Can I Get a Witness? (Acts 29, Part 3)

You can’t talk about Acts without talking about the Holy Spirit, and you can’t talk about the book of Acts without talking to about life change (transformation). Today, we’re going to talk about one more thing that I don’t think you can miss, when talking about the book of Acts: Action. You can’t talk about ACTS without talking about ACTION!

Let’s see if what I’ve discovered is also what you’ve discovered: that talking about doing something is a lot easier than actually doing it. Talk is easier than action! But clearly God’s people are people of action, and I believe …

God acts through people who make themselves available to God!

Jesus informed his disciples just before ascending, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1.8). He called them to a life of action — of actually going out and telling others about Jesus all over the world.

In Acts 6-8, Stephen is called on the carpet to defend himself against the accusations of false witnesses. In the process of defending himself, he talks about the people of action who’ve gone before him: Abraham and Moses. He also mentiones David and Solomon. But in the process, he talks about how God’s people had rebelled against God throughout the course of these events. Before he could even finish his defense, the people became irrate and stoned Stephen to death.

Stephen made himself available to God and God acted through him. We, too, must make ourselves available to God. I encourage you this week to make yourself available to God, and specifically, ask God to give you an opportunity to impact someone’s life this week! Ask God to bring you across someone’s path that you can interact with in such a way that they encounter God.

What would your life look like as we taste and see what God will do through us when we make ourselves available to God? What would this church look like? What difference would it make in our community?

O God, give each of us an opportunity to interact with someone who needs to know you love them. And give us the awareness of that opportunity. Send your Spirit to prepare the way, and then give us the words to say as we share with others about you. Amen.