Definition of a witness:
One that gives evidence; proof
One who can attest to the fact or event
one who has personal knowledge of something
something serving as evidence or proof
Synonym is TESTIMONY
In the New Testament, the word "witness" is derived from the various forms of the Greek word martus, which means "record," "report," "evidence given" or "testimony."
In the Bible, a witness is basically someone who sees something amazing or important. If this person begins to share what they’ve seen, we call this “bearing witness.” It’s a simple word, but being a witness carries a lot of responsibility!
In the Bible, the word “witness” is used to describe both a person and an action—someone who sees something and then talks about what they’ve seen.
Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Acts 1:8 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.”
Acts 22:15 for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
Philippians 2:15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
John 15:8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
This lesson has two parts….when we talk about renewing our witness I want to talk about witnessing to the lost….that is something I know we all need to work….we must be able to articulate the Gospel...that can be so hard and intimidating...and as hard as it is to witness to strangers, it is even harder to witness to people we love and have a relationship with….and we also need to remember that how we act around the lost matters probably more than our words….because once you profess Christ...once that info is out there, it is on like Donkey Kong!
And the second part that I want to focus on is our witness to each other…usually when I think of witnessing, I think of witnessing to the lost...but I have come to realize that my witness to my believing people matters too...as important as it is for me to share my faith with the lost, it is equally important for me to share my faith and what the Lord is doing in my life to other believers...
Rusty taught us these 4 questions that have helped me so much:
- Who is God?? He is holy, just, and merciful
- Who am I?? I am not holy...I am sinner
- What did Christ do for me?? Died, He took my place….before he died, He lived a perfect life in a sin ridden world….He taught us and He left us an example oh how we should live.
- What does He require of me?? That I trust Him, repent, and follow Him.
God is clear in His Word. We are to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). And the older I get, the more I realize this is a command and not a suggestion—and it is something I need to do better at….it’s something we need to be intentional about.
And as intentional as we need to be with our words….with how we verbalize the Gospel to the lost….we need to be just as intentional with how we act and talk around our believing friends… when we profess to be a Christain...to be a child of God we are held to a higher standard….we are being watched….I am watching you….I am looking to my brothers and sisters in Christ to see how they handle things….the quarantine, the riots, sickness, how you handle your kids and your parents and your boss….are you a chick fil a Christian or a Popeyes Christian?? You know what I mean. For Chick Fil A, it is their pleasure to serve you. Popeyes so many times run out of chicken!!!!!!! How we respond to frustration, annoyances, difficulties, and temptations MATTERS to our brothers and sisters in Christ….We never want to misrepresent Christ to the lost, to our children, to our co-workers, to our friends...we actually should be striving to do the opposite….
So how do we make sure we are being a good witness to the lost as well as to other believers…
We must stay in the Word….
Psalm 1:1-2, “Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
We must have Scripture in our hearts….we must have Scripture memorized…..the more we know Scriptures and the Promises of the God and the stories from the old and new testament the better we will be able to view our situations from God’s perspective and know how Christ would have us respond.
We must pray without ceasing….may that be our immediate response….may our sisters in Christ know we pray first….may it be said of me that I was a prayer warrior!!
Philippians 4:6-7, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
When we bring our concerns to God, HIS peace will guard our hearts and mind….this is a powerful witness to a watching world...and to our brothers and sisters in Christ.
We must trust and obey….
Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield;
in him my heart trusts, and I am helped;
my heart exults,
and with my song I give thanks to him.”
John 14:23 “Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.”
We MUST rely on the promises of God...may we let our peace and confidence that comes from Christ speak volumes to those who are consumed with fear and anxiety….we must live like we trust God’s sovereignty….we must live like this is not our home...we must live like we know in the depths of our soul that in Christ alone our hope is found...our hurting brothers and sisters, whether they are lost or saved need to see us trusting when we don't understand….they need to see us obeying when it’s hard….obeying when it goes against the norm….obeying when we don't understand…..
We need to remember who we are….Romans 6:6, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—”.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
We belong to God and have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ…think about this…. OUR LIVES ARE A DISPLAY OF GOD’S GRACE!!! WOW JUST WOW!! And that means that our character, our conduct, our conversations….should always reflect Christ!! Brutal….but guess what!! They don’t because this side of Heaven we will mess us and sin….but do you know what else is a beautiful witness...to the lost and to the saved….when we are real and transparent...and raw when we mess us….we own it...we admit our need for Christ and His forgiveness...we ask for prayer when we fall short….we share our struggles with our brothers and sisters….we are honest about our struggles and our need for a Savior!! Nothing strengthens more than when I see a hurting sister seeking the Lord and receiving His grace. We need to be gracious and kind...
Ephesians 4:32, “ Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
by putting others first...by not letting our own struggles affect how we treat others...when we are hurting, let’s look for ways to serve others….look for ways to pour out grace...our own aggravations and problems are what Christ will use to point people to Him...our response to our own situations can change peoples lives IF we reflect the love of Jesus.
Verses to think about
1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Ephesians 4: 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
Colossians 3:2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
James 1:19, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”
Isaiah 12:2, “ “Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”.....What an amazing verse to live by as we live our lives for Christ...as we live our lives with an eternal perspective...this is a fallen world and we desperately need to be a light...to the lost but also to our brothers and sisters in Christ...we need to be an encouragement, and example of what it looks like when we fail and fall but then get back up BY HIS GRACE!!!!
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