Witness Series

WITNESS

In 1965 lyricist Hal David and music composer Burt Bacharach teamed up to write a song which was recorded and released and quickly rose to #7 on the US charts. The title of that song was “What the world needs now is love.” The lyrics were very simple, “What the world needs now is love sweet love, it’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love sweet love, no not just for some but for everyone.” The world needs love, but not the kind of love the world offers. It needs real love. Agape love. What it really needs is the author of love, because the only way to attain this love is through Jesus. The better song might be, “What the world needs now is Jesus sweet Jesus. He’s the only thing that there’s just too little of, and no not just for some, but for everyone.” The world needs Jesus. In order to find Jesus it needs people who are willing to share Jesus.

We are continuing in our series Authentic Faith. A few weeks ago we talked about love. Last week we talked about the fact that giving flows out of love. Today I want to talk about something else that flows out of love, and that is witness. If you truly love someone, you want what is best for them.

There is an old TV Ad that was part of the "Don't Almost Give" campaign. One ad shows a man in a wheelchair sitting looking up a flight of steps. The narrator says, "This man almost learned to walk at a rehab center that almost got built by people who almost gave money." After a pause the narrator continues, "Almost gave. How good is almost giving? About as good as almost walking."

Another ad shows a homeless man curled up in a ball atop a pile of rags. He is covered with a ratty bed sheet. The narrator begins, "This is Jack Thomas. Today someone almost bought Jack something to eat. Someone almost brought him to a shelter. Someone almost gave him a warm blanket." Then after a pause the narrator drives his point home, "And Jack Thomas? Well, he almost made it through the night." If you love someone, you help them. That is true of witnessing. How good is almost witnessing? Well, I wanted to say something but decided not to…

John 20:19-22 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."

A few weeks ago was Canada Day. I had the opportunity to speak online to the South Asian Congregation. Their kids have made a little video, saying how much they loved Canada and how important it was to now live in a free nation. I was thinking to myself, “Canada is free, but for how much longer?” My ancestors came to Canada in 1783 – almost 240 years ago. They fought in the war of 1812. I have a grandfather that fought for Canada in the First World War. I have uncles that fought for Canada in the Second World War. This freedom that we value as a nation was not free.

We are seeing our nation changing quickly. We are loosing our freedoms, not to a foreign power but to radical ideologies from within. The Christian heritage that this nation was built upon is being eroded and replaced by humanism. We are still free for now to share our faith, but so often we don’t.

God has called us to be His witnesses on earth. He has called us to be light and salt. He is sending us to take His message of hope and love, starting where we live and going out to the very ends of the earth. Are we doing it? Is it a priority in our lives? Is this function the foundation of our life, or have re reduced faith to only an individual thing?

What does Authentic Faith look like? It is a faith that is shared with others. It is a faith that is given. I want to say 3 things about the verse we read this morning;

1. The Example

In verse 21 Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me …”

To be a Christian literally means to be a little Christ. To be an imitator of Jesus. Jesus wants us to follow His example, to do what He did. It says in this verse that Jesus is sending us as the father sent Jesus. So how was Jesus sent? God’s plan of salvation has been seen throughout the bible. We see it from the very beginning. Adam and Eve sinned and all creation fell as a result of that sin. But right from the beginning, God had a plan to redeem His creation;