It occurred to me the other day that only a month ago we started our new church year and our theme “Witness.”   This month has been full of good things.  We have started a new congregational reading schedule and preaching series.  We have new Bible classes on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings.  LIFE Groups have begun meeting and are starting to shape up and we kicked off a the new year of youth ministry with a BBQ.  I am excited about all of the opportunities for us to reflect on this theme with one another.

Todd Merklin and I have been team teaching Sunday AM Adult Bible class in the auditorium.  I have really been enjoying the material and the interaction with Todd and the rest of the class.  Our title is “Acts: The Church’s Earliest Witness” and we are concentrating our efforts on exploring the work the Holy Spirit does to make the church into witnesses for Jesus.  We have been emphasizing the words of Jesus in Acts 1:8 “..you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses…”

Jesus emphasized to the Twelve that the Spirit would make them into witnesses.  This is an identity for them and all other believers.  “Being” a witness, or becoming a witness is different than “doing some witnessing.”  The emphasis in Acts, throughout  all 28 chapters, is that the church shares an identity as people who belong to Jesus and that everything the church does, and how we do it, is an essential part of that identity.   This includes preaching and teaching, taking care of one another, worship, even that unseemingly business with Ananias and Sapphira!  Everything about the church’s life together is a significant part of how we bear testimony to Jesus.  Identity as Jesus’ own people is what the Spirit is creating amongst us, just as he has with all disciples of Jesus from the beginning.

Let us also submit to and depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to make us who we are called to be and to empower our lives as witnesses of Jesus.  See you Sunday,  Howard