7 — he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”  So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”  And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”  So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”  Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.  Now the men were about twelve in all.

  • Spoke with tongues
  • Also prophesied

Acts 4:31 – And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

  • They spoke the word of God with “boldness”
  • No tongues mentioned

Acts 8:16-19 – For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.  And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

  • Obviously something happened that could be “seen” but what is not said
  • No tongues is specially mentioned

Acts 9:17-18 – And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

  • His eyes were healed
  • No tongues mentioned

Acts 13:52 – And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

  • Joy
  • No tongues mentioned

1 Corinthians 14:2-4 – For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.  But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.  He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

  • Tongues improves himself
  • Prophesy improves the church
  • The continuing evidence of the Holy Spirit in your life
  • You will be a witness
    • You will have boldness
    • You will have power over sin
    • You will live a holy life
    • You will have a desire for the Word of God
    • You will have a desire to communicate with the Father
  • Speaking in tongues at will?

Acts 2:4 – And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Galatians 2:20 – And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

  • If Christ lives in me, He is the cause of my speaking.  I am not the one controlling the tongues.  The Holy Spirit is the one who speaks though Me.  He is in charge.
  • Coaxing/encouraging “baby talk”

There are many different ideas of how one becomes “filled with the Holy Spirit.”  People are told to repeat some word over and over.  As they repeat it over and over, faster and faster, it becomes gibberish.  Someone then shouts “Praise the Lord!  They have received the Holy Spirit.”  The individual goes back to their seat filed with unholy gibberish.

Many times people are told to “practice” this gibberish until they become proficient at it.  Can you “practice” the Holy Spirit?  Can you “practice” the other gifts of the Spirit? 

Is there too much obsession with tongues over other manifestations of the Holy Spirit?  What about the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

Galatians 5:22-26 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.  And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Foundation of Book of Acts (and the Church)

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Acts 1:8

But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses (one who tells what he has seen or heard or knows – comes from the same root word as our word for martyr – one who bears witness by his death) to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

  • You Will Receive Power.
  • Ability
  • Might
  • From the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity.
  • He is person – not a “thing,” not an “it.”
  • He acts like a person.
  • He dwells in believers (John 14:17)
  • He teaches and causes us to remember (John 14:26)                     
  • He testifies (John 15:26)
  • He guides into truth, He hears, He speaks, He shows (John 16:13)
  • He spoke to Philip (Acts 8:29)
  • He calls to the ministry (Acts 13:2)
  • He forbids certain actions (Acts 16:6,7)
  • He intercedes, etc.  (Romans 8:26)
  • He possesses qualities of personality.
  • He has a will (1 Corinthians 12:11)
  • He thinks (Romans 8:27)
  • He has knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:10,11)
  • He loves (Romans 15:30)
  • He can be treated like a person.
  • He can be lied to (Acts 5:3)
  • He can be resisted (Acts 7:51)
  • He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30)
  • He can be outraged (Hebrews 10:29)
  • He can be spoken against (Matthew 12:31)
  • He is God.
  • He possesses divine qualities.
  • All knowing (1 Corinthians 2:10,11)
  • Present everywhere at one time (Psalm 139:7)
  • All powerful (Zechariah 4:6)
  • He is Truth (1 John 5:6)
  • He is the Spirit of life (Romans 8:2) as God is the living God.
  • He is the Spirit of love (2 Timothy 1:7) as God is love.
  • He bears divine names.
  • Spirit of truth (John 14:17)
  • Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:11)
  • He is associated on the same level as the Father and the Son.
  • To be baptized in the name of all three (Matthew. 28:19)
  • Blessing is given by all three (2 Corinthians 13:14)
  • All three live in the Christian (1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Corinthians 3:16)
  • For the Purpose of Being a Witness.

John 15:26 – But when the Helper (the Comforter, the Advocate) comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

John 16:13-14 – when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth…He will glorify Me…

Acts 5:32; Acts 6:10; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5

  • A witness is someone who KNOWS SOMETHING.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Be diligent (exert oneself, make every effort, be zealous, strain every nerve – the word includes thinking and acting, planning and producing.  It see a need and does something about it) to present yourself approved to God, a worker (one who makes forth effort, who toils) who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.      

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify (set apart) the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Power of Holy Spirit is given for our ability “to know.”

1 Corinthians 2:6-16 -“. . . Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given (unconditionally given) to us by God. . . but which the Holy Spirit teaches. . . But the natural (physical – living in the domain of the five senses) man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually (with the aid of the Holy Spirit) discerned.

  • A Witness is someone who IS SOMETHING.

1 Peter 2:11-15 – Beloved, I beg you, as sojourners (“to dwell beside” – an alien, one who lives in a land without the rights of citizenship) . . . having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. . .for this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Luke 6:46 – Why do you call me Lord, Lord and not do the things which I say?

Matthew 7:21-23; Philippians 2:14-15; James 1:22-25

Power of Holy Spirit is given for our ability “to be” righteous.

Galatians 5:16 – Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts (strong desires, intense craving) of the flesh. 

Romans 8: 13 – for if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Galatians 5:22-23; John 14:15-17; John 14:26

  • A witness is one who TELLS SOMETHING

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 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.” Amen

Mark 16:15 – And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature

Luke 24: 46-49 – Preach (tell abroad, publish, publicly proclaim, call out with a clear voice.  The herald is to give a public announcement of an official message and to issue whatever demands the message entails.  The Christian herald is to proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus Christ and issue a summons to repent and receive forgiveness of sins.)

Acts 2:14 – Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said.

Acts 4:4 – many of those who heard the word believed.

Power of the Holy Spirit is given for our ability “to proclaim.”

Acts 4:31 – . . . they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the Word of God with boldness (outspokenness, unreserved utterance, frankness, opposite of timidity or fear). 

The example of the disciples shows us the power of the Holy Spirit to give us the boldness to speak.  Before the day of Pentecost, the disciples ran and hid.  After the day of Pentecost, they were bold, unafraid and proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ to all who would listen. 

  • A Witness of Jesus Christ. – Not of our denomination, not of our local church, not of our pastor, not of our programs, not of our personal ideas and beliefs – but OF JESUS CHRIST!!!

1 Corinthians 2:1-2 – And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified

  • For the Purpose of Being a Witness to the Whole World.
  • Jerusalem (local)
  • Your family
  • Your town
  • Your co-workers
  • Your close friends
  • Judea (national)
  • Your extended family
    • Your state – your country
    • Your grocery clerk, gas station attendant
    • Your acquaintances
  • Samaria (cross-cultural)
  • Race, national differences
  • Economical differences
  • Social differences
  • End of the earth (international)
  • Mexico
  • Israel
  • Brazil
  • Zambia
  • ?????

What Does It Mean to Be a Separate People”

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2 Corinthians 6:11-18

O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open.  You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted by your own affections.  Now in return for the same (I speak as to children), you also be open.  Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?  And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:  “I will dwell in them and walk among them.  I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”  Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.  Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”  “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

The word in verses 16-18 “akathartos” is translated into English meaning “unclean or foul.”  We get our English word “catharsis” meaning “purification or to cleanse” from this root word.

Have you ever heard that phrase, “There’s something rotten in Denmark.”  I really do not know what that phrase originally meant and am almost afraid to go on a rabbit hunt to find out, but the point I want to make is this.  Sometimes there are things rotten in our lives that God calls unclean or foul, but we excuse it as being a character flaw, misstep, accident, etc.  All demonic, moral and physical uncleanness must be removed from our lives, that is, our body and spirit, if we want the fulfillment of the promises in God’s Word.

2 Samuel 7:14 – I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 

While this verse was a promise to King David from God.  Since God is no respecter of persons, I think we can apply the principle here to our lives.  God will assume responsibility of parental concern and give Himself to the eternal care of all His children, of all those who walk rightly before Him.  Earthly parents may lack the power and the means to supply all things for their family, but this is not true of God who owns all and rules over all.  However, there are six conditions for us to have this marvelous watch care by God.

  • Be not unequally yoked
  • Come out from the world
  • Be a separate people
  • Touch not those things that are wrong

This seems opposite of Jesus’ command to go into all the world and make disciples.  How do we remain separate from the world and yet be a witness to others?

We need to understand there are three basic meanings in the Bible to the word “world.”

First, there is the created world.  “God made the world and everything in it.”  Acts 17:24

Then there are the inhabitants of the world.  “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

Finally, there is the world system which is headed by Satan and is based on all that is opposed to God and godly lives.  This is the world we are to remain separated from.  “ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Romans 12:2

Jesus prayer just before going to the cross was for all of us.  “I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”  John 17:14-16

In our culture today it is easy for Christians to be deceived.  In much of our entertainment and news God is either ignored or Christian beliefs are laughed at.  Sadly even in our political world we now see men being praised and elevated by Christians – men whose lifestyle and actions are opposite of what God’s Word has said.  We must remember that when Satan tempted Jesus he quoted scripture. 

Jesus warned that in the end there was a danger that His followers would be deceived.  “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”  Matthew 24:24

Paul called Satan “an angel of light in 2 Corinthians 11:14. 

But as we seek to remain faithful to God’s Word and not be caught up in the culture around us, we do not separate ourselves from the people.  Remember Jesus ate with sinners and publicans.  Many of the people he associated with were outcasts and not part of the religious crowd.  But His goal in all of these relationships was to show love and point them to Himself. 

In 2 Corinthians 5:20 Paul called us “ambassadors for Christ.”  What is an ambassador?

One definition says:  “A diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment.”

So to be separate from the world does not mean we act self-righteous like we are better than others.  We should live in the realization that this present culture and time is not our home.  We want to represent our king, our “world” in such a way that they will see something good and wonderful and want that something for themselves. 

Good advice on how to do this:

Colossians 3:12-17 – Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;  bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.  But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Walk as Children of Light

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Ephesians 5:8-10

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

Melody Shick, dressed as a rag doll with a teddy bear in her arms and a display of stuffed animals all about her, sat for 5 hours, 43 minutes setting a new record for the Guinness Book of Records.  Previous record was 5 hours, 32 minutes.  As this young lady sat motionless on a circular rotating display, numbers of people questioned whether she was a manikin or was real.  Imagine 5 hours, 43 minutes. 

Some church people have that record beat. The world is watching them.  They look like Christians should look.  They talk like Christians.  They even go to church, but there is no real fruit or evidence.  The world wonders, are they real or just a life-size replica of what a Christian is supposed to be.

  • Jesus has called us to be the light to the world.

Matthew 5:14-16 – You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

1 Peter 2:9 – But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Philippians 2:15-16 – that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.

  • Jesus gave us the Great Commission

Mark 16:15 – Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 

Sharing the gospel requires us to be a witness.  What is a witness?

  1. A witness is one who knows something.  We cannot share what we do not know ourself.  That is why it is so important that we study God’s Word, that we experience ourself of His love and presence.

Joshua 1:8 – This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalm 119:105 – Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

2 Timothy 2:16-17 – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

  • A witness is one who is something.

Ephesians 5:1 – Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

Romans 12:1-2 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Colossians 3:1-6 – If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience.

  • A witness is one who tells something.

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 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.” Amen.

1 Peter 3:15 – But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 – Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.