Acts 1:6-8
"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 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," Acts 1:6-7. Notice here that the disciples were wrapped up in things that they did not know. We can get busy seeking after those things that God has not given us to know. We see this with the end time movement. People have been trying to predict when Jesus is coming back for years. Many of the cults have tried to predict this event. People make millions on end time prophecy. Yet Christ specifically told us that no man knows the day, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only," Matthew 24:36. Don't be busy with what we do not know, let us be busy with what we do know, and with the task Christ has given to His church.
"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," Acts 1:8. We know Christ was speaking to the disciples here in Acts 1:8, but we can apply this to us today. We are to be witnesses unto Jesus Christ. This word "witnesses" means a martyr, record, and witness. These disciples here in verse 8 were to be witnesses, even martyrs, to others about what they saw and learned. God used some of these men to write a record of what they saw and learned. You and I are to proclaim the record they have given us, and we are to proclaim what great things Christ hath done for us. No matter which age we live in we have a message to proclaim. This message is the Gospel.
God takes the gospel message and saves the lost. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek," Romans 1:16. We are to proclaim the gospel, but we cannot rightly proclaim what we do not know and what we have not experienced. It is even worse to know and not proclaim it. If you are saved you have the Holy Ghost living inside of you; therefore, you have power to be witnesses unto Jesus Christ. What is this power? It comes from the gift of the Holy Spirit. "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," Acts 2:38, and "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things," I John 2:20.
Power and boldness comes from knowing the Scriptures, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit. The more we know the more effective witness we will be. Stop and think for a second, why don't people witness more? Why aren't people boldly witnessing for Jesus Christ? Because all people know is their testimony. It is great to have a testimony, and we must first taste of the fruit before we can labour. Let me add here that our testimony must be biblical. In other words it must line up with the bible. The bible must say that we are saved. After we are saved we are to grow in the gospel and in the doctrines. This is what our faith is based on. When we share our faith with others we are sharing the gospel and the doctrines of the bible. It is so important that we know the Scriptures and that we are grounded upon them.
It is equally important that we live out what we know. "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou, that preachest that a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege," Romans 2:21-22. People are tired of hypocrites. How many people claim to be a Christian but they live just like the world? The watered down gospel that is taught today is not helping. All of this easy believism hurts just as bad. Leaders in the church are involved in one scandal after another. To top it all off the church has become about man and not God. "I did this or that to get saved" is also popular today. "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you," Romans 6:17. All who are saved are saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourself. This does not mean that we cannot witness to others until we have grown in the doctrines of the Bible; we are to tell others what great things Christ hath done for us, but the only way to grow in the Lord is by growing in the doctrines.
There is also a warning here. Knowing the doctrines of the bible is important, but we must know the God of the doctrines. We must live out what we know. Romans 12:1-2. Watch those who only have knowledge of doctrines. They love to debate; they think that they are better than others; they think that others aren't where they are yet; and because they are like this they aren't compassionate; therefore, they do not witness. When we know God we love Him, and we have compassion on others. We don't put down on them because of the sin they are in because we understand that if the Lord had not saved us we could just as easily be there. We know that God is angry with the wicked every day, but you and I are to hate the sin and love the sinner. We are not to withdraw as the pharisees and Israel did. Jesus ate with sinners. The religious crowds looked down on Jesus because of this. I am afraid that the church has become like these pharisee's today.
In order to be an effective witness we must know doctrines and the God of the doctrines. We must also be bathed in prayer. Prayer shows our dependence upon the Lord. We are a needy people. We are dying people amongst dying people. "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds," II Corinthians 10:4. Our weapons of this warfare are doctrines and prayer. Without these we will not be effective in our witness for the Lord. "We cannot proclaim the gospel of God's love with any degree of integrity if we do not exhibit it in our love for others." John Stott
Let us turn back to Acts 1:8 in closing. There is nothing wrong with knocking on doors, but the best way we can be effective in witnessing is with those who we come in contact with. This would be at work, at the gas station, restaurant, grocery store, ball game, etc… You and I should be looking for the opportunity to share Christ with others, and we should be praying for the opportunity. Share with them what Christ has done in your life. Share with them what you are presently learning in your own study time and at church. Our greatest task is to witness. Our greatest need is the Lord. Let us do this in Christ's authority, and under Christ's authority. To God, be the glory.
