And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.
Go you therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you:
and, see, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Matthew 28:18-20
... ye shall be witnesses unto me ... unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8
JESUS' CALLING IS SO VERY CLEAR ...
Our mission and ministry are without question!
Why is it that so many Christians will go through their entire life ...
and never ONCE share the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
In simple terms, witnessing or ministering the gospel means introducing others to Jesus Christ.
Biblically, this is known as evangelism and is the responsibility of all Christians.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit reaching out through believers to win others to repentance ...
from their sin of unbelief and to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
Witnessing is not something we merely do.
It is something we are to BE: Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3:2; Matt 5:14.
Witnessing should never be employed as a mechanism that provokes anger and fuels resistance to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Overcoming the fear to witness effectively, starts with examining our motive. The motive to glorify God cannot be easily discouraged or defeated. Actually, most Christians eventually withdraw when it comes to witnessing due to a motive that conflicts with the will of God.
A wise Christian wants to be a witness that produces fruit - Proverbs 11:30. This requires the right means. We must absolutely depend on the Holy Spirit - Luke 24:48-49 - It is He Who does the work. Why is this so essential? The Holy Spirit is able to convict of sin John 16:8-11, and convey the Truth - John 16:13-15, and He alone can regenerate. John 3:5-8, Titus 3:5-7
We must absolutely depend on the authority of the Word of God. From God's Word, we learn what to say, and how to say what needs to be said.
The Christian can learn from obvious examples of evangelism in the Scriptures.
What are the needs for the Christian who wants to witness...
1. A Life surrendered to Christ Luke 9:23.
2. A Spirit-filled life Ephesians 5:18.
3. Bible knowledge 2 Timothy 2:15.
4. A Prayer life; believing prayer.
5. Faith, and Concern for lost souls.
The Bible provides good pointers also:
1. Deal with your own age and gender when possible.
2. Be gentle, wise, clear, polite, uncompromising. Don't argue.
3. Seek and pray for opportunities, and use them.
4. Rely on the Lord; keep silently praying for His guidance.
5. Work with love and perseverance.
6. Lead directly to a definite acceptance of Christ.
Friendship Evangelism is very effective - Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 2:12 -
Be careful to present an appearance and apparel that is not offensive.
Always show love and kindness. Be a conscientious worker.
People will naturally observe... What we are, What we do, and What we say.
Consider Christ's example: John 4:7-30
Be willing and ready to... Contact, Communicate, Relate, and always Be Relevant.
A Most Important Aspect Of Witnessing is Your Message.
What is the message when witnessing? It is dogmatically presenting Christ as the ONLY answer to: Man's Sin, Death, and Eternal Life.
The most important aspect of witnessing is presenting CHRIST AS THE ULTIMATUM, NOT AN ALTERNATIVE.
This is where the political correctness most often being taught in the world today ... goes right out the window.
Have a chronological plan in presenting the Scriptures.
Remember, It is by God's Word only that one can be saved Romans 10:17.
Example:
Romans 3:23 - Man's Need.
Romans 6:23 - Sin's Penalty.
Romans 5:8 - God's Provision.
Romans 10:9-10 - Man's Response.
Romans 10:13 - God's Response.
THERE IS ONLY ONE THING THAT IS EQUALLY AS IMPORTANT IN GOING TO HEAVEN... THAT'S BRINGING ANOTHER SOUL WITH YOU.
Adapted from Dr. Arthur Belanger; College of the Open Bible; 11/22/2011
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Here is the most valuable wisdom
that I can give you, regarding witnessing:
ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS:
If you do not understand God's Word and how to guide others,
the effectiveness of your witness and mission will be greatly diminished.
The Holy Spirit will witness through you.
The power is in the Holy Spirit and God's Word ...
NOT YOU OR YOUR WORDS.
Ask the person to read the verse out loud.
Next, Ask them: "What is the Lord saying to you, through this verse?"
Now ... you ... listen, let them explain to you what God is saying to them.
This is where the power of God becomes real to them.
Let the seeker ... discover the Truth!
Watch and listen and learn as the Holy Spirit turns on the light to this person's heart and mind.
You need to prod ... and clarify
but listen ... always listen ...
as the Lord and Savior speaks back to you through the seeker.
There are no sweeter words to hear
from another than that they understand the Truth.
Now, Encourage ... another verse.
repeat ... listen ... listen ... prod ... clarify
Watch as He the Creator, the Master, and Savior of all things
breaks down the barriers that are standing in the path of eternity
Obstacles that you or I can't even see, let alone overcome ...
The Messiah through the power of the Holy Spirit and His Word
will bring these obstacles all down in an instant.
Listen ... and watch the miraculous Master.
And you will find; that contrary to the teachings of the world ...
... when God is speaking to a person from His Holy Word,
most especially someone humbly seeking to find eternal salvation ...
the Truth is not hard to understand.
In actuality, to the mind that has been opened by the Holy Spirit,
to the eternal Truth ... It quickly becomes apparent,
God's Word is the only thing that makes any sense at all.
God bless you my friends, Bob
Pulling together family history, there are several instances where there were addendums to wills or pages left with the will that were a testimony, a witness if you will, for remaining family and future generations. Don't wait until then -- witness now.
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