Power to Witness
Scripture Reading — Acts 1:6-11
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses ..." Acts 1:8
"Will your neighbors miss you after you're gone?" Someone asked me this question shortly before we moved to another part of the country. Since that time, I've asked this question in some of my sermons. For a people who have been promised power so that we can be witnesses for our Lord, this may be one of the most crucial questions we can ask ourselves.
Will your teammates miss you if you quit the team? Or would they say, "Good riddance?" Will your coworkers miss you if you leave to find another job? Will your next-door neighbors miss you if you move to another neighborhood? Will your customers or patients miss you if you quit your profession? Will your community miss your church if it closes its doors?
And if so, why will they miss you? Will they miss you because you were a witness for the Lord?
In Acts 1:8 the Lord Jesus commissions his followers with these words: "You will be my witnesses ..." Jesus does not say, "You will be my witnesses if you feel like it, or if it suits you, or if everything is just the way you want it to be."
He says, "You will be my witnesses."
Ask the Holy Spirit today to empower you to be his witness. Ask him to open doors so that the people in your life may see Jesus in you.
Holy Spirit, empower us to be your witnesses wherever we are. Help us to make a difference in this world for you. Grant us your wisdom and courage each day. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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