Wearing Dust: Relentless Witness
LISTEN:
NOTES:
Wearing Dust: Relentless Witness
Matthew 9:35-38
March 17th, 2024
Wearing the Dust of Jesus
Love and Faithfulness
Unexpected Grace
Humble Service
Relentless Witness
Key Passages
Matthew 4,9,10,28
Acts 1
Romans 10
2 Timothy 4
Relentless (Adj) determined, refusal to give up.
Witness (N) one who sees, hears and experiences.
(V) testimony to what has been seen, heard + experienced.
Relentless Witness (N) A person who is determined and undeterred to testify of the life changing power of Jesus Christ.
(V) The process of testifying to the life changing power of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 4:12-17 (NIV) 12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: 15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—16 the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” 17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV) 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Jesus flips the script of seeing people as harassed and helpless to vast harvest! He doesn’t blame, bemoan or belittle their condition, He calls us into engagement. The issue Jesus identifies is there isn’t enough people carrying a relentless witness into said culture!
Matthew 10:1-8 (NIV) Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
Watch the video clip from the Chosen Season 3 Episode 8 to see how this might have sounded to them.
Matthew 28:18-20 (AMP) 18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.”
Jesus was a relentless witness. Jesus’ disciples wore His relentless dust effectively. You and I are disciples of Jesus.
Acts 1:8 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Matthew 28 doesn’t happen without the power of Acts 1:8!
NEWSFLASH: The Person and Testimony of Jesus has and always will stir up a cultural hornet’s nest.
FACT: Christians and Christianity have always thrived under pressure. Jesus’ crucifixion is the inaugural case study. Jewish leadership got rid of Jesus but 50 days later they had to deal with 3,120 little Jesus’!
Relentless Dust Progression
An encounter with Jesus leads to salvation.
Salvation leads to wearing dust (discipleship).
Relentless Witness Dust seeps deep and spreads out.
3 Common Holdups to Jesus Dust
Personal Insecurity. We don’t feel adequately prepared. Antidote: Practice
Cultural Pressure. We are overly concerned about how we are perceived/treated. Antidote: Courage
Fear of Failure. We think spiritual results are dependent on our performance. Antidote: Go in the authority of Christ and power of the Holy Spirit!
Romans 10:14-15 (NIV) 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
2 Timothy 4:1-5 (AMP) I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word [as an official messenger]; be ready when the time is right and even when it is not [keep your sense of urgency, whether the opportunity seems favorable or unfavorable, whether convenient or inconvenient, whether welcome or unwelcome]; correct [those who err in doctrine or behavior], warn [those who sin], exhort and encourage [those who are growing toward spiritual maturity], with inexhaustible patience and [faithful] teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction [that challenges them with God’s truth]; but wanting to have their ears tickled [with something pleasing], they will accumulate for themselves [many] teachers [one after another, chosen] to satisfy their own desires and to support the errors they hold, 4 and will turn their ears away from the truth and will wander off into myths and man-made fictions [and will accept the unacceptable]. 5 But as for you, be clear-headed in every situation [stay calm and cool and steady], endure every hardship [without flinching], do the work of an evangelist, fulfill [the duties of] your ministry.
“Relentless Witness” is a formal and universal call.
A relentless witness maintains a sense of urgency.
A relentless witness corrects, warns, exhorts and encourages.
An effective preaching window is forever shrinking so when a door is open, walk through it.
When we follow Jesus, we get the dust of His love, faithfulness, unexpected grace and humble service all over us which forms the basis of and motivation for our relentless witness.
Jesus didn’t give up on us. We can’t give up on others.
What real life steps can you take in growing in relentless witness?
Accept becoming a relentless witness as a natural progression of the discipleship process.
See people through a Harvest Lens. How would the Good News of Jesus transform their situation and transform them?
Turn people into prayers, prayers into care and care into shares. [Prayer. Care. Share.]