Commissioned to Witness Everywhere

Acts 1:6–11
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“Witness” is a key word in the book of Acts, and is used 29 times as either a verb or a noun. Instead of knowing the times or dates, the Apostles were to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth (v. 8). A witness is someone who tells what he has seen and heard. When you are on a  witness stand in a court room, the judge is not interested in what you think about something; he only wants to hear what you know. It is plain that every Christian is expected to be a witness and tell the lost about the Savior. Just think of what would happen if we all used the multiplication process illustrated above!

The disciples question Jesus as to when He is going to restore the  kingdom to Israel (v. 6). He had been talking about a spiritual  kingdom; they were still thinking in terms of a secular kingdom. Jesus indicated that questions about the kingdom were important, but that He could not answer as to the time of the coming kingdom (v. 7).

A description of the Lord’s Ascension is given but they also anticipate His return (vv. 9-10). At this point the disciples stood in danger of being sky-gazers, looking up, but forgetting their responsibility to the world that God had placed them in (v. 11). God sent two witnesses, who rebuked them for being so “heavenly minded” that they were no “earthly good.” They said, “Why are you men from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come back in the same way that you have seen him go.”

Application

A good question to ask myself is whether I am using the power that is available to me in my witnessing. It seems that I pass up so many opportunities that come my way, and I am sure it is because I am trying to work in my own strength and not let God work through me.