The Sacred Trust
Introduction
Acts 1
It was the last week of June 1986 that I walked into Room 452 at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. I had been in hospital rooms before as church members were about to step into eternity, but this one was different. It was my 27-year-old wife who was about to die from a brain tumor.
Our families had left, and it was just Debbie and me. As I pulled out the cot to lie down next to her bed, she slowly turned her head and said, "Frank, I need to talk to you." Then she started. She told me of her love for me and then started speaking of our four-year-old son, Stephen. These were words of concern as well as instruction-words I was to speak to him at different stages of his life. She was giving me a sacred trust, that which was the essence of her life. Of all her life experiences, she was summing up what was most important. Hours later she went into a coma and stepped out into eternity on July 4.
A sacred trust - the last words anyone speaks on earth ought to be listened to. In Acts 1 we find the last words of Jesus before He leaves this world and ascends into eternity. Of all the experiences and teachings on the Kingdom, He shares with them that which was of greatest importance to Him.
Jesus speaks and gives to His followers "His sacred trust."
What is the sacred trust? What is it that so dominates the mind of Christ before He steps into eternity? What are the words He wants us to listen and adhere to? There are three words to this trust.
I. A Word of Caution
A. There Was A Building Excitement
These disciples had been to school for three years with Christ. Prophecy was being fulfilled all around them. At this point of Acts 1, they were ecstatic! Think of how their minds must have been reeling. Two months earlier they listened to the blessing of the crowds as they entered Jerusalem. They sang "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!" The thrill was short-lived as they watched Jesus being crucified on Calvary's cross. Only the resurrection brought life back to these followers. They had just seen the miracle of miracles. This Christ who was dead was now alive again! You can see that there was building excitement in this band of disciples!
B. There Was A Building Expectancy
For 40 days He spent time with the disciples giving them many convincing proofs of His resurrection. (v. 3) Isn't that strange? The disciples had quickly forgotten what Jesus had taught them about His resurrection. His enemies had not forgotten. They ran to Pilot and warned him about what Christ had said. They even convinced him to have the tomb sealed to prevent the resurrection of Christ. The disciples even now had to be convinced. Forty days of convincing proofs took place all to alleviate any doubt. It was here He taught more about His Kingdom. They just knew Christ was going to restore the Kingdom of Israel. They kept asking, "Is it at this time?" Their expectancy was a great kingdom to be restored in Israel. Christ, however, was in the spiritual realm while they were still walking in the secular realm.
Christ gives His disciples a word of caution, It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority. In other words, He told them not to worry about that which is God's business. He reminds them to focus on what they need to focus on in this coming church age. Then Christ moves them to what was their sacred trust.
II. A Word of Commission
A. He Reminds Us of His Passion
In verse 8 Jesus tells the disciples and the Christians in the current church age what was important. They were concerned about restoring the Kingdom to Israel, but Christ wanted them to know millions of people would never see that Kingdom unless they are born again. Therefore, His commission is for us to go and evangelize our world. The command is to be passionate for what He has passion for.
The driving passion of the heart of Jesus is for the lost to be saved. Jesus expressed that to us in the Gospel of Luke 19:10. He had just met with Zacheus. At the end of that experience, Jesus Christ says this: The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost.
Listen, if that is His main focus, should it not be ours' as well?
I'll never forget reading years ago a story about Lyman Beecher, the great man of God. When he was on his deathbed, many of his young preacher boys, who had surrendered to the ministry under his preaching, had come and gathered in his room as their mentor was about to step out into eternity. As one relates the story, Dr. Beecher would come in and out of consciousness. In one of those states of consciousness, they looked at him and said, "Dr. Beecher, what is the greatest thing a person could ever be or do in this world?"
No doubt they were thinking he would say be a doctor or successful businessman, an attorney or even a preacher, but Dr. Beecher looked at those boys and said, "The greatest thing a person could ever be or do in this world is to bring people to Jesus Christ."
He was reminding them to be passionate about that for which Jesus had passion.
B. He Reveals To Us His Program (v. 8)
He lays out for us the ministry of reconciliation for this lost world.
1. It Is An All-Inclusive Ministry
The key to the Book of Acts is found in verse 8. The key words are "witnesses" and "Holy Spirit." Notice the Holy Spirit empowers us to be co-laborers with Christ in winning the lost.
A theologian once said, "It is true Christ alone can save the world, but Christ cannot save the world alone." How true that statement is in light of this verse!
Look at the emphasis on the personal pronoun you.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and even to the remotest part of the earth.
You see, you and I are vital in Christ's ministry of reconciling this world to God. All one has to do is remember this has been true from the genesis of His earthly ministry.
I can remember here in the City of New Orleans being tired of seminary. One day I went down to my seminary church on the bayou just a few miles south of this building. I watched as a young fisherman, Jack DarDar, was mending his nets next to our church. I could hear the sound of shrimp boats going up and down the bayou. I can recall thinking what it must have been like for Jesus to walk down the seashore and call out His disciples. One day He walked passed Simon Peter and issued a call to come and follow Him. He told him what He would do for Simon Peter.
If you will come and follow Me I will make you become fishers of men. (Mark 1:17)
A serious student of the Word will realize there are two sides of this verse. If you're following, you will be fishing for souls. If you're not fishing for souls, you're not following.
Dr. John Yarbrough, Vice-President for Evangelism for the North American Mission Board, shared with me recently that 90% of all Southern Baptists will never tell anyone about Jesus in their lifetime. They will go to their graves never being a witness for Christ.
Listen, if the Holy Spirit has come upon you-you will witness!
2. It Is An Ever-Expanding Ministry
Jesus says, You shall be My witnesses... (1:8b)
These early believers knew exactly what that meant. Everywhere they went they were to witness unto Jesus. If they would just tell what Jesus did for them, the Kingdom would expand. All they did after Pentecost was to fulfill this ministry of Jesus. They went to Jerusalem (1-7), Judea (8-12), Samaria and the remotest part of the earth (13-28). They also understood the word for witness (martus) meant if need be they would become a martyr for their Lord and His Gospel. You see, their perception of the sacred trust could possibly cost them their lives.
Throughout 2,000 years of Christian history, there have been martyrs who have been witnesses unto Jesus. They were willing to lay down their lives so the Gospel could continue to spread. For example: Some have been boiled to death in oil. Some were skinned alive and left to die. Some were covered with tar and set afire as torches around Caesar's Palace. Some were dragged to their death by teams of wild horses. Some were eaten by wild animals. Others were sawn in two. It was for the sacred trust of the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ they gladly gave their lives. They knew to live out the sacred trust and turn the world upside down would cost.
You say, "Frank, there is no persecution in America today." My response is could it be that we have grown silent? Could it be that the great soul-winning denomination, Southern Baptists, are not doing their part in telling our world about Jesus?
In 1999 of all the reporting churches in Southern Baptist life, 6,800 churches baptized ZERO! Do you know, according to our records, that we have been plateaued in baptisms for more than 40 years? For the past 40 years we have not fluctuated more than 10% either way of 390,000. Could it be that we have grown complacent with the sacred trust of Jesus Christ?
To be complacent in the face of Calvary is the highest form of rejection of God. These early disciples could not escape what they had seen and heard. They saturated the world with the message of Jesus.
All one has to do is read the Book of Acts as it records the expansion of the Kingdom. It reads 120 (1:15); 3,000 souls were saved (2:41); added to the church daily (2:47); 5,000 (4:4); multitudes (5:14); a great many (6:7); many believed (9:42); a great number believed (11:21) and on and on I could go. Listen, they were accused of upsetting the world for Jesus Christ. (Acts 17:6)
Why? Because they believed their main purpose was not to raise money, build buildings, sell books or influence public policy, or even argue over prophecy. They understood the sacred trust was to share Jesus Christ. The result was it sent shock waves throughout their world as they expanded the Kingdom.
3. It Is An All-Possible Ministry
How do I know we can influence our world for Jesus? The answer is simple. The sacred trust, the Holy Spirit, will empower us! The "dunamis" of God will daily empower us as we go and as we tell. Christ gives us a word of commissioning.
But then there is a third word of this sacred trust.
III. A Word of Celebration (Acts 1:9-11)
A. It Is A Word of Prophecy
After Jesus gives us the sacred trust, the commission, He then begins to ascend into Heaven. Can you imagine the eyes of those disciples? They watched intently as Jesus ascended into the sky.
Then two men in white clothing stood beside them and asked a penetrating question:
Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking in to the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into Heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into Heaven. (1:11)
It is almost as though these men were saying, "Now get to it! Don't just stand looking, but go tell with expectancy."
B. It Is A Word of Proclamation
They proclaimed Jesus is coming again! So we are to go tell. The Second Coming of Jesus is a call to witness. It is a call to weep over those who are perishing.
Dr. Stephen Olford, a powerful Baptist preacher and evangelist, was Chairman of the Billy Graham Crusade in New York many years ago. As he and Mr. Graham were preparing for the New York Crusade, they went to one of the tallest buildings and looked out over the vast metropolis with all its problems and crime. As they stood there in silence, he looked at Mr. Graham and saw his wide shoulders shaking and his face covered with tears. Billy Graham was weeping for New York City.
Let me ask you a question: Preacher, when was the last time you wept over your city and their lost condition in light of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ?
L.R. Scarborough once said if a man is not witnessing for Christ, he is guilty of high treason and spiritual rebellion.
Southern Baptists, Jesus Christ is coming soon! He has given us a sacred trust. We must go quickly and tell this world Jesus saves!