Chico Alliance Church
Pastor David Welch
“Winning Witness”
Review
Habitual engagement in the spiritual disciplines produces spiritual maturity. We have covered nearly all of the major healthy habits that that enable a healthy walk. Each discipline or habit serves to diminish the pull of the flesh and release the power of the renewed spirit that brings significant transformation of our life. I have presented each of them in a somewhat logical order. Each discipline interacts with the others and each discipline reinforces the others.
Silence, Submission, Confession, Interaction with Scripture, Faith, Praise, Prayer, Sacrifice, Simplicity.
Without silence and solitude we will never experience the connection necessary to grow.
When we connect with God in silence and solitude we admit our need to surrender and submit to His will and work in our life.
When we submit to His will, we realize how stubborn and rebellious we really are and are encouraged to humble our hearts in confession of our failure to do what we should and fortitude to do what we should not.
With a submitted humble heart we are ready to interact with God’s word without some personal agenda and the scripture ignites faith which inspires praise and activates prayer.
With a humble, pure, directed, trusting, grateful, dependent heart we become motivated to sacrifice what we value in order to offer ourselves and our resources to the one who gave Himself for us.
We are ready to use any and every means to live simply and find ourselves content with knowing He will never leave us or forsake us and will provide whatever is necessary to accomplish what He has asked us to do.
Such a state of surrender and connection with God makes us fully usable as servants.
Such a level of connection with God also becomes hard to keep to ourselves.
We will find it hard not to share our excitement with those around us.
Just as with all the other habits, this next habit is also an activity every believer is commanded to do on a regular basis as a way of life. The spiritual disciplines must become our WAY OF LIFE. That is why I call them habits. Just like any activity, we must expend initial effort to practice them until they become a natural way of life. God instructs every believer to be ready to share Christ with others. I have placed discussion of this discipline next to last because for good reason. Until my relationship with Christ reaches a point where it continually transforms my thinking and living, I will feel little motivation to share Him with others.
Jesus is the answer – I think.
Jesus can fill your empty soul – I hope.
Jesus is our only source of life – so I am told.
2 Kings 7:3-9
We have the best news ever to a condemned and dying world. What we are doing in not right!
I. The Powerful Commission
A. The Great commission
The 11 disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshiped, but some doubted. Then Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16-20
1. The basis of the commission – the authority of Jesus
2. The Scope of the commission – make disciples of all peoples
Some focus on the “go” part of this verse. “Go” is not the main verb, it is a participle or “ing” word “going”. The main verb is “make disciples”. On the basis of the authority of Jesus in heaven and earth, make disciples as the natural course of your life on this earth.
“disciple” = student, follower
3. The process of the commission
a) Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
b) Teaching them to obey all Jesus commanded
The great commission does not stop with receiving Christ. The great commission includes obeying Christ. The Bible presents more instruction concerning our responsibility after someone becomes a Christian than before.
4. The power of the commission – I am with you always
5. The duration of the commission – to the end of the age
B. The assigned roles
1. Powerful witness
While He was together with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “This,” [He said, “is what] you heard from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked Him, “Lord, at this time are You restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:4-8
“Witness” = to bear testimony
Our English word “martyr” comes from the Greek word. We are called witnesses to the person and work of Christ on earth.
a) The power for our witness– the Holy Spirit
b) The parameters of our witness– Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of the earth
God instructs us to be ready to bear testimony concerning our faith.
But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 1 Peter 3:14-15
2. Fruitful fisherman
Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said* to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:18-19
Luke 5 recounts the story of Jesus instructing Peter to go out and fish again after a whole night of NOTHING. When Peter obeyed the Carpenter from Nazareth the nets became full of fish.
But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus' feet, saying, "Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!" For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men." Luke 5:8-10
We are likened to fisherman. Fishing takes equipment, the right bait, being in the right spot, patience, effort, and understanding. When it comes to fishing for men, it takes obedience as to when and where to fish. Jesus brings the fish to the net. We just need to cast the net where we are told.
3. Hard-working farmers
So, what is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now the one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s co-workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
John 4:34-38
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Luke 10:1-2
• Cultivate soil
• Plant seed
• Reap harvest
4. Able Ambassador
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-20
5. Brave Fireman
But you, dear friends, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, expecting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for eternal life. Have mercy on some who doubt; save others by snatching [them] from the fire; on others have mercy in fear, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Jude 1:20-23
6. Articulate preacher
Romans 10:14-17 Colossians 4:2-6
God gives a commission, a role and a message.
C. The Message
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
The message is vital. Paul used every method he could find but never compromised the message. The message has to do with sinful creatures in need of a Savior. Until people understand the necessity of a Savior from their sin not their circumstances. there is a greater possibility of a false convert.
The good news has to do with…
…the possibility of escaping the sentence of death for my rebellion against God
…the possibility of reconciliation with a offended God
…the possibility of new life here and hereafter
II. Personal Motivation
A. Understand the danger
Without Christ people cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Without Christ people will spend eternity in hell.
B. Feel the Passion
The parable concerning the lost in Luke 15 provide the emotion behind a winning witness.
Lost sheep demonstrates the priority of seeking the lost.
Lost coin demonstrates the intensity of seeking the lost.
The lost sons demonstrates the patience of seeking the lost.
All of them demonstrate the joy of finding the lost on earth and heaven.
C. Take the responsibility
God gives us the privilege of carrying the message of reconciliation to a lost world.
Failure to carry out this responsibility is disobedience.
III. Practical training
