Acts: Images of An Effective Witness

Good morning. It's good to see. I'm glad you're here

with us worship this morning. If you have your bible's

turning with me to Acts fourteen, Acts fourteen, we're gonna

start in verse eight in just a moment. Taught him

with my sermon this morning as images of an effective witness.

If you ever met someone who was a look alike,

I mean, you see that person, they resemble someone that

you know. I went to I was in wait for

So a few weeks ago and was there grabbing lunch

and went into Chick fil A And as I was

going to go get a drink, there was a guy

who was working at Chick fil Ay counter, And when

I looked at him, he looked just like my college roommate.

I mean he, I mean it looked identical. I actually

read his name tag and saw that it wasn't my

college roommate's named Rob, and I saw his name was

not Rob, but he looked like him. His mannerisms, it was.

It was uncanny like at one point I wanted to

call him by Rob's name, but it wasn't him. And

you know, there's different times in our life. I don't

know if anybody's ever came up to you and says,

you did someone ever tell you look like such as?

So I remember when I was in college, I worked

at Target. I was a cashier and from time to

time people would come up to me and said, you know,

you look like such and such and I never saw it,

but they would say, I look like different people. And

so many times we've encountered that you've seen someone or

maybe someone said you look like someone. As we come

to this passage of scripture this morning, Paul and Barnabas

are taking the gospel. They're living on mission and are

taking the gospel to different areas, just taking the gospel

to the ends of the year, city to city. And

we've seen that as we come to this passage this morning,

Paul and Barnabas are said to look like someone. And

this morning, as we come to this passage of scripture,

Paul and Barnabas do not want them to see another

God in them. They want to display They want to

look like Jesus. You know, when we live on mission

for Jesus. And I hope that just as Paul and

Barnabas live every day on mission to take the gospel

to Jerusalem, to Judea to to the ends of the earth.

We are all called to live on mission. We are

to take the Gospel to our community, to our neighborhoods,

to our workplaces, and to the ends of the earth.

And as we live on mission, can I tell you

it's not only important what we say as we witness,

but it's also important what they see in us, and

whether we look like Jesus, whether we display the images

of Jesus. And so this morning, as we come to

this passage of scripture, we're going to see how they're

accused or if they are said to look like something

or someone, and how Paul and Barnabas effectively are effective

witnesses by displaying the images of Christ. Now on this

passage of scripture, before we read it, there was a

fable that Listro was the city they went to, and

as we've kind of seen, they were going into Glacia,

the region of Glacia. If you read the book of

the Bible and of the Book of Glatians, this is

the region of the churches that were in this area.

Instead of taking the Gospel to Antioch city, we saw

that a few weeks ago, and then the last week

to Iconium and now they go to the next town,

and it's kind of getting more and more. They're kind

of going outside the city into more country areas, if

you will, in small smaller town, smaller villages. They come

to a city called Lystra, and in this city there

was a fable. There was a tradition that was in Lystra,

and the tradition was that many many years ago Paul

I mean not Paul Zeus, the Greek god. This is

a Greek city, by the way, the Greek god Zeus

and the Greek god Hermes had came to Listra, and

they came in in Cogneto. They came disguised as just

normal people, and they came into town of Lystra, and

they went through the city and they asked for people

to for hospitality, for people, for people to welcome them,

but for our place to stay, for something to eat.

But nobody in the city of Listra did that except

one couple. And one couple his name was Philemon and

the wife was Baucus Baucus and finally and invited them

into their home. They asked them to stay. They've had

them a meal that night, and as a result, they

had no idea that in the fable they had no

idea that was Zeus and in Hermes. The next day

Zeus and Hermes came, and they destroyed the entire city

except for that couple, is what tradition says. And they

found them a place and made them out a place

outside the city of a temple, and they died in

honor for welcoming of Zeus and Hermes. As we come

to this passage of scripture, today, Paul and Barnabas go

and share the gospel, and the city thinks that Zeus

and Hermes has come again. And as Paul and Barnabas preach,

they don't want the people to see another God in them.

They want them to see Jesus and the images of

Jesus in them. Can I tell you people are watching

your life? Do you know that the old song says,

I always feel like someone's watching me. You remember that

old song. What's true, isn't it? Somebody is always watching you,

And as if you're a witness for Jesus, people watching

your witness and they're watching and looking for Jesus in

your life this morning. Paul and Barnabas are effective witnesses

by displaying the images of Christ. Let's examine scripture today

and see what they want the people of Listra to

seeing them, And may we look to these today and

ask ourselves today, am I displaying the images of Jesus

in my life? Would you stand with me? Unless read

God's word together? It's Acts fourteen. We'll read eight through

twenty this morning. Now at Listra, there was a man

sitting who cannot use his feet. He was crippled from

birth and had never walked. And he listened to Paul speaking,

and Paul looking intently at him, seeing that he had

fate to be made well, he said in a loud voice,

stand up upright on your feet, and he sprang up

and began walking. And when the crowd saw that what

Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in Leconian,

the gods have come down to us. Listen to this

and the likeness of men Barnabas they called Zeus and

Paul Hermes because he was a chief speaker. And the

priests of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance of

the city, brought ox and garlands to the gate and

wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowds. But when the

apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it. They tore their

garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, men,

why are you doing these things? We are also men

of light nature with you. We bring you good news

that you should turn from these vain things to a

living God who's made heaven and earth and see and

all that is in them and the past generations. He

allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

Yet he did not leave himself with out of witness.

He did good by giving you rains from heaven and

fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. Even

with these words, they scarcely restrained the people from offering

sacrifices of them. Verse nineteen says, But the Jews came

from Antioch and Iconium. Having persuaded the crowds, they stone

Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that

he was dead. But when the disciples gathered about him,

he rose up and entered the city, and on the

next day he went on with Barnabas to Derby. Let's

pray together, Father, I thank you Lord for this word

that you've given us today. As we've gathered together to

worship you. Lord. We know Lord that you want us

to be a witness for you to the ends of

the earth, right here in Durham, right in our communities,

our neighborhoods, but God, to the ends of the earth.

And so God, we desire to be that witness. And

so Lord, I pray today we would hear your instructions,

We would hear your word, your truth, and God would

lead our hearts and our minds on how we can

be an effective witness for you. Lord. Do you know

today what I've prepared? Lord? Do you know the thoughts

that I believe You've given me? But Lord, I pray

that'll all be laid aside. Lord for what you want

to say. I pray that I would be your messenger.

And Lord, they would not hear my voice today, but

hear yours. So Lord, speak clearly through me. Give me,

Lord your words today. Lord, we long to hear your

message today. So may you use your Holy Spirit to

open up our hearts and our minds to your truth

today and your name, we pray, Amen, you may be

see the images of effective witness. The first image that

we are to display. We are display Christ's image of

humility the Bible says that Paul and Barnabas say are

taking the gospel again. They've taken the city by city,

continue just to live on mission, as Acts one eight says.

And they go into this next little town called Lystra,

and there's no record in Lystra of a synagod. So

the Bible shows us that they're kind of speaking. And

we know cities. It was's in the God that they

would speak in kind of the common area where people

would hear public addresses, and that would be at the

city gates. Here Paul Barnabas are there and they're speaking

in the city of Listra. And there as they're speaking,

the Bible says, there, as Paul is preaching, he notices

there's a man who's crippled. Scripture tells us. Luke tells

us this man is crippled. You see in verse eight

that he was a man sitting who could not use

his feet. He was crippled from birth. He never had walked.

It gives you imagery if you in mind, if you

just want to look back through scripture and remind you

of other instances we see healings of lame men like this.

The Bible tells us in Luke that Jesus healed a

lame man. You remember, there was there was a bead

of a man who was lame, and there was four

guys who carried him into Jesus. Right. They couldn't find

couldn't get to where Jesus were, you remember, and said

they brought him up on the roof and lowered him

through the roof, and Jesus healed the lame man who

was crippled from birth, who had never walked before. The

Bible tells us in Acts three, when Peter is going

in the Synagod, and you remember as there was a

lame man who's been carried at the gate of the

temple every day, begging for alms. And Peter says, rise up,

what silver and gold I do not have? What what I

give you a name of Jesus, stand up and walk,

And the man stands up. So now we see this

is the first miracle and acts by Paul, and it

follows the very same pattern of Jesus and Peter. He

sees this man. The scripture says, he sees he has

faith to be healed, and Paul looks at him. In

Verse eight and nine was Paul's speaking he looks intently

at him, very same imagery that's in Peter. And also Jesus,

seeing he had faith, Jesus says, seeing the faith of

the men, he said with a loud voice, stand up

upright on your feet, and the man gets up and

he walks. Now, if you remember from last week's sermon,

the Bible says, when Paul and Barnabas were in Iconium,

they were doing signs and wonders. And in that passage

of scripture, it gives us a reason of why God

gave them the ability to do the signs of And

when you look at that with me real quickly, if

you just go back to just verse three of chapter fourteen,

just a few verses above us, it says, so they

remained a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord who

listened to this, who bore witness to the word of

his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by

their hands. So, according to that versus scripture, God gave

them the power of the ability to do signs and

wonders miracles. Why that it might be a witness of

what they said was true? Do you understand? And I

said this many times before signs and wonders were to

authenticate the message, and the messengers were sent by God.

That's why God gave them ability to do the signs

of wonders and iconium. And how now as they come

to Lystra, it's the same thing God gave them him,

the ability to raise this man up, that people might

see the miracle and know that Paul was truly sent

by God and the message of Jesus was true. Was

to authenticate, as I said, the message and the messenger.

But you know something that's really important I think Scripture

wants us to see today. Satan wants to do something.

You know, Satan takes something that good and he likes

to twist it around and make it into something else.

Satan wants to take something that's supposed to be all

for Jesus and all for leading people to Jesus, and

he wants to twist that and make it something about

all bringing glory instead of to God or to Christ.

And he wants to twist it and make it all

for the glory of man. The Bible says that when

Peter I mean Paul and Barnabas and Paul speaks up,

tells that man to stand up. The man gets up

and all the people speaking Laconium, it says, surely, they said,

this is it. You remember we've heard the story our

whole life that Zeus and Hermes came and the people

didn't obey and they wiped out the whole city. Was

Zeus and Hermes is back. We can't mess up this time.

We got to get it right. We don't want to

wipe out the city. So they started to tell the

priests of Zeus and he goes and gets a cow,

and he gets some real and they start people. Everybody

starts talking about Zeus and Hermes is here. Well, Paul

and Barnabas don't know Laconium and they don't know this

is happening. So maybe even he finishes a sermon that

people are going about the people excited. That could tell

people really excited about what's going on. And the Bible

says the next day they see the priests is coming

out or and he's going to sacrifice a cow to

Paul and Barnabas. Now I want you to understand something here.

This was something to us that was to authenticate that

Paul and Barnabas were from God and Satan twisted that

and then instead of giving glory to God, he gave

glory to man. So listen to me. I want you

to hear. Paul and Barnabas could have done something. Paul

could have said, you know what, oh, barn this is

our opportunity, man, these people love us. They're going crazy

e verus. Man, they got a parade going for us. Man,

this is it, this is it. If we could just

we just let this thing ride and we just keep

doing some cool things. Man, just think about all the

fame get just think about how we could be known

throughout all this city. I mean, people are going to

they may even give us some money. We can maybe

just settle right here and we could just be the

next Zeus and Hermes. Paul, you talk a lot, so

that's a lot like Hermes and Barnabash. You must be

a pretty big guy. And so let's just ride this thing.

This could be really really good for us, and they

can make it all about them instead of making it

all for the glory of God. But that's not what

Paul and Barnabus do, is it. They make it about God.

You know, there's a temptation for all of us when

God does something good in our life to make it

all about us instead of making it all about him.

I'll never forget one time I was a pastor of

a church and every you know, a certain time of year,

we had nominating committee time, and it was time to

nominate in the new deacons for that year. And there

was a gentleman in our church and has been faithful,

been faithful servant, and the church nominated and we went

through the process of he'd never served as deacon and

nominat him as deacon. And we did that. We had

an ordination service and everything for this man. And a

few weeks later I started hearing out that he was upset,

this new deacon, and I said, well, what in the world,

what was he upset? He just kind of got going

and serving as deacon, and why is he upset? I

thought this would be great. He's kind of went through

the process and now it's become a servant church will

well preacher. He's upset? What was he upset about? He's

upset because you didn't congratulate him when he became a deacon.

I said, wait, wait a second. I didn't think serving

as a deacon was for the praise of men. I

thought it was for the praise of God. I think

we've gotten this all We've gotten this all wrong. He's

not serving, Deacon that he might get my praise or

the praise of people. He's just served the Lord that

he might get the praise from God. Can I tell

you that temptation of that, Deacon, It's a temptation that

you and all of us facing differ and areas of

our life. God may lead you to serve here at Bethesda,

and you do something for Bethesda, and it could be whatever,

working in the children's program, working in youth, working in

prime time, whatever it may be, being a part of

a growth group, helping like we did last week, had

a little cook out, helping flip Hamburgers, whatever it may be.

And there can be a temptation after you do it.

I want nobody even said nothing about what I did.

Nobody thanked me, nobody told me I did a good job.

You could come be a part of the choir or

sing it solo and say nobody said I did a

good job today. And what are we doing. We're saying

I'm doing this for God. But I really want somebody

to see how good I've done. I really want to

make sure people recognize what I have done. And we

can do this in our service to the Lord, but

we can also do this in the service of our life. Hey,

did you see what kind of career? You see how

successful I am as a businessman. I wish people really

recognize all that I've done from my work place. It's

instead of saying, God, You've given me success and even

in my career, I'm going to give you glory. Hey,

when you do students, your students, Hey, you've got whatever,

become good in your academics and get awards for your

academics or get awards for your sports man. I want

them to see I am the MVP. I am the

best things that sliced bread. Or you say, you know

what God's given me ability, don't want to give it

all for the glory of God. Whatever you do, do

you do it for your glory or are you displaying?

And I think this is very important to say, you

know what God has given me talents, God's given me things, opportunities,

whether that's in my career or whether it's that school

or where there's some hobby and everything that I do,

I don't want it from my glory. I want to

use it to point people to Jesus. Paul and a

Passages scripture rushes to them and says, no, no, no, no,

I'm just a man, just like you. Don't give me glory,

Give the Lord glory. If we're going to be a

faithful witness, an effect of witness, we are display Christ's

image of humility. You know, we see this in Jesus

and Philippians too. Paul tells us about he's telling the

church there's some people who are at odds in the

church at Philip High, and there's some ambition, there's some

sit in the church. And in Philippians two three through seven,

he says, do nothing out ourself with ambition or conceit,

but in humility, count your others more significant than yourselves.

Let each of you look not to his own interests,

but also the interests of others, having this mind among yourself,

which is yours. In Christ, Jesus, who though he was

in the form of God, did not count equality with

God a thing to be Christ. But he ended himself,

taking the form of a servant and being born the

likeness of men. Can I tell you Christ left the

glory of heaven and he came down as a mortal man,

even though he is a quality of God. He humbled

himself for you. Got to ask you today, if you

say I want to be effective witness, how are you

displaying Christ's humility to others in your life and the

things that you do, your success in school, sport work,

whatever it is. Are you instead of giving glory to

man and to yourself? Are you saying God? May God

be all to receive all the glory from the things

that He's given me and done in and through me

when she sees. Secondly, if we're gonna have images as

effective witnesses, weird display Christ's image of humility, but we

also display Christ's image of brokenness. The Bible says, you

read the pass of Scripture, verse eleventh is when the

crowds saw what Paula had done, they lifted that voice,

saying and Leconian, the gods have come to us in

the likeness of men. And Paula Barnabas called the Barnabas

they called Zeus, and paul they called Hermes because he

was the chief speaker and the priests. Zeus, whose temple

was at the entrance of the city, brought an ox

and garlands to thee to the gates, and wanted to

offer sacrifices with the crowds. But when the possibles, Barnabas

and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and

rushed out to the crowd, crying, men, why are you

doing these things? We are also We also are men

of light nature with you. We bring you good news

that you should turn from these vain things to a

living God who made heaven and earth, and to see

and all this is in them. Paul and Barnabas rushed

out when they found out, they rushed out. In the

Bible SAEs, they tore their clothes. This is not Hulk

Colgan toil on his clothes. This is a little different.

Some of you may know what that is. Some of

the younger ones may catch it. Google it, okay, you know.

For us, we don't. We don't get that imagery. Why

would they tear their clothes? But tearing your clothes? In

scripture was a former a formist saying, this is blasphemy,

This is a desecration. This is awful, this is terrible.

If you think about probably one of the greatest examples

of this may be that you familiar with would be

Matthew six and Matthew six. Caiaphas brings Jesus to interrogate him,

kind of this mock trial, if you will. He's trying

to get Jesus to say something that would seem blasphemous.

So Scripture says Jesus remained silent and he would not

respond to their accusations. The priest finally says, Caiaphas finally says,

I adjourn you by the living God. Tell us if

you are the Christ, the Son of God. And Jesus says,

you said it, And the Bible says, when Jesus says that,

Caiaphas takes his clothes and he rips his clothes, he's

tore his garments, and he says, you have spoken blasphemy.

You speak, you have speaking blasphemy. This was the imagery

that this is. This is awful, This is a desecration.

This is terrible, and that's what happens here. Paul and Barnabas, listen,

they only display humility. This is not about us. He

very clearly says this. We are men just like you.

But also they tear their clothes. They want them to

see that they are they're broken by this. They're there,

they're sayings, stop this. We don't want to be exalted,

we don't want to be defiled. The Bible says in Jonah,

you remember, Jonah was called out as a mission to

to go to a wicked city named Nineveh to call

out against it. The Bible says he did that. He

went through all the city, and the Bible says when

the word came to the king of Nineveh, he rose

from his throne. He removed his robe, covered himself in

sackcloth and ashes, and he issued a proclamation of public

and published through Nineveh by the creed of the king

and the nobles. Let neither man, nor beasts, nor herds

or flocks taste anything, letting them not feed or drink water.

Nine of It was a place that had brutalized, had

been torture people. Bible stories tells us that they would

actually be scolds that would be at the city of gates,

that of how they just just killed people and just

left their bones at the gates of the city, wicked city.

And when God came out and spoke against their wickedness,

and the king heard it, he tore his clothes broken

over the sins of his city. Can I ask you,

you know you're one of God's called you be a

faithful witness your family members, to your neighbors, to your coworkers.

When's the last time you've displayed brokenness of her sin

or their unbelief? If you've been broken, how many of

you have been broken by? Maybe some sendence in your family,

maybe some send us in your workplace, to send us

in your school or in your community. Maybe there's things

that half grieved you about, things that you've seen that

are in your life around you. But when's the last

time you displayed that. The Bible doesn't say that Paul

and Barnabas were broken over this and they just went

to their rooms and they went to back where they're

staying and they wept about it. No, the Bible says

they ran out to them and they tore their clothes

before them. They wanted the people of the city to

see that their hearts were broken over the sin that

they saw. Can I tell you it's important now only

display humidity humility to those that were witnessing to but

it's also important that we display the brokenness we have

over the lostness around us, and to send this around

you and the unbelief around us. For an example, Well,

one of the things that I think is dangerous that's

happening in our world is we become numb to the

things that around us. We become numb to the sinate

around us, and as a result, the things that we

should be broken about in reality, we're just numb to

that don't burden us anymore, that we don't weep over

them anymore. We just ah, that's just the way things

are going to be. Do you know today every thirty

seconds a child is aborted. Every thirty seconds can tell

you today's statistics tells us that two or three abortions

are done in the home with abortion pill. So the

last time you just wept over life being taken? But

the only important that we weep in our homes, when's

the last time we've gone out and displayed it, display

our brokenness over the sindence around us. I heard of

a lady, she was actually in Ireland two weeks ago.

She was arrested for prayer walking in front of abortion clinics.

It's a law now that prohibits even people just going

out and just praying. And she said this when she

was arrested. They interviewed her. She'd been doing this for

eleven years and she would pray, but also hand out leaflets,

sometimes give people who were going in money, furniture. She

even opened up her home to give people a ladies

places to stay to help rescue them from this. And

she says in that I decided I was going to

be a voice for Jesus and I wasn't going to

sit back and watch. Many times our world tells us

to be quiet, to be silent, don't speak out about

things that you're broken about. Keep those to yourself. You

don't want to offend someone. I tell you we are

display brokenness, you know, the Bible says, and Jesus displayed

it brokenness. In Luke nineteen, he goes into this. The

scripture says in verse forty one, he drew near and

saw the city this is Jerusalem, and he wept over it.

He saw the unbelief of the people in Jerusalem, and

Jesus wept. He was broken over the sin and the

unbelief of people. For going to be effective witness, and

we only need to be people who display Christ's humility,

but we also need to display brokenness over unbelief in sin.

I ask you today, you have a loved one, it's

not a believer maybe in sin, family member, co worker, neighbor.

Have they ever seen you weep over them? I think

there's times that people need to see us broken over sin,

that we love them enough, even though they've made it

may be uncomfortable, we love them enough to be broken

for them. Christ displayed brokenness over a belief in sin.

We need to display humility, We need to display brokenness.

And lastly and then we need to display perseverance or perseverance.

The Bible says that Paul goes in and he preaches

to them. He explains to them, and we see this

in verse sixteen through eighteen. He explains to them, how

who is doing this? Who did this miracle? Is not

Zeus and Hermes. Who did this miracle is the God

of creation. And he explains that God has revealed them

himself to this people, even tho there is not a

sin of God there they God had not left them

without a witness. But Scripture says in verse seventeen, yet

He did not leave himself without a witness, for he

did good by giving you reins in heaven and fruitful

sephens seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. He explains, listen,

you're not without a witness. God has witnessed to you

before by what we call general revelation, by displaying who

he is through creation and through him providing different things.

And so he explains them, Hey, the God who did

this is a God that you know, and it's the

God that you know through creation. He's pointing them to

the Lord. The Bible says that verse eighteen that he

just barely they just barely stopped them for sacrificing to

this animal to them. The Bible says that in verse

nineteen that around that time Jews from Antioch and Iconium,

there's two previous cities, they came. They followed them to

Listra and they actually turned the crowds against Paul and Barnabas.

And verse nineteen tells us they stole Paul. Scripture says,

they actually dragged Paul's body out of the city. They

thought he was dead, Scripture says. But verse twenty says

this this is very important. When when the disciples gathered

about him, he rose up and entered the city. Wait

a second, Paul and Barnabas went into the city alone.

They came from Antioch, they came to Iconium, but when

they went in Listra, they'd have believers in those towns.

But when it came to licener they came along. So

who are these disciples? These are disciples who believed in Listra,

who not only saw the witness or heard the witness

of their mouth, but saw the witness of Jesus in

their life, and as a result they believed. Who are they? Well,

Scripture tells us and Acts sixteen to one. There's a

young man named their name Timothy, that Paul writes the

first and second Timothy to and his mom there, and

his grandmother Lois and unus. The Bible says that here

after that, look at what happens. They stone him, they

think he's dead. The believers are there, we see in

an effect of witness. But the Bible says in verse twenty,

but disciples gathered about him, and he rose up, and

he entered on the city on the next day and

went on with Barnabas to Derby. The Bible says that

here's Paul, and he's displaying humility, not I don't want

the glory of God. I want, I mean the glory

of Man. I want this all to be the glory

of God. He displays the humility of Christ. He displays

the humility of brokenness over sin. Don't do the us

believe upon the Lord. Lastly, he displays Christ's perseverance. He's

stone to death and the very listen. I think it's

very important that you hear. In this verse, Scripture says

the next day, I don't know about you. I think

there's sometimes we face things in our life and they

wipe us out. They take us to the ground, they

lead us to the point of death. And when we

face trials and tribulations like that, many times we say, God,

I need a little break. I know God, I'm doing

this for you, and God, I know you've called me

to do this. But God, I didn't sign up to

be beaten. I didn't sign up to be stoned. I

didn't sign up to be left for dead. So God,

You're gonna have to let me get my breath a

little bit before I go on to the next mission.

But Paul did not slow down or back down or quit.

Paul says, I'm gonna persevere because Christ persevered for me.

I ask you today, how often do you allow the circumstances,

the trials and tribulations, the battles you're facing, to get

you to take a step back instead of taking a

step forward. Heard the story of a young man. His

name was Peter Cameron Scott. He was born in Scotland.

In eighteen sixty seven, he was called to start a

mission in Africa. He went to Africa on his very

first mission trip and there he got malaria so sick

he had to go back home. He resolved once he

got over the sickness, that he was going to go

back to Africa, and he went back. He was so

excited that this time when he went back he was

taking his brother John with him when he got there.

Not long after, his brother John got sick and he

died in Africa. They had to take him back to

Scotland and there he buried his brother and he recommitted

to preach again in Africa. One day he was depressed, saying, God,

I know you called me on mission, but it just

seems like every time I take a step, there's something

else that's trying to knock me down. One day he

went into Westminster Abbey and there David Livingston, who's a missionary.

Was the missionary's tomb was there. He went into his tomb,

and he knelt down to pray, and he knapped down

to pray. He looked at John Livingston's tomb, and there

and within the tomb it says other sheep I have

which are not of this fold, them I must officer bring.

He rose from that prayer and returned to Africa, and

there he founded his ministry. Can I tell you the

enemy wants to bring attacks against you, to knock you down,

to knock you off the mission, And it's so easy

for us to say I'm done. God. You know, Lord,

I know you want me to serve you. I know

you want me to be on mission for you, be

a witness for you. But God, I just can't. I

can't handle what's happening in my family right now and

continue to be on mission. God, I can't help. I can't.

I can't handle what's happening with my health today and

continue to be on mission. God, I can't have I

can't help or can't handle this relationship problem I have

right now and be a witness for you. God, I can't.

I can't take Lord, what I'm handling what's happening in

my life right now, and try to be a witness

for you instead of saying and give it and saying God,

I can't saying God, because you did, I will God,

I tell you. The Bible says Philippians two eight through

nine says, and being found a human form, humble his

self by becoming obedient to the death, to the point

of death, even death on the cross. Listen today, if

we're going to be an effective witness with our words,

we also have got to be effective witness with our lives.

We got to display Jesus, if has the band, you

can make your way. We got to display the image

of Christ's image of humility. We display Christ's image of brokenness.

We've got to display Christ's image perseverance. There's a young lady.

Her name was Christina. She's from China here in the

United States. Christina had just illness after illness. Never could

figure out why she continued to suffer the way she did,

with all the medical problems that she had, health problems

that she had, but through it all she was a witness.

She witnessed to her brother. Her brother would reject her

witnessing her brokenness her humility even so much at times

she would give him scripture or give him a Bible

when he tore it the Bible in front of her.

One day, her brother gathered all the family together. He

came and said to the family, he said, I've been

to see Christina many times in wonder how she can

do her all this suffering. Now I see that she

has been giving some sustaining power, and I can only

explain it as coming from God. I've decided there must

be a God. After all, I've read the Bible and

I realized I'm a sinner. So I'm here now and

I want to tell you that I have accepted Christ

as my savior, and I asked him to forgive me

and my sins, and I promise to follow him. You see, Christine, Christina,

she not only witnessed to her brother, but she displayed

the image of Christ's humility. She displayed to her brother

Christ's image of brokenness, and she displayed Christ's image of perseverance.

She would say this in her testimony. The brother who

tore up the Bible with persecutmen in early days at

last confessed, my Lord and all of my fifty five

relatives have become children that express their faith in Jesus.

I've never been to college, the theological seminary. I'm not

a Bible teacher. I've only been God's honey dog. She's

only been God's messenger, his witness, an effective witness. How

about you today, she pray with me. Lord, we love you.

We thank you Lord for your word today. Lord, so

many times when we're thinking about being a witness and

living on mission for you, we think so much of

what we are to say and how we are to

say it. But God is not only what we say,

but it's also what we display. And God, we see

today a pause displaying your example, your image of humility,

of brokenness, of perseverance. Lord. I pray today that we

as believers would have a newfound commitment to say, God,

I want to display you in my life. God, I

want you to receive all the glory from the things

that God I've done. That people might come to know you. Lord,

I pray they'd be those that say, Lord, help me

be broken of her sin and help me display that. Lord.

Help me persevere no matter Lord what comes my way. Lord,

may I continue to live as a witness for you. Lord.

We love you. We thank you Lord for today. Lord,

you know, this time of invitation, God, there is no

one in this room that's here by mistake. There's no

one's watching online or on TV that's here Today. There's

some who are weary, They're tired, and they're say, maybe

today God, I can't be that witness for you God,

because it's been too rough today. God, you're calling them

the price of your God. You're calling others to be broken. God,

you're calling others to humility. Lord, whatever you may call

of us today, may we surrender Lord to you today?

Or pray there's some here today it's never except yours,

Lord's Savior. I pray it'd be those today that would

put their faith in You for salvation. Today, R we

love you. Lead us now this time of invitation Your name,

we pray Jesus paid you know,