“Men as Witnesses” Acts 1:1-8
Indeed let me take this opportunity to thank our Pastor Rev. Vernon Dobson who challenges us all by demonstrating the words of Paul, “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: … but made of himself of no reputation, and took upon himself the form of a servant.” May God continue to bless you, my Pastor.
Allow me to congratulate our Man of the Year, Mr. Willie Whitt. His courage and spirituality inspires us all. He is most deserving of this honor. If you ever want to have your spirit lifted, visit him and he will preach and praise the Lord from the moment you come into his presence until you leave. Congratulations Brother Whitt.
I am indeed humbled by the Men’s League’s request of me to preach on this Men’s Day. I thank the Men’s League and The Tri-Chairmen of this Men’s Day: Marvin Diggs, Brandon Wood, and Roger Hughes.
I thank the officers, members, and friends of Union Baptist Church. A special thanks to my family. Some have traveled far to share in this special moment. Your presence is appreciated. Finally, a loving thanks to my wife, Kathleen. She has invested much in me and I pray that I become a good return on her investment.
The outstanding list of Men’s Day speakers resonates within my spirit. Union has a great tradition of bringing outstanding theological and biblical minds to this pulpit. I will never forget that magical moment when Dr. Howard Thurman stood before us. I remember vividly Dr. Satchell Morris describing for us the awesomeness of God when he remarked that only a God could have a brown cow, eat green grass, and give white milk. Dr. Samuel DeWitt Proctor sharing with us that the gospel was like bringing light to a community that was once in darkness. Dr. Otis Morris Jr.’s preached powerfully illustrations of the civil rights movement and his efforts to bring medical services to his community. Dr. Calvin Butts preached to us about new wine in old skins. Rev. Andrew Young, Dr. Paul Smith and our own Dr. Richard I. McKinney and others, the list of preachers who have graced this pulpit stand tall in the universe of gospel prognosticators.
Let us pray…..
Focus: Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
This text addresses three questions that are implied in the Men’s Day theme: Union Men: Witnesses in the Beloved Community. What is a witness? Where do you witness? And, why do you witness?
Can you imagine a more terrible time? The awesome power of the Roman Empire as it attempts to conquer the world and bring everyone under its dominion. New religious groups were popping up everywhere, each claiming to know the truth.
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A person claiming to be the Messiah was not new. In fact, so many people were making the claim that there was a special hill that they would be taken to and pushed off to disprove them. Awful and disgusting practices where taking place within the temple as women who claimed they had special powers by entertaining men who sought their magical and mystical temptations. Can you imagine the fear within the small band of believers who had forsaken all to follow Jesus? They thought he would lead them to victory. His words where convincing. His deeds were miraculous. What happen? They crucified him on Golgotha’s hill. They buried him in a tomb.
Nevertheless, some women claim they saw him walking near the garden. Others say they have seen him. Some say they talked to him. Thomas says he touched his hands and side. For forty days people have been saying they have seen him. Forty is the time of God’s preparation. Is it possible that Jesus is alive? Has he overcome death? Surely if he can overcome death, he can defeat the power of the Roman Empire.
Quietly the word is being spread among the disciples. There are now only eleven, Judas hung himself after he betrayed Jesus. Jesus mother Mary is with them as well as the other women who followed Jesus. They where told to meet in the upper room. They go and begin to pray. They know that they cannot pray prayers that are too short, too shallow, or too simplistic. Their situation is such that they have to prayer fervent prayers, because “the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous man availeth much.” They need to pray prayers that cause God to say Amen.
After a while they feel the presence of Jesus. He sits down with them. They all hear him. He talks with them. Is it time now to overthrow the Roman Empire and restore Israel to its former power? Did you return to lead us? Jesus tells them that it is not for them to know when the power of Rome will be overthrown. What, we are not to know when Israel will be restored? NO, he says, you are not to know!
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Men who are witnesses must first be enabled. They must have power to overcome the natural fear that has set in. Paul later is to say that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
It is important to note that the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts is more functional than soteriological. In other words the operation of the Holy Spirit here is not salvific (salvational), but it performs a specific function. It is not to give them otherworldly power, it is to give them power in this world, at this time, for a purpose.
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Men who are witnesses must be enabled.
1) They must have seen something – The men saw Jesus being taken off and crucified. They had to see Jesus in his resurrected state. To be a witness you must have seen something. Too many men go through life never seeing the power of God. Without seeing it, it is very difficult to be a creditable witness.
2) They must know something – Because they saw Jesus for themselves they had first hand knowledge. They were eyewitnesses. They knew that he walked with them and talked with them and told them they were his own and the joy they shared as they tarried there none other would ever know.
3) They must do something – Power implies the ability to act. When you receive the power to be a witness for Jesus Christ you must do something. The power spoken of here is the Greek word – dynamis. The root word for dynamite. That’s explosive power. When you have explosive power, you must do something.
4) They must say something – I said I wasn’t gone to tell nobody, but I just couldn’t keep it to myself. That’s why it’s called Gospel. That’s Good News! In that day just like in this day, the world is hunger for the living word.
Men who are witnesses must be enabled. They must have the power to see something, to know something, to do something, and to say something.
Not only must men who are witnesses be enabled, they must also be stable.
James says it this way, “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
A witness is no good if he is crazy.
Men who are witnesses must be stable because:
1) They must provide information – that information must be factual. That information must be unalterable. That information must be unretractable. People have to be able to rely on your information.
2) They must provide inspiration – your testimony should cause others to want to know Jesus for themselves. If he can turn you around. If he can place your feet on solid ground. Others should know that if he can do it for you, he can do it for them.
3) They must provide demonstration – Edgar Guest says, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear, Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear; And the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds, For to see good put in action is what everybody needs.
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Men who are witnesses must be enabled. They must have the power to see something, to know something, to do something and to say something.
Men who are witnesses must be stable. They must provide information, provide inspiration, and be a demonstration.
Jesus doesn’t only tell them what, but he also tells them where.
Men must be witnesses in Jerusalem. In other words, they must be witnesses in the church, a place of belonging – that’s fellowship. You must be a witness in the fellowship. The challenge is that we must be witnesses in the fellowship. One of the reasons why people tend not to join church is that the fellowship or lack thereof is no different than where they have come from. The explosion of gang participation among young men is that they join to feel the bonds and connectedness that is lacking at home. If we don’t create true fellowship, than we are not true witnesses.
Men must be witnesses in Judea. In other words, they must be witnesses in the home, a place of becoming – that’s companionship. The reason why our families don’t follow us to church is that our lifestyles in our private places do not match up to our images in our public spaces. Some of us when we go home will say we have been to church, but church has not gotten into us.
Men must be witnesses in Samaria. In other words, they must be witnesses in the community, a place that is beloved – that’s relationship. Jesus tells the story when he is sitting at Jacob’s well. A woman from Samaria comes to draw water and Jesus asks her for a drink. Then the woman says to Jesus that Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. The Jews and Samaritans where distant cousins who fell out over disagreeing over the place they should worship. The Jews felt one should worship in Jerusalem. The Samaritans felt that one should worship at Mount Gerizim. And this interfamily squabble kept them apart. They couldn’t get along because they couldn’t agree on worship. Jesus says that if you are going to be witnesses you must go into the beloved community and extend my relationship to those who are not like you. Those who don’t see things they way you do. Those who don’t do things the way you do. Those who are not like you.
Jesus emphasizes that by saying that Men must be witnesses in all the ends of the world, a place that is beyond – that’s mean we are to have no partisanship. Pastor says it best, either God is God of all, or God is not God at all.
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Men must be witnesses in a place that they belong, in the places where they become, in the place that is beloved, and the places that are beyond.
There is one more crucial element. There’s one more thing. How is it that these men and women where able to withstand Roman power and overcome it? How is it that these men and women where able to change people’s lives and the world? Why were they able to do what they did?
Men who are witnesses must be enabled. They must have the power to see something, to know something, to do something and to say something.
Men who are witnesses must be stable. They must provide information, provide inspiration, and be a demonstration.
Men who are witnesses must be witnesses in the place that they belong, in the places where they become, in the place that is beloved, and the place that is beyond.
Finally, Men who are witnesses must know the message, understand the mission, and feel the urgency of the motive.
The message that these men had and that we have is that Jesus Christ is risen. If I be lifted up, I’ll draw all men unto me.
The mission that these men understood is the Jesus Christ is ruling. The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our God.
Their urgency, their reason de entrée came from their motive that Jesus Christ is returning soon.
Union Men must be witnesses in the beloved community!
