Title Acts 01:6-11 Vision of Evangelism
Content evangelism vision
Acts 1:6-11
To the question of the apostles, the ascending Lord says: “It is not for you to know the times or seasons, which the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and to the ends of the earth” (verse 8). What an absurd answer. How amazing are these words? We must know that these words are the key that divides the entire book of Acts. It is speaking of none other than the power and plan of the church of Jesus Christ. You must know that the power of the church of Jesus Christ is the power of the Holy Spirit, and the plan of the church of Christ is to be witnesses.
Therefore, if the church is operating without the power of the Holy Spirit and without a specific plan and vision to become a witness, it is a church with problems. So, today, centering on these words, if it is the church that is in the discipleship of the Lord and the church that is the body of the Lord, I think that it should be a church that fits at least these three things.
1. We must become a church in which the Holy Spirit is present
In his farewell sermon, Jesus said, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may be with you forever, who is the Spirit of truth, and the world cannot receive him, because it has neither seen him nor knows him. But you know him, because he abides with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17). You will receive the Holy Spirit, so do not leave Jerusalem and wait.
The disciples hoped for a real kingdom centered on Israel, but Jesus spoke of the spiritual kingdom of God based on love and sacrifice and service, not a real kingdom based on physical force. That is why he is saying that in order to establish and expand the kingdom on this earth, we must follow the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit more than anything else.
The spiritual kingdom of God that will be realized until the end of the world is based on the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, it is in vain. If the Holy Spirit is not present in the church and people's thoughts lead it, the church loses its vitality. It's messy and it's hard. The same goes for departments. Department activities are not only planned, but also require the presence of the Holy Spirit. And let the Holy Spirit lead you. All you have to do is pray, entrust and wait, and obey the will.
2. We must keep our vision.
The reason why Gwacheon English Gate was created is because some people had a vision to build English in the first place. After the home Bible study started, I had a vision of opening the Bible in English. And after the opening, I had a vision of English architecture. English has been built, and what kind of vision should we have now? Churches must have a vision as a blueprint. Without a vision, there is no choice but to become a stagnant and aging church.
Individuals should also have a vision like this blueprint for their life. Warren Benns and Bert Nanus interviewed 90 high-profile individuals, and they all had a strong vision in common. What vision do you have? Have a vision that will please God. Have a vision to change and lead the world. It is God's will for you to have a vision.
3. Be a witness.
Being a witness means at least three things. First, it is an empirical and direct witness to the truth. That is why, when witnesses testify of Jesus Christ, they do not directly say, “Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life”, not “the way and the truth and the life” or “as others thought so.” and speaking definitively. Second, witnesses testify not only with words, but with actions. If you have accepted Jesus as the Christ and Lord, you must live and obey Him as the Lord of your life. Third, witnesses live with sacrifice and loyalty, ready for martyrdom.
The disciples, who received the Lord's Great Commission as a task, formed the church according to the commission, and the early church was small, but it was a church that played the role of witness. So they practiced love and preached the gospel. Although I was not in a situation where I could freely preach the gospel, I was prepared to preach persecution and martyrdom. Without such witnesses and martyrs in Korea, the gospel would not have been preached properly. A small hill called Jamdubong is protruding next to the 2nd Hangang Bridge, and now it is called Jeoldusan Mountain. The name was given because it is the place where Catholics were beheaded for their sins of believing in Jesus. There is a missionary cemetery a little farther away. It is a place where those who came to this country and preached the gospel, were martyred, fell ill, died and died waiting for the resurrection. They came to Korea, lived as Witnesses, and were martyred. The churches that sent them did the work of being witnesses. It is truly important to be a witness in the church's plans and visions.
In conclusion, we are not all free from the Great Commission of the ascending Lord. No, you shouldn't be free. Because we are His disciples and members of the Lord's Church to which we have been entrusted with this command. If so, how should we make up our minds as members and members of the commissioned church of the Lord?
At the very least, I believe in the Lord who should do his best to become a witness of the gospel to the ends of the earth without losing the power of the Holy Spirit, which is the identity of the Lord's church. It's not something the church should strive for, it's that each of us who has become a church should put all our strength into this work.