You Shall Be Witnesses to Me

Text: Acts 1
22 January 2017

THE CALL TO BE WITNESSES

1. Given by the Lord Jesus Christ

2. In the New Testament context

THE FIRST WITNESSES

1. They were first Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ

a) They were called
b) They followed the Lord Jesus
c) They left all to follow Him

2. They learned much about the Lord Jesus

a) That He was indeed the Son of God
b) He was the Christ (The Messiah)
c) He was full of glory
d) He was able to forgive sins
e) He was the Lord of the Sabbath
f) He was able to make people children of God
g) He was able to give eternal and abundant life
h) He was crucified and He died for our sins
i) He rose from the dead
j) He would establish a new entity called “The Church”

3. The Disciples stumbled while they learned

a) They did not have a whole lot of faith
b) They were corrected time and again
c) They failed their Master badly and fled when He was arrested

4. The restoration of the Disciples

a) They were all restored (except for Judas Iscariot)
b) They were renewed in their souls
c) They received the Holy Spirit
d) They were wonderfully empowered to bear witness for the Lord

THE BOOK OF ACTS

1. An important Historical Book

a) Recording the work of witnessing of the Apostles and others
b) Recording the growth of the Church

2. An uplifting Book

a) Instructive
b) Inspirational