We Are To Be Witnesses....

I am starting a new blog series going through the Book of Acts... I want to start with the idea of what it means to be witnesses to the world

We Are To Be Witnesses….

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”

This is the last thing Jesus said to His disciples before He ascended into heaven.  He called them on to “be my witnesses”.  What does this mean to be a witness for Jesus?  Well when we look in the Greek we can find that the Greek word that we translate as "witness" in this verse actually means to be a “martyr”.  So what does it mean to be a martyr?  According to Webster Dictionary one definition of martyr is a person who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty of witnessing to and refusing to renounce a religion.  So as Webster uses the word religion, as Christians we would use the words Jesus Christ.  Did Jesus tell His disciples that they would be persecuted and suffer much for His Names sake?  Yes He did.  I have thought about how the disciples after being filled with the Holy Spirit would not renounce the Name of Jesus or stop preaching the Good News even though they were persecuted and threatened with death. This Scripture in Luke 21:10-18 came to mind. I was challenged by a co-worker the other day to renounce Jesus Christ. He was quite persistent. Of course I did not. I wonder if a time is coming soon here in America when we will be faced with what the first century church went through. Where if we proclaim Christ there will be consequence. I am comforted by what Jesus promises here when we do face persecution

Luke 21:10-18

10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. 17You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Jesus told the disciples to go and wait in Jerusalem until they are endowed with power from on High, that being the Holy Spirit. 

Luke 24:49

And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

There is no way we can be witnesses unless the Holy Spirit resides in us.  Jesus said to wait until the Holy Spirit comes and clothes you with power.  We can do nothing without Him.  We will not be able to withstand the persecution without the Holy Spirit.  We are promised that He will give us the words to say and will be our Counselor and our Comforter.  As we think about the idea that we are to be witnesses to this world let us not forget that we will not do this alone.  The Holy Spirit will be with us guiding us in all truth and giving us words to speak and then as the Bible says God will make our efforts grow. 

1 Corinthians 3:6-7

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.