Personal and Corporate Witnessing
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· 19 viewsAs individual enter the chuch and become members, we should be careful to show them that they have now been instructed to become fishers of men themselves. How can we train and employ new members to be young evangelists?
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Transcript
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Social
Discipleship
Baptism
Discipline New Members
Fishers of Men
The Dangers of the Pastor
The Dangers of the Pastor
Perhaps nothing has had a more crippling effect upon the mission of the church than the idea that sharing Bible truth with others is the job of the paid clergy, or of only a few “gifted” lay people.
Paid Professionals
Evangelism
Witness
Soul Winning
“We have not settled our ministers over churches as pastors to any large extent. In some of the very large churches we have elected pastors, but as a rule we have held ourselves ready for field service, evangelistic work and our brethren and sisters have held themselves ready to maintain their church services and carry forward their church work without settled pastors. And I hope this will never cease to be the order of affiars in this denomination; for when we cease our forward movement work and begin to settle over our churches, to stay by them, and do their thinking and their praying and their work that is to be done, then our churches will begin to weaken, and to lose their life and spirit, and become paralyzed and fossilized and our work will be on a retreat.” A.G. Daniells in an address to a ministerial institute in Los Angeles, California, in March, 1912.
Witnessing is not a spiritual gift.
Witnessing is not a spiritual gift.
Every Christian
should be witnessing.
When calling first disciples,
Jesus made promise:
And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
If we have chosen
to become His disciples
then we have chosen
to become fishers of men
Key Passage
Jesus talking to
woman at the well.
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
The gospel is transformational
Woman debates
The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”
Fighting conviction with debate
Jesus answers:
John 4:13–14 (ESV)
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again...
This water
that Jesus has
will change your life
forever!
nothing else compares.
Jesus continues:
John 4:14 (ESV)
… The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
What happens?
the person who
takes Jesus water...
becomes a water fountain for others!
One minute
you are receiving
drinking at fountain
Next minute,
you are a fountain
other drinking from you.
No sooner is one converted than there is born within him a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus.
— Desire of Ages, p. 141
Greatest gift to give
to new convert (or old)
teach them
calling of mission.
David said same
Psalm of forgiveness
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
If you
forgive
restore
transform
me.
I’ll be
greatest witness
of transformation.
for others.
Jesus said about his disciples:
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.”
What is a witness?
comes from court
to testify about case.
The key to witnessing
you must talk!!!
People say:
I witness by smiling to people and holding the door open.
Being polite and loving
is important...
But by itself
misses the mark.
Witnesses testify about
their experience
the truth
for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
If you only smile
and are kind
but never say anything...
You are not a witness..
Jesus,
speaking to disciples:
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
To “preach the gospel”
refers not merely to
preaching pulpit,
but, proclaiming God’s Word
whether publicly
or personally.
In Acts all church members
Acts 8:4 (ESV)
… went about preaching the word.
Not just pastors
not just elders
not those with that gift
All believers
proclaimed the word!
The Hindrances:
Lack of experience,
Poor memory,
Introverted personality
Fear of failure
We may forget
it wasn’t easy for
original disciples.
They were fishermen
not seminary graduates!
They were also scared
But what did they do?
they prayed for boldness!
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
We have objection
Mostly Fear
Fear of rejection.
We need motivation:
Two great motivators
Fear
Love
Jesus chose love:
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Motivated by love
compassion
heart roused
Jesus continues
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
People are there
they want truth
Problem
not enough workers.
not enough compassion
for the lost
Speaking to Pastors
instructed to:
Christian Service Chapter 7—Co-operation of Ministers and Laymen
Help all to see that as receivers of the grace of Christ they are under obligation to work for Him. And let all be taught how to work. Especially should those who are newly come to the faith be educated to become laborers together with God.—Testimonies for the Church 9:82.
Gospel work not
just a good idea
just a privilege
But
obligation.
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.
Paul said:
“obligation”
not optional
Why
because we are
Christians
Like-Christ
When filled with Jesus
we do like Jesus
Jesus changed my life
I have to share that!
Prophet Jeremiah
told to be quite
stop speaking truth
His response:
If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
Jeremiah can’t keep silent
Those fill with Jesus love
Can’t Keep Silent!!!
After Jesus death
disciple preaching
threatened...
stop preaching
or else...
Their response:
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Breaks my heart
to think.
All 12 apostles
faced martyrdom
gave their life to preach
Yet we,
struggle to find time...
Something is wrong...
Fringe Benefits
Fringe Benefits
Witnessing is not
all hardship
no joys.
There are many
“Fringe Benefits”
to this job.
Joy of Seeing Souls Saved
Development of Spirituality and Devotion
Increased Knowledge of the Truth
Strength to Resist Evil
Development of Christ-like Character
Fitness for Heaven
Growth in Spirituality
Joy of Seeing Souls Saved
Joy of Seeing Souls Saved
True reward of this life
Development of Spirituality and Devotion
Development of Spirituality and Devotion
We grow personally
Increased Knowledge of the Truth
Increased Knowledge of the Truth
Learning by Teaching
Orienteering
Strength to Resist Evil
Strength to Resist Evil
“Strength to resist evil is best gained by aggressive service” (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 105).
Development of Christ-like Character
Development of Christ-like Character
Question:
Do you want to be like Jesus?
“In order for us to develop a character like Christ’s, we must share in His work” — The Desire of Ages, p. 142
Fitness for Heaven
Fitness for Heaven
In helping other
to be ready for Christ
we are made ready.
“Those who reject the privilege of fellowship with Christ in service, reject the only training that imparts a fitness for participation with Him in glory” Education, p. 264
Growth in Spirituality
Growth in Spirituality
“Let ministers teach church members that in order to grow in spirituality, they must carry the burden that the Lord has laid upon them—the burden of leading souls into the truth” Christian Service, p. 69
Conclusion
Conclusion
There is no greater work.
No more fulfilling work.
No more urgent work.
No more eternal work.
Than the work of soul saving.
God commanded that we focus our efforts on this work.
Matthew 28:19–20 (ESV)
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...
But He left us with a great promise:
last sentence:
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
... And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
God will bless this work!
Appeal
Appeal
Share your testimony of what God has done for you.
Distribute truth-filled tracts and literature.
Distribute DVDs on Bible prophecy.
Study a weekly series of Bible lessons with someone.
Host a weekly small group Bible study or DVD viewing in your home.