5th Feb, 2012
Written By Rev Law Hui Seng
Posted By Teresa Han
Acts 14:1-7
Main idea: Speak boldly for the Lord
Objective: To teach the congregation to depend on the Holy Spirit to speak boldly for Jesus.
A. Introduction
- Total population of Sabah, according to 2010 Malaysia Census, 3.2 million.
- Bumiputera (indigenous people) and citizens – 2.3 million; foreigners – 0.9 million
- Religions: Islam – 2.1 million; Christianity – 0.85 million; Buddhism – 0.2 million
- Let us see the breakdown: Malays – Islam – 0.18 millions
- Kadazans/ Dusuns, 0.57 million: Christians – 0.43 millions; Islam – 013 million
- Bajaus, 0.45 million: Islam – 0.43; Christianity – 0.02.
- Muruts, 0.1 million: Islam – 0.02 million; Christianity – 0.08 million
- Chinese, 0.3 million: Islam – 0.01 million; Christianity – 0.1 million; Buddhism – 0.2 million.
- Other bumiputera, 0.66 million: Islam - 0.53 million; Christianity – 0.12 million
- Foreigners, 0.9 million: Islam – 0.75 million; Christianity – 0.12 million
- I want to give you an overall picture of the Sabah population in terms of her religious beliefs, so that you know the target groups you need to reach out and speak boldly for Jesus in an Islamic environment like this. You also find that about 60% of Chinese have not come to be saved yet. So, your decision to start the Mandarin service is a very good move.
B. Speaking boldly for the Lord
- One way to help people or to draw people to the Lord or to the mandarin service, is to speak boldly for Jesus. If people do not know Jesus can save them from their sins and hell, how can they believe, repent and live a holy life. An information on the salvation in Christ and Christ alone must naturally come from disciples of Jesus like you and me.
- This was very much in the mind and practice of apostles of Paul and Barnabas in chapter 14 of Acts today. Take note, they were still continuing their first missionary journey, and persevere, continuing the preaching of gospel despite opposition and persecution at the end of last chapter, in Pisidian Antioch.
- This is a great mission point for me to learn as a disciple of Jesus, I learn from apostle Paul, when people reject the good news of Christ’s salvation, I must not give up preaching to them or some other people. If Jesus is the true saviour, why should I give up preaching Him? Because I truly believe in a true Saviour, I am never tired of preaching Christ. I shall never be tired of pursuing something is the truth!
- In verse 1 of chapter 14, Luke said Paul and Barnabas went as usual preaching the gospel in the synagogue at Iconium, and they were so effective that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.
- But then, the scenario changed in verse 2 because those Jews who refused to believe the gospel stirred up the Gentiles to go against the apostles. We can understand why as the apostles were pulling away the Judaism believers and exerting influence of Christianity and establishing Christianity. Being threatened, and of course, to the zealous Judaism Jews, it was a battle of truth. Was Jesus the messiah? Was Jesus God?
- Despite the opposition, in verse 3, Luke still recorded they spent considerable time at Iconium, speaking boldly for the Lord (my emphasis today), the gospel of salvation, and Jesus confirmed their message of the gospel by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. Can we expect Jesus to do the same with us when we preach the gospel like Paul and Barnabas? Biblically, signs and wonders follow those who preach the gospel. Therefore, grasp every opportunity to pray for the sick, for the most difficult problem to be overcome, for the impossible to happen; so that it enhances the spread of the gospel, Jesus is glorified. Will you exercise your faith like this?
- How the apostles could be so bold in speaking the message of the gospel in view of the possible persecution of death? In verse 5, we were informed that there was a plan to stone them. It was a threat of death!
- May I ask you why the apostles were so brave in speaking the message despite the threat of death? I believe you know the answer. I pray that you are able to experience it as you obey Jesus to preach the gospel. The answer is none other than the empowerment by the Holy Spirit.
- Before chapter 14 today, at the end of chapter 13, we were told in verse 52, the disciples were filled by the Holy Spirit in the midst of preaching the gospel and facing persecution.
- In fact, apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians said it so well, in chapter 2 verses 4 and 5, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.”
- I strongly believe that it was not Paul’s spirit of timidity that caused them to flee Iconium when they discovered the plot to kill them. I believe that with their close relationship with Jesus, they knew it was not the time, the kairos, to die as martyrs yet, for Jesus still desired them to preach the good news at Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding country in verses 6 and 7.
- My prayer to Jesus is this, the day He thinks that I have no more use to Him on earth, He should just take my life. If I am living, there must be a godly purpose for me to fulfil on earth every day. Will you pray the same prayer with me? Our attitude on earth should be as long as we live, Jesus desires us to preach the gospel to the lost and unsaved.
- Therefore, while you are on earth, can you make full use of your life to speak boldly for Jesus?
C. Applications
- I have preached to you that you have the Holy Spirit but many of us are not filled the spirit. You need to pray to be filled by the Spirit to be bold to do Jesus’ job.
- If you are giving yourself all the excuses like you have no time; you are scared to tell people about Jesus; people will not want to believe or come to church; faith in Jesus is a personal matter; it is not the time yet; you do not know how to preach the gospel, you dare not invite, etc, I would really say it from my heart that you have not ask the Holy Spirit to fill you to preach the gospel yet.
- I pray that you will repent from it. My appeal to you today is simply this: ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and empower you to speak boldly your testimony of how good is Jesus to you; and you invite them to come to faith in Jesus.
- Can you bear testimony of how good is Jesus to you? How real is Jesus to you? How Jesus bless you in your business? As a mother? As a father? In your career? Protect you?
- Share your testimony and keep inviting them to your small group our church activity our Sunday services.
- As Jesus has paid the penalty for your sins and give you eternal hope of salvation, will you now obey Him and present Him to others who are so lost and who are on the way to hell?
D. Conclusion
- It will be an irony, if we have the Holy Spirit and not be filled to speak boldly for Jesus.
- It will be a greater irony, if Jesus is so good to us, and yet, we behave as if Jesus has never blessed us at all.
- If others do not get to hear our testimonies, how do they know Jesus and be saved and become His disciples.
E. Questions for Discussion
- (1). Discuss some opportunities we can grasp to share our testimonies with backslide Christians and non-Christians.
- (2). Spell out some names whom we want to reach out and help them to know Jesus and pray for them in the small group.
