Witnesses
Andrew Bale's blog on soulwinning caught my eye because it resonated with what I was trying to share in my sermon on Sunday based on Acts 1:8.
The promise Jesus gave to the apostles was that when the Holy Spirit came on them they would recieve power. Jesus went on to say what the promise of power was for. It was to be his witnesses.
Now, I think that there are a lot of people in churches who are actually a little disappointed with what Jesus said. In their honest moments some people hear this promise and wish that they could disconnect the promise of power from witnessing.
They hoped that the power would be given for some other reason than promoting and defending Jesus and his gospel.
They are comfortable with the idea of power to overcome their bad habits which they can see damages themselves and others. They are keen on the idea of power to heal people who are sick. Who doesn't want power to solve political problems and address social injustice in the world? Power to turn worship into an exciting spiritual experience is the desire of anyone who has had to sit through a mind and bottom numbing Sunday morning service.
But when Jesus was actually making the promise about power, the only promise he made was that we would be his witnesses. This is true in Matthew 28 when authority/power is given to go and make disciples. Mark 16 speaks of powerful signs following those who believe on the power of Christ's name but only after he has instructed the disciples to go into all the world and preach the good news. Luke ends his gospel with the prophecy that the good news will be preached in all nations. In other words the only thing that the Spirit’s power seems to be be given for is to testify to the good news about Jesus Christ.
Now in actual fact the coming of the Holy Spirit’s power does often see people overcome their sinful habits, healing takes place, people are stirred to act against injustice and do good in the world. But when they do they point to the fact that they are only possible because of Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension. They are to point men and women to the Saviour.
Some want the results of the power, the warmth the life and the heat but the mention of the gospel of Christ makes them nervous because whilst stories of lives turned around are news, whilst alternative methods of healing are popular, whilst campaigning against injustice raises your street cred and having supernatural spiritual experiences are intriguing in our post modern world, the cross of Christ is not politically correct and is still the offence it always was.
However to those who have received salvation the promise of power to witness is music to their ears. More than anything they want to share the good news that there is a Saviour. I believe if you are truly born again then you would want to share the gospel. If we haven’t that desire then we must forget celebrating Pentecost and get back to Good Friday and realise again how lost the world is and how lost we are without the work of Christ on the cross.
God bless
Carol
Andrew Bale's blog on soulwinning caught my eye because it resonated with what I was trying to share in my sermon on Sunday based on Acts 1:8.
The promise Jesus gave to the apostles was that when the Holy Spirit came on them they would recieve power. Jesus went on to say what the promise of power was for. It was to be his witnesses.
Now, I think that there are a lot of people in churches who are actually a little disappointed with what Jesus said. In their honest moments some people hear this promise and wish that they could disconnect the promise of power from witnessing.
They hoped that the power would be given for some other reason than promoting and defending Jesus and his gospel.
They are comfortable with the idea of power to overcome their bad habits which they can see damages themselves and others. They are keen on the idea of power to heal people who are sick. Who doesn't want power to solve political problems and address social injustice in the world? Power to turn worship into an exciting spiritual experience is the desire of anyone who has had to sit through a mind and bottom numbing Sunday morning service.
But when Jesus was actually making the promise about power, the only promise he made was that we would be his witnesses. This is true in Matthew 28 when authority/power is given to go and make disciples. Mark 16 speaks of powerful signs following those who believe on the power of Christ's name but only after he has instructed the disciples to go into all the world and preach the good news. Luke ends his gospel with the prophecy that the good news will be preached in all nations. In other words the only thing that the Spirit’s power seems to be be given for is to testify to the good news about Jesus Christ.
Now in actual fact the coming of the Holy Spirit’s power does often see people overcome their sinful habits, healing takes place, people are stirred to act against injustice and do good in the world. But when they do they point to the fact that they are only possible because of Jesus life, death, resurrection and ascension. They are to point men and women to the Saviour.
Some want the results of the power, the warmth the life and the heat but the mention of the gospel of Christ makes them nervous because whilst stories of lives turned around are news, whilst alternative methods of healing are popular, whilst campaigning against injustice raises your street cred and having supernatural spiritual experiences are intriguing in our post modern world, the cross of Christ is not politically correct and is still the offence it always was.
However to those who have received salvation the promise of power to witness is music to their ears. More than anything they want to share the good news that there is a Saviour. I believe if you are truly born again then you would want to share the gospel. If we haven’t that desire then we must forget celebrating Pentecost and get back to Good Friday and realise again how lost the world is and how lost we are without the work of Christ on the cross.
God bless
Carol
posted by Rehoboth at
1:30 PM
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