Let's go spread the Word!

Notes: Let's go spread the Word!

Men's Study

Valor Study

September 30, 2014

Week 2 of study

Speaker: Pastor Adam Eaton - Jr. High Pastor 

Pastor Adam says people put hope in lots of things.

Many put hope in money, others put it in real estate, many put hope in possessions, cars, toys, gadgets, in relationships.

Hope is put in all kinds of different things. None of these things have ever satisfied our needs or is working.

What hope does this world have? The world would say, the answer to war is peace, to poverty is charity, to hate is lov, to depression is medication.

Yet none of these things are working, they are band aids that have failed.

According to Gods word, Christianity, to follow Jesus Christ is our only hope.

In the book of Acts, Paul shows that Jesus Christ is the hope that we should have.

Acts 1:1-11 (NKJV)

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, 3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me[a] in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

 

Theophilus was the person Luke wrote too.

The Bible presents to us a hope in a person, that person is Jesus Christ.

The person is Jesus Christ and his teaching is what we can follow.

1. Hope in the person.

2. Hope in the resurrection.

3. Hope in the world.

1 Corinthians 15:14-15 KJV

[14] And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. [15] Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

If Jesus Christ did not rise then we would be a joke and should be mocked.

It's Jesus Christ's resurrection did not happen then we have no hope.

How can we know that the resurrection is true?

1. Every apostle of Jesus Christ died the death of a martyr. If it was a lie, would they all be ready to die?

1 Corinthians 15:5-7 KJV

[5] And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: [6] After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. [7] After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

There was over 500 witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Then Jesus Christ taught them and remained on earth for 40 days after he resurrected.

Acts 1:8 KJV

[8] But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Jesus Christ's final words on this earth was giving us all hope.

The believer has the Holy Spirit as soon as he gives his life to Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 1:13 KJV

[13] In whom ye also trusted , after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

John 16:7 NKJV

[7] Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

The Holy Spirit came as Jesus Christ left. The Holy Spirit is your Helper.

Acts 1:6-7 NKJV

[6] Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" [7] And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.

The disciples at this point still had a misunderstanding of what Jesus Christ was there to do.

Until the kingdom is realized, we have a job to do.

The whole purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to fulfill the great commission.

John 20:21 NKJV

[21] So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

We are sent to be witnesses, make disciples and convert.

The Holy Spirit is to give you power to be a witness to God. We receive power to accomplish God's work.

Acts is split up in the 4 locations Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

All the places we are to witness for God.

Jerusalem to you? That is saying to be a witness in your home. Are you being a witness to your wife and children.

Deuteronomy 6:7 NKJV

[7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

Your home is your Jerusalem, so is work. It is the place you are at.

We are all missionaries if we like it or not. It is our job to spread Gods kingdom. Who do you work with that you need to share with?

Judea and Samaria, is equivalent to our state and our country.

Harvest America is reaching out in that area, are you a part of that?

The ends of the earth? There are over 7,000 groups of people that have no access to the Word of God. No churches, no Bibles and no access. 

We need to reach them too!

Acts 1:9-11 NKJV

[9] Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. [10] And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, [11] who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

Matthew 24:14 NKJV

[14] And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Let's go spread the Word!