Real World Issues
Witnessing
How can I become a more effective witness? What are things I can do to show my faith?
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4).
The disciples went from sitting in quietness waiting on the Lord to suddenly battling a hurricane in a split second. But, this was no hurricane. This was the Holy Ghost announcing His arrival. Where there was indecision, now there was purpose. Where there was confusion, now there was a mission. Where there was uncertainty, now there was knowledge. Where there was sadness, now there was joy. Where there was weakness, now there was boldness --- boldness to become witnesses. Jesus promised His disciples that when the Holy Ghost would come, they would be witnesses of Him in Jerusalem and throughout the region, unto the uttermost parts of the earth. And Jesus also promised that the Holy Ghost would teach them what they should say (see Luke 12:12; John 14:26; 16:13; Acts 4:31). Jesus instructed His disciples to not witness, but to first wait until they were endued with the power of the Holy Ghost. The Wind that blew through the Upper Room and transformed the disciples into world-shaking witnesses can transform you as well. "Awake, north wind, and come, south wind!", Solomon pleaded, "Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread abroad." (Song of Solomon 4:16). If you want courage and boldness to stand up for God and be a witness, and if you want God to give you the right words to say at the right time, then you need the baptism with the Holy Spirit!
Witnessing to Your Friends
Going door-to-door, or walking the downtown streets with your youth group and witnessing to strangers is one thing. But witnessing to your friends can be different. You see them everyday. You can't just go up to them and start talking about Christ everytime you see them. You would probably drive them away, and lose any opportunity to witness to them in the future. So how can you show your faith clearly without driving them away? How can you make them want to know more about Christ and the gospel?
1. Carry your Bible with you at school. Will you get laughed at? Probably. But your friends will know your are serious about your faith, which leads to number 2.....
2. Support your friends when they have problems. When people have problems, they usually recall a person in their life who seemed strongly religious and seek their advice. Be ready to give it. Offer to pray with them and show them you care. Tell them how the Lord has helped you or your Christian friends in similar situations.
3. Wear Christian t-shirts, ties, or apparel that are in good taste. This is a good way of showing your faith. You can just about count on one of your friends commenting on your shirt or asking a question. This will open the door for you to share the gospel.
4. Listen to Christian music. If you have friends with you in your car, make sure you have some good Christian music playing on the stereo, the kind of music where the message of the gospel is clear. Playing music that sounds like the rock the world listens to will not draw any response --- it's not different!
5. Invite them to Church, or to a youth activity where the gospel will be presented.
6. Always live a good testimony. This is the best thing you can do, as the old saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." How do you handle situations that come your way? How do you respond? Let them see the love of Christ in you, and live your life in such a manner to make them interested in wanting to know more. Just like Paul's epistles were physical letters read by men, Paul said to the Corinthian church that they were the epistles of Christ, not written with ink, but with the Spirit of God, known and read of all men (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).
7. Finally, always pray before sharing the Lord and ask the Holy Spirit to speak through you and to begin preparing the other persons heart. Remember to pray everday for your family members or friends who aren't saved. Ask God to use you to be a witness to them, or to send other believers across their path.
Don't get in your friends face bad mouthing them and condemning them. You need to show the love of Jesus to them. This doesn't mean that you approve of their sins, it means that you love them as a person. The Bible says that God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Don't force salvation on people. Sometimes it is better to plant seeds and wait for the harvest. Leading someone to the Lord doesn't usually happen the first day.
Lights of the World
What the sun is to the earth, Jesus is to mankind. The sun disperses the darkness. Without it, nothing could grow, nothing could live. The Son disperses the spiritual darkness. Without Him, men would grope the earth in spiritual darkness. Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." The word light here comes from the Greek word "phos" meaning that, as the sun, Jesus is the source of light, or the light giver. In Philippians 2:15, Paul said concerning believers, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." The word light in this verse comes from the Greek word "phoster" meaning a luminary, or one that reflects light. Our moon that shines in the night sky has no light. It only reflects the light from the sun. Without the sun, the moon would be only a dark ball circling around the earth, invisible to us. We are to "shine as lights in the world," not giving off our own light (for without Him, we are nothing), but reflecting the Light of the world. When people look at us, they should see Jesus shining through.
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