I've entitled the message for
tonight, Witnesses of These Things. When the Lord appeared to his
disciples after the resurrection, shortly before his ascension,
he said in verse 48, and you are witnesses of these things. Now, what is a witness? It's very simple. A witness is
somebody who's seen something. They've seen it firsthand. The
information they have is not secondhand. They're not simply
giving back something that somebody else told them. If a witness
comes up before the jury and they say, did you see this? No,
but somebody told me, sit down. You're not a witness. Now, the
question I want to ask myself and ask you is what have I actually
borne witness to? Not simply what have I been taught. as important as that is, but
what have I personally borne witness to? He said you're witnesses
of these things, and every believer is a witness of these things. What have I personally borne
witness to? Now, under what is called Christianity,
and I Gotta be honest with you, I despise that word, Christianity. It isn't in the Bible, and it
makes this one of the world's great religions. You know, there's
Christianity, there's Judaism, there's Islam, there's Hindu. That's why I hate that word,
Christianity. Don't like it. But under what
is called Christianity, People are trained on how to witness. There are classes. I remember
when I was a young man, this thing called evangelism explosion. And it's this way of witnessing
to people and trying to seek to spread the gospel and win
more people to Christ. Now, if you have to be trained
to be a witness, that is dishonest on the very surface, isn't it? If you've seen something, you
are a witness. You don't have to be trained
on how to present this. If you've seen something, you
are a witness. Every believer is a witness of
these things. They can bear personal testimony. I think of when Ananias came
to Paul. He's giving his recount of when
the Lord saved him. And Ananias put his hand on him
and said, brother Saul. That's amazing, isn't it? He'd
been a murderer. Everybody was scared to death
of him. But when God saves him, Ananias comes up to him and he
puts his hand on his shoulder. And he says, brother Saul, receive
thy sight. And then he said, the God of
our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldst know his will,
see that just one, and hear the voice of his mouth, for thou
shalt be his witness unto all men of what you've seen and what
you've heard. Now I think of that threefold
statement Ananias made to Paul. God of our fathers hath chosen
thee that thou mightest know his will. Now if you're a believer,
you know his will. Now I'm not talking about you
know his will for your life. I know it's his will for me to
go here tomorrow or I know it's his will for me to marry this
person or to No, no. I saw what that's talking about.
People that talk about, I just want to know God's will for my
life. I like what one fellow said, you're up to your eyeballs
in it. He's in control of everything. And this is not about trying
to figure out what you're going to do tomorrow. I know his will
in this sense. The Lord said, this is the will
of him that sent me. that of all which he hath given
me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last
day. I know it's the will of God,
it's the will of Christ for all of the elect to be saved. Now I know that. I've been taught
that. I believe that with all my heart.
I believe Jesus Christ is a successful Savior. And everybody that God
gave to Him, He's gonna save. Do you know that? You know it.
It's something you can bear witness to. It's what God has taught
you. You see, you've been taught that you're nothing but a sinner.
And the only way that you can be saved is if He chooses you
to be saved. And if He dies for your sins.
You know that. This isn't just something you've
been indoctrinated in. If you really believe it, you
know it. You know this is your only hope. And that you should
see, the second thing he says, that you should see that just
one. And do you know, I understand what that means. I understand,
and I can bear witness to this. This is what God has taught me.
I understand how God can be just. absolutely just and righteous
and yet justify somebody like me who all I am is sin. Do you
understand that? Can you bear witness to Christ
Jesus being everything in your justification? You've seen that
just one. There's just one, just one. And
you've seen how He can be just and justify somebody who's sinful
and ungodly as you. And I've heard the voice of his
mouth. Now, I've never heard him speak
audibly, but I've heard him speak louder than that. In 1 Thessalonians
2, verse 13, we read, For this cause also thank we God without
ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard
of us, you received it not as the word of men, but as it is
in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh in you that
believe. Now, when you received the word
of God, you didn't receive it as the preacher's opinion. you
receive it as what it is, the Word of God. Not a denomination
or distinctive, not some doctrine, but the very Word of God. And then, Anna and I said to
Paul, thou shalt be his witness to all men of what you've seen
and what you've heard. Now, a witness. A witness is
not an inventor of the gospel. The gospel did not originate
with the witness. I love what Paul said in Galatians
1, I certify you, brethren, that the word which was preached to
me is not after man. It's not derived from any human
source at all. I certify you, brethren. that
the gospel which was preached to me is not after man, for I
neither received it by man, nor was I taught it, but by the revelation
of Jesus Christ. If I'm bearing witness, if I'm
a witness bearer, I'm not an inventor of the gospel. It didn't
originate with me. And a witness is not a revealer
of the gospel. Now where do you get in trouble
when we try to make the gospel understandable? Well, don't you
want to be simple? Sure, I want to be simple. The
gospel is simple. But if I try to make it understandable, all
I'm going to do is mess it up. My job is to proclaim the gospel,
not to explain it. To proclaim it and trust God
the Holy Spirit to make it understandable. That's what he does. He's the
one who teaches. And my only responsibility in
being his witness is to proclaim what he says in his word. I'm
not a revealer of the gospel or an explainer of the gospel. I'm simply to trust God to take
what he's taught me from the scriptures and proclaim it. Not
explain it away, not make it understandable, because that's
when you start using wisdom of words. And when you start using
wisdom of words, the power of the cross is taken away. I'm
not an explainer of the gospel. And a witness is not a persuader.
Now listen real carefully. while there is a sense in which
we persuade men to believe. I want to persuade you to believe.
I do. I want you to believe. Every
time we have vacation Bible school, I always begin by telling the
young people, I want to persuade you to believe the gospel. So
I'm not saying I'm indifferent about someone's response to the
gospel. I want you to believe. That being said, A witness is
not trying to influence. He's telling what he's seeing.
He's not trying to influence. He's not trying to manipulate
emotions and try to excite certain feelings. He's simply telling
what he's seen and what he's heard. Thou shalt be my witness
to all men of what you've seen and what you've heard. I love
what the Lord said to that man after he cast out those demons.
And they went into 2,000 pigs and went in and dived into the
sea. He said after that, that man
who'd been cutting himself with stones, who'd been naked, and
they tried to tame him, and they never could tame him, and he
was always so miserable, and the Lord saved him. And he was
sitting at the Lord's feet, clothed in his right mind. I'm going
to preach on that pretty soon. You're probably going to hear a message
on that. I've been thinking about that passage of scripture. But you know what
the Lord said to him? That when the Lord was getting ready to
leave, he wanted to go with him. And the Lord wouldn't let him.
He said, you go home and tell your friends what great things
God has done for thee. That's what a witness has got
to say. Now, most so-called witnesses, and I hate being so skeptical,
but I am skeptical. Most so-called witnesses are
not talking about the great things God has done. They're talking
about the great things they are through whatever religious things
they've done. That's not a witness. The witness
is to tell the great things God has done. Now, in order to be
a witness, you have to have a personal encounter with Christ himself. And let me repeat that. And I
want this to say again, In order for me or you to be a witness,
we have to have a personal encounter with Christ himself. Look in verse 36 of this passage
of scripture. And as they thus spake, and they
were hearing at this time, the two
from on the road to Emmaus coming and telling them that the Lord
was risen indeed. And we know from Mark's account,
when they told him that, they didn't believe. They didn't believe. They were in a state of unbelief
at this time. And while they thus spake in
their unbelief, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them. And saith unto them, Peace be
unto you. Now, how can I know I want to
be so plain and simple here. How can I know if I have had
a personal encounter with Christ? How can I know that I know him? How can I know that I have seen
him? And my experience of Christ is
not merely secondhand, albeit accurate, but secondhand information.
How can I know if I personally have had a personal encounter
with Christ? You want to know that, don't
you? You want to know whether you have had a personal encounter
with Christ. Well, here's the first thing
that's necessary. You have to be a sheep. You have to be a sheep. I'm going to read a passage from
Matthew chapter 25 in verse 31. When the son of man shall come
in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he
sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered
all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd
divided his sheep from the goats. And he shall set the sheep on
his right hand and the goats on his left. Now they're sheep
and they're goats. A goat never becomes a sheep. And a sheep never becomes a goat. So in order to have a personal
encounter with him, first of all, you're going to have to
be one of his sheep. What's a sheep? A sheep is somebody
the shepherd knows. That's what a sheep is. Now sheep
are dumb. They're easily led astray. They're
defenseless. They're dirty. I think it's interesting
that the Lord uses sheep to describe God's people. Oh, how easily
they go astray. How they need the shepherd. But a sheep is someone the shepherd
knows. Turn with me to John chapter
10 for a moment. Verse 24. Then came the Jews
round about him and said unto him, how long dost thou make
us doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered
them, I told you, and you believe not. The works that I do in my
Father's name, they bear witness of me. Now remember, he did what
nobody else did. He performed the works of God. And there was no excuse for their
unbelief. Their unbelief was a choice.
Now, I want us to remember that anytime somebody doesn't believe,
it's because they choose not to believe, as we saw this morning. That's a choice. Simplest illustration
I can think of, I'd have to choose to believe 2 plus 2 equals 3.
I'd have to choose to believe that. I'd have to choose to believe
2 plus 2 equals 5. There'd be a choice involved
in that, because 2 and 2 is 4. And I believe it for because
I don't have a choice. That's what it is. That's the
way you believe. You believe something because it's the truth,
not because you choose to believe it. You believe it because it's
the truth. Now, the Lord said to these people, I told you and
you believe not. The works that I do in my father's
name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not because you
are not of my sheep. As I said, now, how plain can
words be? He doesn't say you're not my
sheep because you don't believe. He said you believe not because
you're not one of my sheep. As I said to you, my sheep hear
my voice and I know them. He knows his sheep. He doesn't know the goats. He'll
say to the goats, depart from me ye that work iniquity, I never
knew you. But he knows his sheep and his
sheep know him. Look in verse 14. I am the good
shepherd and know my sheep and am known of mine. Now, you've had an encounter
with Christ when he has made himself known to you so that
you know him. Now, what do I mean by that? When you hear Christ described,
it's not like the one you know, you know. That's how you know you know
Him. When you hear Christ described that is not like the one you
know, you know. You know that's not Him. And you know when this is Him. You know He is holy. You know He is utterly Sovereign in control of everybody
and everything. The first cause behind everything.
And when you hear Christ not like that, you know that's not
Him. You see, you know Him. You recognize Him. My sheep hear
my voice. You know He's all-powerful. You
know that His power is such that whatever He wills, He has. There's
no such thing as His will being thwarted. You know He's absolutely
just. You know He's immutable. He can't
change. Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
today, and forever. And if you hear someone that
can change in any way, you know that's not Him. You know Him. You hear His voice. You recognize Him. You know when
it's Him. Colossians 2.9 says, In Him dwelleth
all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete
in Him. You know this one who is the
brightness of God's glory and the express image of His person
and upholds all things by the word of His power. You know Him.
And you know when He's not being preached. Now if you've asked
this Syrophoenician woman, are you on intimate terms with Christ?
You know Him real well. You know what she'd say? No.
No. She'd believe herself to be a
dog. and nothing more. She didn't believe herself to
be on intimate terms with Christ, but she knew who He was. Jesus,
thou Son of David, have mercy on me. When He answered her not
a word, that didn't stop her from continuing to cry because
she knew that the only hope she had was for Him to do something
for her. She understood that. And then
when He said, I'm not sent but to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel, I didn't come to save everybody. You know what she
did? She came and worshipped Him. She knew Him. She knew exactly
who He was. And then when He said it's not
right to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs, she
didn't get up and get angry. She said, that's the truth, Lord.
But I'm your dog and I'm totally dependent on any crumbs that
fall, just like the dogs are dependent on the crumbs that
fall from the master's table. That's me. Now, how did she talk
like that? Because she knew him. That leper
knew him. If you asked him if he knew him
on intimate terms, You know, one hymn I hear people sing that
I hate is that one, I come to the garden alone, but
the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. I think, how arrogant. So you've
had the most joy with him, you know. A believer doesn't feel
that way. We feel we love him, we are in
awe of him, but talking like that, the leper would have never
talked like that. But he said, Lord, If you will,
you can make me clean. Why did he say that? Because
he knew him. He knew the only one who could make him clean
is the Lord. That Roman centurion said, Lord,
speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. How did he say
something like that? He knew the Lord. Now, this thing
of knowing the Lord comes from him making himself known to you. So you know who he is. You recognize
him. The Gadarene Demonic that I've
just been talking about knew him. He said, I know thee who
thou art, the Holy One of God. Have you come to torment us before
the time? He knew him. He recognized him.
That's what it is to know him. And this comes from a revelation
of who he is. If you know who he is, you have
something to bear witness to. You're a sheep. You know Him,
and you know Him because He knows you. Now, to be a witness of
Christ, you're going to have to have some understanding of
the Scriptures. Look back to our text in Luke 24. Verse 44, and he said unto them,
these are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with
you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written
in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning
me. Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures. Now, if you don't
understand the scriptures, you don't have anything to witness. Your
witness is not about your personal testimony. There's another thing.
I hate personal testimonies. You know, when people get it,
I'm going to give my personal testimony, and they have personal testimony
nights and all that kind of stuff. And I want to hear a witness from the
scriptures, don't you? He opened their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures. Remember, the Lord
said, your witnesses are these things, and these things are
an understanding of the scriptures. And look what he said in verse
27 of this chapter. When he was speaking, he said,
Or beginning in verse 25, then said He unto them, O fools and
slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken.
Ought not Christ who suffered these things and to enter into
His glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded
unto them in, what's that next word? All the scriptures. the things concerning himself. Now you understand something
about the scriptures when you understand that Jesus Christ
the Lord is all in the scriptures. This book is not a book about
how to live. The Lord said, you search the
scriptures, in them you think you have eternal life, and they
are they which testify of me. Christ is all in every scripture. And if I don't see it, I still
know that's what it means, even if I don't see it. Christ is
all in every scripture. This book is concerning who he
is, what he did, and where he is now. This book is all concerning
him. Do you believe that? You don't
have anything to witness if you don't. You know, so many people
use the Bible in so many different ways, but you're not bearing
witness to anything if you don't bear witness to this. Christ
is all in the scriptures. He opened their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures. Now, these are the
things that you're witness as if you're a witness. You're a
witness of who he is. You know him. You recognize him.
And you understand that this book is concerning him and his
glory. And if you're a witness, you
have a message. Look what he said in verse 46.
And he said unto them, thus it's written. Aren't you thankful for that
word, thus it's written? What if you were dependent upon me
to know the truth? You'd be in trouble. You'd be
in bad trouble. But the Lord said, thus it is
written, and thus it behooved, or it was necessary for Christ
to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day. You understand
that it was necessary for Christ to suffer. He's the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. You understand it was necessary
for him to suffer because he's guilty. The sins of God's elect
became his sins, and he actually deserved to die under the wrath
of God. You understand that? It's called
substitution. It's called satisfaction. It's the ABCs of the gospel.
You understand that he must be raised from the dead because
he satisfied God and that he did what he came to do. You understand
that? That's what it is to be his witness. You come to some understanding
of that. Hold your finger there and turn
to 1 John chapter 4. Verse 2, verse 1, Beloved, believe
not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they're of God,
because many false prophets are gone out in the world. Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit
that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is not of God. This is that spirit of Antichrist. Now, every believer
can bear witness to this. Because you've had an encounter
with Christ, you know that he was before he came. He's the eternal God. You know
he came in the flesh. This is where all your hope is.
And you know he did what he came to do. It really is that simple. You're bearing witness to that.
This is what, remember you're witnesses of these things. Back
to our text in Luke 24. Verse 47, and that repentance,
this is part of that message that we bring as a witness, that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name
among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. Now, a true witness
has this message. It's about repentance and remission
of sins. Those are the two words the Lord
chose to use. Repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in His name. And this entire religious world
believes that the way my sins are remitted is I need to repent,
I need to be sorry, I need to confess them, I need to turn
from them, and I need to not return to them, and then I need
to believe, and if I do that, if I follow that formula, I'll
be forgiven. That's what's called salvation
by works. That's all it is. There's no
truth in it. And anyone that thinks that their
forgiveness is the result of them fill in the blank, whatever
you want to say, it's a false message. you have a complete
change of mind regarding the remission and forgiveness of
sins. You used to think, if I do this,
if I do that, if I do the other, I'll be forgiven. And you repent
of that kind of thinking, and you know that the remission of
sins comes solely for Christ's sake because of what he did.
And salvation doesn't end in the forgiveness of sins. Salvation
begins with the full, free, complete forgiveness of sins for Christ's
sake. And you repent of anything that's
contrary to that. Now, that's the message. That's
the message. He said, you're witnesses of
these things. And this is what we bear witness to. This is not
talking about, well, I'll tell you when I was saved, I was this
way and I was that way. No, that's not how to bear witness. We're
bear witnesses of these things. Now, what about a testimony? What about a testimony? You know, I was thinking about
that, what is my testimony? And I thought, well, not have
I gotten but what I received. Grace hath bestowed it since
I have believed. Boasting excluded, pride I abase. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. I love that hymn. But he says,
you shall be his witnesses of these things, and these things
are to be preached in his name. Now, when I give a testimony,
it better be in his name. In his name. No other name, but
his name. Now, a true witness, let me say
this, All hail the power of Jesus' name. Let angels prostrate fall. Bring forth the royal diadem
and crown him Lord of all. That's how we preach in his name.
And let me say this also about a true witness. I'm going to
get to this testimony in just a moment. But a true witness
is not ashamed. He's not ashamed of what he's
bearing witness to. Paul said in Romans 1 16, I'm not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto
salvation to everyone that believeth. And you know, I'm proud of the
gospel, I believe. Not proud of myself, I'm ashamed
of myself, but I'm proud of the gospel, I believe. It glorifies
God. It's a gospel worthy of the living
God. Now what we bear witness to when
we bear witness to these things, we don't hold back. Paul said,
I've not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. And
we don't shun to declare all the counsel of God, but we're
proud of what we're bearing witness to. It is worthy of God. Now, what is my personal testimony? Well, it sounds something like
this. This is a faithful saying. And
worthy of all acceptation. that Christ Jesus came into the
world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. And Paul went on to say, howbeit
for this cause I obtain mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ
might show forth all longsuffering as a pattern, as a mold to them
that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting. Now
you know what that means? Every believer has the exact
same testimony. Jackson, Christ Jesus came into
the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief. And that is my testimony. That is my personal witness bearing. Turn with me to Revelation chapter
12. You know, a preacher said during
the conference, I'd never feel guilty. I always feel guilty. about something. I always feel
guilty. Maybe you shouldn't do that.
Well, I do. I do. I always feel guilty about something.
I always have a cloud over my head about something, something
I'm not doing right or... I do. Now, look at verse 10 of
Revelation 12. I heard a loud voice saying in
heaven, now is come salvation and strength and the kingdom
of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our
brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night. Now I want you to think about
that. He's talking about Satan. He makes accusations day and
night. Now why does he spend that much
time doing it? Because he's got so much to work
with. He's got so much to work with. And let me also say this,
any accusation he makes against me is true. He doesn't have to use exaggeration. All he's got
to do is state the facts. And he has got all day and all
night to do it because it would take that long, the accuser. of the brethren, what a name
for Satan. He accuses them before God night and day. Verse 11, and they overcame him
by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.
What was their testimony? They overcame him by the blood
of the Lamb. That's our testimony. That is
our witness. Here's my testimony. What can
wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. For my pardon this I see? Nothing. but the blood of Jesus. For my cleansing, this my plea,
nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing can for sin atone, nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Not of good that I have done,
nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my hope and peace,
nothing but the blood of Jesus. This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is that flow. That makes me white as snow.
No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Now that is my testimony. You are witnesses of these things. And notice how John says, and
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Now this message is worth dying
for, isn't it? This message is worth dying for. Now I know if we were called
upon to recant If God didn't give us grace, we'd chicken out
and wouldn't confess as we should. I realize that. But we believe
in our hearts. This is the message we die for. That Christ is all in our salvation. And you know, you bear witness
by identifying yourself with this message. If you believe what I'm saying,
you're bearing witness to it right now by identifying with
this message. May the Lord enable us to be
witnesses of these things. Now, what I've been talking about isn't just something I've learned. This is something God has taught
me. I've seen. I know who the Lord
is. And I know when I'm hearing that
it's not him. I know. And we bear witness of these
things. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that we might be
enabled by your grace to be witnesses to this world of these things. Lord, we ask that you would come to us and reveal yourself
to us so that we know you, so that we recognize you, so we
would discern when what we're hearing is not you. Lord, we
ask that you would open our understanding that we might understand the
scriptures, that we might bear witness to what your word says.
Lord, we ask that you would enable us to proclaim repentance and
the remission of sins in the name of thy son. We ask that
you would enable us to be witnesses of these things. Lord, Forgive
us of our sins. We can't even come into your
presence without some awareness of our sinfulness. We confess
our sins and we look to you to be faithful and just to forgive
us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
And Lord, we ask that you would allow us, grace us, to be thy
witnesses in this generation. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
Good morning.