I’ve participated in both solo and team sports, and I have to say I enjoy team sports more. When I boxed it was me and my trainer. I’d workout either at home or the gym for a couple of hours, focused on my calisthenics and bag work. There would be times when I would need help, and even rarer times when I would spar, but the majority of my time boxing was just me. But I never took it anywhere, ending my illustrious career with only two fights; both I won, both by TKO, and both in the second round. Those wins were great and all the hours spent alone preparing paid off, but all the memories were mine. I could share some of them with my trainer, but most of my memories were just of me.
But when I played baseball, or soccer, or basketball, or any other team sport, I was always surrounded by other players. Workouts were filled with frustration and fun. There was laughing and joking around. When not pitching, I would sit with another pitcher named Jonathan and heckle the other team. I was held back several times from getting into on and off the field fights. A group of us would play fireball in a field, or play poker in hotel rooms. When I won, we won; when I lost, we lost. My memories were not just mine but the group’s.
I don’t remember my boxing opponents, but I do remember my teammates.
And it’s the camaraderie of the group that brings us back to our mini-series on being a witness.
Last week we talked about how each of us is called to be a witness to the hope we have in Jesus. I shared my story about how Jesus brought me away of myself and into his kingdom. Knowing the answers to people’s questions does help, and I believe we should be able to practice apologetics, where we can give a logic defense of the Christian faith, but when it comes down to it, Christians are to be witnesses of Jesus’ work in their own lives. It’s that personal relationship story that we need to know and share with people.
Facts and figures are great, but what’s greater is how Jesus has saved you on a personal level.
Now that we recognize that each of us are to be witnesses to the hope we have in Jesus, we need to now recognize the second witness we are to have. God never intended us to be lone wolf disciples. Jesus called twelve men to be his core. He sent them out, and then later on sent out seventy-two. Each time, he sent them out in pairs. The reason for this is because of Jesus’ statement in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Paul echoes this idea of Jesus being with his disciples when he writes in 1 Corinthians 12:27, “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
The Church as a whole is a witness to Jesus. We are called his body (1 Corinthians 12), and his bride (Ephesians 5:22-33). And I’m not talking about the Alliance Church, or the Baptist Church, or the Assemblies of God Church, or the Methodist Church, or whatever denomination that holds to the core of the Christian faith. I’m talking about those who have put their trust into Jesus as their Savior. Who have been brought out of death and given life. Who fall on their knees in worship of the God who died for them. That is the Church I’m talking about. It is the disciples of Jesus that spans nations, languages, ethnicities, cultures, societies, economies, sexes, and ages. It is the work of Jesus throughout the centuries and will be fully realized on that day when Jesus makes all things new. That is the Church I’m talking about. And when even just two of Jesus’ disciples gather together, the Church has met.
And in Jesus’ Church, we might have individual roles, but each role is important. Each witness and personal ministry is important. Yet, we are more than our individual roles, witnesses, and ministries. We are to be a united body seeking our Savior, and putting into practice what he has called us to do.
The epitome of the Church’s witness is found in Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-21, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
The witness of the Church is the love that we have for both God and each other. It is through this unity by love that the world will know that Jesus was sent from the Father. It is through the love Jesus’ disciples have for each other that the world will know that they need a Savior. On an individual scale, our witness is important for planting seeds, but on our larger scale, the unity in love we have for God and each other is important to show the world, that Jesus is the true Messiah.
Today, we’re going to look at the one of the first opportunities that the Church was able to use their witness. It’s found in the book of Acts chapters 3:1-4:35, I want us to recognize several aspects of the Church’s witness. Aspects that we as individuals need to seek, so that the Church’s witness may be shared with the world.
Starting in Acts 3:1 we read, “One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us!’ 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’ 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.”
Now, a couple of observations. First, Peter and John were on their way to prayer. Notice this wasn’t in the official “Church meeting”, but these two together were going to pray. Prayer is a cornerstone of the Church’s work, and so we must engage in both personal prayer and communal prayer. Bottom line, we need people to pray with. Second, when they met the crippled man, they didn’t meet his financial needs. It’s not the job of the Church to meet every need of every person, but to share Jesus. They didn’t have any monetary support, but what they had was Jesus. In this particular case a healing happened through Peter and John.
This is the first aspect of the Church’s witness, it’s people need to be mindful of the Holy Spirit’s work and be willing to take time out of our schedule to give what they have, and that’s Jesus. As we live and work together, we must be willing to let God direct us as he sees fit. This happens both on an individual level and community level. God should be the one deciding our path, not us.
From this healing of the Lame Beggar, a crowd gathers around. Peter and John begin to preach about Jesus and his resurrection. This leads to them being arrested, and brought before the ruling council, the same council that around two months prior sought the crucifixion of Jesus. Peter and John then share with the council that Jesus was the Messiah and that they rejected him. In response we read this in chapter 4, starting in verse 13, “13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 ‘What are we going to do with these men?’ they asked. ‘Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.’ 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’”
A few observations here. First, there will always be those that will say don’t speak about Jesus. Friends, family, neighbors, governments, and more. It is the job of the individual Christian and the Church to stand firm and talk about Jesus.
I just listened to a Christian comedian that told a story about what was the catalyst to him trusting in Jesus as his Savior. He was a self-proclaimed atheist and he was golfing with a wealthy Christian business man turned comedian. As they were talking, the man asked him about Jesus, to which the comedian said, “I don’t want to hear about religious stuff because I’m an atheist.” The Christian guy then asked him if he had read the Bible, to which the comedian said, no. The Christian guy then said, “you’re not an atheist, you're an idiot. An atheist is someone who spends their entire life on a journey to discover truth, reading everything they can on religion and philosophy. But you haven’t even read the Bible.” As Christians we need to challenge the thoughts of people. We are to stand firm when God leads us, because we need to cut through the excuses or demands of others that want Jesus to be silenced. But too often we miss opportunities that the Holy Spirit is leading us to stand firm and press into the Gospel message.
That doesn’t mean we need to be rude or condescending, and there will be those times when we need to let it go, but we need to be firm in our faith and push through the road blocks as the Holy Spirit leads. So this is another aspect of the Church’s witness, it won’t be silenced.
The third aspect of the Church’s witness that we can glean from this moment in Acts comes a few verses later, starting in verse 24 of chapter 4. The council releases Peter and John, and the two disciples return to the rest of the Church and give a report of what just happened. It’s here that we pick it up in verse 24. “When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. 'Sovereign Lord,’ they said, ‘you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.” 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’ 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
The third aspect that we can see is that the Church’s response to anything, should always be that of praise to God. When the Church heard about what happened in the witnesses of the Peter and John, the Church as a whole began praising God and seeking more boldness. And they received it.
The worship of God, the singing and proclaiming of his greatness as a community event, is very important. When the Church hears of God’s work, whether that be a personal witness of a local believer, or what is happening across the world, the Church must lift up praises to God and proclaim, I want that for me. Give me the boldness to stand firm. Give me opportunities to let the Holy Spirit speak. Let me be used to bring healing to others. And we should be united in that desire to be used by God for his glory.
The final aspect comes from the end of chapter 4, starting in verse 32, “32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.”
The Church’s witness falls onto how we treat each other. One of the reasons we take an offering is because we’re able to help more people together. In 2021 the need of our community here at the Alliance Church, was about $2,400 in monetary support. So far this year, we’re right around $12,000. That’s about a 400% increase because as the economy does worse, people in our Church community need more help. That’s not including, repairs that we help out with, or how one family needed a place to stay for a month and parked on the Church property, that we didn’t charge them for. But because of us gathering our resources together, we can help when no individual could do it on their own.
This final aspect is the bedrock of the Church’s witness, how we treat each other is of extreme importance. There needs to be grace given. Too often we think of the worse in others, when we should be giving them forgiveness. All of us sin, and falter, and mess up. We need to extend the same grace to those who mess up as Jesus gave to us. That’s why it’s important to have a clear understanding of what Jesus did in our own lives. Our personal witness will help us love others in the Church. Because when we better understand the depth that Jesus saved us out of, then we can give grace to those around us. The world will know that Jesus was sent from the Father by the unity in love Jesus’ disciples have for each other.
And this is the final aspect of the Church’s witness, our united love for each other, proves our love for God, and his salvation work. No apologetic answer, or slick presentation compare to sinners saved by grace showing grace and love to one another. A story that I once heard, was about a man who had a non-Christian friend that he had invited to his Church’s worship time. The Church was big, had a great worship band, and the pastor was a greater preacher. After the music was over, the pastor got up and didn’t start out with a sermon, but publicly confessed that he had a bad and public blow up with one of the board members that past week. He asked the board member for forgiveness, and in front of the rest of the gathered believers, there was reconciliation between two of God’s people. The story goes on that the man thought this was the worse thing ever; his friend saw that the dirty laundry of the Church and how the pastor wasn’t this perfect guy. He thought the experience would sour his friend to Jesus. But on the way home, the guy’s friend told him that he had never seen such love in his life, and that he wanted to know more about Jesus.
The grace we show, the love that is built between us by the Holy Spirit, and the unification that it brings to Jesus’ Church, is a powerful witness of his greatness. And it’s something that we need to seek after as individual parts of God’s Church.
So my challenge today, is before you leave this place, grab someone and pray for them. Ask them how they’re doing, if they’re struggling with anything, and lift them up before the Lord. Praise God for the work he has done in them and the work he is going to do. But don’t leave here without praying for at least one person.
The Church’s witness has been marred by anger, hatred, abuse, unforgiveness, ungraciousness, and unloving attitudes. The world looks at us and rightfully says, we’re hypocrites and jerks. Let’s start mending that witness, by loving each other. By doing what Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Let us love as our Savior loved us, laying his life down for us, that we may do the same for each other. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment