You Are A Witness For Christ
"After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you!" 1Thessalonians 2:19 (NLT)
When life is over and we stand in the presence of our Lord Jesus on judgment day. You, Thessalonians will be our source of glory and joy. How? Because there is a crown that will be given on judgment day and it is given to those who lead others to Christ. So he says you will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus. Let me ask you this morning when the Lord Jesus returns who will be your reward. Who can you point to that they will be your proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus? If you can point to someone like Paul and his compatriots did, then you must be engaged in winning a soul for the Lord.
Soul winning is bringing a lost soul (Luke 19:10) or dead soul (Ephesians 2:1) into a relationship with Christ so that he/she can know Jesus as his/her savior and Lord.
God’s method of preparing the way for a soul to be saved or won is witnessing.
Not everyone witnessed will be saved or won for Christ, but we have to keep witnessing because one day you will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and who will be the source of your joy and glory.
Witnessing is our duty, but soul winning is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said in John 16: about the Holy Spirit;
And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment. John 16:8 (NLT)
Generally, a witness is someone who has knowledge of an event from personal observation or experience and they are willing to testify about it.
Witnessing is our duty, but soul winning is the work of the Holy Spirit.
More of His Witness in our Words. When you speak you must most often talk about what He has done in your life.
We have experienced the power of Christ and must be willing to tell the world about it.
In John 9:13-28, we read about the man who was born blind. …….
I do not know if he is a sinner or not,” the man replied. “One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see.” John 9:25 (GNB)
Like the man born blind, many of us have experienced the power of God and the time has come for us to testify to the power of God in our lives. We have been saved from our sins and many other things and it's time for us to testify about it to the world.
Every Christian is a witness for Christ
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. John 15:26 (NKJV)
And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. John 15:27 (NKJV)
"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Act 1:8 (NKJV)
"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15 (NKJV)
"He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned." Mark 16:16 (NKJV)
What witnessing is not? (Satanic Substitutes)
One of Satan's strategies to stop us from witnessing is to put forward a substitute.
♦ Instead of witnessing about Christ, we witness to the preaching of their pastor.
♦ Instead of witnessing about Christ, we witness about the singing of the church choir.
♦ Instead of witnessing about Christ, we witness about nice our buildings are and the fact that they are comfortable.
♦ Instead of witnessing about Christ, we witness about the crowds that attend our church.
♦ Instead of witnessing about Christ, we witness about the programs we have for the youth.
♦ Instead of witnessing about Christ, we witness about the state-of-the-art Sunday School rooms we have.
♦ Instead of witnessing about Christ, we witness about the work the church is doing.
All these may be good topics for discussion and conversation but this is not witnessing. Acts 1:8 says my witnesses, Christ witnesses not the church’s witnesses
A Witness for Christ
1) Invites people to Christ – John 4:29; John 4:39-42
2) Never speaks of himself or herself – John 1:7,15,23; John 3:30; Acts 5:32; Acts 22:15
3) Speaks what he or she knows and has experienced through the power of Christ – John 9:25
4) Gives evidence clearly and keeps to the point – Acts 7 & 26
