Adrian Rogers - Making Jesus Known
Find the Book of Acts chapter one, the Book of Acts chapter one, right past the gospels. We're talking today about "Making Jesus Known". And let me tell you something, this world needs to know Jesus. This, your neighbor needs to know Jesus. Friend, that's what the sermon is about this morning. It is what the Holy Spirit is saying today. We need to make Jesus known. "Friends all around me are trying to find what the heart yearns for, by sin undermined: I have the secret, I know where 'tis found: only true pleasures in Jesus abound". Jesus is all this world needs today. "Blindly they strive, for sin darkens their way: oh, to pull back the grim curtains of night, one look at Jesus and all will be light".
Acts chapter one, the first eight verses, "The former treatise have I made, o Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he had, through the Holy Ghost," or, "After he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God: and, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, 'ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water: but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence'. And when they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, 'Lord, will it thou, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel'? And he said unto them, 'it is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth'".
So let's look right here in, in these first eight verses of the Book of Acts. And I tell you, this is a wonderful success story. There're three things. If we would make Jesus known to our neighbors and the nations, there're three things we're going to find in these eight verses. And the very first is this: that we need to recognize his presence in us. Now most of us don't do that. Now listen, those words can go past you so quick, whfffft, you didn't even hear them. Ah, it made no impact. But this is the most phenomenal thought. It is a phenomenal thought, if you get it in your heart and in your mind, that Jesus Christ is in us.
Look again at the first three verses, "The former treatise have I made, o Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach," underscore, "Began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was taken up, after that he, through the Holy Ghost, had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: to whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God".
Now this was written by a man named Luke. Luke was a physician. He was a doctor. We have a number of wonderful doctors in our church today, and they believe the Bible is the Word of God. And, uh, that proves to me that you don't have to check your brains at the door to believe the Bible, amen? I thank God for MDs who are not ashamed of the Lord Jesus. Every good book has a hero, and the hero of this book is Jesus. Look in verse one, "Of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach". But in the Bible that I have up here, at the heading it says, "The Acts of the Apostles," but down here in verse one it says, "All that Jesus began to do and teach".
Friend, I want you to get the point. Don't miss it. The title: "The Acts of the Apostles" was put on by the Bible publisher. That's not in the text at all. That's not a part of the inspired thing at all. And here they missed it. The Book of Acts is not the story of The Acts of the Apostles: it is the story of the Acts of Jesus Christ. Now don't miss that. "Of all that Jesus began to do and teach". Now see, he said, "The former treatise have I written unto thee". Well, what was the former treatise that he'd written? Luke wrote what? The gospel of Luke. He said, "Now I've written the gospel of Luke. This is what Jesus began to do.
Now I'm going to write the Book of Acts. This is what Jesus continues to do," because he's not saying, "The, I wrote what Jesus did. It's finished". No. "The former treatise have I written unto you," the gospel of Luke, "Of all that Jesus began to do and to teach". "Now I'm going to write something else. I'm going to show you what Jesus Christ is continuing to do".
Now, in the gospels you find out what Jesus did in his human body, the body of his flesh. In the Book of Acts you find out what Jesus is doing in his mystical body, the church. You see, Jesus is still active and alive on planet earth today and he still has a body. In the gospels it was his material, physical body. In the Book of Acts it is his new body, which is the church. And Jesus is alive and well today in his mystical body. This is what the Bible calls in Colossians chapter one verse 27, "Christ in you". You see, we're not here just imitating the Lord Jesus. Huh. I love the, the, the idea, "What would Jesus do"? That implies, "What would he do if he were here"?
Friend, he is here. He is here. And it's not, "What would he do:" we just need to let him do what he will do. This church, and any New Testament church, is the body of Jesus in this city. If we ever let that thought get into us that Christ is in us, that he began in the gospels, but he continues today, the church of Jesus Christ is the body of Christ on this earth. The apostle Paul said in Galatians chapter two verse 20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live: yet not i, but Christ that lives in me: and the life I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me". Now if you do it, if you're doing things for Jesus, that's superficial. If Jesus is doing something through you, it is supernatural. You see, folks, listen to me, the Christian life is not difficult: it is impossible. The Christian life is impossible.
Well, you say, "If it's impossible, then forget it". Now wait a minute. It is impossible, but God does the impossible, and he'll do it in you and through you. Stuart Briscoe, great preacher, said, "When I first got saved, gave my heart to Jesus, I went out to live for him. I said, this is, this is wonderful"! But then he said, "After I stumbled and fell several times, hmm, boy, this is difficult". He said, "I rededicated my life and started again," but then he said, "I stumbled and fell again, and I stopped saying this is wonderful or this is difficult. I began to say this is impossible". Then he said, "I discovered that it was Jesus Christ in me who was going to do it through me". And then he said, "This is wonderful, this is wonderful". We need to stop trying and start trusting and let Jesus Christ live his life in us. Stop asking ourselves, "What would Jesus do if he were here". He is here! Let him be God in you.
Now, other than that, all you'll be is a little, cheap, tin imitation of Jesus. Huh, huh, huh. My friend Bob Sorrell's sitting out here. Bob's a, a great golfer. I never played golf with Bob because I don't like to be humiliated, and, uh, I'm too rotten proud to play a game with him. But suppose one day I said, "Well, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go out here, and I'm gonna beat Bob playing golf, and so I'm going to play like tiger woods. Bob will play like Bob and he's good, but I'll play like tiger woods and I'll beat him". Well, you laugh, of course. I can't just say I'm going to play like tiger woods and play like tiger woods. I can't just say, "I'm gonna be like him". And you can't just say, "I'm gonna be like Jesus". But suppose I could take tiger woods and put him in a pill and swallow him down. He fills me. Bob doesn't know I've had that pill yet.
All right. Now, we go out there and we tee off. Poof! There it goes, right down the straightaway, and he says, "Good night, Rogers, where'd you learn how to play golf like that"? If I'm honest, I'd say, "Hey, it's not Adrian, it's tiger in me". Friend, listen. It's not you: it's Jesus in you. And we need to stop strutting around like we're somebody wonderful. If, friend, listen, if we're doing anything good, it is Christ in us. "The life I live I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me". And the Book of Acts is what Jesus continues to do. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Jesus were let loose in Memphis, Tennessee, through his body, the church?
See, we are the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Living the Christian life is a miracle. There are three miracles in the Christian life. There's the first miracle, which is the new birth. That's a wonderful miracle. There's the concluding miracle, the last miracle, which is our translation when we're made to be like the Lord Jesus. But in between that first miracle and that last miracle there's a mill, a middle miracle, and that is the life that we live. Our life is to be a supernatural life. Now, I want you to remember this: that the Christian life is not your responsibility. It is your response to his ability. Major ian Thomas said about this, "I can't. He never said I could. He can: he always said he would". And so, ah, that's the first thing we need to do. We need to recognize his presence in us.
Now with that, the Bible says, look if you will, in this passage of scripture, uh, look in verse three, "To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking to them of things pertaining to the Kingdom of God". Back up to verse two. He gave commandments unto the apostles. Now why did he give them this mission impossible? Well, he gave them this mission impossible because he knew that in him, they could do it. But he also knew without him they could not do it. What were, what were the commandments that he gave? We don't have to guess: we know. Do you know what Jesus' marching orders are for you?
All right, put in your margin Matthew 28:19 and 20. You know it, "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you". Now this is not a request. This is a command. Jesus is king. If you are not a part of obeying this command, listen to me, I want to say it as sweetly as I can, you're not right with God. Furthermore, you're guilty of high treason against your king. Jesus said, "I have commanded you to go and make disciples". We are to be making Jesus known. Now what does he say to do in Matthew 28:19 and 20? Three things.
Number one: we are to make them. "Go ye, therefore, and make disciples". Now, he didn't say make decisions. People talk about great evangelistic crusades, and they say, "We had a, a thousand decisions". He didn't say make decisions: he said, "Make disciples". Make them. Not only are we to make them, we're to mark them. He said, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost". Don't you minimize baptism! Jesus commanded that we be baptized. Jesus commenced his public ministry by baptism. Jesus concluded his public ministry commanding baptism. Once a person is a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, that person is to be baptized by immersion, marking himself out, saying, "I belong to Jesus Christ. I'm not ashamed of Jesus Christ".
Some of you haven't been baptized because you say, "I'd mess up a $40 hairdo". I'm serious. You say, "Well, i, it, that's incidental". It's not incidental. Jesus has commanded it, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost". Do you know what baptism means? Friend, it means that you belong to Jesus Christ. You're not ashamed of Jesus Christ. I want everybody to know. See me up here buried in the likeness of his death, raised in the likeness of his resurrection. If you haven't been baptized, you ought to be the first one down this aisle this morning, say, "I want to make an appointment for my baptism," that is, if you're truly saved.
First you make them, then you mark them, and then you mature them. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age". That's the marching orders of Bellevue Baptist Church, to make them, mark them, mature them, moving believers in Jesus toward maturity and ministry. That's what we are all about. And to do it, we need to recognize his presence in us. He hasn't just given us a mission impossible and backed off, sitting up there in heaven, peering down to see what we're going to do. Jesus lives in his church, Christ in you, the hope of glory. The gospel's what he began to do. The Book of Acts is what he continues to do. In that first century church and in this twenty-first century church, that's what it is all about.
Now secondly, not only should we recognize his presence in us, but number two: we should rely on his promise to us. Look if you will in verses four through eight, "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water: but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they, therefore, were come together, they asked him, saying, 'Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel'"? They wanted to talk about prophecy, "And he said unto them, 'it's not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me'". They wanted to talk about prophecy: he wanted to talk about proclamation, "Ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth".
Now here Jesus is talking about a promise he'd made. When he was walking with them and talking with them, he gave them a promise. Put in your margin Luke 24 verse 49, and here's what Jesus said to them. He said, "Behold, I send the promise of the Father unto you: but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power on high". Jesus said, "Don't go out now and start any kind of a ministry until first of all you receive this promise. I am going to send the promise of the Father". What is the promise of the Father? It is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. And really this is almost a repeat of the first thing. You see, we need to recognize his presence in us, and then we need to rely on his promise to us. He's not given us a job that we're not able to do.
Again, these were unlettered, uncouth people. They had no finances. They had no colleges. They had no seminaries. They had no buildings like this. And he says, "Go to all the world," but he did not leave them helpless. The reason, i, Jesus said, "You'll be witnesses unto me"! I've said it many times from this pulpit, before I preach I get on my knees and preach, 'cause anything I can talk you into, somebody can talk you out of. But when the Holy Spirit of God takes the, the man of God and his words and brings them home to your heart, then it's not Adrian: it is the Holy Spirit of God speaking to you.
God wants to use you and your neighbors, with your neighbors, and God wants to use you with the nations. Our job is making Jesus known, to our neighbors and the nations. We're to begin in Jerusalem. That's our community. And then Judea. That would be tantamount to our state. And then Samaria. That would be tantamount to the mid-south, and then the whole world. And that's what we exist for, folks. This is the year of evangelism. God has so blessed our church and God has given us so much, but we're not going to sit on our hands, sit and soak and say, "What good boys and girls we are". We're gonna take this community for Jesus Christ. I mean that. Say amen.
We're gonna do it. And I don't say it arrogantly. God has given us that assignment. Give God a hand. We're going to do it. And we're going to share Jesus Christ because Jesus wants us to do it! This is our Jerusalem and we can't play leapfrog. We can't jump over our Jerusalem and go across the nation, go across the world. We start here with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And the, the purpose of this church is making Jesus known to our neighbors and to the nations. And so, how are we going to do it? We're going to recognize his presence in us. We're going to rely upon his promise to us. "You shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto me".
Now we're not to witness about Bellevue Baptist Church. We're not to witness about the Baptist denomination. People need Jesus. They need Jesus, "Witnesses unto me". One man was trying to make a Baptist out of a Methodist, and the Methodist didn't want to be made a Baptist. And so the Baptist got in an argumentative mode and said, "Well, how come you're a Methodist"? He said, "Well, my daddy was a Methodist and my granddaddy was a Methodist and that makes me a Methodist". The Baptist said, "Well, wait a minute. If your daddy was a fool and your granddaddy was a fool, what would that make you"? He said, "Well, I guess I'd be a Baptist"!
Huh! We're not witnessing to some denomination. People need Jesus! "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me". Now this is the divine strategy, and listen to me carefully. God can use you. Say amen. God can use you with what you have. God can use you where you are. And God will supply your every need. If this church ever really gets serious about sharing Jesus Christ, what an impact we will make in this, in this particular city. God has made a promise to us, a solemn promise, that we, "Would receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon" us.
Now here's the third and final thing I want you to see this morning as, as we think about what God wants us to do. We need to respond to his program through us. What is his program through us? Look again in verse eight, "But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem". How about your neighbors? Do your neighbors know Jesus? Do they know you're saved? Do they know that you have anything more just sort of a cultural Christianity? You know really, they don't care how much you know about Bible prophecy. The, the apostles said, "Lord, are you going at this time restore the kingdom to Israel"? He said, "That's, that's not your concern. That's not for you to know. Your business is to be a witness".
I want to ask you a question. How about you? Now listen to me. Are you going to come to Bellevue Baptist Church, listen to a sermon, make some notes, or would you say, "Dear God, make me a soul winner. Make me a witness". Again, a witness is somebody just tells what he's seen and heard. Friend, there's no greater joy than to lead a soul to Jesus Christ. Recognize his presence in us. Rely upon his power to us. And remember his program for us. We are to be witnesses in, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth. We're going to be living supernaturally, and we're gonna learn the secret in the Book of Acts. And God's people said, "Amen". Bow your heads in prayer.