“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, ‘you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
“So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 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.’” [1]
Visiting the little town in which I spent my youth has often proven to be an interesting experience for me. Many of the people I grew up with have long since departed, though some remain. Many people whom I knew as a child have died and a number of others have moved. On one occasion when we were attending services in the church Lynda had attended when she was a child, a woman was present that morning who had known my dad during the days of my childhood. I can’t say that I remembered her from my childhood, but she was familiar with our family. When I introduced myself, she responded, “You look like your dad.”
Lynda has had similar experiences when visiting her hometown. She has told me of instances when going about the routine of life during her visit, some lady would say, “Oh, yes, you are Pat’s daughter,” when she became aware of who Lynda was. My wife bears a striking resemblance to her mother. That a resemblance to a parent is not particularly surprising to most people; we do bear family resemblances that speak of our heritage. Our genetic makeup cannot be concealed.
There is a family resemblance that marks each of us as belonging to our family. More immediately, how we conduct our lives reveals something of the home in which we grew. Though we are not precisely identical to our ancestors, it is not difficult to see the heritage reflected in our visage, and perhaps even in our actions. Through Lynda’s genealogical research, it never ceases to amaze me to learn of my family lineage. For over four hundred years, my ancestors alternated between labouring as Baptist preachers and serving as warriors. Those who know me will know how I was intent on a career as a United States Marine. Then, the Lord turned me around and appointed me to His service among the churches. I was torn between two destinies, and didn’t understand the reason. It was almost as if my DNA fixed the direction of my life. It sometimes feels as if I was compelled to enter service as a Baptist minister by my heritage.
Acts provides a picture of the churches during the critical early days. We can see what a church should look like as well as how discordant churches can appear by studying the portraiture provided in this account. I find it disturbing on occasion that as I look at the picture of that first congregation situated in the midst of a society intent on destroying it, we look quite different from what is presented in the Word. Frankly, a visitor from that day would say, “You don’t look like your picture.”
Comparing the churches of this day with the churches of the New Testament can be a means of encouragement. Seeing those first churches as they are pictured in the pages of the New Testament reminds us why we are here, just as seeing them encourages us to commit ourselves to fulfilling the command of the Risen Son of God. On the other hand, comparing the churches of this day with the churches of the New Testament can be disheartening. We soon realise that we don’t have much resemblance to those congregations of an earlier era. We don’t look like our picture.
THE RIGHT MESSAGE — “You will be MY witnesses…” Sermon series by prominent pastors often appear aimed at improving our lives now—they address low self-esteem, encourage us to live our best life now, or urge us to be nicer than we are at the moment. When one reviews the messages printed in the Gospels or in the Book of Acts, Christ is central. And the apostolic message inevitably pleads with those listening to look to Him. If we want to look like our forebears, we will ensure that our message is right.
All who were gathered in that upper room were filled with the Holy Spirit of the Living God. Peter seized the opportunity of the moment, preaching a message from the Prophet Joel. No doubt, everyone in that crowd was familiar with Joel’s prophecy, but none had ever heard the immediate transition to the explanation that the fulfilment of the prophecy was due to the revelation of Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah.
Listen to Peter as he confronts the crowd. “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it” [ACTS 2:22-24].
There was no possibility of living their best life now or ever—they were sinful creatures in rebellion against the Living God, they couldn’t be good! Those hearing Peter and witnessing all the disciples glorifying God and speaking of His mighty work needed to hear that they were sinful beings guilty of deicide—they had murdered the Son of God! Thus, Peter pointed to the words of the Psalmist, testifying that David wrote of the Christ Who would be crucified and then be raised to life.
The Apostle to the Gentiles testified, “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” [ACTS 2:29-36].
The Apostle’s message confronted those who heard him speaking on that day, exposing the horror that they had rejected the mercies of God in order to exalt themselves. They heard Peter as he compelled them—even against their will—to confront the evil of their self-seeking lives. Then, Peter pointed to the truth that Jesus is the Messiah and that faith in Him delivers from condemnation, bringing those who believe into a right relationship with God.
People within the crowd, perhaps the overwhelming majority, cried out, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter, serving as spokesman for the disciples, pointed to the message that must always characterise apostolic preaching, “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” [ACTS 2:38-39].
The message Peter preached, a message that was echoed by each of those who had been united in prayer in the upper room before the Spirit of God descended, is the same message proclaimed by all who dared stand with the Risen Lord of Glory during those early years. Never forget that the Risen Saviour had commanded those who would follow Him, “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does no believe will be condemned” [MARK 16:15-16]. All who followed the Saviour heard the Master and united in proclaiming this one great message. It is the same message that all followers of Christ, all true Christians, are responsible to proclaim to this day.
We don’t invite people to hear the message proclaimed so that they will become better people, though they will undoubtedly be better people when they believe Christ. We don’t invite people to receive the message of life so that they can live more boldly, though the redeemed people of God will undoubtedly live boldly because they have no fear of death. We invite people to look to Christ because we love Him and seek to honour Him. We are convinced that those without Christ are condemned to eternal separation from God. And we are convinced that Christ does save all who come to Him, receiving Him as Master. We are convinced that Christ is worthy of our best service.
Those first disciples had heard the Master’s instructions commanding them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things” [LUKE 24:46-48]. Having heard His charge, these first followers proclaimed the salvation He offers through faith in Him, just as He had commanded. They took seriously the command that the Risen Lord of Glory had given them. Moreover, they rejoiced in the opportunity to serve Him and to advance His Kingdom. They gladly accepted the responsibility to live godly lives and to serve the Risen Saviour.
We Christians are often guilty of diluting the message we have received until it no longer is recognised as the message given by the Risen Saviour! We are eager to tell people that Jesus can solve their problems; but what if the problems you had before you professed faith are still present after you come to faith? Or worse still, what if those problems are even greater than they were before you professed faith in Christ? Does that mean that Jesus doesn’t care for you, or even that He is incapable of working in your life?
We are unable to see the end from the beginning when it comes to events that occur in our lives. We focus on the immediate without thinking of the eventual. How many people have come to faith because they suffered loss and were compelled to rely on God’s grace and mercy? I experienced a devastating truck crash that destroyed all our household furnishings. All that remained was a crib for our infant daughter; everything else was smashed. Had it not been for that loss, I can only wonder if I would have come to faith in Christ. It was because we were pummelled by events that we were open to hearing the voice of the Saviour calling us. Jesus did not cause the accident, but He was at work during the devastation to draw us to faith in Him.
What if persecution intensifies after a person comes to faith in the Saviour? Does that mean God is unable to protect His child? Jesus warns those who would follow Him, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life” [MARK 10:29-30]. The Family of God is vast, and we are comforted in the knowledge of our place in that great Family. However, with all that God gives, did you note that He allows persecutions to come? Oh, yes, our future is secure in Him, for in the age to come we receive eternal life. Now, however, persecutions are sure to come.
Listen to Jesus as He teaches during His Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” [MATTHEW 5:10-12]. Jesus doesn’t shield those who are thinking of following Him by denying that opposition, together with the inevitable persecution that accompanies opposition, will come. You will be persecuted because you want to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. You will be reviled because you confess Jesus as Master over your life. You will experience others uttering all kinds of evil against you on His account. Just because you are a follower of the Christ is no shield against the wrath of those who are identified with this dying world.
Have you never read the words of the Apostle that teach us, “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” [2 TIMOTHY 3:12-13]. Even the desire to live a godly life in Christ the Lord invites persecution. Those living in this world, even your beloved family members, hate Christ and hate those who serve Him!
As an aside of great significance, don’t bother becoming a follower of the Risen Saviour if you are looking for a problem-free life. Following Christ will be demanding. What you will receive from Christ if you follow Him is the promise of His presence, the forgiveness of sin, the confidence that you are accepted before the Father in the Beloved Son, and the promise of Heaven itself. You receive all this, with persecutions!
We must not imagine that we can induce those who are lost to come to faith under false pretenses. We must caution that following the Saviour demands commitment to Him with no promise of an easy life. God calls us to be righteous and godly despite the dangers of this fallen world. Paul writes the Roman Christians, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,
‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” [ROMANS 8:31-39].
We preach Christ! Paul affirms this message, saying, “We preach Christ crucified” [1 CORINTHIANS 1:23a]! That must be our message as well. If we will reveal our identify with those first churches, we must again declare that Christ alone is able to set us free from death, hell, and the grave. Christians who reveal the divine heritage point to Christ, declaring that He is Master of life, insisting that He alone is worthy to receive praise and honour from all mankind. We don’t preach your best life now. We preach Christ! We don’t preach health and wealth. We preach Christ!
THE RIGHT METHOD — “You will be my witnesses IN JERUSALEM and IN ALL JUDEA and SAMARIA, and TO THE END OF THE EARTH.” The charge was to witness beginning where the disciples were. They were not to cast an eye to some distant land as if to say, “One day I want to go there and tell those people of God’s salvation.” The disciples were to tell those among whom they were then living that Jesus is the Messiah that they had long anticipated. The disciples were charged to tell their neighbours and their families and their friends that God’s salvation is now offered to all who come to Christ as Lord.
Jesus offered, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” [MATTHEW 11:28-30]. This is an offer that is extended to all people to this day.
And how are people to know that Jesus will receive them if they are not told. Have we never heard the words of the Apostle as he applies the message of life? “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” [ROMANS 10:14-17].
Well, how are we to witness? Are there particular steps we should take if we will be competent witnesses? For years, I taught church members various methods for initiating a conversation with others that would hopefully lead to an opportunity to witness. I taught people to travel the Romans Road, and I taught people to use the Four Spiritual Laws and the Gospel ABCs, just as I taught people to use other methods that would hopefully lead to an opportunity to witness. I don’t do that so much any longer. It is not that having some idea of how to direct an individual to look to Christ is futile—it is wise to prepare beforehand. Having an idea of how to initiate a conversation concerning one’s relationship to Christ is wise. However, the reason I’m somewhat more hesitant to teach Christians to use a script is that we are individuals. We must approach people where they are and we must use our own voice. To be sure, we are to be led by the Spirit of God, and we are to trust that He will guide us; but we must be ourselves.
I heard of a barber that was trained in one of the techniques that is often employed as a means of leading to an opportunity to witness. The barber was extremely shy, and consequently, he was very nervous about opening a conversation. He had prayed all weekend that God would give him courage and the opportunity to have a conversation with someone during the coming week. As it happened, his first customer on Monday morning was a man who was known as being notoriously rough and profane. The man settled into the barber chair and requested a shave and a haircut.
The haircut proceeded as expected, and the barber was praying the whole time, asking God for courage to speak to the man about Christ. He lathered the man’s face in silence, whetted the razor on the strop, tilted the man’s chin back and rested the razor near the man’s neck. At last, screwing up enough courage to speak, lifting the man’s chin as he held the razor poised next to the neck, the shy barber asked that notorious man, “If you died today, would you go to Heaven.” It might not have been the best question to ask at that particular moment.
I am intrigued that the Bible does not provide us with a script for initiating a conversation concerning presenting Christ as Lord. The Spirit-filled saints energised on the Day of Pentecost were telling “the mighty works of God” [see ACTS 2:11].
After Peter and John had given the gift of limbs that could again carry a lame man, the Big Fisherman simply seized the opportunity of the amazement expressed by those witnessing the power of God, telling all that it was the Risen Jesus who had given the former cripple the ability to walk, leap and run [see ACTS 3:12 ff.].
Later, when these two Apostles were haled into a kangaroo court, they saw the questions they were being asked as opportunity to tell all who were present that it was the very Jesus whom that same body had condemned to death who not only gave healing but who was willing to provide salvation to any who would look to Him [see ACTS 4:8-12].
Stephen saw the threat of death as an opportunity to tell an angered mob that it was the Son of God Who would give salvation to any who called on Him [see ACTS 7:2 ff.].
Philip publicly proclaimed the Christ in Samaria, and those who heard him believed as the Spirit of God empowered his words [see ACTS 8:5-7].
Then, directed by the Spirit of God to go into the desert where he encountered a court official from Ethiopia who was reading the Scriptures, Philip simply asked if the man understood what he was reading. When he was told that the man couldn’t understand what he was reading unless someone provided guidance, Philip pointed him to the Risen Lord of Glory [see ACTS 8:29-38].
What we are seeing in these multiple examples, and what we will see throughout the remainder of the account of those early congregations as the Faith spread across the Empire, is that there was not one method with which the early Christians initiated a Gospel conversation. Christians guided by the Spirit of Christ were willing to seize the moment in order to tell others what they knew to be true concerning Jesus the Risen Son of God were the means of spreading the message of life. They realised that whatever happened, the Spirit of Christ was able to use that moment to capture the attention of those near the follower of Christ.
Just so, wherever you happen to be, and whatever is taking place where you are, God’s Spirit will guide you in how you are to speak, even giving you precisely what is required at that moment. Isn’t that what we see when Jesus says, “When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” [LUKE 12:11-12]. We who follow the Christ have received a promise that the Spirit Himself will teach us what we are to say!
In Luke’s account of the growth of the early churches, we read of the impact of witnessing throughout a region. In the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Acts, we read, “[Paul] entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God. But when some became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus. This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” [ACTS 19:8-10].
Paul didn’t move from Ephesus to evangelise the entire countryside. Rather, he confined his service to one location—first in the synagogue located in Ephesus, and then, when opposition grew intense, moving to the hall of Tyrannus. Teaching the Word of God, people were coming to faith in the Son of God, and then they were learning of the truths of the Word as they were taught. Those who were taught then told others, who in turn told yet others, until within two years “all the residents of [the province of] Asia heard the Word of the Lord.” People told people of the Christ.
Something like that should be taking place here. As people hear the teaching of the Word, they are being equipped to tell others of the things of God. As we tell others what we know to be true, the Word of Life spreads until all living in the Peace Region will have soon heard the Word. One person does not do it, but all of us together unite to tell those with whom we come in contact until everyone has heard the message of life.
It may sound shocking, but it is not our responsibility to save people. It is our responsibility to ensure that everyone has opportunity to hear the Word of the Lord. Christ’s Spirit, working in the life of those who hear the message of life, will bring some to faith in the Son of God. Our responsibility is to declare the message of life, just as the Lord has charged us when He commanded, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:18-20]. Going about our daily business, we are to disciple others by telling them what we know to be true. Then, when others are discipled, we are to bring them into the fellowship of the assembly where they will be taught the whole counsel of God.
The right method for evangelising is that the witness of the grace of our Lord must be guided by the Spirit of God—the very Spirit Whom the Lord has given to each individual who is twice-born. Then, because we are guided by the Spirit of Christ, we will seize the opportunity God provides to point those whom we encounter to look to Jesus as the Risen Lord of Glory.
It is obvious that we are to be witnesses both from the commands and the examples provided in Scripture and from the knowledge that we possess the message of life. Much like the lepers who discovered that the Syrian army had fled after besieging Samaria. The city was locked up by the Syrians, when Elisha delivered the message of the Lord GOD. Though the city was then starving, the man of God prophesied, “Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria” [2 KINGS 7:1].
The prophecy was so wildly different from the situation which the city was then experiencing, that the powerful could not possibly believe that such was possible. Because of the extended siege, there was a severe famine in the city. It is at this point that we are introduced to four lepers. Here is the story as related in 2 KINGS 7:3-8. “Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, ‘Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, “Let us enter the city,” the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die.’ So they arose at twilight to go to the camp of the Syrians. But when they came to the edge of the camp of the Syrians, behold, there was no one there. For the Lord had made the army of the Syrians hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, ‘Behold, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to come against us.’ So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives. And when these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them.”
It is quite a delightful story, but it is the fact that the lepers were smitten by an attack of conscience, saying to one another, “We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news. If we are silent and wait until the morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come; let us go and tell the king’s household” [2 KINGS 7:9]. The very knowledge that we are delivered impels us to tell others of God’s mercy. The knowledge that we have received grace imposes on us responsibility to tell others.
The Apostle Paul was a powerful witness, as you well know. Some may assume that he preached the message of Christ for a reward, but they would be wrong if they made such an assumption. Paul argued that the very fact that he was a recipient of grace compelled him to preach as he did. Paul has written, “I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship” [1 CORINTHIANS 9:15-17]. The model provided is that we declare the message of Christ the Lord, freely offering the gift of life, expecting nothing in return. We serve Christ the Risen Lord of Glory.
As the disciples set out during the days of Christ’s ministry in Judea, Jesus commanded them, “Proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay’” [MATTHEW 10:7-8].
Our witnessing is to be offered freely, without cost! Moreover, our witnessing must begin in Jerusalem—our Jerusalem. I don’t want anyone to imagine that you and I must move to Israel, settling in the city of Jerusalem. I do mean that we are responsible as followers of the Risen Lord of Glory to witness where we are, telling others of His grace and mercy. Those with whom we have daily contact, whether in our home or whether speaking with those living in our community, whether through our work or because we share a friendship, these constitute our Jerusalem.
You have a business, you must reveal the grace of God both by telling others of His mercy as He gives opportunity and through the manner in which you conduct your business. And those who work for you, or those who work with you, need to hear the love of Christ revealed as you speak with them of His great salvation. Christ has charged you to tell them of His great salvation. If you do not tell them, who will? Each of us has a circle of friends; we are obligated to tell our friends of Jesus who saves. Where you live is your Jerusalem, and it is there you are to begin to point others to Christ the Lord. Your Jerusalem is where you live. The point must not be ignored.
Your Judea is that broader society in which you move day-by-day. For most of us, our Judea is the Peace Region, or perhaps it is British Columbia, and possibly Alberta. It is possible that our Judea consists of the nation of Canada, if our work takes us throughout the nation each day. We meet people on an ongoing basis as we go about our daily business; and among those with whom we interact are many who are lost. They have struggles and trials which are not always known to us, but as we reveal the love of Christ, some will ask us why we have hope in the face of hopelessness. Peter admonishes us as followers of the Christ, “In your hearts honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” [1 PETER 3:15]. You won’t need to look for someone to tell about the Saviour. Make Christ king of your life and the needy will come to you seeking an answer for why you are different. And when they ask, God’s Spirit will enable you to speak with power.
THE RIGHT MINDSET — “You will be my WITNESSES…” If you are a follower of the
Christ, you will not be content with being merely a member of a church—you will understand that you are a witness to Christ’s power to save. Your life serves as a trophy of God’s grace, and others see you in that light. You are the only Bible that some will ever know! Those who know you know that you are a Christian, that you go to the house of the Lord to gather with other saints each Sunday. They know that you read the Word of God and that you accept it as authoritative for faith and practise. They know that God is real because they witness Him at work in your life. They know this because you are a witness testifying to the power of Christ and testifying of His grace and mercy.
It is a tragic truth that many contemporary Christians, perhaps even most Christians today, believe that warming a pew is a spiritual gift. However, we are saved to serve. Each individual who is born from above has received the Holy Spirit of God Who lives in their life; and God’s Spirit has gifted each follower of Christ with some spiritual gift meant to equip him or her to do the work of Christ on this earth.
Paul instructs us that the Spirit Christ has given is given so that we will be equipped to build up one another, to encourage one another and to console one another. Building the church begins with fulfilling the command to turn others to righteousness. As I’ve already said, some see your life and wonder at what is happening because of the manner in which you live. This is the basis for Peter’s instruction to all who follow Christ, “Who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” [1 PETER 3:13-16].
People about you do notice your life, and especially if you have openly confessed your faith in Christ the Lord. Coupled with your testimony of grace or combined with a gentle admonition to look to Christ, your presence is a powerful instrument when directed by the Spirit of Christ. You will become a means by which God brings some to faith, and that is not an inconsequential act. This is nothing less than a practical application of Paul’s admonition to us as Christians, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” [COLOSSIANS 3:17].
So, as followers of the Risen Saviour, we are witnesses. We use our voice to glorify the Lord and to point the lost to life in Him. We use our life to reveal the glory of God at work in us as His servants. Billy Graham is reported to have said in a sermon, “If you’re not going to go everywhere to preach, it makes no sense to preach everywhere you go.” He is correct in that statement.
The message was directed to those who have been twice-born, those who are redeemed through faith in the Son of God. These are the people who have heard the message of life, how Jesus provided His life as a sacrifice and how He was buried. They know that He did not remain in the tomb, but He was raised to life and after forty days He ascended into Heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. Knowing this truth, we Christians are those who called on the Name of the Lord. We believe that He died for us and that He was raised to give us justification before the Father. The question is, have you believed this message yourself? Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
