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“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.” Acts 1:8
The ’YOU ARE’ statements remind us of the great love the Father has for us. Our Heavenly Father is a relational God. By that I mean that he earnestly desires relationship. Since we are made in his image, we too are relational beings.
Jesus said we are salt and light to those around us. He says our complete dependence on him is crucial for our existence. We are intimate friends of the Almighty God and creator/sustainer of the universe. Today, we look at one final ‘YOU ARE’ statement that Jesus makes regarding us. That statement is found in Acts 1:8. Jesus and his disciples are gathered on a hillside outside Jerusalem.
Imagine the emotions of his followers at this time. They had walked with Jesus for about three years. They’d seen the power of God manifest in him through healings and his teachings. They’d experienced the power of God in their own ministries. Then, in a whirlwind of activity, Jesus was brutally murdered only to rise again three days later! I can’t imagine how they must have felt.
Then Jesus utters the words of Acts 1:8, “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.” After saying this, he ascends into heaven. Amazing. Simply amazing.
His final words to us leave us with both a description of who we are and a challenge for how we should be. We are his witnesses. In order to understand what that really means we need to think for a moment of what Jesus is NOT telling us.
First of all, he tells us we are witnesses, not judges. Judges determine what is right or wrong. Judges determine our guilt or innocence. Judges have the power to sentence us for our sin, to condemn us. Yet when Jesus was face to face with the adulteress in John 8, he says, ‘neither do I condemn thee.’ John 3:17 states that Jesus didn’t come into the world to judge or condemn the world but to bring life to those who need forgiveness. In the same way, we are not called to condemn others for their sin, but to show them the way to life and forgiveness.
Jesus didn’t call us to be lawyers either. A lawyer spends his or her time defending the one position or another. They scrutinize the law and try to prove or disprove one’s guilt. In some cases they aren’t really concerned about what the truth is, they are more concerned about proving their position.
Jesus didn’t call us to be judges or lawyers. He calls us his witnesses. In reality, a witness only has one job and that job is to tell what they have seen or experienced. Like the old line says, “Nothing but the facts”, that’s the job of the witness. An expert witness is one that knows a great deal about the subject to which they testify.
In Luke 24 Jesus says, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
A good witness isn’t responsible to evaluate motives or analyze a situation. They simply record what they have seen and experienced. Our job as witnesses is to simply show others by word and deed what we have seen and experienced with Jesus Christ. I’ll be honest with you. I don’t understand everything about God. There are many questions I have regarding how he works in this world; why some prayers seem to be answered and some don’t; why world tragedies happen and innocent people die.
I can’t answer a lot of these questions, but what I can tell you is what Jesus Christ has done for me. I can tell you about the peace I have in the midst of my failures. I can tell you how I have experienced forgiveness when I didn’t deserve it. I can tell you how, when I’m afraid or worried, he comforts me.
When Peter and John were brought before the religious leaders, they were told to stop healing people and stop talking about Jesus. Their response was, “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) That should be the motto for each of us as we make our way along the path we call life.
Being Jesus’ witness doesn’t mean we are super-evangelists like Billy Graham or other great preachers. Being Jesus’ witness doesn’t require special training. It certainly doesn’t mean you need to be a pastor. In fact, people are more likely to listen to you as a witness if you AREN’T a pastor or evangelist. What people really want to know is what Jesus has done for you.
Peter tells us we should always be ready to give an answer for why we have hope in Jesus. Again, not a well polished sermon, just a word of hope. He says in 1 Peter 3:15, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”
Jesus says, “When (NOT IF) you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” (Luke 12:11-12). In other words, I believe one of our prayers every day should be that we will have opportunities to tell others what Jesus has done for us, and that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say.
Jesus says we ARE witnesses. It’s not a question of IF we are a witness, but how good of a witness are we? It’s not a question of how good you are, it’s a question of how good he is! It’s not about having all the right answers; it’s about knowing what he’s done for you.
My prayer for us today is that we will live in such a way that others notice a difference in our words, our actions and our attitudes, and that when they ask us why we are different we will have the words to testify, to witness what Jesus has done for us (Matthew 5:16)
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you for the opportunity I’ve had this week to share the ‘YOU ARE’ statements you have made about us. I pray now for my brothers and sisters in you. I ask that we might go forth as living witnesses to your grace, mercy and forgiveness. I pray for anyone who has not experienced your touch. I ask that they may find the peace only you can offer. In your name I pray, Amen.
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT)
It’s hard to let go of things. There’s an age old story about how people used to catch monkeys. The story has several versions and may or may not be true. However, its message is worth a repeat here. In the story a jar or coconut was used to catch a monkey by putting peanuts through the opening. The neck of the vessel was small enough for a monkey to put its open hand in so it could grab the peanuts. However, the opening was too small for it to remove his clenched fist. As the story goes, the monkey would be so intent on keeping its prize (the peanuts) that he would be easily captured with its hand ‘in the cookie jar’, so to speak.
Like the monkey each of us has those things in our lives that are hard to let go of. It could be the pain of rejection; a broken or unfulfilled relationship; the emotional scars of abuse; fear of failure; the loss of a dream or the guilt of our poor choices and mistake ridden past. Reality is, it doesn’t really matter what the ‘peanuts’ in our lives are, until we can let go of them we are trapped.
The writer to the Hebrews relates a similar situation when he encourages his readers to get rid of everything that holds us down. He uses the analogy of a runner getting rid of any extra clothing so that nothing would encumber them. In the ancient Olympic games runners ran nude (or nearly so) in order to be completely free of anything that would keep them from winning.
Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted”. Normally we associate mourning with death and while that is the most severe type of mourning, there are many other ways in which we mourn. Those things we mourn over become the ‘peanuts’ in our lives.
The good news is that Jesus came to give comfort for the things that cause pain; that cause mourning in our lives. Never lose sight of the fact that Jesus Christ desperately wants to comfort you in your pain. He came to earth so that we could have relationship with him, freedom from guilt. His purpose isn’t to laden us with more rules or remind us of our failures. His purpose is to give us freedom.
The problem is those ‘peanuts’. We need to let go of the pain. We need to let go of the anger and resentment. We need to let go of the false belief that we are a failure. We need to let go of the lofty dreams of a fairy tale existence where everyone lives happily ever after. The Apostle Paul tells us that until we let go of those things, God cannot free us.
When we truly let go of our sin and negative feelings, He will come in and comfort us and show us the true meaning of relationship and forgiveness. Let the following prayer be your gateway to letting go and getting life.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus. It seems like I can’t let go of this feeling of guilt, remorse, anger [fill in your own pain]. I try so hard to make the right choices and they blow up in my face. I’m asking you today to forgive me and help me to live for you. Help me change the things that need changing and let go of the things that keep me from life. Amen.
Our God has said: “Encourage my people! Give them comfort. Isaiah 40:1 (CEV)
Where do you get comfort from? For the Christ-follower, the ‘Sunday School Answer’ is Jesus. Okay, we have that one out of the way. Easy enough, right? Not if you are stuck in a marriage that never seems to find the fulfillment you hoped for when you said your vows; not when you struggle with an addiction and find yourself once again suffering from its consequences; not when you are a mother sitting by the bedside of your child or spouse as they breath their last breath; not if you are loading the last boxes onto the moving truck because the bank has foreclosed on your dream home because you lost your job.
It’s at those times that all the ‘Sunday School Answers’ of your past may seem to pale in relation to the pain in your soul. Is God real? Yes, you believe it with all your heart. Does he love you? Certainly. Never a doubt in your mind. Does it take away the knot in your stomach? The knot that seems to be growing so large that it is making it hard to breathe? Not always.
During the darkest times of our lives we don’t need another sermon on God’s provision, we need comfort. We seek comfort in many ways. Some seek it with a new relationship, but new isn’t always better, in fact, second marriages are more likely to end in divorce than first marriages and the chances of success at marriage decrease with every attempt.
Other comfort foods for the soul can be food (leading to guilt and health issues), drugs, anger, withdrawal, depression, religion and a whole list of other attempts at quenching the pain in life.
When you’ve tried all the above remedies for the pain within you it turns out the ‘Sunday School Answer’ really is the best. Sometimes, when we are honest with ourselves, we realize the pain we are experiencing is the result of our own sin. Other times we’ve done ‘everything right’ but our spouse still leaves, our health fails and our bank account disappears.
After years of slavery and exile, Jehovah God tells Isaiah to comfort his people with these words. The trial is over. The penalty has been paid. His words point forward to the restoration of Jerusalem (physical restoration) and the sacrifice of Jesus (restoration of the soul).
If you are struggling with the pain of life let me point you to Jesus. Not the religion of Christianity, but the relationship with a loving Savior who understands your need and longs to comfort the pain in your soul.
If you have ridden out the battle and find yourself on top, remember that those who are struggling with life don’t need another sermon. They don’t need a reminder of their faults. They need the comfort and encouragement that only the grace of Jesus can give them. Please be an instrument of that encouragement. Their pain is great enough.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you for the blessings you’ve given me. I ask that you empower me with your Holy Spirit to be an encouragment to those who need you so that they may experience the comfort only you can give. Amen.
The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” John 11:36
We’ve all seen the pictures:
A young woman in a bridal gown laying across the grave of a fallen soldier, her husband.
A little boy in salute to the grave of his father.
The flowers, crosses and candles that materialize overnight after some horrific accident.
The heart wrenching cry of a mother, father, sister, brother, friend after a mass shooting.
We feel the agony. Some of us may even tear up ourselves. We know life will go on. We know death happens. We know…but that doesn’t stop the pain.
Jesus stood at the tomb of one of his closest friends and wept. Even though he was the Son of God…God himself in the flesh, God among us, Emmanuel … he wept at the thought of life without Lazarus.
As we approach Resurrection Sunday, as we mourn the death and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, let us never forget his love for mankind. Even as he mourned his friends death there were those who questioned his lateness. Today many malign him and question the scientific and historical facts of his existence. Few have ever questioned his love.
Fast forward a few days. Another crowd is gathered where Jesus is. This time, it is them that are crying as they watch their friend, brother, teacher suffering the most painful and cruel kinds of death – death on the cross.
It was the same love the brought tears to Jesus’ eyes that brought him to the cross. It was the same love that drove him to endure the pain of death so you could have victory over death. At the tomb of Lazarus Jesus hung his head and cried. On the cross, he hung his head and died. At the tomb Jesus held up his hands and ordered the dead to live again. On the cross he spread out his hands and gave eternal life to the living.
Never look at the cross of Christ without seeing the empty tomb. Regardless of where you are in life, or where you have been. No matter how you have been hurt, or how you have hurt others. Jesus cried for you and died for you.
The scene at Lazarus’ tomb reminds us of how much Jesus loved. Let the cross remind you of how much he loves you.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, some things go beyond words. Help me today to see your love for me in a whole new way. Empower me to share that love with someone who needs your touch. I love you Jesus. Amen.
“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Exodus 23:20
One of the first sermons I ever preached was based on Exodus 23:20 and following verses. The sermon “I Go Before You” spoke to the lesson each of us must learn. Our God is not a God of surprise, he is a God of plan and implementation of plans. We may be surprised, worried, shocked or full of anxiety, HE is not.
A dear blogging friend of mine, Kate Kresse, recently posted a question for her readers “What kind of year are you having? (http://believeanyway.wordpress.com/2012/11/15/what-kind-of-year-are-you-having-changes-or-staying-the-course/). That entry became the impetus for my own thinking over the past year.
Were I to be forced to summarize the past year with a view to the future my response would be something like the announcer at an amusement park ride. “Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times and remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop.”
January 2012 was difficult for myself and my family, or so I thought. The position I held at a local Retreat Center was on the ropes. Budget cuts and financial concerns put all of us staff on edge. While I didn’t lose my job, my hours were drastically cut to the point that made it financially impossible to stay, but the small income was better than nothing so I stayed on as I looked for something better.
The latter part of January and early February I began to notice a definite downturn in my Father’s health. Nothing any of us could put our finger on. Increased fatigue, poor eyesight, weakness. At 84 Dad was just getting tired…or so we thought. February 11, 2012 Dad suffered a stroke. Further testing revealed cancer had spread throughout his body. For the next six weeks I was either at his side in the hospital, the nursing home or, eventually, hospice.
Dad joined my mom, two brothers and a nephew in heaven just 13 days after his 85th birthday. Dad was my best friend, my ministry consultant and my walking, talking Bible Scholar. Even after his stroke, while he was still strong enough, our discussions were over ministry, people, prayer and God’s amazing grace. Dad’s life verse was Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Anyone who knew Pastor Max knew his life verse. Period.
While I stood by my Dad’s deathbed, the rest of life went on. Looking back I was tremendously blessed to have the job I had as my hours at work could be done on a laptop in a hospital room during Dad’s naps, which grew longer every day.
I took a job at a Department store. Great company, good people, hated the job. Even there I saw God’s handiwork. When they offered me the job and I explained my situation, they held off my start date until after the funeral.
I digress a bit. February 16, just days after Dad’s stroke, I was asked to do pulpit supply at a tiny little Lutheran Church. I’m divorced. I have a criminal background (not a long story…a book) and had all but given up on ministry. This little church offered a call to my family in July, 2012.
This wonderful Zion church family walked me through Dad’s death, accepted my flaws and encouraged me to press on. Every week I walk into that sanctuary and say thank you. Thank you Jesus for showing me that your angel did indeed go before me.
Since July I have not only had the opportunity to teach God’s word (no better job) but have had an increase in my bookings as a motivational/inspirational speaker. I have no idea what lay ahead. I only know that as long as I follow after my God, the plan is already laid, the path is hewn. All I need to do is stay seated until the ride comes to a complete stop.
Thanks Kate for inspiring me to write this. Although we’ve never met on earth, we will someday on the other side. God Bless.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 