Whose witness are you?

Key verse(s)/quote(s):

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” - Usual Suspects (1995 move release)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”  - 1 Peter 2:9

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” - 1 Peter 3:15-16

Key takeaway(s):

1. The church is in the business of disciple making.
2. Never let the primary cause of Christ become the secondary purpose of His church or His people.
3. Goal is not to bring people to “church” but rather to Christ.

Overview:

If one was to witness a crime, such as stealing, and yet did not come forward to provide their eye witness account in a court of law - what would we think of them? If we knew of someone who observed a heinous act such as rape and when asked to speak against the culprit in judicial proceedings they shirked their duties as a citizen in fear of retribution - what would we think of them? Even worse, what if the lack of testimony allowed the criminal to perpetrate the crime again and perhaps even against a loved one of yours - what would you think and feel about the cowardly and irresponsible actions of the one who put themselves above the greater good? Perhaps a more apt scenario is that of a burgeoning plague that is multiplying in effect as it traverses the land killing thousands of men, women, and children and only a select few have been gifted with knowledge of the cure. What if these elect, if you will afford them this title, did not share this antidote with others due to fear, apathy, or lack of urgency - how would you feel about this woefully irresponsible inaction with the stakes being life and death?

With this mindset we must understand the charge we have to be soldiers for Christ (2 Timothy 2:4, Ephesians 6:10-18), to be ambassadors of His kingdom (2 Corinthians 5:20), and ministers of reconciliation to the world (2 Corinthians 5:18). For just a moment, let us put aside this undeniable mandate for Christians as a task laid out by God. As Christians who know and have tasted the amazing grace that God has bestowed us with, how can we not feel compelled to share this with others? Beyond the dutiful nature of the task, shouldn’t we naturally and obsessively feel an inner zeal resulting in an outward expression of passionate loving desperation to share who the one true triune God is and what He has done and continues to do?

At this stage, I must apologize for the onslaught of questions but these continue to come across my mind as I am often perplexed by the lack of Christian witnessing. It is immensely illogical, tremendously insensitive, and most disconcerting as this may be the most accurate gauge of one’s spiritual health – perhaps if one lacks witness they lack faith and a real relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. After all, should we so easily let Satan cloud the reality of the world and numb our souls, turn deaf our ears and blind our eyes to hear the silent cries of the world and observe the urgent needs of those around us?

I remain indebted to the Lord for His provision of saints in my life that, through a sincere life witness, opened my eyes to what may lay behind their unique disposition. Something was different with these three people I met in high school and it was them that God used to grab my attention and soften my heart to this character named Jesus Christ. I encourage you all, as Christians, to never forget the subtle yet powerful way God can use the unspoken witness you express 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Beyond this silent witness, I have come to know many brothers and sisters who have embraced the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) in an equally important and more obvious yet challenging way - spoken witnessing. They engage in the great task of disciple making and are inspired by the apostles’ methods of gospel proclamation. This type of direct witnessing is fraught with potential concerns in relation to political correctness, emotional sensitivity and fear of rejection or the faith challenging questions that are sure to come. Yet this direct presentation of the gospel remains mandatory as part of the Christian witness. One cannot and must not resort to being a silent witness and forsake the soul-saving Gospel that can only be dispensed and defended by the power of the Word.

We must always remind ourselves that we cannot divorce the 2 types of witnessing from each other. Each method is distinct and yet is also required in determining the effectiveness of our testimony. Using mathematical terms, they both serve as variables in the witnessing task that is founded upon a multiplication equation (unspoken witness x spoken witness = effectiveness of witnessing). This is an elementary concept only presented in such a way that we continually remember what our effectiveness hinges upon. For example, if one were to live a life fully congruent and reflective of the Christian worldview (unspoken witness = 10 out of 10) and yet they never presented the Gospel verbally to those around them and did not clearly explain the sin and Saviour paradigm (spoken witness = 0 out of 10); we end up with a zero effectiveness (10×0=0) of witnessing because God wasn’t proclaimed. Conversely, one can talk all they want about God and if they live a corrupt immoral life it can completely negate the perceived legitimacy of the Gospel.

In closing and as a reminder, although we must understand the responsibility of witnessing rests with us, we must not esteem ourselves highly as God remains sovereign over both the ends and means of salvation. And He can call whomever He wishes however He wishes using whomever or whatever He wishes to accomplish all His purposes - as the Father draws His elect to His Son (John 6:44, Ephesians 1:5).

Suggested Reading(s): B = Basic, M = Moderate, A = Academic

• Torrey, R. A. How to Work for Christ a Compendium of Effective Methods. Chicago; New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1901. (M)
• Day, Colin A. Collins Thesaurus of the Bible, 2009. (M)

TiS Media:

• Presentation with Audio/Video

• Presentation Slides

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