You are Wrong!
Message from Guest: Zelda Cronje
I am using Matthew 22:29 as the challenge for the message today. And “yes” I am taking it out of context, but I am challenged by the question Jesus asked the Sadducees and the Pharisees.
Matthew 22:29 (ESV)
[29] But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
What would our lives look like if we truly knew His Word and His power?
I know my life would look very different!
In Matthew 22:23-33 the Sadducees and the Pharisees were not happy with what Jesus was teaching. Jesus was showing them the truth of the resurrection from the Books of Moses, Jesus is
reminding them that the resurrection is taught in the Old Testament as well as the new.
But the point Jesus wanted to make was that all errors arise from not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God. (Normally natural!) The Sadducees and the Pharisees saw going to heaven as their only victory.
When we believe what God says about Himself we are able to open ourselves to experience the power of God, the Sadducees and Pharisees went astray because they did not BELIEVE God’s word and they were strangers to His power.
Power is necessary so that we can be witnesses. Acts 1:8 (ESV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The power of Holy Spirit will transform me and it will make me a witness! How effective I am? This is not a question to bring condemnation but it is a question to bring conviction and it does require a response from us.
What is one of the ways I can be obedient to His Word and see His power manifested?
In other words what type of person is God able to use?
Who will be a part of God's plan to be witnesses?
The 2019 statistics estimated that:
Ninety-five percent of all Christians have never won a soul to Christ.
Eighty percent of all Christians do not consistently witness for Christ.
Less than two percent are involved in the ministry of evangelism.
Seventy-one percent do not give toward the financing of the great Commission.
These figures are staggering and yes, we can get sucked into a situation where it is about the numbers but this does give us an idea of what is happening in the church.
In Luke 24:46-48 (ESV) Jesus tells us clearly who we are -
[46] and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. [48] You are witnesses of these things.
I am a witness of -
His great love for me
the price He paid for me
His forgiveness of my sin
His power of salvation in my life
And because of this witness John 7:38 becomes my reality - Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
The Church is made up of disciples making disciples, who proclaim the good news of the gospel. The Church exists for the work of the ministry, to build up the body of Christ to
maturity, to teach and preach the Word of God, to unify people, and to reflect Jesus to the world.
Too many people have come to accept the church as the main evangelistic tool in the world, that is not the purpose of the church. And because we have come to accept the church as the primary evangelistic tool the responsibility has been stripped away from individuals and placed on programs at church. Things like Alpha are brilliant but should be add on’s to us BEING His witnesses.
I would like to focus on four qualities that people need to be witnesses.
People who are Holy Spirit empowered, who desire what God desires, who are ready to risk and those who have an expectation to be used.
Holy Spirit empowers us to bear witness, to be a witness in this world
In Acts 2:1-4 the day of Pentecost arrived, the people were anxiously waiting and anticipating the Holy Spirit, Jesus promised them someone who would help them to do
greater things than He had done. The sound of a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the entire house, tongues of fire appeared and rested on each one of them. And every single person was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Peter’s life before Holy Spirit was tainted with many failures, but in Acts 2:38-41 we see Peter filled and empowered by Holy Spirit, it’s like Peter suddenly erupted onto the scene with purpose and power. He delivers a message that is so bold and direct. Listen to his message:
[38] And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” [40] And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” [41] So those who received his
word were baptised, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
I think the world is in dire need of these bold words, that cut straight to the truth.
In this portion of Scripture we see the difference Holy Spirit made,the disciples became so bold,and many were added to their number.
There is a difference between doing witnessing and being a witness. Too often we are consumed with the doing and we lose courage and boldness.
DOING wants to know how to witness
DOING needs steps to follow
DOING wants to know how witnessing works
DOING wants us to be led
DOING needs us to be stirred up to witness
But Jesus said "be my witnesses"
What does it mean to be a witness, rather than do a witness?
It's being so possessed by Holy Spirit that we cannot help ourselves, the rivers of living water will just flow from us. Everywhere we go we want people to meet Jesus - the One we are in relationship with.
Being a witness is living it, when people come in contact with us they become wrecked, when we’re sitting on a plane, in a hotel, or are in a shop we should expect people to be impacted and overwhelmed because we are being a witness and they may encounter Jesus. In being a witness my confidence rests in the knowledge that Jesus will be revealed through Holy Spirit.
If Jesus promised the disciples in John 15:26-27 that Holy Spirit would help them to be witnesses then we too have the same promise.
[26]“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. [27] And you also will
bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.
Our witness is about what Jesus has done in our lives!
Our goal is not see people saved
Our goal is to plant seeds
Paul said (1 Cor. 3:6-7) I have planted, Apollos has watered, and God gave the increase, by us being witnesses we open a door in a person’s life and we give Holy Spirit something to work with in their hearts.
Holy Spirit empowers us with boldness, Holy Spirit empowers our testimony to bring conviction, our part is to be obedient by being aware and ready for every opportunity.
Making God’sdesireour desire
David -
Acts 13:36 (ESV)
[36] For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell
asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption,
David had the same desire as God, he wanted to serve the purpose God had for him!
Jesus-
John 5:30 (ESV)
[30]“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Jesus had the same desire as God, He came to seek the will of God, the One who had sent Him.
Paul -
Acts 20:24 (ESV)
[24] But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul had the same desire as God, he came to finish what God had set before him, he completed the ministry set before him, he was faithful to take the gospel wherever he could.
Paul -
Colossians4:17(ESV)
[17] And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfil the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”
Paul exhorts Archippus to finish the task of his ministry that he received from the Lord.
We were made for mission - to have dominion and open the way for others.
We were made to serve God.
Did Jesus pay the price so that we could go to heaven and we can have church? Or did He pay the price to get heaven into us, to be the church that takes His message to all the world?
God’s desire is to see everyone saved and no one lost.
Luke 19:10 (ESV)
[10] For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Risk takers
The thing we fear the most and do - takes courage. Risk is an exposure to danger, it consists of things we are afraid of.
Risk is a liability.
Risk isunstable.
It is vulnerability.
Courage is moving ahead in spite of the unknown. Courage is not the absence of the difficult it is the determination to overcome any opposition.
In Acts 15:25-26 we see men who were ready to risk -
[25] it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, [26] men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Risk is the potential of gaining or losing something of value!
Risk is the intentional interaction with uncertainty!
It is said - “When we stop taking risks, we stop living life” . . .
What if Esther had not risked her life?
What if Daniel had not risked opposing Nebuchadnezzar?
Risk takers change the world and risk takers impact others for Christ.
What if Paul had not risked going to Jerusalem, under threat to bearrested;delayed,shipwreckedandfinallyunderhousearrestinRome?We would not have all his writings that help us to grow in our knowledge.
I am someone who thrives in difficulties and in change, I love opposition. But how much have I risked for the gospel? I can assure you it has not been very much.
Risk will involve inconvenience at a level we have not yet experienced. I believe revival
will only come when inconvenience is entertained.
People who expect to be used
Every time God moves out of heaven and performs a miracle on earth it is because someone stepped into an opportunity and expected God to move.
Expectation attaches your faith to full confidence that God is about to do something.
Expectation is more than “I’ll try it and see if it works.” Faith doesn’t try. Faith receives.
Expectation is a boldness that expects to receive what God has promised fully.
Philippians1:20(ESV)
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
Mark 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
And they (the disciples) went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working and confirming His word through the accompanying signs.
I know exactly what God is doing in your life, He's doing what you expect Him to do. What you expected - no more and no less!
Jesus said it like this; "according to your faith it will be done unto you."
He says: "you get to choose what I do in your life!"
We need to expect more miracles!!
I am closing with 1 Corinthians 3:2-3 (ESV)
[2] I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not
yet ready, [3] for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
Milk is the word of God, I have been feeding you milk, not solid food (in KJV it is meat).
Meat/food is the Word that we do.
Paul goes on to say I see in your actions you are not eating meat, you not ready for the meat because you are still in your flesh, you are soul-ish, not led by your spirit that is in dwelt by Holy Spirit.
We need to progress from the milk to meat, in other words we need to start doing the Word.
In John4:32Jesus speaks: But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” And in John 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”
The food is the “doing”, the food requires action.
We want to be worthy of the call, we want to be disciples that cause firestorms, disciples that are ready to give all for the sake of the gospel,
disciples that want to hear the words - well done good and faithful servant.
Burn with love for God, ask Him to set your heart on fire, ask Him to burn what is not from Him.
But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. If you know the Scriptures and you obey Him, you have progressed from the milk to the me
