|
HOME |
CONTACT |
WITNESSING
courtesy www.gotquestions.org
At some point, every Christian has had a family
member, a friend, co-worker, or acquaintance who is not a Christian.
Sharing the gospel with others can be difficult, and it can become even
more difficult when it involves someone with whom you have close
emotional ties. The Bible tells us that some people will be offended at
the gospel (Luke 12:51-53). However, we are commanded to share the
gospel, and there is no excuse for not doing so (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts
1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).
So, how can we evangelize our family members,
friends, co-workers, and acquaintances? The most important thing we can
do is pray for them. Pray that God would change their hearts and open
their eyes (2 Corinthians 4:4) to the truth of the gospel. Pray that God
would convince them of His love for them and their need for salvation
through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Pray for wisdom as to how you can
minister to them (James 1:5). In addition to praying, we must also live
godly Christian lives in front of them, so they can see the change God
has made in our own lives (1 Peter 3:1-2). As Saint Francis of Assisi
once said, “Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use
words.”
Finally, we must be willing and bold in our actual
sharing of the gospel. Proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus
Christ to your friends and family (Romans 10:9-10). Always be prepared
to speak of your faith (1 Peter 3:15), doing so with gentleness and
respect. Ultimately, we must leave the salvation of our loved ones up to
God. It is God's power and grace that saves people, not our efforts. The
best and most we can do is pray for them, witness to them, and live the
Christian life in front of them.
---------------------------
WITNESSING
( ...take 2)
"I think a man's religion is so personal we
shouldn't discuss it."
"I don't like people who are dogmatic and
fanatical about religion. They try to force their views on everybody
they meet."
"Well, I have my own religion, and I'm happy with
it."
Perhaps you have heard comments like these from
someone you know. Or even made them yourself before you became a
believer.
During approximately fifty years of sharing Christ
and training others to do the same, I have found no biblical rationale
to justify fearing those responses as a reason for not witnessing.
In fact, the need for people to hear the Good News
of God's love and forgiveness is a matter of life and death. The writer
of Ecclesiastes observes:
Death is the destiny of every man; the living
should take this to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2).
Man's self-will is characterized by an attitude of
active rebellion or passive indifference. Because of sin, he is by
nature degenerate and corrupt, destitute of God's love, undeserving of
His forgiveness, and so destined to death - eternal separation from God.
But Christ does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to
repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
He placed such a high value on the human soul that
He personally gladly exchanged the perfection of heaven for a life of
poverty, suffering, shame, and death to seek and to save what was lost
(Luke 19:10).
From His earliest youth and throughout His life,
Jesus clearly understood His mission and purpose. His concern for the
lost was so deep that at times the flood of compassionate tears rolled
down His face. Jesus, the manliest of men, wept. Similarly, Paul pleaded
night and day with everyone who would listen to be reconciled to God.
Since then, people of every century and many walks
of life have had a heart of compassion for those who are living apart
from God. Great spiritual leaders such as John Wesley, D. L. Moody, and
Billy Graham dedicated their lives to reaching people with the message
of hope.
When one young missionary who had been sent home
because of illness was asked why he was so eager to get back to his
people, he said, "Because I cannot sleep for thinking about them."
Our Lord has commissioned each of us to share the
Good News and "seek the lost." He said, "Go and make disciples of all
nations"; and "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all
creation" (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). It is our greatest calling, then,
to share the love and forgiveness He has given us with those who have
never received Him as their Savior and Lord.
From my personal experiences and studies of God's
Word, five key concepts have been made clear to me - concepts that
impact the lives of every Christian.
Christ has given a clear command to every
Christian.
Jesus Christ's last command to the Christian
community was to make disciples. This command, which the church calls
the Great Commission, was not intended merely for the eleven remaining
disciples, or just for the apostles, or for those in present times who
may have the gift of evangelism. This command is the responsibility of
every man and woman who professes faith in Christ as Lord.
Men and women are lost without Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the
life. No one comes to the Father, except through me" (John 14:6). God's
Word also reminds us, "There is salvation in no one else! Under all
heaven there is no other name for men to call upon to save them" (Acts
4:12, TLB).
Men and women are truly lost without Jesus Christ.
He is the only way to bridge the gap between man and God. Without Him,
people cannot know God and have no hope of eternal life.
Rather than being "not interested," the people of
the world are truly hungry for the gospel.
One of the greatest misconceptions held by
Christians today is that men and women do not want to know God. But
wherever I go around the world, I find ample proof that just the
opposite is true. The Holy Spirit has created a hunger for God in the
hearts of millions.
I have discovered that at least 25 to 50 percent
of nonbelievers are ready to receive Christ in most parts of the world
if properly approached, one on one, by a trained Spirit-empowered
witness. And I believe that among that number may be some of your own
family members, a neighbor or a co-worker, or a person you do not yet
know to whom God may lead you. They are ready to hear a clear and simple
presentation of the Good News of God's love and forgiveness.
Jesus said, "The fields are ripe unto harvest."
Can we afford to be selfish with the gospel when such overwhelming
evidence shows that so many people are hungry for God? By sharing our
faith in Christ with others, we can help change our world for our Lord.
We Christians have in our possession the greatest
gift available to mankind: God's gift of eternal life, which we received
with Jesus Christ at our spiritual birth (John 3:16).
Christ is risen! We serve a living Savior! He not
only lives within us in all His resurrection power, but He also has
assured us of eternal life. He died on the cross in our place for our
sin, then rose from the dead. We have direct fellowship with God through
Jesus Christ. And this fellowship, this peace, this gift of eternal
life, is available to all who receive Him.
The love of Jesus Christ for us, and our love for
Him, compels us to share Him with others.
Jesus said, "The one who obeys me is the one who
loves me..." (John 14:21, TLB). In other words, He measures our love for
Him by the extent and genuineness of our obedience to Him. As we obey,
He promises He will reveal Himself to us.
Because he loves me, my Father will love him; and
I will too, and I will reveal myself to him (John 14:21, TLB).
What are we to obey? When it comes to witnessing,
we have the specific commandment from Jesus Christ to go into all the
world with the Good News.
Helping to fulfill the Great Commission is both a
duty and a privilege. We witness because we love Christ. We witness
because He loves us. We witness because we want to honor and obey Him.
We witness because He gives us a special love for others.
God wants you to witness because of the benefits
He offers to those who receive Christ:
They become children of God.
Their bodies become temples of God.
All of their sins are forgiven.
They begin to experience the peace and love of
God.
They receive God's direction and purpose for their
lives.
They experience the power of God to change their
lives.
They have assurance of eternal life.
God also wants you to witness because of the
benefits you will receive.
Witnessing will stimulate your spiritual growth,
lead you to pray and study God's Word, and encourage you to depend on
Christ. You will experience the tremendous privilege and honor of
representing Jesus to the world (2 Corinthians 5:20).
The Holy Spirit came to provide the power for you
to do so (Acts 1:8). Wouldn't you like to share with someone else the
most valuable thing you have?
All over the world, I have asked two questions of
Christians, young and old, rich and poor, new Christians and people who
have been believers for more than half a century. I have asked these
questions also of some of the most famous Christians in the world. The
answers are always the same, no matter who I ask.
What is the most important experience of your
life?
"Knowing Christ as my Savior."
What is the most important thing you can do for
another person?
"Help him or her to know Christ."
If you are a Christian, you undoubtedly would give
the same answers to these questions. Yet if you are like the majority of
Christians today, you have never introduced anyone to Christ. But you
would like to do so, and you know in your heart that this is what God
called you to do.
--------------------------
| There is no escaping the fact we as
Christians are expected by God to at least attempt to win others
to Jesus for their forgiveness and salvation. The question and
problem is, how do we go about it? Some people seem to be "a
natural" at it whilst others, like myself admittedly, find it
difficult. We all have different personalities, fears, degrees
of boldness and knowledge. Some of us are naturally diplomatic,
but others have difficulty talking to people about the price of
food without causing offence. There are those that "witness", that is, tell others about salvation through Jesus Christ out of genuine love. Then there are those that do it out of fear because their Pastor or someone has told them they must do it. Some can witness to others in shopping centre car parks whilst others would faint at the thought of even trying that. Many Christians are naturally shy people, and have difficulty telling someone the time, let alone telling them they're going to hell. Others live in a culture where discussing "religious" topics is considered taboo. This is the case here in Australia. In other countries, spiritual matters are often raised in public and debate is commonplace and open. Satan has made many people afraid to witness by bluffing them into believing they will be disliked and abandoned if they do. Satan also welcomes those that do witness, but for the wrong reasons and in a manner that actually puts people off the Gospel. So what's the answer. Well I wish I knew exactly but I don't. I think each of us has to come to our own methods, styles and reasons for witnessing to others about Jesus Christ. I personally for example, am a naturally shy person, who doesn't find it easy like some, to share boldly their faith in Christ. I wish I was more bold. I share my faith primarily from behind a laptop computer which is a bit cowardly really, but there you have it. I try and steer people toward Christ subtly and explain my faith when asked or when the subject comes up, but in reality, that doesn't happen a lot. I pray for those I would like to see saved, and try to say something negative about things that I believe are wrong, if they come up in conversation. In general then, I regard myself as a reasonably poor witness for Jesus Christ. I can only hope that I get better and more bold at it. But I am not going to go around everyday beating myself over the head about it either. I'll pray that God will use me, and more effectively, but I must be truly willing to have God make me a better witness or it just won't happen. ( my 2 cents worth ..... Keygar ) |
-----------------------