Hello church.
At the end of last Sunday's service, I mentioned that I wanted our church to examine a particular topic from the Word: becoming a witness and sharing your faith. As Sister Uma said during our worship, our purpose is to "know Him and to make Him known". This is a saying that has touched me deeply since I first heard it from Christian organizations like Operation Mobilization and YWAM. Too often, we focus on the first part—knowing Him—and forget the second part—making Him known.
This morning, I want to talk about the concept of a dichotomy. A dichotomy is a break or conflict between what we believe and what we actually practice. I'm not here to condemn anyone, but to encourage us to learn together how to be witnesses for the Lord. We've all heard of the Great Commission, which refers to the final instructions Jesus gave to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20 . This command, to "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations," wasn't something we came up with; it was the Lord's final instruction to us.
We often say we believe that Jesus Christ died for us, rose again, and gave us this message, yet we hide it. We might feel it's safer to only talk about Christ with other Christians. But God wants us to share our faith, even when there's no persecution. While some Christians face unimaginable persecution in other parts of the world , we have the freedom to share the gospel here.
Witnessing vs. Evangelism
I want us to use the word "witness" more than "evangelism," because evangelism can sound scary. Instead, I want you to think of a witness from a legal perspective. A witness simply comes and speaks about what they have seen and personally experienced. We don't have to be perfect or memorize a long message. We can start by sharing our personal story of what Jesus means to us.
We're not trying to make converts and then disciples; we're helping people enter into a relationship with Christ. The gospel is a message about the King and His kingdom, a shift from being our own masters to living under His rule .
A lifestyle of witnessing is a call to each of us, not just a few people. This lifestyle of sharing our faith is not a switch we turn on and off. It's something we live every waking moment.
The Lifestyle of Witnessing
This lifestyle of evangelism will be:
Birthed with prayer: It all begins with prayer.
Realized through relationships: It's often through one-on-one relationships that God reaches people. People can see your life, so it's important that your actions align with your message.
Done outside of Sunday church: Our Sunday services are for fellowship, worship, and edification. God reaches people primarily through individual interactions outside of these services.
Practiced as a lifestyle: It's not something you do on a specific day; it’s an ongoing part of your life.
Taking Action
The gospel is the "power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes". As Romans 1:16 says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes, first to the Jew and then to the Greek". If we are not ashamed of this gospel, we should be people who get this message out. It's a "good news" that needs to be told to people who have never heard it or understood it.
I'd like to end with four actions for all of us to take:
Write down three names: I want you to write down the names of three people you know in your immediate circle—friends, colleagues, relatives, or neighbors—that you want to see come to know the Lord.
Pray for them daily: Commit to praying for them every day and ask God to open opportunities for you to speak with them. Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, not us.
Be kind to them: Love them without expecting anything in return. Our fear of sharing often comes from a lack of love or disbelief .
Be sensitive to them: Ask them if you can pray for them if they have a need. This is a great starting point, even with strangers.
Let's pray that God will motivate our hearts and help us grow into a lifestyle of witnessing. The power of God is at work within us, and He is able to change us so we can share boldly.