Sermon Tone Analysis

Are We Witnesses Today?

Witness, witnessing is a common word in Christiandome isn’t it?

But are we witnesses?

And if so, what are we witnesses of?

Tonight as we continue our series “witness to the world” we are looking a pivotal verse that it’s meaning has importance to us, 2000 years later.

Act1:8 a linchpin between ministry of Jesus and the ministry of the apostles

Jesus just before His ascension gives these words and they are important for from the finished work of Christ is the beginning work of the Apostles and they were going to need help to carry out the commission given (Mt28:20)

Act1:8 Has promise, has instruction and has direction.

Let me put the verse back up there again and lets see the promise, instruction and direction.

What is the promise?

what is the instruction?

What is the location, direction?

The view of many, in fact it is the common view when it comes to “be My witnesses” that we are to be witnessing people in an effort to win the lost.

Witness is a church word for evangelism.

But, we are simply Christians studying God’s Word together so we need to see, is that a true statement?

Can we be “My witnesses” like the apostles were?

Can we witness like the apostles did and carry out the charge in the same manner they did?

Witness (n) 1. a person who sees an event . . . 2. Evidence, proof (Merriam - Webster)

μάρτυρας

That is the Greek word for witness; and in English we get our word “martyr” from it.

It is defined as martyr, witness, deponent, attester.

Over the centuries there have been many martyr for Christ, Stephen being the first noted in the Bible.

He was one who was willing to lay down his life for Christ as Christ exampled being willing to lay down His life for us.

A witness must be willing to suffer at any cost for their witness.

So as we look at this verse and the context in which it is used, let’s see if can answer the question.

And if you forgot the question, here it is again.

Can we be witnesses today today like the Apostles?

Witnessing for Christ today

Maybe we better take a few minutes and look at the common practice and justification of the type of witnessing done today and is it truly witnessing?

And if so, witness of what?

Common Practice

Sharing your conversion story

This is sharing your faith, or coming to faith story, journey, your conversion and your walk of faith today.

The aim of this is to be a soul winner for Jesus, that by your story others may come to faith.

Physically showing a changed life, your life before Christ and after

this is sharing convincing evidence of a changed life as evidenced by your witness, your changed life

You, encouraging others to share their story with others

This is encouraging others to share their testimony, and witness of how they were before Christ, what brought them to Christ, and the changes that have taken place since receiving Christ.

The common thread here is “you” it is not Jesus, it is your story, your thoughts, changes in you, not Jesus and what the scripture says.

For we know it says in Rom10:17 “Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God.” not by James words or anyone else.

So, this kind of witness is not a true witness is it?

Let me take a couple of minutes and talk about

Justification for this kind of witnessing

We have our verse today, and look at the plurality listed so it maybe an easy jump.

Look at the word witnesses, it is plural, so many take it to mean all Christians are to be witnesses.

so now, really it raises more questions.

Does witnesses mean all Christians or just a few?

Be witnesses, be witness of what?

Own conversion story or something else?

Witnessing in the New Testament

Who were the witnesses “for” Christ What is witnessing in the New Testament look like (Act1:1-11)

Now, as a word church, we want to look at the context so we can see the meaning as the writer Luke meant it.

So look as Act1:1-11 and pay attention to the pronouns used.

(when reading this passage, emphasis each of the pronouns used)

Keeping to the scripture and “witnesses” is the topic, what do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

I’m fairly confident now after looking in context who the witnesses (plural) are, if any doubt let me put the proof up, just in one verse

Witnesses named (Act1:2)

Let me press on and qualify it even more.

The apostles were from Galilee, other disciples are named from many other regions (Act2:9-11)

Apostles had qualifications that had to be met (Act1:21-22) disciples did not

What were the qualifications listed here?

What did they have to be a witness of?

One who had been with the apostles from the beginning starting at the baptism and present until the ascension; they were to become witnesses.

They were witnesses, not just of everything, but something, something specific as we just noted, the resurrection.

More about the witnesses (Act2:32; 3:15)

and add to that one

They were witnesses of His life too (Act10:38-42)

Ah, turn in your bibles there if you would please

who were the witnesses here?

what were they witness of?

What was the instructions given (v.42)?

Remember the promise and the charge in Act1:8 here in Act10 now you see the fulfillment of the charge, under the power of the Holy Spirit that is they were fulfilling the charge.

Now, you may have another question, if had to be there from the beginning, what about Paul?

He would not qualify, would he?

Paul was a special witness (Act22:14-15)

What was Paul’s charge?

Notice that in all the scriptures referenced the word “witness” was not just sed to tell about Christ, and their own experience, but witness of the resurrection of Christ.

There is a difference, distinction between the witnesses then and the witness today.

The distinction of witness

Differences, distinction between the witness of the day of Christ and the witness today about Christ.

Modern day witness provide testimony of own conversion

These are personal stories and are based on feelings that cannot be substantiated with facts.

Conversion stories can be used as a selling tool to sell people on Christ or on your belief in Christ

Modern day witness can be fabricated or exaggerated and not substantiated or proven.

Apostolic witnesses were witnesses of the resurrection

They witness of the facts and evidence (1Jn1:1-2)

OK detectives, what do you in facts here?

If it were not true, it would have been refuted (1Cor15:5-6)

Think about it, if 500 people claim to see Him, and most were still alive when this letter was written, if it were not true it would have been refuted and the whole cause of Christianity would have been debunked and died then.

The witness proved by the number of people (500) and the willingness to suffer (remember the word Martyr) for the cause, they would not be willing to suffer for a lie.

The former (witness today) is subjective and the latter (apostolic witness) provided objective biblical proof.

Distinction between purpose of witness

Modern witness - things can change

Think about a modern witness who falls from grace, they go back into the world and even deny the Christ, their witness changes doesn’t it.

So the conversion story is weakened or looses all credibility and was not real in the first place.

- - - pretty harsh huh?

Apostolic witness - we hold recorded evidenced history

We hold the recorded evidence, the bible in our hand, but there is much more to prove, there are over 5000 MSS copies, more than any other history recorded to prove the bible.

If what the apostles witnessed as well as the 500 others were not true it would have been objected to, and it would have been subjective and not objective, and their witness was objective, they witnessed the resurrection as it lays out in the scripture

Apostolic witness is backed by lifestyle in Christ and cannot be changed

The Apostolic witness is backed by their Christ like lifestyle in which the were willing to suffer and die, shed blood for.