Word For The Day: Being A Witness
We are called to be Christ’s witnesses (Acts 1:8). To be a witness for Christ means to testify that Christ is who he said he is. It is to give an eyewitness account of the truth. John described it this way:
1 John 1:2-3
2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you so that you too may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Our evangelism is likened to a farmer who plants seeds and carefully waters that seed. Likewise, we plant and water, but it is God that gives the increase. We might have the joy of reaping the fruit, but God alone brings the fruit from gospel work to maturity in a person’s heart.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.
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We must not judge our evangelism by counting the number of converts we have led to Christ. Some faithful evangelists labor for years without seeing a convert. But, we must also not grow content with non-results. We are not content with never catching any fish when fishing (Lk. 5.4-11) nor at having empty seats at God’s kingdom banquet (Lk. 14.15-24).
Do you have evangelistic passion and zeal? Have you ever pleaded for lost people in prayer with deep sorrow like Paul and Jesus? Have you ever wept over the lost?
We must not make the mistake of thinking that evangelism is a type of meeting, literature, appeal, or Bible passage used. We must evaluate our evangelism by the question, “What truth has been communicated?”
Note Paul’s method of evangelism with King Agrippa (Acts 26.16-29).
- He focuses on the fulfillment of Scripture and Christ’s death and resurrection.
- He speaks to Agrippa’s conscience.
This is the same method we all must embrace. Here are two action steps you can take to obey God’s command to be His witnesses:
- Make a list of a few people that God has burdened you for, and begin to pray every day for their salvation.
- Review the Scripture passages from Tuesday’s Word and prepare to speak gospel truth to someone today.
We are called to be His witnesses! Pray, prepare, and speak the gospel to someone today!
Pastor Phil