Witnesses

The sermon last Sunday was on chapters 8 – 11 of Revelation. The pastor summarized that chapters 1 – 7 were about individual Christians and churches getting ready for what is coming. Chapters 8 – 11 is about getting others ready for what is coming. There’s a lot of description in Revelation about what is coming from persecution to destruction of this world as we know it. And, ultimately, judgment.

So, I’m doing what I can to prepare myself for what is coming. I try to get to know Christ and walk in His ways according to the Bible. I pray to be changed by God’s Spirit on a day-by-day basis. I spend time praising God as a way of practicing what we will be doing once we are in His presence for eternity. I repent from my sins as I become aware of them and try to live differently from then on.

However, I’m not doing a very good job of warning others of what is to come. The trumpets in Revelation are like warning sirens we hear for when tornados are coming. They are warning that the chaos described in Revelation is meant to prompt people to prepare their souls for eternity. Anyone can read Scripture and know what is coming, but many will not read the Bible for themselves. It’s up to us who know what’s coming to get the message out to those who need to know.

That brings me to the convicting part of the sermon. I need to be a witness to people of what I know is coming. I don’t do a very good job of that. The pastor shared four ways we can witness to the spiritually lost. I spent some time this week considering how I do in each of those areas. I’ve been praying this week for the wisdom and opportunities to witness in one or more of the following ways.

Relational approach: develop relationships with people who do not know Christ as their personal Savior. These relationships can be as casual as the cashier in the grocery store or as complex as regular conversations with neighbors. I realized that the first part about this is having contact with people and seeing those contacts as an opportunity to witness.

Invitational approach: actually inviting those friends who don’t go to church or a Bible study to go with you to church. We may not do this because we are afraid of how the friends may respond. I know I worry about what other people will think of me. However, if I’m convinced that judgment is coming, I will be taking every opportunity to identify with Christ and invite people to the place where they can hear about the hope I want to display.

Testimonial approach: telling others your story of how Jesus has made a difference in your life. I know how to do this. When I was in college I learned how to talk about what my life was like (a mess), how I came to see Jesus as the One who could change my life, and how my life is different now that He’s a part of my life. In AA, we say it this way: what my life was like, what happened, and what is it like now. It’s my story and no one can say I’m wrong. I can do this with the people I’m developing relationships with or with perfect strangers, as God gives me opportunities. And He does give me opportunities.

Tangible approach: doing acts of kindness. I can reach out with love in service to others as an example of Christ’s love for all of us. There are many ways we can serve those who don’t know of the salvation that awaits them in Christ. This can include everything from giving money to donating material items. It can also include using my time, energy, and skills to meet other people’s needs. Doing tangible things for other people causes them to ask “Why are you different?” That opens the door to witness for Christ.

I am trying to consciously think about and pray about opportunities to be a witness to people. The first step is getting myself in positions where I will come into contact with people. That’s sometimes hard for me as I struggle with depression. But the thing is, when I do reach out to others, I stop thinking about myself and I feel better. Maybe it’s because I’m doing what God wants me to be doing.