Characteristics of a Powerful Church

When we read the book of Acts of the Apostles  we understand some of the early challenges it faced as well as the tremendous success it experienced.  Once the Holy Spirit was given a dynamic new ministry began and the believers banded together.  It was an exciting time as thousands heard the gospel message and placed their faith in Christ, the Messiah for whom they had been waiting.  The Kingdom Jesus had told them about took on a different form than what they had expected.  It was not a political kingdom that would overthrow the Roman government but it was a kingdom of the heart that would  reflect the values of Christ and reach the ends of the earth.  It was a kingdom that represented Christ to the world and gave testimony of what he had accomplished for the entire world through his death and resurrection.
When hearts are changed through the message of the gospel, nations will change.  The rule of God’s laws will guide the believers to bring a transformation to the nation.  Jesus instructed his disciples that they were the salt of the earth.  Salt permeates whatever it enters and is spread throughout it.  It changes the flavor.  The early church as well as the church today has that same effect.  The focus of the early church was to reach each person with the gospel message and allow the Holy Spirit to work in them to make them like Christ.  Once the Word of God is planted in the heart of a person, there is tremendous potential for change.  A heart that is ready to receive the Word and does not allow the world, the flesh and the devil to impede its growth or destroy its growth will flourish and produce the fruit of the Spirit that represents the true nature of the Kingdom of God.
It must have been a little chaotic for the early church when you think of the thousands of people who became believers and were trying to understand what they were supposed to do.  All they had known had been dictated to them by the scribes and Pharisee and their leaders.  They were accustomed to all the rituals and services of the temple and now they had a new revelation of the Messiah.  Their eyes were now opened to the truth and the scriptures they had studied and memorized took on new meaning with fuller understanding.  It must have been exciting for them to read the scriptures with a new perspective.
In Acts 4 Peter and John had been placed in jail by the religious leaders for their witness of Jesus.  When they were released they returned to their fellow believers to report what had happened.
Act 4:24  And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,
Act 4:25  who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain?
Act 4:26  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'--
Act 4:27  for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
Act 4:28  to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
Act 4:29  And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
Act 4:30  while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
The response of the believers was based on a new understanding of Psalms 2.  They understood the application of these verses to their present situation.  With this understanding of what was happening and the assurance that God had prophetically declared this through David, they gained confidence in the sovereignty of God and called upon God for his intervention.  They did not ask to be removed from the situation or the opposition but asked for boldness to speak along with healings, signs and wonders in the Name of Jesus to give testimony to his power and love.
This is one of the characteristics of the early church that must also be alive in the church today.  We have to be willing to put ourselves into the marketplace to be bold witnesses to the Lord.  We cannot back down from opposition but we must like the disciples recognize that God is sovereign, nothing that is happening surprises him because he has had knowledge of it before it happened.  He understands the opposition and he wants us to boldly engage and not retreat . He will confirmation his word through healings, signs and wonders.
Act 4:31  And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
The church prayed for boldness.  They gathered to pray and God responded by filling them with the Holy Spirit to continue to be bold witnesses.  When they had finished praying there was a visible sign given to them, the shaking of the earth.  In my mind this reaction from heaven was a sign of God’s great approval of what they had asked to receive.  God was excited that they would ask for boldness and as confirmation to show his approval, he manifested the shaking.  Your petition has been granted and as proof here is a little shaking to confirm that it has been granted.  Can you imagine how encouraged the believers were after this happened?
Acts 2:32-37 give a report of the early church’s characteristics that shaped the formation of it and is still applicable to us today.
Act 4:32  Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
Act 4:33  And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
Act 4:34  There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold
Act 4:35  and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Act 4:36  Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
Act 4:37  sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

Unity, community, great power and great grace, were all characteristics of the early church that made it successful.

Unity.  
They were all of one mind and soul.  What they had all come to agree upon with mind and soul was that Jesus was the Messiah whom God raised from the dead.  This was the core belief that bound them together and separated them from the Jewish leaders.  The resurrection of Jesus was the most important aspect of their witness.  If Christ was not raised from the dead, nothing else mattered.  But since they were witnesses to his resurrection this was a deciding factor and conclusive proof that he was the Messiah.  Without the resurrection, Christianity becomes only a philosophy that can be rejected or accepted without repercussion.  It does not matter what you believe if there is no resurrection.  Life ends at death, period.  Other religions can speculate about an afterlife or reincarnation but they have no proof of their validity or truth.  Christianity has the evidence of the resurrection and based on that we have the assurance that there is life beyond the grave and that the life we are living now has a purpose, history is moving toward an end.
Today we see a great fracturing of the Body of Christ over doctrines and practices.  The unity of mind and soul of the early church has been cluttered with disagreements over interpretation of scriptures.  It did not take long for the unity of the church to be challenged and in Acts 15 a council was called in Jerusalem to figure out how to resolve the issue of what the Gentile believers needed to do.  The leadership met and they resolved the issue to preserve the unity of the church.  The importance of unity was stressed and they came to agreement with the help of the Holy Spirit.  Church history does not bear witness that this happened all the time and today we see the results of people placing more value on their beliefs and doctrines than unity of the church.  The simplicity of the early church’s focus on the sharing of the gospel and their need for boldness and the power of the Holy Spirit has been lost and mired in divisions among the body that have diminished our witness to the world. Unity helps us focus on the things that are most important and that is the evangelization of the world through the proclamation of the gospel message.  Let’s let this be the most important thing in our lives and the basis of our fellowship and unity with other believers.  I am not saying that some doctrinal issues are not important but the reality is that people will be won or lost to the Kingdom of God through the message of the gospel and not through church doctrinal differences.

Community
The early church saw the need to gather as a community.  They had to come together because of the conflicts they faced and opposition of the Jews.  There was a need to share resources because there was obviously some persecution happening in which people perhaps were disowned by family members or lost their jobs.  In addition there were many Jews from other countries who had journeyed to Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost who became believers and needed the help of others to survive.  They were under new ownership or management and their understanding of property changed.  They freely shared what they had because it was not under their ownership but Christ’s.  It is easy to give away things that are not yours.  It was based on need not on greed.  The believers freely gave to meet real needs of people who were suffering.  James, the half-brother of Jesus wrote about this in one of the first letters we have in the New Testament.
Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
Jas 2:16  and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
The Apostle John taught a similar message to the church.
1Jn 3:17  But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
When love becomes our primary motivation it is not difficult to give to meet needs.  Our selfish nature wants us to  hoard and make sure our needs are met before we think about meeting someone else’s need that is even greater.  When God’s love controls our lives we will become generous people.  We will give without expecting something in return and we will give joyfully because we are blessed enough to be able to share what God has given us to meet a need of another person.
The early church was the willing to sacrifice to meet the needs of others.  They willingly sold land and possessions to be able to help those in need.  This was not communism it which they had no option but to give but rather was totally the free will of the people to give what was theirs to others.  Matthew Henry in his commentary on these verses quotes a  Dr. Lightfoot
. Dr. Lightfoot computes that this was the year of jubilee in the Jewish nation, the fiftieth year (the twenty-eighth since they settled in Canaan fourteen hundred years ago), so that, what was sold that year being not to return till the next jubilee, lands then took a good price, and so the sale of those lands would raise the more money.

The love they had for each other made possible the sale of their possessions and generous donation.  When the money was given it was laid at the feet of the Apostles.  They had confidence that the money would be used for the benefit of those in need and that no one was going to get rich or abscond with the money.
This attitude of sacrifice and care was part of the DNA of the church in the years after Pentecost.  Collections were later taken up to help the church in Jerusalem in its time of need.  Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church commended the church in Macedonia for their sacrificial giving to help meet the needs of the believers in Jerusalem and encouraged the church in Corinth that had been dragging their feet on collecting an offering to do the same.
2Co 8:1  We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,
2Co 8:2  for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
2Co 8:3  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,
2Co 8:4  begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints--
It seems that we have lost this willingness to sacrifice at this level today.  We read of ministries in which money is used for personal luxuries instead of helping believers in need.  Lavish lifestyles are viewed as God’s blessing on your life that you are entitled to.  It is hard to rationalize extravagance when Jesus instructed his disciple to “not lay up riches for yourself.”  All of us wrestle with the question of how much is enough, how much we should keep and how much we should give away to meet the needs of others.  We like Barnabas must be willing to freely give what God has given to us as he leads us to respond to needs.  We have been blessed and are blessed to be a blessing to others.
Richard Stearns, president of World Vision in his book, “The Hole in Our Gospel”  gives some sobering statistics regarding the distribution of wealth and the use of money in the church in the USA.
If you make $25,000 per year you are wealthier than 90% of the world’s population.
If you make $50,000 per year you are wealthier than 99% of the world.
World Vision conducted a survey of pastors a few years ago and asked them to identify the areas of ministry that were most important to them and the church.  The survey revealed:
79% Worship
57% Evangelism
55% Children’s ministry
47% Discipleship programs
18% Helping the Poor
Helping the poor is not much of a priority in the American church but the worst problem is the lack of giving among people who are capable of giving.  If just the church in the USA which is composed of about 340,000 churches had members who gave a tithe or 10% of their income there would be more than enough money to meet the critical needs of the poor in the church and in the world.  On average believers in the USA give about 2.5% of their income to the church.  If everyone gave 10% instead of 2.5% with the extra money which would amount to 168 billion dollars there would be enough money to eliminate the most extreme poverty on the planet for more than a billion people.  Universal primary education for children would cost just 46 billion; and the basic health and nutrition for everyone in the world $13 billion. (page 218)
The resources are available but the resolve is lacking either because of ignorance of the true needs of the poor or because of selfishness and lack of genuine love for our brothers and sisters in need.
 May we freely and joyfully learn to sacrifice and demonstrate the same care the early church had for the believers.
 The community was also needed to understand how they should live with this new found revelation.  They needed teaching from the scriptures by the Apostles.  There were both physical and spiritual needs that had to be met as they were together in community.  The fellowship of the believers was also important as many were ostracized from their family and friends because of their belief in Christ.  They needed the support of each other as they tried to understand how they should live and relate to others.  They had a new identity and this required adjustments in many areas of their lives.
We need to gather as believers for fellowship and instruction in the Word of God.  Being a part of a community of believers is God’s design for our growth.  If we neglect the gathering of the saints, we do ourselves no favor and we deny others the opportunity to learn from us.  The early church understood this and practiced it and the gospel spread like wild fire.

Great power
Act 4:33  And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
The word translated as great is the word “mega”.  We understand this word as we are familiar with the Megapaca in Guatemala.  The word translated power is the same word in Acts 1:8, it is the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.  The early believers had the mega supernatural power of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives.
The Apostles were the eye witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus.  Their testimonies were anointed by the Holy Spirit power to convict and convince people of the truth of Christ the Messiah.  They effectively used the Scriptures to reason with the people and prove that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Promises and prophecies given.   In addition the very thing they prayed for; signs, wonders and miracles were part of the supernatural confirmation of the messages shared.
We do not have the same eye witness testimony of the Apostles but we do have their written testimony in the scriptures and we have our own personal testimonies that the Holy Spirit will anoint to convict and convince people of the truth.  We need the empowering of the Holy Spirit to be effective in our communication of the gospel.  Without his working and intervention we accomplish little.  He can give us the right words to say and the way to say it to be effective.  We have to live in dependence upon him to lead us and anoint our minds to speak the truth.
The disciples did not back down from the threats against them.  They returned and were met with great power to testify of the resurrection of Christ.  They were tenacious in testifying of the resurrection of Jesus.  They did not cower away, run away or hid away.  I listened to a testimony of a missionary to a Muslim nation who was brutally attacked by a group of radicals.  Not only was he beaten but his wife was as well and it all happened in the presence of his children.  The family came back to the USA to receive medical care and when they were healthy they decided to go right back to the same community where they were beaten.  They would not back down and seek for greater comfort and security.  When they returned their persecutors were stunned.  They could not believe they came back and it caused them to wonder what drew them to return.  Their love for the people and willingness to suffer made a tremendous impact and many people came to faith in Christ.  There was great power in their testimony.

Great Grace
When we are willing to face opposition and be faithful to share the gospel God will pour out his grace upon us.  We think of grace as God’s unmerited favor.
But “grace,” as used in this text (“great grace”) and texts such as Luke 2:40 and Acts 11:23, also refers to “operations of the power of God.”  Just as God in mercy saves us by His grace, so that grace is manifested in great dynamic where the Holy Spirit is at work in power.  Zech. 4:6,7 provides an OT illustration of this truth.
Zec 4:6  Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
Zec 4:7  Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain. And he shall bring forward the top stone amid shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'"
The prophet instructed Zerubbabel to speak “grace” to the “mountain”—the hindrance he faced in the trying task of rebuilding God’s temple.  Speaking “grace” to obstacles we face is an action of faith, drawing on the operations of God’s great power.  We only speak:  the work is entirely His—by His gracious power and for His great glory. (Spirit filled life study Bible. 1997, c1991 (electronic ed.) (Ac 5:1). Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
God’s favor and his power are with his people who are walking in obedience to his calling.  God will open the right doors for us and bring us before the right people to give us the opportunity to share the gospel message.  The Holy Spirit is at work behind the scenes to prepare the hearts of people.  We will go through adversity and rejection.  It will be costly but it is all worthwhile.
John Piper related a story he heard told by J. Oswald Sanders at a chapel service at Wheaton College that speaks of the dedication we must have to share the gospel message in spite of difficulties and rejection but also of the grace of God and the power of this message that we are privileged to share.
“…there once was and evangelist in India who tromped across the roads to various villages preaching the gospel.  He was a simple man, no education, loved Jesus with all his heart, and was ready to lay his life down.  And he came to a village that didn’t have the gospel.  It was late in the day and he was very tired.  But he goes into the village and lifts up his voice and shares the gospel with those gathered in the square.  They mock him, deride him, and drive him out of town.  And he was so tired-no emotional resources left-that he lies down under a tree, utterly discouraged.  He goes to sleep not knowing if he’ll ever wake up.  They might come kill him, for all he knows.
And suddenly, just after dusk, he is startled and wakes up.  The whole town seems to be around him looking at him.  He thinks he’s a goner.  He starts to tremble, and one of the big men in the village says, “We came out to see what kind of man you were, and when we saw your blistered feet we knew you were a holy man.  We want you to tell us why you got blistered feet to come talk to us.”  So he preached the gospel and, according to J. Oswald Sanders, the whole village believed.”
Great power and great grace go hand in hand as we engage in the proclamation of the gospel message.
The early church flourished because of many factors.
They prayed for boldness and God’s confirmation through miraculous signs.
They were continually filled with the Holy Spirit.
They understood and lived in unity that came through true love and a common purpose.
They lived as a community and not as independent believers.
They experienced great power and great grace in their ministry.
They saw great results

Intimidation

One of the main tactics of the enemy to keep us from sharing to the gospel or doing anything for the advance of God’s Kingdom is intimidation. He has used this tactic in many situations in the Old Testament as well as in the life of the church since its inception. He continues to use this tactic today to keep believers silent and limit their ministry and effectiveness.
The definition of intimidate
1. to make timid; fill with fear.
2. to overawe or cow, as through the force of personality or by superior display of wealth, talent, etc.
3. to force into or deter from some action by inducing fear
We will look at some of the Old Testament examples how intimidation was used as well as what was the response or the result.

Goliath and the Israelites.

We are all familiar with the story of Goliath and the stand down battle with the Philistines. His stature was very intimidating roughly ten feet tall depending on what standard was used to measure him. He was covered from head to toe with armor and had another person with a shield in front of him to protect him. In addition to his intimidating physical presence he taunted the Israelites.
1Sa 17:8-11 He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us." And the Philistine said, "I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together." When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
Goliath defied Israel, he reproached them, stripped them bare and exposed them, railed against them.
His tactic worked but Israel’s response was one of fear, they were broken down like they were prostrate on the ground as if they had feinted.
 Only David was willing to take up the challenge. He was not intimidated by Goliath’s stature or his words. He did not take Goliath’s words to heart but responded in faith and assurance that His God would deliver him into his hands because he had defied the God of the armies of Israel. The battle was not up to David, it was the Lord’s battle and he would be victorious.
The enemy would like to over exaggerate the problem. He intimidates by trying to cause us to think he is more powerful than our God and we are helpless. He always wants to bring fear because fear will cause us to be paralyzed or feint in the battle. He will speak words to us to tell us how incapable we are of defeating him. We cannot listen to his threats or intimidating words and take them to heart.
We have to stand against him knowing that God is the one who will fight the battle with us and give us victory. David was confident while the rest of Israel was cowardly. He had faith in His God that his God would defend his name and not be defied by Goliath or any of the Philistines.
When people come against us they are also coming against God and God will defend his name. Goliath was defeated just as David proclaimed he would be. His death mobilized the army to charge into battle and defeat the Philistines. Our faith response, our stand against the enemy and our prophetic proclamations when realized will be an inspiration to others in the battle.

David and the Jebusites

A second example of intimidation is found in David’s life when he became King of Israel and set out to take the city of the Jebusites, Jerusalem. When the Jebusites saw David and his army coming to take the city they tried to intimidate him by saying: "You will not come in here, but the blind and the lame will ward you off" 2 Sam 5.6
In other words David’s army was no match for the Jebusites. They were so pitiful that the blind and lame could defeat them. They thought that their words would intimidate David and keep him from invading. These were not wise words to say to someone who had led Israel in many victorious battles. It was an insult to David and his army and it had the opposite effect.
2Sa 5:8 And David said on that day, "Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him get up the water shaft to attack 'the lame and the blind,' who are hated by David's soul."
The Jebusites became odious to David by the words they spoke to him. He challenged his men to take the city via the water ducts going into the city. He was not at all intimidated by the Jebusites. The words spoken against him and his men became fuel to inspire the men to take the city.
 I think we need to learn from David’s example that when the enemy tries to intimidate us and belittle us or make us think we are blind and lame, incapable of taking on any initiative by rising up and using the very words of the enemy against him. We cannot sit back and take it, there has to be a holy rising in us to come against the very words of the enemy and take what belongs to God.
It seems today that the church is under more attack than it ever has been for its stand against moral issues that do not reflect the values of God or His Word. We have allowed the enemy to take ground because of our lack of action or lack of standing for the truth and denouncing the words of the enemy. We have been labeled “bigots, haters, judgmental, closed minded, intolerant,biased”, and a list of other things by people who do not agree and even hate Christians yet these same people are guilty of having the same attitudes as they accuse us of having. If we say nothing in our defense what message are we communicating? Are we in agreement or are we just unwilling to take a stand to come against these untruthful accusations?
David was pretty upset with these words to the point that he made a policy that no blind or lame person could enter the house. He did not want to be reminded of these demeaning words by seeing the lame and blind in his house. These words offended him deeply and he responded accordingly.

Nehemiah and Sanballat

Nehemiah faced intimidation when he was building the walls of Jerusalem that had been completely destroyed by the Babylonians when they invaded Jerusalem and took Israel as captives. There were some people who had been living in the area of Jerusalem during the captivity and they were trying to stop Nehemiah from building the wall. Sanaballat and Tobiah were leaders who spoke against the work of Nehemiah and the people who were doing the work.
Neh 4:1-3 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?" Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building--if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!
They spoke against the feeble Jews who in their minds were not able to accomplish the huge task. The also spoke against them by claiming the quality of their work would be so inferior that a little fox could easily jump upon the low wall and cause it to crumble when it walked on the stones. The walls of the city were thick walls not simply one stone placed on top of another so this insult as to the quality of their work was pretty demeaning.
 The enemy would like to make us think that we don’t have what it takes. We don’t have the right people working with us to get the job done. He wants us to think that we and they lack the qualifications and abilities needed so why even attempt to do anything? God knew what he was doing when he called Nehemiah to the task and he supplied the right people to get it done. God will put each of us on a team that will work together to accomplish his mission if we allow him to and are willing to go. He will supply the resources we need and will give us the resolve to get it done.
The enemy likes to do whatever he can to delay us from taking action. I am not opposed to training and education to prepare you for ministry but there comes a time when you have to step out in faith and be willing to take on things that seem to be beyond your training or abilities. We can rationalize ourselves out of doing anything if we listen to the intimidating words of the enemy. I don’t know that Nehemiah was a professional wall builder, I don’t know if he had any training at all but he had a calling from God and a desire to see his people restored and was willing to move forward to get the job done. He faced the naysayers who tried to discourage and intimidate him and the people he brought with him to do the work and settle in the city. The wall was erected in 52 days to the surprise of the enemies. The people were motivated and obviously had the skills needed to do what was needed and do it well.
The enemy will always fight progress. He does not want the Kingdom to advance. He wants us to just stay where we are and do as little as possible. I love the words of William Carey who is called the “Father of Modern Day Missions.” He went to India called by God to reach the people with the gospel. It was a huge task and he experienced many setbacks in his ministry but he persevered and did not allow the intimidation of the enemies of the cross to keep him from his call. He said, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.”
William Carey and Nehemiah had this in common that they were willing to attempt great things for God. They were not content to let things stay as they were but took action as led of the Holy Spirit to do what was in their hearts. God came through for them and gave them the people and resources and knowledge of what to do and how to do it. They both accomplished great things for God because they did not allow the enemy to intimidate them and cause them to stop what they were doing.
This past week I was at a YWAM Conference in Nicaragua and I was able to see the work the God has done through the leaders of the base in Nicaragua. They have had tremendous challenges through the years, having begun the work during the civil war in the early 80s. They have faced opposition from the government, from their neighbors, health issues, staff issues, financial challenges that would cause most people to give up and go home. But they have stayed faithful to the call and now have a great YWAM Base that is impacting many lives. They have not allowed the intimidation of the enemy to cause them to stop doing what they have been called to do and God has honored and blessed their lives and ministry. They have accomplished great things for God and they have seen God come through time after time when they have faced the challenges of the enemy.

Peter and John
 A final example of not being intimidated is found in the lives of the apostles during the early days of the church. Peter and John after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit were constantly going to the temple to tell people about the Messiah Jesus who fulfilled the prophesies in the Old Testament and is now seated in glory with God. This message was burning in their hearts and they would not be stopped from sharing it. The Jewish leaders were upset with what they were doing and what was happening to the people they led. They were losing thousands of people who were becoming Christ followers and they did not know what to do to stop this mass exodus. They only solution was to try to silence them and throw Peter and John into jail and hope that this would end the problem.
Act 4:15-20 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name." So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."
 Peter and John would not be intimidated by the demands of the religious leaders. What they knew to be true could not be contained or restrained. Their obedience was to God and not to man when given the choice between the two. They were convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the message they preached was the truth. Imprisonment was not enough punishment or intimidation to stop them from speaking.
Peter was not soft peddling the gospel message. He told it like it is and did not hold back. He wanted the Jews to know exactly what they had done in rejecting the Messiah Jesus.
Act 4:8-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead--by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Peter was addressing the highest leadership of Israel. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he made some hard statements…”who you crucified…was rejected by you, the builders” Peter spoke the truth, he did not make it soft for them but spoke clearly and directly to their actions against Christ. There was a boldness in Peter to declare the truth. He did not let the status of the Jewish leadership hinder him from declaring the truth of what they had done and the truth that Jesus was the cornerstone and the only way for them to be saved.
We can never be intimidated by the threats of prison, punishment or even death to keep us from speaking the truth. We have to make a stand for the truth and believe that God is always on our side to defend us and if we are martyred for our faith it is only a testimony of its power and truthfulness. Jonathon Goforth was a Canadian missionary to China in the early 1900s. He told a story of a group of students who were arrested for being believers. The officials told them that they would not punish them if they would deny their faith in Christ. As an act of their denial they placed a cross on the ground and told those who wanted to recant their faith to walk on the cross to despise it and denounce their belief in Jesus. The first few students were intimidated by the demand and the fear of punishment. They walked out on the cross and renounced their faith, several more students followed them. But then one student refused to trample upon the cross and renounce her faith. She walked to the side of the cross in defiance of their orders. Her act of bravery inspired the others to do the same thing.
We are living in a time where the darkness is growing darker and the light is growing brighter. There is a clearer separation between good and evil as we see the world moving away from the truth of the Bible and embracing the philosophies of man based in human desires that are in opposition to God. The acceptance of homosexual marriages is one act that is helping clarify those who believe God’s Word and those who distort it to make it mean what they want it to mean. We are clearly entering an era where Christianity is going to be opposed and we will be intimidated to not speak the truth. But we must be like Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, led of the Holy Spirit to speak the truth and confront the actions of those who are opposing God’s truth. We cannot be silent but we must be submitted to the Holy Spirit to speak as He directs us. We need not apologize for our obedience and our directness in speaking the truth. Truth is on our side and if we remain silent we give ground to the enemy.
 Intimidation is a primary tactic of the enemy to keep us from fulfilling our calling. We must constantly remind ourselves of the truth of who God is and his desire for us to stand strong in the face of intimidation.
1. God is greater than any enemy of the cross.
2. God will defend his name, he will fight the battle for us and with us.
3. False accusations to intimidate must be confronted.
4. God will supply, we will have what it takes to accomplish his work.
5. We cannot give in to compromise, give up the battle or get out of the calling to be the messengers of the truth to a lost world.

Reaching the Harvest

 Last week we looked at the importance of being a witness, it is our primary responsibility as believers filled with the Holy Spirit.
  Act 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 involves crossing physical boundaries, linguistic as well as cultural boundaries.
 When missiologists talk about evangelism they often refer to different levels based on the boundaries that must be crossed.  There are 4 levels of evangelism according to Ralph Winter.
E-O Evangelism
1. Preaching within a church setting to unbeliever, or teaching in a Sunday school class.
2. No frontiers to cross
3. No cultural distance or very little.
  Ordinary or E-1 evangelism
1. Jerusalem and Judea
2. Frontiers to Cross: Between Church and World
3. Cultural Distance:  Little or None
4. Examples:  Sharing Christ with your unsaved neighbor
  E-2 evangelism-cross-cultural
1. Samaria
2. Frontiers to Cross:  dialect and culture
3. Cultural distance: Significant, not great
4. Example: Navajo Christians working with Mongolians, American working with Brazilian middle class
  E-3 evangelism, cross-cultural
1. Ends of the earth
2. Frontiers to Cross:  language, culture, and world view
3. Cultural distance: Great
4. Anglos reaching non-English speaking Hopis in Arizona, American missionary to China.

Evangelism must occur at all levels because there is a harvest of souls at each level if we have a clear vision, heart motivation and Holy Spirit mobilization.
 Jesus addressed these elements in Matthew 9:35-38.
Mat 9:35-38  And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
  To reach the harvest we must have:
Clear Vision of the Challenge of the Multitudes
Heart Motivation of Compassion for the Lost
Holy Spirit Mobilization of the Laborers

1.    Clear Vision: the challenge of the multitude
The first thing I notice is that Jesus saw the multitude.  He took note of how many people were lost and in need of a shepherd.  It was not just a few people, it was a multitude.
When we look at the statistics of the world population distribution and how many are unsaved it can be overwhelming.
World population: about 7 billion
Number of non Christians: 5.5 Billion
  Total Number of People Groups: 16,700
  Total Number of Unreached/Least reach People Groups: 6,900  based on 2% evangelicals and less than 5% adherents according to the Joshua Project.
  About 5,900 of the 6,900 people groups live in restricted areas
86% of the world's Hindu, Muslims, and Buddhists have never met a Christ-follower
  GEOGRAPHIC BARRIERS: remote, harsh climate, difficult access, or nomadic.
LINGUISTIC BARRIERS: illiteracy, no scripture in their language, unwritten language, terminology confusion.
CULTURAL BARRIERS: persecution, closed to change, Christianity viewed as a “foreign” religion.
  In the past ten years for every 1 new believer in North America and Europe there have been nearly 30 new believers in developing countries like Nigeria, Brazil, India and China.
  From 1985 to 2008 long-term missionaries (4+ years) sent out by U.S. mission agencies has been flat to declining.
 
  Rise of Asian, African and Latin American Missionaries
Latin Americans: 21,000
Nigerians: 15,000
India: 40,000
Filipinos: 10,000
Chinese: 50,000
Koreans: 20,000
  Only about 1 out of 10 cross-cultural foreign missionaries minister among unreached people groups.
  World Religions by Population
Christians 2,292,454,000
Muslims 1,549,444,000
Hindus 948,507,000
Nonreligious 639,852,000
Buddhists 468,736,000
Chinese folk religionists 458,316,000
Ethnoreligionists 261,429,000
Atheists 138,532,000
Other 149,290,000
Source:  David Barrett, Todd Johnson & Peter Crossing,  “Status of Global Mission, 2010, in Context of 20th and 21st Centuries,” Int’l Bulletin of Missionary Research,  Jan. 2010, p. 36.

We have to have eyes that see who is around us, what is happening around us, what are the true needs.  It is easy for us to become insensitive to many things including people in need.  We can pass by someone who may truly have a need but because we don’t take the time to see the need we pass on by.  We have to ask the Holy Spirit to always keep our hearts sensitive to be able to see the needs around us.  Becoming a World Christian will only happen when we begin to see the needs of the people around us as well as the needs throughout the world.  We can become pretty focused on just doing our own thing and not consider what is truly happening around us.  Missions was not on my radar screen for many years.  I knew about missionaries a little bit but becoming involved in missions was not in my vision.  I did not have a clear vision of the needs of the world.  My life was pretty much wrapped up in what I was doing.  Everything changed for me after my first short term mission trip to Mexico.  I saw needs that I had never seen before as well as opportunities to impact people’s lives.  I am here today as a result of that trip and am thankful that the Lord helped me get a clear vision of the needs of the world.

2.    Heart Motivation: Compassion for the lost.
God wants to give us his heart for lost and hurting people.  He wants us to be moved in our gut just as this word compassion means in the original Greek.  When we have compassion we suffer with the people. We can see needs but if it does not affect us, does not produce compassion to want to meet the needs it really does not matter.  Sometimes we see needs but we lack compassion because we think the people should do something themselves to meet their need or if they stopped doing something the need would go away.  We can rationalize and judge them and not do anything to help them.  We must always remember we are where we are by the grace of God and we really don’t deserve what we have but God has blessed us so we can be a blessing to others.

  Jesus saw the lost condition of man and compared them to sheep without a shepherd.  Sheep need a shepherd.  They don’t do well on their own.  They get into all kinds of trouble if the shepherd is not around.  They frighten easily and panic.  They eat the wrong foods and can die from it.  They have to be led not driven, they follow their leader. They have no way to defend themselves like other animals that have claws or sharp teeth.  They can butt heads but that is about it.  They cannot run very fast so they are easily caught.  They lack self-control and can literally eat themselves to death or eat until the grass is completely pulled out by the roots thus not able to reproduce and will turn lush green areas into brown dirt wastelands.  If they get knocked over on their backside they cannot get up without the help of the shepherd.  They have to be attended to when they are cut or the flies will cause infection and drive them crazy.  I am not sure if Jesus had all these characteristics in mind when he made this statement but I have to say that all of these things about sheep have been true in my life and in the lives of others I know.  Without Christ our lives are messed up!
  We live in a world with horrendous things happening to people.  The moral restraints that once were part of many cultures has been abandoned.  I was reading an article by Greg Koukel and he described the moral slippery slope that has happened to kill unwanted human beings.  It began with legalized abortion in which the baby was killed in the womb. Then it proceeded to partial birth abortion in which the baby was almost out of the womb with the exception of its head which was crushed by sucking out its brain so the head could pass through without problems.  Now people are talking about after-birth abortion in which unwanted children are killed after they have been born.
The unborn need to be protected as do many other groups that are suffering and being exploited.
  Orphaned Children
  James 1:27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
  163,000,000 children in our world are orphans.
Source: www.4to14window.com “Trafficking Children, An Epidemic”
Many orphaned children live on the streets and are exposed to all forms of evil that they should not have to see or experience.  Thank God for orphanages that can take them in and give them the proper care but how much better is it for them when they can be taken into a Christian family and be given godly care and love.  Many churches are now challenging couple to take in orphaned children to provide a home for these children who have done nothing to put themselves in these situations.

  Human Trafficking:
   24-30 Million slaves
  70% females
  50% children
  Thailand: Prostitution is illegal in Thailand but Thailand is a global sex tourism destination.
  In Thailand there are as many as 60,000 prostitutes under the age of 18.
  An estimated 40,000 women and young girls from Myanmar are forced into the sex industry in Thailand each year.
  The UN report estimated that in Asia alone, “one million children are involved in the sex trade under conditions that are indistinguishable from slavery.”
  The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 1.39 million victims of commercial sex servitude domestically and transnationally.

  Woman in Chains:
Over 70% of the 1.3 billion people living in poverty worldwide are women.
 Women make up over 50% of the world’s population, earn 10% of the world’s wages and own 1% of the world’s property.
Women are not permitted to own land in Colombia, Nepal, Kenya, Ethiopia, Panama, Chile, Iraq and Egypt.
  Two-thirds of the 880 million adults in poor countries who can’t read or write are women.

Two thirds of all children worldwide who don’t go to school are girls.
(source: www.freetheslaves.net)

  AIDS Epidemic
  33.4 million worldwide have AIDS.
  40% know they are infected
  Observations-
Most affected regions- USA, South Africa ,Eastern  Africa, India
Severely affected regions- China , Russia, Brazil, Vietnam
Less affected regions –Australia, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan
The needs are great and we have to have hearts motivated by compassion to do something to make a difference in the lives of the people affected.

3.   Holy Spirit Mobilization
The final part of Jesus description of what he saw and felt was a call to pray that the Holy Spirit will send laborers into the harvest field because the needs were great but also that there was a huge harvest that was ready to be harvested.
Mat 9:38  therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."
  Jesus did not call for passive prayer but for earnest prayer.  The word for prayer has the meaning of binding yourself to someone and begging that something be done.  Have you ever seen a child do this to their parent when they want something or as I have seen when they do not want the parent to leave.  They cling to the parent’s leg and cry out for the parent to not leave them.  This is the picture Jesus is communicating when he calls us to pray earnestly.
Our prayer is to be directed to the Holy Spirit who is in charge of the harvest.  He is now the administrator of carrying out God’s plan to reach the nations with the Gospel message.  He is in charge of sending out the laborers into the harvest field.
  The Greek word for “send out” really means to thrust out with force.  When I think of being thrust out my mind goes into movie mode in which you see a bouncer at a bar throwing someone out the swinging doors into the street.  This is “thrusting out with force.”  Perhaps this force needs to come upon people to get them to loosen their grasp on the world and everything that keeps them from going to the needy.  The Holy Spirit has a way of thrusting us into situations in which we are unfamiliar and at time unwanted because that is how he can get our attention to see the things he sees and wants to do something about.
  There is a new book written by a young man, Jay Milbrantd from my hometown in Minnesota called, “Go . Do.”  In an article written in the Daily Globe, May 5, 2012, Jay explained how his life was changed by being thrust into an unfamiliar, unwanted environment.

Once that goal was achieved [attending law school], however, and he found himself studying on the Pepperdine campus in Malibu, Calif., Jay found the pressures and doubts overwhelming. He skipped class to attend a conference featuring lawyers “who were going into the world’s most dangerous places to help those in the greatest need.” After hearing their stories, he went home and amended his list of life goals to include “Go and do something.” He spent the next two years pondering that goal, weighing what he thought he “should” be doing as a law school student against the dare with which he had challenged himself.

After much soul-searching, he finally accepted the dare.
Malibu to Thailand

Jay arranged a summer internship with an organization combatting human trafficking and booked a ticket to Thailand.
“That was 2007. I’ve been back many times now,” explained Jay. “The Thailand experience in itself was really the major life-changing experience. I went not knowing what I was going to do. I wanted to create this film on human trafficking, had this big idea, and then when I got there I was told I would have to go out and do outreach. I didn’t want to do outreach. I thought, ‘This sounds like a waste of my time.’ I ended up going against my will and had my heart broken for these kids that I met on the street, and that became what that entire summer focused on. Those are still the kids that I go and see once or twice a year and help with their education.
  Someone was praying for Jay and the Holy Spirit thrust him into a new place and from that experience his life was changed.  He is now helping others have this same life changing experience.  We must be people of prayer, earnest begging prayer that the Holy Spirit will thrust people into the harvest field.
  As we close the service let’s be reminded again of having a clear vision of the challenge of the multitude; a compassionate heart to motivate us to action and earnest prayer for the Holy Spirit to mobilize and thrust workers into the harvest.
One final thing I want to mention is that we are often the answer to our own prayer.  The Holy Spirit may desire to thrust you out of where you are to put you in a place where he can use you to reach the harvest of souls.
  Be willing an open to the Holy Spirit’s work in your life to bring you to a new place.

Be my witnesses

 I was reading about the trial of John Edwards, who ran for the democratic nomination to be President of the USA in the 2008 election.  He is being tried for illegal use of campaign funds.  Funds that he used to pay off a woman he was having an affair with to keep her silent and keep the public from knowing he got her pregnant.  He did this while his wife was dying of cancer.  The key witness of the prosecution was one of his closest aides who contacted a wealthy supporter and asked for her financial help to pay off Edward’s mistress.  His testimony was considered crucial, such that the government offered him immunity if he would testify.  Without the offer of immunity he may have been reluctant to share what he knew but now he is free to tell the truth without being incriminated.  His witness to the truth of what actually took place will be a vital piece of evidence the jury will consider and use to make a decision on the guilt or innocence of Edwards.  In order for a witness to have validity he or she must be credible and their testimony must be consistent and truthful.  The lawyers for the defendant will always attack either the character of the witness or find holes in the testimony that will cause the jury to doubt its truthfulness.  A truthful witness whose character is stellar has tremendous influence.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he told his disciples that they would be his witnesses after they received the Holy Spirit.
 Act 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."
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
Jesus told the disciples to wait until the Holy Spirit was poured out on them before they did anything.  The promise of the Holy Spirit was in fulfillment of the OT prophesy of Joel 2.28.  The disciples met in a room after Jesus ascended into heaven in obedience to what he had told them to do, simply to wait.  For 10 days they sat waiting, searching the Scriptures, talking among themselves about what it may mean to have the Holy Spirit come upon them.  They probably thought about the stories of the Spirit falling upon certain men like Saul, Samson, Elijah, Elisha and the other prophets especially.  I imagine there was great anticipation and wonder as to what would happen when the HS was given.  What could this mean?  Perhaps they reflected on the teachings of Jesus on the coming of the Holy Spirit who would lead them into all truth, be their teacher and guide to replace the physical Jesus they had known for 3 years.  Jesus had told them that it was expedient that he go to the Father in order that the Holy Spirit would be sent.  It is difficult to know if they remembered these teachings of Jesus at the time but this time of waiting must have been exciting.  Jesus did not tell them how long they would have to wait so it is probable that after a couple of days they may have become a little anxious or even doubtful if anything would happen.  The one thing they did try to do was appoint someone to take Judas’ place and even then they resorted to casting lots to determine who they thought would be the right person.  Matthias is not mentioned after he was selected so you have to wonder if he really was the person God wanted in that position.  Eventually Paul filled that role.  The 120 in the room were playing the waiting game.
The Power of the Holy Spirit
When the Holy Spirit fell upon them it was evident to everyone.  The power was supernatural. There was no guessing if this was real, everyone knew that the sound of the rushing wind and the cloven tongues of fire falling on them plus the ability to communicate in a language they did not know was proof that it was the fulfillment of what Jesus said would happen.
The Purpose
The results of the impartation of the Holy Spirit was that they were witnessing to the masses about Jesus. The word witness in the Greek is martus from which we derive the word martyr.  History records that the apostle truly became martyrs because of their witness of Jesus.  He was the focus of Peter’s first sermon and as a result 3,000 people got saved.  This was huge and the ongoing impact of these 3000 sharing what happened helped multiply the number of believers rapidly.
The witness of the 12 disciples as well as others who walked with Jesus was based on first hand experiences.  The apostle John wrote:
1Jn 1:1-5  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life-- the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-- that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
 When Peter was talking to Cornelius, the Roman Centurion and his family about Jesus he said:
Act 10:37-43  you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
The Apostles were witnesses of what they had seen, heard and touched regarding Jesus.  They were first hand witnesses of the existence of Jesus and the things he did, his teachings, his death and resurrection.  Even though they had been with Jesus they needed the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses.  The Holy Spirit helped them remember and understand the teaching of Jesus.  He is the Spirit of Truth and in order to be an effective witness they needed to know the truth and be able to communicate it clearly and consistently in order for their testimony to be valid.
 Throughout the book of Acts we read of how the believers continued to be witnesses wherever they went.  They were willing to travel, undergo persecution, be thrown in jail and even put to death for their uncompromising message about Jesus. The Greek word for witness is martus from which we get the word martyr.
We like the disciples are called to be witnesses that are so convinced of what we believe about Jesus that we are willing to go anywhere, anytime, to anyone even if it means we may be martyred.  To deny being a witness to the Truth is to deny Jesus who claimed he was the Truth.  More than ever we need to know Jesus and communicate to this fallen world who he was, what he taught, how he lived and what was accomplished through his life.  The world has a very distorted image of Jesus mainly because they are ignorant of the Scriptures but also they look at people who claim they are Christians and do not like what they see especially if they have an understanding of who Jesus was.  Unfortunately throughout history many horrible things have been done by people who claim to be representing Christ and this has damaged the image of Christians.   When our character and actions do not match us with the teachings of Jesus our testimony is discredited and people turn away from becoming believers.
Just as when Jesus walked on the earth, there are people who really want to see Jesus as he really is.  There is a hunger to know him when he is presented as he really is.  There is a book entitled, “Jesus before Christianity,” by Albert Nolan, a strange title for many but it presents Jesus as he really was and not as how some in Christianity have depicted him.
  In the gospel of John it is recorded that one time a group of Greeks were attending a festival and wanted to meet him.
John 12:20, 21 now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."
They wanted to see him for themselves.  They had probably heard many things about him but second hand knowledge was not going to satisfy their curiosity.  They wanted to meet him personally.
I think this is the cry of people today, they want to see the real Jesus and we are the ones who can help them see him as he really is.  We need to talk about Jesus, talk about his life on earth how he lived among the people, how he loved the unlovable, the outcasts, the prostitutes, the widows, the children, the bereaved, the poor, the lame and sick and how he did miracles among them.  We need to talk about his love and compassion for people and his opposition to religious people who did not know the truth but claimed they did.  We need to reveal the real Jesus to a world that does not understand where he came from or who he was.  Sometimes we focus our witness on many things that are part of our faith but how much to we testify and witness to the truth of who Jesus was and what he did?  How well do we share his life with others?  I believe there is an attraction to Jesus that is revealed in the gospels.  His life speaks volumes to people.  This is why it is so important for people to get the Word of God in their own language so they can have a personal encounter through the Word with Christ.
  Our conduct, character and communication are the witnessing tools we have to offer.  All three are critical to being an effective witness and we have the Holy Spirit working in us to help us in all three areas.  In fact without him we will not be the witness God has called us to be.
 Witness by our Conduct
How we conduct ourselves among the unsaved is critical to their reception of the gospel message.  I once read a message by Jim Baker in which he said the three things people need are love, acceptance and forgiveness.  This message has stuck with me for more than 30 years. Jesus modeled these in his life and taught his disciples the importance of them.  How well do we love those who hate us, oppose what we believe and even beat or kill our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?  Does the love of Christ compel us to seek them out, to demonstrate love to them or do we pray that they will be taken out to make life more comfortable for us? It is said that Idi Amin who was the former Dictator of Uganda came to visit the USA.  He entered a restaurant and a man who claimed he was a Christian spit on him.  How this demonstrated the love of God is beyond me.  Who knows what may have happened had there been a true demonstration of love.  Amin returned to Uganda and began his reign of terror putting to death thousands of people.
Do we accept people as they are even when they are way different than us?  The homosexuals, lesbians, racists, the arrogant and proud, the beggar, the thief, the cheat, the adulterer, the abuser, the drug addict, the religious person and the list can go on.  The agape love of God includes all of these in His circle of love.  What about us?  Do we go out of our way to accept and befriend them or do whatever we can to avoid dealing with them and spend our time judging them?
Forgiveness according to Jesus was not an option at least if we too want to be forgiven.  Holding grudges, shunning people, mistreating them because of things they have done against us has to go.  Unforgiveness holds us in bondage and serves only to develop bitterness with in us.  We should be quick to forgive if nothing else but to free us from the potential damage it will do to us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  I remember a story told by Paul Olson an evangelist from my home church who related an incident that happened when he preached a message on forgiveness.  At the end of his message he invited people to come forward to receive and extend forgiveness to those who had offended them.  A young girl came forward weeping.  Her face was horribly scarred and burned.  She had come forward to forgive her mother for pouring battery acid on her face when she was a child so she could receive more money when she was begging.  When she uttered the words of forgiveness as hard as that was, she was immediately released from bitterness toward her mom.  She was a different person after forgiving her mom.  There is such power and freedom in forgiveness.
  Witness by our Character
Our character is also part of our witness and is closely tied to our conduct.  Many times our character is revealed when we are alone, when no one is watching.  I was listening to a man who is the head of a huge mission organization speaking about his character flaw being revealed when he was alone.  He struggled with pornography when he was young and he thought he had overcome it.  But one day he was walking in the woods and he saw a porno magazine hanging from a tree.  How strange that it would be there but nonetheless he walked over to it and began to read through it.  Afterward he felt dirty and ashamed for what he had done and it revealed a flaw in his character that needed to be healed.  We all have our little secrets of things we are ashamed to admit we do or think.  We need the Holy Spirit to constantly refine our character to make us more like Jesus.
 In the news last week was the death of Chuck Colson and man who at one time in his life wielded a lot of power with President Nixon but was convicted of obstruction of justice and sentenced to prison.
Christianity Today summed up Colson’s life and legacy thusly:
Before his conversion to Christianity, Colson was described as an aggressive political mastermind who drank heavily, chain smoked, and smeared opponents. He served as special counsel to President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973 before he was indicted on Watergate-related charges, which led to a 7-month prison term. After his conversion experience, he published Born Again, helping popularize the term many evangelicals use to self-identify.
 He found the Lord in prison and his character was radically changed.  His mission in life after he was saved was to minister to those in prison as well as the families of prisoners.  He lived his life for the Lord and was a tremendous example of godly character.  There was also an article in the news last week of the death of a man who was the executive director of Voice of the Martyrs for 30 years.
The Voice of the Martyrs statement concerning the death of Tom White:
The events of the last week are tragic. On Wednesday we learned that Tom White, VOM’s executive director, had died.
Allegations were made to authorities this week that Tom had inappropriate contact with a young girl. Rather than face those allegations, and all of the resulting fallout for his family and this ministry and himself, Tom appears to have chosen to take his own life.
Something happened to his character that enabled him to fall into this sin.  We have to allow God access to our lives to bring about the changes in our character to accurately reflect Christ in us.  Peter summarized well the character that we need to represent  the Lord
  2Pe 1:3-10  His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
We also need to be open with trusted believers to share our struggles and seek help so that we do not become a laughingstock among nonbelievers and hinder them from coming to Christ.  Godly character is a powerful witness.
  Witness by our Communication
Finally we are witnesses through our communication.  Our words have the power to heal or destroy.
Pro_18:21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
What we say and how we say it has a tremendous impact on people.  Our verbal communication of the gospel must be clear, truthful and full of grace.
Eph 4:15  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ
We are not trying to win an argument but win a soul to Christ by presenting Jesus as he really is and explaining what he has done for us because of his great love.  If we intentionally offend people with words of condemnation and judgment we can drive them away from the Lord.  We need the Holy Spirit to help tame our tongue and be sensitive to what he wants to communicate through us.
 One of our teachers in our DTS teaches on Supernatural ministry.  One of the concepts he stresses is that we need to look for the gold in other people.  We need to ask God to show us positive things about the person we are witnessing to and allow the Holy Spirit to communicate to us what God sees in that person.
  We are called to be witnesses and to testify verbally what Christ has done for us and in us.  Our experiences with Christ are powerful.  Often when I am talking with someone I relate to them some of the things Christ has done in my life.  One of my friends is an evangelist and conducts huge crusades in India and Haiti.  He makes it his goal to witness to someone every day.  One of the techniques he uses is to simply ask the person he is talking to:
  "What would you say is the greatest thing that has ever happened to you?" The person will then share something afterward he asks them, “Can I tell you the most important thing that has happened to me in my life?”  If they say yes, he shares about his salvation experience and if they say no, he does not say anything.
  Our witness must include verbal communication.  Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, through the preaching of the gospel message.
Rom 10:14-17  How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
 If you say you cannot share your faith verbally, then you are living in unbelief that God is not able to give you the power to do it.  He gave us the Holy Spirit in order that we will be his witnesses.  To remain silent is to deny the Holy Spirit the opportunity to work through you to touch lives for eternity.  You may have fears about speaking in public but we have the Holy Spirit living in us to be our helper and he will enable you to do it because of his great love for people and desire that they know the Truth.
  It is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction of sin and bring people to repentance and faith in Christ.  Our job is to simply be the witness of what Jesus has done for us and for a lost world.  Be a bold witness for him in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Let your conduct, character, and communication be an effective witness every day of your life.  Make it your goal to take advantage of every opportunity God gives you to be a witness of his love.  Make it your lifestyle not just a special event.