Spring Break in Florida

What better way to spend Spring Break than in Florida? The Yarbroughs got that opportunity when Tim was asked to speak to the Alachua Baptist Association meeting near Inverness.

In addition to speaking at a pastor's conference, Tim delivered the association's spring message to about 300 messengers attending the meeting.

Above right are Hannah and Caleb at Clearwater Beach near Tampa.

Below is Tim's message, "How to Become an Acts 1:8 Christian" presented to the association.

Becoming an Acts 1:8 Christian
Message by Tim Yarbrough – April 7, 2005
Spring Session – Alachua Association, Inverness, Florida

INTRODUCTION:
Bring greetings on behalf of the North American Mission Board. Thank Joe Maddox for the invitation to speak and for the introduction.

You know, my 15-year-old son, Caleb, loves cars…especially powerful cars. We both get a kick out of the “Hemi Dodge” commercial where the young dad is teaches his son about the important attributes of the vehicle after his mother tells him how comfortable he will be riding in it. “Can you say, ‘hemi,”” the father says, to which to young boy, verbalizes, “Hem-me!” In our society “Hemi” means you have a powerful car.

Today, however, I want to talk about another type of power that is available every born-again Christian.

ILLUSTRATION (GATORADE COMMERICAL):
In 1965 the Florida Gators football team was mediocre at best. Struggling in the heat and humidity of the deep south, the players were fighting a tougher opponent within themselves than they had ever fought on the gridiron – they had great difficulty finishing the game in champion-like form because they were dehydrated. So a team of University doctors developed a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage that kept the team properly nourished throughout the game. Before the eyes of thousands of fans, the team’s second half performance improved and in 1967 won the Orange Bowl. As you may know this beverage is on every sideline around the globe keeping athletes performing at their best. Of course, this beverage is known as Gatorade.

Now you might be asking yourself, what does Gatorade have to do with living out my faith in Christ? The answer is simple. You see, Gatorade gave the Florida Gators an edge over their opponents – they had the advantage – you have something in you that’s much greater than human-made Gatorade…Christians can live out their faith in champion-like fashion too through power found in the Holy Spirit!

Gatorade asks athletes – is it in you? I’m asking you today – is the Holy Spirit in you? Are you living as a Christian powered by the Holy Spirit?

READ: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8 (HCSB)

Today, we’re going to talk about three things God gives every Christian: 1. The Power; 2. A Witness; and 3. A Mission.
First…

I. GOD GIVES YOU THE (HOLY SPIRIT) POWER

For you and I to have champion-like faith, we must first understand who the Holy Spirit is and why God wants us to live and operate in the Power of His Might.

Many Christians today don’t acknowledge the Holy Spirit, much less live a life that is empowered by Him. The Holy Spirit has become a taboo topic within the church. We’d rather talk all kids of other things other than Spiritual Gifts, supernatural wonder working power and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

I’m not talking about warm fuzzies and goose bumps at the alter. I’m talking about an old fashioned outpouring of the Holy Spirit of God where people’s lives are radically changed, people are healed, demons are sent away cowering like whipped puppies, cities and nations are awakened to a sense of repentance.

A church committed to living in Holy Spirit’s power will be identifiable. The power of the Holy Spirit is what separates a real church from just another club and clique on the corner.

The modern day Church has substituted the Holy Spirit for cappuccino machines and movie screens. Now don’t get me wrong, like you, I was moved greatly when I saw The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson’s movie about the last hours of our Lord. However, a few hours sitting inside a movie theater watching a theatrical performance that elicits your motions is much difference that intentionally seeking to live a Holy Spirit empowered life day by day.

In some churches, they have removed the alters where people would come and seek God’s forgiveness and empowerment in order to be less “churchy” and seeker sensitive. Why is this? It’s not that movie screens and things are bad, but I firmly believe that what the church is morphing into grieves the heart of God. The church is becoming a place where people can become entertained – like at the movies – in Jesus’ name.

We need to realize that the Holy Spirit is where the real power lies behind the church today. Our focal scripture today shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone present here. It’s a passage of scripture that most of us can quote from memory. Many of us have read or heard it since we were children. We may have read or heard it hundreds or even thousands of times…but have we personalized it?

The Holy Spirit was promised by God to empower all who would believe, as this passage from Joel illustrates:

READ: "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. – Joel 2:28-29

So if we believe that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, God’s promise of the Holy Spirit is as real today as it was when it was first uttered! God promised us His Spirit to live and empower us. This empowerment, this infilling, this baptism and the gifts of the Spirit did not die out with the Apostles. If it had, then God’s promise would have been broken.

**Jesus didn’t want just any believer walking the streets of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost ends of the earth spreading the Gospel. He specifically told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem to receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

READ: “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." – Luke 24:49

God didn’t love the Apostles more than you and I. He didn’t brand them a special people and give them something He wouldn’t give us. We see in the book of Acts chapter 10 where Peter preached in a Roman soldier’s house, a man by the name of Cornelius. And as Peter was preaching the Spirit filled that place and all who were there began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

When the Apostle’s were martyred, did God revoke His Spirit’s empowerment from them? No. The empowerment of the Spirit wasn’t just for the first century church – it’s a promise and a gift of God to teach, guide and regenerate believers. If there’s ever a day we need Holy Spirit empowerment, it’s today.

II. GOD GIVES YOU THE WITNESS

Let’s look for a minute about what it means to be a witness. Everyone here is a witness for something…it may be you are known as being a good writer, you might like to drive a new car, you might like fine food…you might be known as a prayer warrior or a servant of the church.

One of the most significant names I believe given to Christians is that of “witness.” It is a word that appears many times in the Bible…as it does in our focal passage Acts 1:8:

The dictionary (www.dictionary.com) defines a “witness” as …

wit·ness (w t n s)
n.
One who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced: a witness to the accident.
One who furnishes evidence.
Law. One who is called on to testify before a court.
One who publicly affirms religious faith.
How is the world to be evangelized? The answer is given here in our text.
RE-READ: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” - Acts 1:8 (HCSB)

Surprise! It’s YOU and me!
God’s plan is simply that His own people should be effective witnesses to His saving grace wherever they are and whenever they go. Witness is the key word in the book of Acts, and we have only to read a few chapters in this inspired record of early church history to see how readily and rapidly the first Christians got on with the job of witnessing.
In order to grasp the full significance of the privilege and responsibility of witnessing, let’s begin by exploring truths from Acts 1:8.
So how do 21st Century Christians compare to First Century Christians? According to Acts, First Century Christians were:
o Filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4)
o Thrilled as they saw thousands respond to the gospel message (Acts 2:41-47).
o Committed to give all their talents and treasurers to further the cause of Christ (Acts 4:32-36)
o Bold and Courageous – like Peter, John and the first martyr Stephen - even in the face of suffering and death (Acts 4-7).
o Always ready to tell others of their crucified and risen Lord. (Acts 3:12-26 – Peter seizes the opportunity to preach after the healing of the crippled beggar; Acts 8 – Philip preaching in Samaria)
As I read through these scriptures, it is evident to me that First Century Christians were definitely committed to excellence when it came to telling others about Jesus Christ!
Recently, I heard a talk by Horst Schulze who is a world class expert and renowned speaker in the arena of customer service.
Mr. Shulze is the founding president and former chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. Under his charismatic leadership, the company was continuously voted “best hotel company in the world” by convention and trade publications. He is a recognized leader in the service world. His vision has helped reshape customer service concepts in both the hospitality and the service industries. Today, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is considered the benchmark for service excellence.
According to Mr. Shulze, the secret to the hotel chain’s success is really quite simple: He said only hires people who are committed to personal excellence. A key question he always asks is this: “What is your personal vision?” and “Do you see something beautiful about what your area of work will look like a year from now?”
He used the example of a foreign-born dishwasher he hired who constantly looked for ways he could improve the process of washing dishes. He said he man wasn’t focused on others who had a higher position or place of authority at the hotel, rather, he was completely and totally focused on “personal excellence” and his goal to be the best dishwasher at Ritz-Carlton. His attitude of excellence was contagious and effected everyone around him! People around him saw his personal witness of excellence!
Today, that gentleman now manages one of Ritz-Carlton’s luxury hotels.
Arguably, Christian Americans are among the most blessed people in the history of the world. We have health, wealth and more time for personal pursuits than any time in history. Then why aren’t we pursuing personal excellence by sharing Jesus Christ with everyone we meet?
I believe Mr. Shulze’s formula for success in the luxury hotel business applies to your and my Christian faith, walk and witness: His formula is 1) Vision; 2) Commitment to the Vision; and 3) Carrying out the Vision.
Christians can have a similar formula for Sharing Christ:
o Vision – seeing the world won to Jesus Christ through the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit!
o Commitment to the Vision – my part to carrying out the vision of winning the world to Christ!
o Carrying out the Vision (or Just Do it!) – getting off my duff and doing it today through my personal witness!
Which brings me to my last point…

III. GOD GIVES YOU (AND HIS CHURCH) A MISSION

A theologian once said, "Our mission is to bear witness to Christ from Jerusalem to the uttermost part of the earth. Any form of Christianity that does not have throbbing through it a mighty missionary and evangelistic impulse, is a degenerate form."

God has given Christians the job of telling the world about him and that job is getting bigger every year:

o Not until 1850 did the number of people on this earth reach one billion.
o Eighty years later, in 1930, the number doubled to two billion.
o Thirty years later, in 1960 the number reached four billion.
o In 1985 it reached five billion people
o It soon will pass 7 billion

Simply put, that means there are multiplied billions and billions of people who have never even heard the name Jesus. Only 8% of the world’s population are Christians – 92% are not.

We want to inform and inspire our church to hear God calling them to missions because we believe with all of our hearts that people without Jesus Christ are L-O-S-T!

READ Romans 10:13-15 (NLT) - For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

When the great missionary Hudson Taylor was on his way to China he was confronted one day by the ship’s captain. He said, "Taylor, do you think the heathen will be lost if you don’t go to China?" Taylor replied, "I think the heathen are lost, that’s why I am going to China." Well, if we really believe that people without Christ are lost, if we really believe that the good news is the gospel of Christ, if we really believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, then we must have a sensitive ear to hear the calling of God for missions.

Now God has not left our mission enterprise to chance or trial and error. God has told us perfectly how we are to carry out the work of missions, and has already given us all the tools we need to do it.

Back to Acts 1:8 – Jesus’ last record words before His ascension – it’s a plan for missions that is so simply beautiful, and yet so beautifully simple. We read it here. We are to be witnesses to Jesus "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

The Lord has not only told us how to go, He has told us where to go.

1. We Are To Go To Our Community

Jerusalem is where the disciples were when the Lord spoke these words. He said to them in effect, the first place you ought to go is next door.

There’s an old saying that goes like this: "The light that shines the farthest, shines the brightest nearest home."

I want my church to be a church that prays for missions, gives to missions, and goes on mission partnerships – but more than anything else – I want my church to be a church that lives missions…a church where missions is a part of its DNA!

2. We Are To Go To Our Region and our State

After our own city we are to "Judea" - this would represent our county and Florida (for me, Georgia). It’s may be outside the comfort zone of your community to a different part of your state! (contrast parts of East and West Tennessee – first World Changers project).

3. We Are To Go To Our Nation and North America

Our Samaria is the United States and Canada. Yes, there are many people in America who have heard the gospel more than a lot of people will ever hear the gospel. Today, the North American Mission Board estimates that 4 of 5 people on the continent do not know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior!

You may not realize don’t you that churches in other countries are sending missionaries to the United States. They see the downward moral decay of our nation and want to be used of God to get this nation back to God.

4. We Are To Go To the Ends of the Earth!

It is very interesting to note that the progression of missions given in Acts 1:8 is exactly the sequence in which Acts was written. In chapters 1-7 the focal point is Jerusalem. In chapters 8-12 the disciples go to Judea. Then in chapters 13-28 they scatter to Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

Standard Oil Company once had a slogan that the church should try to revive:

"Get the light to every dark corner of the world." That is exactly what God has called us to do, and we must, we shall not, we dare not shirk that responsibility.

I read a story one time of a military patrol that was operating in enemy territory. They were very, very tense, probing every tree and shadow looking for the enemy. Suddenly there was a blinding flash and the soldier at the point was mortally wounded.

The bullets began to fly and the Sergeant screamed for his unit to take cover. The one young recruit, crawling on his face, plunged ahead to his dying comrade. He, too, was shot. But in extreme pain and mustering his ebbing strength, he dragged his friend, who had died, back to the unit, and collapsed.

The Sergeant looked at this soldier and said, "You fool, why did you go and get yourself shot for a man that was dying?" The recruit said, "Because Sir, I had to hear him say, ‘I knew you would come.’"

There is a lost world out there that needs us to come even though they don’t even know it. But what matters is when we stand before God, God looks at us as we arrive in heaven, and says, "I knew you would go." Join me in prayer