I.
Introduction
When he was the pastor of the Methodist church in Scarborough,
William Sangster had an eccentric member who tried to be a zealous Christian.
Unfortunately, the man was mentally deficient and usually did the wrong thing.
While working as a barber the man lathered up a customer for a shave, came at
him with the poised razor, and asked, "Are you prepared to meet your
God?" The frightened man fled with the lather on his face!
W. Wiersbe, Wycliffe
Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 215.
II.
Read the text, Acts 1:8, 22
III.
Definition and support of two key terms
A. Apostle: one commissioned and sent. This
term has more to do with the connection between the person and the sender than
the person and the recipient. The men described with this word are
representatives of their monarch and his authority. In a legal sense, the
apostle is lawfully charged to represent the person and cause of another. The
apostles had an encounter with the risen Lord and received their commission
from Him personally. They are related to the OT prophets, whose office, on the
basis of their commission, was to prepare the way for the One who was to come.
B.
Witness: From
a legal standpoint, a witness is someone who can and does speak from personal
experience about actions in which he either took part in, or which happened to
him, or about persons and relations known to him. But a witness can also be
viewed from a general standpoint, as a witness to facts, truths, and views,
making known and confessing convictions. It signifies the proclamation of views
or truths of which cannot be submitted to empirical investigation, but that the
person has either personal knowledge, or is fully convinced of. This is the
proclamation of things past and things future by faith.
IV. What
will uniquely qualify each of us to be a witness for Christ
A.
Being fully convinced by faith
Hebrews 11:1 “Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:6 “But
without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him.”
2 Corinthians 4:1-14 “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received
mercy, we faint not; but have renounced the
hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word
of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to
every man's conscience in the sight of God. But
if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them. For we
preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants
for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the
light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but
not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always
bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of
Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For
we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life
also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is
written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and
therefore speak; knowing that he which raised
up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with
you.
B.
Being fully convinced of the apostles’ message
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new. And
all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and
hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us
the word of reconciliation. Now then we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For
he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him.
1 John
1:1-5 That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked
upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear
witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and
was manifested unto us;) that which we have
seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us:
and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be
full. This then is the message which we have
heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no
darkness at all.
C.
Being rightly related to Jesus Christ
John 15:18-20 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated
me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own:
but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world,
therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the
servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will
also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
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