Acts 1:1-11 Vs. 8

“You will be My witness in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”

The song If We Are The Body sung by Casting Crowns raises some questions that you and I cannot ignore.

If we are the body, that is the Body of Jesus Christ

Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?

And if we are the body

Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?

These questions link MINISTRY and MISSION. Those of you who are in small groups heard Rick Warren define ministry and mission. Ministry is serving other believers.  It is serving your family meaning the members in the body of Christ.  Mission is serving non-believers.  It is serving those outside of the body of Christ.  Jesus said,

“You will be My witness in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”

Last week the tri-fold pamphlet was filled with ministries, with opportunities for you and me to serve each other.  You had a chance to sign up in the social hall or return a form indicating what ministries you wanted to be a part of.  While it was exciting to see people signing up and returning forms, it was also disheartening not to see more of you wanting and willing to commit to building up our family.  I urge you, to prayerfully look over those ministry opportunities again and ask God, where do you want my arms to reach?  Where do you want my hands to heal?  Where do you want my feet to go?  Where do you want your love to show through me?

These questions need to be asked not only with regards to ministry, but to mission as well.  Mission is our 5th purpose.

OUR 5TH PURPOSE IS TO SHARE THE GOOD NEWS.

In comparison to our four previous purposes, worship, fellowship, discipleship and ministry this last purpose mission is unique.  It is unique in that it is the only purpose you and I can do only on earth.  We won’t need to evangelize, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in heaven. Everyone there will already know about Him otherwise they wouldn’t be there.

When Jesus said,

“You will be My witness in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”

He meant for us to evangelize here and now.

If there is one thing that believers and non-believers share is a dislike for evangelists. What do you think of when you hear the term evangelist? Someone ringing your doorbell wanting to tell you why you are wrong in believing what you believe. Perhaps you think of some loud mouth obnoxious person screaming at you from your TV.  Maybe you think of some doomsday prophet standing on the street corner shouting, “REPENT, THE END IS NEAR.”

Evangelism shouldn’t be any of that.  Evangelism simply means GOOD NEWS.  Jesus wants you and me to share the Good News of His birth, life, death and resurrection.  He wants you and me to be His witness.

“You will be my witness.”

Have you ever been a witness in a courtroom? Have you ever witnessed an accident?  Several years ago I was driving on Interstate 287.  I noticed in my review mirror a car racing onto the interstate from an on-ramp.  I noticed that he swerved a little and he was picking up speed.  I wanted to get out of his way so I moved from the middle lane to the right hand land.  As he sped by me he swerved onto the left hand shoulder and started to go down the interstate sideways.  He then went into a 360 spin shooting across the lanes of traffic into the cab of a tractor-trailer.  He bounced of the side of the truck and did another 360.  He was directly in front of the truck being pushed by the truck sideways down the highway. When the truck slowed down the car shot across the three lanes onto the median.  The car came to a stop and I watched as the driver tossed the remains of a six-pack out his car window.

I remained until the NJ State Police came.  I told them that I witnessed the accident and that I would be glad to give them an account of what I saw.

Jesus said,

“You will be my witness.”

What Jesus was saying to us is that we need to give people an account of what God has done in our life.  Paul said,

“Be ready to defend your faith.”
(1 Peter 3:15)

Notice he didn’t say, “Be ready to defend God.  Be ready to quote scripture book, chapter and verse.”  No Paul said, “Be ready to defend YOUR faith.”  Nobody can be a better witness of what God has done in your life than you.  Nobody can share what the Good News of Jesus Christ means to you, than you.

Jesus wants you to be His WITNESS, not His defense attorney.

“You will be My witness in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”

By looking at the Sermon outline notes you can see why Jesus included Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Jerusalem is synonymous to the people close to you. Judea and Samaria is synonymous to the people near but different from you. The ends of the earth is synonymous to people everywhere.

Rick Warren conveys a story about an angel who upon hearing God’s plan to have the Good News of Jesus Christ spread throughout the world by you and me asked God, “What if they don’t?  What is plan B?”  God’s responded, “There is no plan B!”

“You will be My witness in Jerusalem.”

FIRST SHARE WITH THOSE IN OUR WORLD.

In the gospel of Luke the 8th chapter there is a story about a man who is possessed by a legion of demons. Jesus casts the legion into the herd of pigs that run into the Sea of Galilee. The man free from this legion of demons begged Jesus to let him go with Him. Jesus said, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” This is what Jesus is asking you and me to do. To go home and tell people how much God has done for you.

I realize that this is tough to do because there is a general consensus that there are 2 topics off lifts at any party, politics and religion. However that trend seems to be changing. How else can you explain the recent sales of Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life, the success of the movie, The Passion and the recent Gallup polls that indicate that people are interested in talking about God. Each and every day you and I have many opportunities to share the Good News, to witness to our faith.

“You will be My witness in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria.”

If you and I are going to complete God’s plan we must,

DARE TO REACH BEYOND MY WORLD.

If someone hadn’t dared to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with you, you wouldn’t be here. You and I would be just as lost as the people today who don’t know Jesus Christ.

“God doesn’t want anyone to be lost,
but He wants all people to change
their hearts and lives!”
(2 Peter 3:9)

Those outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross are for you and me as well as our neighbor.  Yes, even that neighbor.  Those outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross are for your co-workers, for that family member you don’t talk to, for everyone.  If God cares about them, then you and I must care about them.

“Stoop down and reach out to
those who are oppressed.
Share their burdens,
and so complete Christ’s law.”
Galatians 6:2

You and I MUST DARE TO REACH BEYOND our comfort zone.  Let me ask you a question.  If you had a cure for MS would you keep it a secret or would you share it with the world? If you had a cure for cancer would you keep it a secret or would you share with the world?  If you had a cure for Alzheimer would you keep it a secret or would you share it with the world?  You have the cure for eternal damnation.  Who have you shared  it with lately?

“You will be My witness in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”

If we are going to complete God’s plan we must CARE ABOUT THE WHOLE WORLD.

One day Fulton Sheen, the Roman Catholic bishop, was in a leper colony over in Africa, and he was repulsed by the open cancerous, cankerous scores on the lives of everybody lying there in the dirt. He walked by one man lying there who not only had leprosy, but had a bunch of other skin diseases too. Bishop Sheen leaned over to talk to him, the cross that he was wearing on a chain around his neck broke. The cross fell into an open wound. He said, “For a minute I was repulsed. I just wanted to step back. And then all of a sudden I was overcome with love for this person who had nothing. I reached into the sore and I took my cross. That is what Christianity is all about. It is about healing broken messed up lives.

SONG – HERE AM I by Mercy Me

On the other side of the world
She stands on the ocean shore
Gazing at the heavens she wonders
Is there something more?
Never been told the name of Jesus
She turns and walks away
What a shame

Just across the street in your hometown
Leaving from his nine to five
Gazing down the road he wonders
Is this all there is to life
Never been told the name of Jesus
He continues on his way
What a shame

[CHORUS]
Whom shall I send?
Who will go for me?
To the ends of the earth
Who will rise up for the King?
Here am I send me
Here am I send me

Whether foreign land or neighbors
Everyone's the same
Searching for the answers
That lie within your name
I want to proclaim the love of Jesus
In all I do and say
Unashamed

[CHORUS]

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News. Proclaiming peace and your salvation.

[CHORUS]
Whom shall I send?
Who will go for me?
To the ends of the earth
Who will rise up for the King?
Here am I send me
Here am I send me

Jesus said,

“Go everywhere in the world,
and tell the Good News to everyone.”

“You will be My witness in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”

Now is the time to say,
"Here am I send me."