The first cell phone I had several years ago was big and bulky...some of you might of had one....big battery and you carried it like a suitcase. Then years later the pocket size came along...
Before I discovered that my cell phone had a lock screen button I would accidentally dial the last number when I put it in my pocket.
The biggest problem was that I never realized that it had happened. I would go on with normal day and my cell phone would be on for a while and without we knowing it.
When I found out that it was on… either when I picked it up to make a call or when the person on the other end would hang up, and call me back to laugh at me, I would have this strange fear overcome me.
What did I say, when I didn’t know that someone else was listening? Did I gossip? Did I say something bad?
Did I make a joke that I wouldn’t want the person on the other end to know about?
Well that it is how it is with the Holy Spirit all the time!
It’s like your cell phone has accidentally called God and you didn’t know it.
Would we live our life differently if every conversation and every thought we ever had was being heard by Pastor Darrell?
Well it is not being heard by our Pastor, but our every thought and every word is heard and recorded by our Lord...(that’s a sobering thought)
.........................tree-tis]........................the-off-uh-lus............
Acts 1:1-14
1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
You’ll notice that verse 1 and 2 Luke says that Jesus taught while He was here on this earth Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Jesus taught the disciples by word and deed ..truth necessary to carry on His work.....the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
On the cross, He finished the work of Salvation and now it’s our job to take that teaching of our Lords to the uttermost parts of the world.
He didn’t say that we are to do it on our own.....the disciples couldn’t do it on their own....Jesus was with them....guiding them and teaching them...explaining to them Gods plan of grace and mercy to all of mankind......
..............It’s all recorded here in the Bible for us to take that plan and tell others
Also how that we can live our life to be an example to others ..........but we still can’t do it on our own.........
Luke said in verse 2 after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:.........After what?.......After Jesus ascending to Heaven
During the upper room discourse in John chapter 14 Jesus promised He wouldn’t leave us comfortless...that He would send the Holy Spirit.
John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you
What a tremendous statement!!!!....that’s where we are today..
....We have that promise of the Holy Spirit to teach us...guide us...and God stakes claim on us....we are signed sealed and waiting to be delivered.
...because Jesus now lives inside those that belong to Him.
We are now changed because of the Holy Spirit that we recieve......2Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new
Before we accepted Christ as our Saviour our actions and character were that of this world...flesh.....but, since Jesus has taken up residents inside us....we should have His character...His actions and when that happens we are a witness just by living our daily life....
I see evident of that here tonight with you..........that’s the fruit of the Spirit that Paul talked about in Gal....
That’s the character that we should have to be that shining light for others......that’s what lives inside of His children
Jesus said to take that witnessing character...and the truth and power of God’s word .... and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth......verse 8 Acts chapter 1
Jerusalem..our home town....Judaea...our country....Samaria that’s the ones we wouldn’t ordinary associate with...remember the Jews didn’t associate with the Samaritans...they were outcast..half breeds.....not very popular.
There are some we wouldn’t want to associate with but, we have a responsibility to spread Gods word to the world.
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We can’t witness just by coming to church...this is where we learn
Christ met unbelievers where they were.
He realized what many Christians today still don’t seem to understand. Cultivators have to get out in the field.
According to one count, the gospels record 132 contacts that Jesus had with people. Six were in the Temple; four in the synagogues and 122 were out with the people in the mainstream of life.
Verse 6 the disciples said to Jesus wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
A lot of Jews thought Jesus was come to be the king that would save them from the Roman empire...but, Jesus many times explained to them that one day He would set up a kingdom on all the earth and Jerusalem would be the central command center...
He was speaking of the Millennium....you’ll notice that that the reason Jesus didn’t scold them for asking that..because that’s what they thought He was doing at the time...the time when He would rule for 1000 years upon this earth
The Millennium will happen after the second coming of Christ...shortly after the great tribulation...but, of course we will be taken up in the Rapture before the tribulation and we will return with Jesus to reign with Him during the Millennium. Cant wait..
But, we are to wait....... 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father
Patience...is something I have a hard time with...... just like a lot of us do.
The older I get the more I look forward to Jesus taking us in the Rapture....but for now we have to wait
................Waiting patiently for our prayers to be answered to give us strength to be an effective witness...to be that person God have us be to overcome those temptations and trials that come our way.
King David knew all about patience and waiting for a prayers to be answered ...prayer brought him through many wars with the enemy ...and give him strength to lead Gods nation.
In Psalm 40...king David said...I waited patiently for the Lord
Prayer is the most important thing that we can do to build that Christian character that is be a witness to others.
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You ladies might want to stay away from the wife’s prayer
I pray for Wisdom - to understand my man; Love - to forgive him; Patience - for his moods;
Because, Lord if I pray for Strength, I’ll beat him to death.
Prayer is a great privilege that we have.....because it has access to the very throne of heaven.
Sometimes we try to do things on our own....and when we do we only have the power of our flesh.
But, when we allow the Holy Spirit to empower us....God does some amazing things in our life.
The Holy Spirit gives us strength to overcome those things that hinder the gospel of Christ.....hinder as in our actions...our words
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So Jesus told the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father had taken place....which was the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit came upon them and they began to preach the gospel....Peter preached and the Bible says 3000 got saved.
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The Word became flesh and dwelt among us....He created a plan of Salvation for those who would believe on Him even before the foundation of the world...because for God so loved the world.
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Mother Teresa was of course Catholic but, was quoted as saying:
I’m a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”
Lets see what she meant by that.......
The first thing is that it was designed for a purpose.
...We were also designed for a purpose.
...God has a purpose for all of us
Roms 12:1 that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service
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The next thing is that it was purchased with a price.
A. Just as I bought this one
B. We were purchased through the blood of a sinless Savior
1pe 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
1pe 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Has a trademark that distinguishes it from all other Companies
A. Just like you can look at this pencil and know that it came from Paper Mate
B. There are things that mark us as Christians that show that we are the possessions of our Lord ….Folks should see Jesus in you and me............The old saying.......”if you were arrested for being a Christian...would there be enough evident to convict you?
…..We give an impression of the one whose mark we bear.
1. Just like if I were to sharpen this pencil and try to write with it and the lead broke every time I put it on the paper,
I would get a bad impression of Paper Mate and their products.
2. People will look at us, our actions and reactions and get an impression of our master.
It leaves a mark
…..As you move the pencil across your paper.. it will leave a mark
…..We do the same
…..The people we come in contact with on a daily basis weather casual….family….work...
…..And that mark could make a lasting or maybe even an eternal impression on someone.
It’s the inside of the pencil that is most important
A. No matter how attractive it is ....a pencil is useless unless it will write.
B. God tells us on several times that its what’s in our heart that is most important
If thou shall confess with thy mouth and believe in thy heart that God has raised Him from the dead...thy shall be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
Romans 10: 9-10
Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller www.themillersbiblestudy.com
