Witnesses Of God

Q: What does the Bible say about being a witness for Christ?

The Bible emphasizes believers as witnesses, empowered by the Holy Spirit to testify about Jesus (Acts 1:8). In Acts 1:8, Jesus instructs His followers that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them, enabling them to be His witnesses. This mission is rooted in the belief that believers are called to bear testimony to the truth of who Christ is and what He has done. The role of a witness is not merely about sharing information; it is about revealing the transformative impact of knowing Jesus personally. In today's world, it can be challenging to stand as a witness due to societal pressures, but maintaining our testimony about Christ is essential to our faith journey.

Q: How do we know the doctrine of salvation is true?

The doctrine of salvation is affirmed in Scripture, indicating it is a sovereign work of God, not based on human effort (Ephesians 2:8-9). The certainty of the doctrine of salvation lies in the realization that it is grounded in God's sovereign grace, as seen in Ephesians 2:8-9, which states that we are saved by grace through faith, and this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God. This highlights that salvation is entirely a work of God, not based on human merit or effort. The transformative nature of salvation is evidenced in the lives of believers, who, once spiritually dead, are made alive in Christ. This truth gives believers assurance of their salvation, as it rests solely upon God's unchanging character and promises.

Q: Why is Christ's atonement important for Christians?

Christ's atonement is central to salvation, providing the perfect sacrifice that satisfies God's justice and grants believers forgiveness (Romans 5:8). The importance of Christ's atonement originates from the necessity of reconciliation between God and humanity. Romans 5:8 succinctly encapsulates this by stating that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, demonstrating His immense love and commitment to redeem His people. The atonement fulfills the requirements of justice, as God could not overlook sin. Christ's substitutionary death pays the penalty for sin, allowing God to remain just while justifying those who have faith in Jesus. This foundational truth invigorates the Christian faith by offering hope and assurance of eternal life, knowing that the debt of sin has been fully paid.

Thank you, brother. It's an honor. a great honor and privilege to be here tonight. And I want to just say thank you for having my wife and I here. We've been treated like royalty, which is what brothers and sisters in Christ do for each other. You come to rescue, we'll treat you the same, take good care of you. I want to say Welcome to some brethren from San Diego tonight. They're not here in the building with you, but in a couple of hours, it'll be their time together in worship there in San Diego. And they faithfully tune in to this church and your pastor, because they have none of their own. I was so blessed to hear the brother in the men's meeting mention them. They need our prayers just as all of us do. We all need the prayers of our brethren, don't we? We're all coming up short at times in our faith, don't we not?

I'd like to ask you tonight if you would turn to the Book of Acts. Our text will be in John chapter one, so if you wanna turn to both of those sections of scripture, mark John chapter one, we'll be back to that in a few minutes. And while you're turning to the first chapter of Acts, allow me to tell you a little bit about me. I, I think of this verse quite often that Paul tells the Corinthians in chapter 13, verse 5.

He says, examine yourself whether you be in the faith. Do you folks ever do that? Do you ever wonder sometimes, am I in the faith? Am I truly a child of God? I don't know about you folks, but I get up in the morning sometimes and look in the mirror I can't believe that the Lord would love somebody like me.

I can't wrap my mind around the fact that God, the creator of everything that is, would send his son to become flesh for this. I think of this verse often when my faith is so weak that I want to walk away. I want to walk away from the ministry that I'm so insufficient at bringing. I'm like those men on the ship when the waves start crashing against my little boat.

I run to the Lord and I say, do you care about me? Why are you sleeping? I haven't heard your voice in a while. Do you care? Aren't you thankful that our Lord gives us examples like that in his word? Examples that we can relate to, that we can grasp ahold of and say, yeah, that's me. I'm that one that would write the words, I don't do the things that I should and I do the things that I shouldn't. In fact, even the good things that I do, I see evil in it. I see the pride of flesh rise up in this man. And I think to myself, Are you, John, are you in the faith? Are you truly a child of God and act like that? Yeah, I'm a truck driver by career. That was what I did most of my life, 43 years anyway. And I'll tell you something, nothing can get this man more teed up than you cut him off on a freeway. And it's even worse in my car. Oh, wretched man that I am.

I understand why Paul would write those words. What about times when you're like Peter? And even though the Lord tells us the things in his words, I know the Lord's word, I study it, I read the Bible, I know what his word is, but even though he tells me these things, I find myself at times denying him. I find myself more and more like that publican in the temple over in the side. I don't want to be with good folks who worship the Lord. I want to be over in the side hiding because I'm not worthy to be with. Pounding the chest. Crying out to the Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Am I in the faith? Our Lord tells us throughout his word, he says, believe and thou shalt be saved. Doesn't that seem like that's just so simple? If I could just believe, The Lord tells me I shall be saved. In Acts chapter one, verse eight, our Lord tells us a little something about his people, those that are sinners saved by grace. Look with me if you would at verse eight, and we're just gonna look at one phrase, and then I'm gonna ask you to turn over to the first chapter of John. In verse eight we read, but ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And I know the Lord is speaking here directly to his disciples, but he's speaking to everyone. This is a love letter to every child for whom he died on that cross. This is to all of us.

The day will come that the Holy Ghost has come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Now I know those men that were the disciples, they couldn't cover every inch of the earth. So the Lord has to be talking to his people all over the world, doesn't he? All over the world.

Witnesses unto me, he says. Now, if I'm in the faith, if I'm examining myself, am I in the faith, and I'm struggling with those things that rise up against me, like some of you may have, am I a witness unto the Lord? Do I bear record? Do I testify in the Spirit and in the truth? It's important. Our Lord tells us a very clear instruction. We must worship him in spirit, in my spirit. This is where I worship my Lord, is in my spirit. And I worship him in truth. Here in the Lord's house, I find it pretty easy to do this. Not too much trouble at all to stand before you and witness to you to who the Lord is.

Some of you may have the same problem, I don't know, but out in the world, it gets a little tougher. I struggle with the public at times. I reminded my wife recently that I'd rather just not tell people that I'm a pastor because as soon as they find out I'm a pastor, it doesn't matter what kind of a pastor I am. It's all about what they have done for the Lord. And that kind of gets me riled up too. So I try not to get in too big of discussions about it out in the public. It can be difficult. I struggle with my family. I have family that hates, absolutely hates our gospel and worship in all kinds of other ways that men can come up with in their own imagination.

You folks probably don't have any of those kind of problems, do you? You got it all made, your family's all good with you and all that. No, I know, I know you do. I know we all do. The Lord tells us we're going to, doesn't he? Maybe not as much, maybe I don't have as much trouble today as I did 26 years ago, but it's still there. It's still there.

Am I a witness unto the true and living God? In Matthew 16, when our Lord asked his disciples, who do you say that I am? Peter's answer was simply thou art the Christ, the deliverer. our substitute. You are the Christ, the one who will deliver me from this body of death that Paul was talking about when he said, oh, wretched man that I am. He said, I thank God for the Lord Jesus Christ after that. Peter was simply saying that.

You're the deliverer. You're my substitute, you're the one who knows no sin, the perfect one of God. He's saying that you're the one who loves his people to the uttermost, so much so that you would give yourself as a substitute for their sins. He's saying, and he gave himself for them. In Philippians, let me just turn over there real quick and read this for you. You don't need to turn there. I'd like you to stay in John if you would. Over in Philippians chapter two, verses five through eight, we read these words.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in the fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

This is what Peter's saying. Thou art the Messiah. You are the Son of God, he says, is what he followed up with that. He says he followed up with the Son of the living God. So not only did he call him his deliverer and his Messiah, but he called him for who he was, God in the flesh.

What an amazing, you know, there's some mysteries of God that we just can't wrap our minds around. He who knew no sin was made sin. What an astounding statement to say that God, The very perfect righteous God was made sin. If I tried to put my mind around that, it would pop and there'd be gray goop everywhere. Or God becoming flesh. Why would God become flesh?

Because he loves the people, that's why. So much so that he would not let them run out into the freeway and play. I remember listening to our brother Don Fortner talking about his young daughter, Faith. He said, you know, you all know my driveway. You think I'm going to let her run down there and play in that road down there at the bottom of the driveway? No, I'm going to run as fast as I can to get her. She's my daughter. I love her with all my life.

Well, that's what Christ did for us. He's not gonna let his people go to hell, even though they deserve it. He took our hell for us, paid the price in full, washed us with his own blood. Oh, that's the love of God. That's what Peter is saying. Thou art the Messiah, the son of the living God. The Lord declared Peter blessed.

He confessed who God was. He confessed who that man who was standing before him when he asked him, who do you say that I am? Now consider me with me if you would, one who was used of God, whom in Matthew 11, the Lord declares to be none greater than him. There were none greater, born of a woman, than this one called John the Baptist. Are you in John chapter one with me? Read what the Lord inspired John to write here about John the Baptist starting in verse six. There was a man sent from God whose name was John.

The same came for a witness. to bear witness of the light. Now remember what we read back in Acts, you shall be witnesses of me, he says to his people. And here's one who is doing exactly that. This same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light.

Now I want you to read along with me here as we find out what it is that John was witnessing, and ask yourself when you think of those verses, examine yourself. Am I in the faith? What is my witness before men in this world? What is the witness? Do I witness about a God who is trying?

A God who is wanting? We have a little sign above the walkway that goes from the Fellowship Hall to the Worship Hall next door that says this. It says, if your God is trying, then your pastor is lying. And then we invite him to come in and hear the truth. What are you a witness to in this world? What kind of a witness? Who is it that you witness of as we walk through this valley of the shadow of death in this world? Look at what John witnesses here in verse one. He begins exactly where it all begins, and that is with God. In the beginning was the Word.

And the word was with God, and the word was God. Folks, this Bible is all about the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the word. Every word that God has inspired his men to write and put into this book is from him. Yes, wicked men, sinners, Sinners who were saved by grace wrote it and penned it, but it was God, the Holy Spirit, that inspired them to write it. This is the word that he's talking about here.

In the beginning was the word. It was the word about Christ all the way from the beginning. The same was in the beginning with God. Our Lord Jesus, as I read to you in Philippians, he was equal with God the Father, equal with God the Spirit, and they are one God, three distinct persons.

This is another one of those mysteries. Can you explain that to me, John? No, but God's word says so. Three distinct persons, yet one God. The same was in the beginning with God, and all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. You see the relationship, the relevance there to what Peter said? Why, thou art the Christ. That's who you are. Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God, creator of all that is, everything that was made was made by him. Let me read for you from Colossians chapter one, verses 16 and 17.

For by him, and this is speaking of Christ, For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, dominions, principalities, or powers, all things were created by him and for him.

This is the very one that John the Baptist is witnessing of right here. All things were made by him back in John chapter one, verse three, and without him was not anything made that was made. John bear witness of that light. Now look with me, if you would, over at verses 8 through 14 of John chapter 1. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

You know, we sing that song, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see. Like that man that was blind from birth, can we not look back and see the moment the Lord gave us sight through the preaching of his word? I can recall that clearly. I know that I was blind. I know that, like that blind man, I see the color blue now. Try describing the color blue to somebody. You can't do it. To somebody who's never seen it, they just don't understand, well, it's blue. I know now that I see that I was blind as a bat before and couldn't see nothing.

He came to witness of the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He came unto his own, speaking of that light, and his own received him not. Verse 12, but as many of them gave he power, to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

You know another thing that I see? Another thing I began to see as soon as the Lord gave me a new heart, a heart that would love him, just as he does every one of his children, I saw. I saw that I had nothing to do with it. In fact, if he'd have left me to myself, I'd be right there still running, doing what John wanted to do.

We see the truth, and we see it in our spirit, how it took an act of God through the preaching of his word to make me, This sinner, a son of God, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory. The glory is the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Isn't that good stuff? Oh, how I love the gospel. Look at verse 15. John bare witness of him and cried, saying, this was he whom I spake. He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. What are you a witness to in this world?

Have you ever been in a conversation with some religious folks and they start talking about all the wonderful things that they've done for God, and all you want to do is just step in and say, let me tell you about what God's done for me. Let me tell you about this man standing here before you who couldn't do anything, who the only thing that I could do is if God would let me be to run from him. to continue as I was before, shaking my fist, saying, I'll not have that one rule over me. I gladly bend the knee now. I gladly bow to the one who is my God, because he says in his word, you shall be my people, and I shall be your God. That's who I like to witness about. That's who I like to testify about. That's who I like to tell people about when the Lord opens the door for me and I'm not too scared. John bear witness of him and cried saying, this was he whom I spake.

He that cometh after me is preferred before me, and his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace, for the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Who is your God? Where is your heart this day? Is it in a God who is trying, or is salvation of the Lord according to his word? If your God is the sovereign son of the living God, as Peter declared, he's your Messiah, he's your deliverer, then you know and witness of him, because there's none other to witness of.

I remember when I was sitting in the pew. I can't remember if it was the first or second or third, but somewhere close to that. And I was hearing a man standing in the pulpit talking about a God who deserve to be called God. See, I grew up in religion. Both my real father and my stepfather were preachers. I have no idea what they preached about, because I was always sleeping in the back pew. But the day came when I heard the truth.

And I said, that's a God who deserves to be called God. This is something I need to sit up and listen to. My sister-in-law who was sitting next to me, she poked me with her elbow and she goes, look, look at you. And I said, what? Pastor Dean's talking. What? You're sitting on the edge of your chair. She was right.

I'm sitting on the edge of my chair listening to the one who is called God for the first time. The one who I would go on and begin to witness about from that moment on. With a new heart that loves him because he first loved me. Loves him because he walked perfectly for me. Loves him because he laid down his life for me. How can you not love somebody who is so righteous that would do that for you? The love of God.

I was dead. I was blind. I was lost. But by grace, I was saved. Through faith, through believing what the Lord was inspiring that man to read and to testify of, I was regenerated. not of works, and I know that if it was, I would do nothing but boast.

The Spirit of God, witness to my spirit, a new spirit, a living spirit, the Spirit of God dwelling in me, the hope of glory, Christ in me, the hope of glory, and I proclaim him as my God. You see, coming here tonight, I've come here as a witness. a witness to you of who God is.

His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. God prepared a body, as it says in Hebrews 9, for his Son, who is eternal. He's always been the son of God, he just didn't have a body. He prepared a body for him to dwell in, to be born in of a virgin, to grow up for 33 years into a full grown adult, walking perfectly, satisfying every single jot and tittle of our Lord's law in that flesh, because we can't.

Oh, our Lord says over in Ezekiel, let me turn over there and read this for you quickly. In Ezekiel 36, 24, this is what God does for his people. In verse 24, he says, for I will take you from among the heathen. That's what he does through the preaching of his word. He comes in and takes us out of that world that we once walked in, and he gathers us out of all the countries. And he says, I will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your filthiness.

I don't know about you folks, but that's one of the struggles I have getting up in the morning looking in the mirror. There is no cleanness in this flesh. There is a man who is wants me to spend more time talking about the good works of the flesh. I don't spend enough time speaking about what we do in the flesh under the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Instead, I spend all my time talking about the one who did it perfectly. You see, if you're in Christ, He says in Hebrews chapter one, by the very one who is the exact one, you know, I'm not gonna, my memory, I'll tell you. Let me turn over there real quick and just read it. So I get the words right. Why do I keep missing the page? There it is.

Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by his word, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high. Over in chapter nine of Hebrews, it goes even a little deeper than that. It says, for by one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

Folks, we're perfect. Not in this flesh. You're gonna get up every day and look in the mirror and you're gonna see this flesh and you're gonna see the waves that come up and crash against us. Oh, how I could encourage you if I could just encourage myself enough to stop looking in the mirror and look at the one who's accomplished it for us by one offering.

That's all it takes, God, one time. once is enough for him. Back in Ezekiel 36 going on, a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments and do them."

When have I ever done that? When have I ever walked in his statutes? When have I ever kept his judgments in my Savior, in my Deliverer, in my Messiah, the Christ? the Lord Jesus Christ. That's when he is my substitute. That's what I am a witness of. There's nothing in this flesh worthy of God's love, but every ounce that I need is in my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who knew no sin, but was made sin. He was made my sin that I would be made the righteousness of God in him.

What is my testimony? Well, let me see if I can wrap this up in just a couple of minutes here. Back in our text in John chapter one, if you would, look at what we read for our Bible reading tonight. Only we'll begin at verse 29. What is my testimony? What am I a witness in? Am I in the faith? Well, I'm gonna tell you something.

If your witness is of the one true God, then you're in the faith. Not the flesh, but the faithful one who sits on his throne today. You're in his faith. When we sing that song, great is thy faithfulness, whose faithfulness is it singing about? Not about mine, it's about his. It's about the one who is the Christ.

Now look here at verse 29. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, behold. There you go. Am I a witness of the true and living God? Behold, there's God in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ. The one who has the holes in his hands to prove that he paid the price for all of his people. The one whose feet bled from the nails for our sake.

The very one who This is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me, for I knew him not, but that he should be manifest among Israel. Therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bear record, saying, I saw the spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode on him. I knew him not. But he that sent me baptized with water, the same said unto me, upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him the same as he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost.

And I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God. My testimony, my witness, is that God came in the flesh. perfect and righteous in every way. Everything he did satisfied and pleased God the Father. This is my son in whom I am well pleased. My testimony, my witness is this, that God fulfilled all righteousness in this one, the Lord Jesus, my substitute. My testimony, my witness is that God shed his own blood for my sake. Where my blood was worthless and deserving of nothing but God's wrath, this one, the Lord Jesus, took God's wrath, the very wrath that was determined for me upon himself. My witness is this.

He saw the travail. of his soul and was satisfied. And because of his perfection, God the Father would not leave him in the grave. Because of what he did for us, we witness that he sits on his throne today making intercession for Don't you need that? Again, I'm going to get up tomorrow morning and look in that mirror and say, I need it right now. I need intercession to get me through today. If God removes his loving, gracious hand, which he cannot do, but if he could, I'd be right back in that same boat I was 26 years ago. Can I read some words from a hymn for you? I heard an old, old story.

How a savior came from glory. How he gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me. I heard about his groaning about his precious blood's atoning. And then I repented of my sins and won the victory. I heard about his healing, of his cleansing power revealing, how he made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see. And then I cried, dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit. And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.

I heard about a mansion he has built for me in glory. And I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea. About the angels singing and the old redemption story. And some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of victory. Oh, victory in Jesus, my savior forever.

He sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood. He loved me ere I knew him, and all my love is due him. He plunged me to victory beneath a cleansing flood. Am I Am I in the faith? According to God's word, I am. He says, you will be my people, and I will be your God. He's my God. He's the only God. He's the perfect God. And he loves me so much he sent his son for my sake and yours. Amen. brother.

Witnesses Of God

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about being a witness for Christ?

How do we know the doctrine of salvation is true?

Why is Christ's atonement important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

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Witnesses Of God

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about being a witness for Christ?

How do we know the doctrine of salvation is true?

Why is Christ's atonement important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

Comments

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