Witness" Pt.1 - Apr. 12th, 2026 - Pastor Jono Zantingh

Devotional

Day 1: The Call to Be a Witness, Not Just Do Witnessing

You are not merely called to perform acts of witnessing; you are called to be a witness. This identity is not based on your strength, willingness, or perceived success, but on the transformative work of Christ in you. It is a fundamental aspect of your new nature in Him, a state of being that permeates every facet of your existence. Your very life is meant to be a sign and substance of the living word of God to the world around you. [53:28]

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8 ESV)

Reflection: In what specific, ordinary area of your life—such as your workplace, your home, or a particular relationship—do you most struggle to see yourself as a ‘witness’ by your very being, rather than by your doing? What might shift if you began to see that space as your primary place of testimony?

Day 2: Empowered by the Person of the Holy Spirit

The power to live as a witness does not originate from within yourself but is a gift from God. This power comes through the Holy Spirit, who is not an impersonal force but a divine Person to be known and related to. He is the Helper, the very presence of Christ within you, who testifies to the truth and equips you for the work of the kingdom. You have already been clothed with this power from on high. [01:06:04]

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17 ESV)

Reflection: When you think about the Holy Spirit, do you relate to Him more as a mysterious force or as a knowable Person? What is one practical step you could take this week to intentionally get to know the Person of the Holy Spirit, such as simply addressing Him in prayer by name?

Day 3: The Witness of Our Whole Existence

Your testimony is not confined to the words you speak about your faith. Every action, reaction, and interaction is an opportunity to bear witness. How you engage in your vocation, treat your family, and manage your responsibilities all serve as accompanying signs of God’s living word. Your entire existence is the appointed means through which the gospel is indicated and attested. [01:02:34]

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24 ESV)

Reflection: Consider your most common daily routines. Which one of these routine activities feels the most disconnected from your life in Christ? How could you prayerfully offer that specific activity to God as an act of witness this week?

Day 4: From Passive Prayer to Active Participation

Walking in the power of the Spirit often requires moving from a place of passive prayer to active participation. It is easier to ask God to intervene than to step out in obedience as His empowered witness. The Spirit’s power is given not merely for our comfort but to impel us into the world to proclaim the good news and continue the work Jesus began. [01:13:54]

And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15 ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been praying for God to act in a situation while perhaps sensing a quiet invitation for you to participate in His work? What would it look like to take one small, obedient step this week in that area, trusting the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence with you?

Day 5: The Concrete Goal of Our Vocation

The ultimate purpose of your life in Christ is clear: to be a witness. This is the concrete goal of your vocation, whether you are a nurse, student, parent, or engineer. This calling liberates you from a life of self-centered ambition and summons you to manifest the reconciliation offered to the whole world. Your life finds its deepest meaning in indicating and attesting to this good news. [01:18:06]

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding ‘being a witness’ as the primary goal of your life change the way you view your current roles and responsibilities? What is one way you can align your daily priorities this week to more fully embrace this God-given purpose?

Sermon Summary

Seven days before Easter, the congregation pauses to break bread and drink the cup as a tangible remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice and the new covenant sealed by his blood. The ordinance serves as communal repentance, healing, and restoration—an invitation to bring shame, sin, insecurity, and surrender into the light of the cross and receive renewal. From there the focus widens: every follower bears the identity of a witness to Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Witnessing is not merely an activity to perform; it is the shape of Christian existence, a daily calling that shows the living word of God in ordinary vocations and relationships.

The narrative turns to Acts 1:8 and the promise of power from on high. The Holy Spirit is presented not as an impersonal force but as the third person of the Trinity who equips, testifies, and empowers believers to bear effective witness. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead bears witness within human hearts, enabling firsthand encounters and steadfast testimony. Historical and pastoral reflections highlight a global need: churches and believers must recover the presence and power of the Holy Spirit so witness becomes living and fruitful rather than empty or forced.

Practical next steps are clear. A new teaching series on witness will SOAP through Acts, inviting daily Scripture, observation, application, and prayer to cultivate a familiarity with the Spirit. The congregation commissions a member for Bible translation work in a sensitive region, underlining the global urgency of proclaiming Scripture to unreached language groups. The call closes with a convicting summons to stop outsourcing spiritual action—believers are to obey, engage people directly, and ask for more of the Spirit’s presence. The closing prayer and invitation to surrender underscore that the Christian life combines ongoing repentance, tangible participation in the kingdom, and reliance on giftings from the Spirit—discernment, prophecy, healing, tongues—so that Christian witness becomes the concrete goal of vocation and daily living.

Key Takeaways

1. Communion remembers Christ’s payment Communion reorients the heart toward reconciliation rather than worthiness. The bread and cup publicly declare that redemption rests on Christ’s sacrifice and not on human merit, freeing shame and fueling surrendered living. This act creates a communal memory that reshapes private behavior and public witness toward holiness and service. [32:07]
2. Witnessing is who you are Witnessing describes identity, not merely tasks to perform. When presence, speech, and daily habits embody the gospel, testimony becomes credible and contagious—an everyday sacrament of the living word. This shifts evangelism from scheduled events to ordinary fidelity in workplaces, homes, and relationships. [53:02]
3. Holy Spirit empowers every believer The Spirit is a person who testifies, equips, and indwells, not an impersonal force to manipulate. The same Spirit that raised Christ furnishes believers with power for proclamation and ministry, enabling firsthand experience of Jesus. Recovery of this truth transforms timid obligation into confident participation in God’s mission. [64:02]
4. Obey rather than pray for action Stop delegating spiritual responsibility to abstract petitions and step into obedience. Instead of praying distant prayers—“God, speak to them”—believers should move toward people, speak life, and perform small acts of courage empowered by the Spirit. Practical obedience invites the Spirit’s partnership and makes witness tangible in everyday contexts. [73:22]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[30:58] - Quiet surrender and prayer
[31:34] - Preparing for communion
[32:07] - Communion: 1 Corinthians 11 explained
[33:38] - Invitation to the Lord’s table
[43:54] - New series announced: Witness
[46:27] - Commissioning a missionary (Talia)
[49:18] - Acts 1:8: power and witness
[64:02] - The Holy Spirit empowers believers
[81:03] - Call to live as witnesses / Closing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Acts 1:8 (NLT)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Observation questions

According to Acts 1:8, what two things are directly connected: receiving power and being what?
What does the summary say is the purpose of communion? What does it publicly declare about our redemption?
The summary states that witnessing is not merely an activity, but the shape of what? [53:02]
According to the summary, what is the Holy Spirit presented as, rather than an impersonal force? [01:04:02]

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus directly links receiving the Holy Spirit's power with the call to be a witness? What does this suggest about our ability to do this on our own?
The summary says communion "reorients the heart toward reconciliation rather than worthiness." What is the difference between approaching God from a place of reconciliation versus a place of trying to prove our worthiness?
If witnessing is our identity and not just an activity ([53:02]), how does that change the way we view our daily interactions at work, home, and in our community?
The summary warns against "outsourcing spiritual action." What does this kind of "outsourcing" look like in practice, and why is it a problem?

Application questions

This week, how can you shift your mindset from "I have to do witnessing" to "I get to be a witness" in your ordinary, daily contexts? [53:02]
The summary encourages "practical obedience" over "distant prayers." [01:13:22] Is there a specific, small act of courage—like moving toward someone, speaking a word of life, or performing a simple act of kindness—that you feel empowered to do this week?
The Holy Spirit is a person to be known, not a force to be wielded. [01:04:02] What is one practical way you can get to know the Holy Spirit as a person this week (e.g., talking to Him, listening, reading about His character in Scripture)?
The summary states that "salvation is given to be shared." [01:12:56] When was the last time you shared what Jesus has done in your life, not as a formal presentation, but as a natural part of who you are?
Are you currently praying for God to do something that He may have already empowered and called you to do? [01:13:22] What is one step of obedience you can take instead of just praying about it?
The "concrete goal" of our vocation is to be a witness. [01:18:30] How does this truth change the way you view your job, your role as a parent, or your place in your community?

Sermon Clips

But the Holy Spirit's not a force. But if we think the Holy Spirit's a force, we find ourselves praying desperate force prayers rather than choosing to be empowered as a witness. God, speak to that person. No. You go. God, heal that person of cancer. Go lay hands on the sick and see them recover. God, they're depressed. They need a word of encouragement. Go prophesy a word of encouragement. Be a witness. Stop praying forced prayers. [01:13:33] (40 seconds) #EmpoweredNotForced

We can step into a room like this feeling the shame of our past or the joy of our tomorrow. And the good news is we all get to come anyways. If you're in this room and you've made a decision to surrender your life to Jesus, come to the table. Come to the table of Jesus our Redeemer today. Don't come because you think you're worthy. Don't come because you think you're not worthy. Don't come because you're broken. Don't come because you think you're not broken. Come because Jesus paid it all. [00:33:22] (32 seconds) #ComeToTheTable

It's easier to pray, Jesus, speak to my neighbor, than it is to obey scripture and be a powerful witness to your neighbor alongside the person of the Holy Spirit. Even the disciples struggled with this. Acts one six, when they come together, they asked the Lord, Lord, at this time, will you restore the kingdom of Israel? Instead of the political power which had once been the object of their ambitions, they wanted Jesus to be an actual king to overthrow Rome. [01:14:12] (31 seconds) #ObeyDontJustPray

And I just sense that the Holy Spirit say is saying the same thing to the church today. Come on. You gotta share your testimony. You gotta share your eyewitness account. It matters. And acts one says, you will be my witnesses. This is someone to be, not something to do. To be a witness isn't like I have to do witness y things. This is like a declaration of this is who I am as a follower of Jesus. [00:52:55] (33 seconds) #ShareYourTestimony

We have to stop passively and fearfully waiting for Jesus to be in this world, who Jesus has empowered us to be in this world. Not in our own strength, not in our own intellect, not in our own understanding, but empowered by Holy Spirit. We are key star witnesses to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have already been empowered to live as witnesses. [01:16:14] (29 seconds) #StopWaitingStartWitnessing

You know, because Jesus went to the cross, because his blood was poured out, we get to say yes to a brand new covenant, a new agreement with God. Verse 26 says, every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you're announcing the Lord's death until he comes again. And so we can step into a room like this feeling unworthy. We can step into a room like this feeling like we haven't honored Christ with our life this week. [00:32:47] (35 seconds) #RememberHisSacrifice

And why do I bring up law and order? Because you are a key star witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. And some of you have been coerced, and some of you are running, and some of you are in witness protection, hoping you never have to come out. These key eyewitness testimony of the events in question, and yet they refuse to share their testimony. And you're always like, come on. We gotta win the case. Share your testimony. [00:52:23] (32 seconds) #KeyWitnessCalled

Whatever your vocation is, if you're a nurse, be a witness. If you're a lawyer, be a witness. If you're a teacher, be a witness. If you're a mom, be a witness. If you're a daughter and a student, be a witness. This isn't something to do. This is who we are as we get to know Holy Spirit. And even now, the Holy Spirit has been poured out. We read about this in the book of Acts, [01:21:21] (34 seconds) #WitnessInEveryVocation

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