Getting Connected -
The Message Of Witnessing
A Sermon On:
Acts 2: 1-24; 36-41
PREPARED BY
KEN GEHRELS
PASTOR
CALVIN CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
NEPEAN, ONTARIO
[the following message is based on a 1993 message of Bill Hybels preached at Willow Creek Community Church - "Adventures In Personal Evangelism"]
It was a scene that few of us will forget. A scene of incredible drama.
Hundreds of media types were gathered in California to cover a murder trial. After months of theatrics by both prosecution and defense, detailed wrangling, and rulings by the judge -- months spent under the scrutinizing eye of the public who hung on every word as it was covered live by CNN and headlined most major newscasts -- finally a jury was sent into seclusion and faced with the task of deciding the fate of a single man, O.J.Simpson.
They reached their verdict, filed back into the courtroom. The judge looked at the jury foreman and asked, "Have you reached a decision?" Everyone held their breath. Reporters had their cell phones at the ready. The world watched. What would be said? What's going to be the outcome?
Incredible drama. Everything would hang on the words of this one person. And the moment the decision was announced, the phone lines and satellite links began to hum as news travelled literally around the globe. Get the word out! People are waiting to know. Within moments the talk began around office water coolers, in the donut shops, in shopping mall checkouts, and over back fences.
"Have you heard?"
"Can you imagine?"
The drama as people waited for the word to come.
Same sort of thing happened almost 2000 years ago as a huge crowd gathered around a non-descript building in some low rental 'burb of Jerusalem. There's been a strange event -- rushing wind, a bunch of blue-collar types speaking in a variety of different languages. They're saying amazing things about Almighty God -- fluently, leaving many visitors who had travelled from various corners of the globe to Jerusalem for a high holy day totally amazed.
They're standing around scratching their head.
Can't figure it out.
But they're unwilling to simply shrug it off and walk away to continue their tour of town. They mill around. Ask each other if someone knows what's up. A few tried to laugh it away.
"Ah - they're all plastered. Totally blitzed. It's just a fluke! Forget it!"
But others wave them off:"Naw, naw. This is no fluke. There's something going on. What is it?"
And one of the persons affected stops his spontaneous praise and steps forward. It's Peter. Clears his throat and begins. "This is no fluke. What you're seeing has to do with Jesus of Nazareth, the one that you put to death a month ago. You shouted with the rest of the crowds that you wanted him crucified. You gathered round that hill outside of town and watched him convulse in pain. You saw him hang limp and dead.
But we've seen something else. We've seen him since. We've seen Him alive! He is risen. And He is Lord! He is God's specially anointed one. He is the Christ, the one that the entire Scripture and all the prophets spoke about. He's the one your forefathers prayed would come.
And YOU killed Him!"
The crowd is deadly silent. A few shift around.
Terribly uncomfortable.
Afraid.
And then one cries out, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
Can there be any higher drama?
A huge crowd gathered. They realize what they've just done. Now they're standing there, begging:"Peter, tell us! What must we do to be saved?!!"
Tension. Everyone's waiting for the word.
We're talking about the message of being right with God.
We're talking the difference between eternal life and death.
And thousands of people are begging for an answer.
And there stands Peter.
He's been with Jesus. He's seen the miracles. He's heard the words. He heard Jesus say, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
He's already told the crowd that this was no fluke.
Every eye was turned to him.
He is called to answer.
What would he say? Would he soft peddle the moment? Would he tell them not to feel too guilty -- after all everyone can make a mistake, especially with a crowd moving them along?
It's up to him. Sort of like being up to bat, 9th inning, bases loaded, 2 out.
Will he strike out or come through with the big hit?
Will he lay it on the line or not?
And......"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Clear and simple - the message gets out.
Repent.
Turn.
Fact is, Peter was just getting warmed up. He got on some kind of a role. Bible tells us that "with many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them....." Many other words is a nice way of saying he preached one doozy of a long-winded sermon.
Peter pushes. He prods. He challenges.
And 3000 respond, moving from death to life, new children in the Kingdom of God! 120 to 3000 in one afternoon.
Not bad church growth, eh?
Peter gets the message out. And the Spirit of Jesus works the change in the heart of the hearers. Leading them to respond.
The message Peter preached is the same one that St.Paul is talking about when he writes, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Rom 1.16)
It's a message that Paul spoke without a lot of fancy double talk, but simple, in a way that people of the day could relate to. And, says 1 Cor 2, the Holy Spirit took that simple message and filled it with dynamite-like power to change the hearts of those who heard it.
The message of Jesus Christ - a message of life and death.
A message of power.
It's a message that has been preached down through the ages. Many over the centuries have been ridiculed for laying this message on the line -- Repent from your sin. Believe in Jesus.
People have been beaten, tortured and murdered for it, the message of Jesus.
And it's the message that is in our possession today, a message that the Lord Jesus himself calls us to get out into Ottawa-Carleton.
He's not interested in us getting caught up in some message of being the church of the blue hymnal - or the grey or the red. He doesn't want us to get out the word that we're the people who stand when we sing, or sit, or clap; Who use Thee's or You's, drama drums or the diapason stop on the organ; that we're the twice a week church, or the church with the ed programme or.....The message.
The powerful, unashamed message that Peter spoke.
The message -- Jesus Christ, the way to rich, eternal life.
Jesus once said, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. but whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." (Mt 10.32-33)
Acknowledge Jesus - own up to, up front, honest, lay it on the line.
That's what Peter did in that dramatic moment of Pentecost.
That's what we as a church are called to do. A good number of you have taken the time and energy to be part of a priority setting programme here at Calvin church this season. You've done that with comments, letters, input to elders, attendance at town hall meetings. And one thing that's become very clear is that we realize this Message belongs right at the core of this church's existence. In the way we exist with each other. In the way we relate to the community around us. In ways that people can understand and relate to -- Jesus, front and centre.
Owning up to, up front, honest, laying it on the line - Jesus is the centre of our existence.
He's given us life.
He's got life for you, too.
Have we got that message straight? Is it clear in our minds?
Put it this way - what will you say the next time someone comes up to you and asks, "What must I do to be right with God?"
Of course, you know that people don't tend to do this too much today, right? Quite frankly, most people I run into tend to think they're on the up and up with God; that things are going pretty good. I mean, hey, I don't sin - no murder, embezzlement or cheating on my wife. I go to church. I even pray some. I try to be good. I believe there's a God. Know what I mean? They're not walking around with an impending sense of doom.
But know what you'll hear? Things like, "You seem to be happy. Why?..... How do you manage to cope through all that junk you've faced?....... There's something different about you. What is it?........"
And there's the window for you to present the message.
It may not seem that dramatic, but the angels in heaven are watching as you acknowledge Jesus before humanity.
Recognize that you don't have to be a long-winded Peter. You don't have to call for the attention of the entire office and speak to a crowd. It may be in the simple, yet powerfully effective words of a personal testimony.
A testimony -- just a simple, genuine slice of your own life. It doesn't need to be a full-blown story. Just a window into your inner existence. It could be something like:"You know, John. I used to always think that I was a Christian. Then one day I discovered different. I used to think I was one because....... [and you list the reasons]. But John, then I became a Christian. And, you know, it's the best thing I ever did. If you want, sometime I'd be glad to share with you how I did that and what it means to me."See how simple it can be? You respect their space. Leave the door open. Give them a standing invitation to ask for more. And let God begin to root around in their heart and mind.
"Mary, one day I discovered the difference between being religious and being a Christian. If you're interested, I'd be happy to tell you about it."
You know the difference -- between religion and Christianity?
Religion is where you try to DO spiritual stuff. You try to make up for past failures. You try to earn God's love. You try to work your way into God's good books. But the trouble with religion is that you never know when you've done enough. Religion has no quota. And it leaves you to go nuts. Or live in fear or uncertainty. Or throw everything spiritual away, as an unsatisfying waste of time.
Let me tell you that a loving God doesn't leave us on the dead-end road of religion. He loved the world so much that He sent His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will NOT die, but have everlasting life. That's Christianity.
Christianity -- it's spelt D.O.N.E.
It's what Jesus cried out on the cross - "It is finished."
It is Jesus doing for us what we can never do for ourselves.
So often I run into people who play X's and O's. They write down an X in their mind for every foul-up. Got blitzed Saturday nite. X. But -- went to church sunday morning and threw an extra $50 in the plate. O. And we try to balance out the X's with the O's.
Trouble is the bible says that X's CAN'T wipe out the O's.
Like in our society. You can't commit a crime, appear before the judge and claim that helping some old lady across the street on your way to court should be good enough to forget the whole business. The penalty must be paid.
And the bible says that the wages of sin is..... death. (Rom 6.23)
It goes on to say -- you that have taken the Christian Life & Witnessing classes know the rest -- "but the free gift of God is eternal life.....through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The only way to get rid of the X's in our life is for a huge cross to cover them up. The cross of Christ.
If you've attended the class you will have learned that our human existence is like living on one side of the Grand Canyon. And God is on the other side. The gap between is caused by sin. We can try to jump that canyon. We could be the best olympic triple-jumper or someone who can barely walk with the aid of a crutch. But our result would be the same. Falling to a horrible death.
We need a huge bridge to get to the other side.
That bridge to new life is the cross of Jesus Christ.
That's the message!
Can you do it?
In your own words, giving people space to think and consider.
Remember, we just communicate and God through His Spirit will do the sales job.
The message of Peter.
It's the same message we have today. Oh, we may package it tons different in church settings today as we try to communicate to people in our multi-media driven time; what Billy Graham has dubbed "the age of the artist". We may use modern music, fax, email, video, computer images and the like.
But distill it down and the message is the same.
In fact, get beyond all that fancy stuff, and the method is still the same. It is person to person spreading the word -- the stuff of Operation Andrew:praying for someone, building a relationship, sharing your testimony, and bringing them to a place where they can hear the message or telling it yourself in your own words and space.
The time will come when you'll be getting connected with someone; when you'll get to go to bat for Jesus.
What message will YOU have to give?
How will you respond?
Let's pray.