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Witnessing Without Fear Part Two: Overcoming Our Fears Or, How to Be A People-Lover Rather than A People-Pleaser By Massimo
Lorenzini
Review The
Great Commission
We
concluded our last section by saying, “Being an Everyday Commission Christian
brings purpose to your life and glory to God as all of the particulars of your
life are united in one all-encompassing passion—God’s glory displayed in the
redemption of unworthy sinners.” As Christians, most of us long to be used by
God to do great things. We want our lives to count for eternity. Following
Christ in the Great Commission does just that. God desires to use us in the
work of bringing salvation to others. Aside from knowing God ourselves, what
could possibly bring a greater sense of purpose to our lives? Let’s
review what we learned about the Great Commission as found in Matthew 28:18-20
by means of a loose paraphrase: As you are going throughout the world
[anywhere and everywhere during the course of your lives], make disciples
[as a matter of habit, lifestyle, and constant priority], baptizing
people who choose to follow me [as part of the process of establishing them in
the faith]. And make it your habit to be teaching them to observe all of
the things I have worked to teach you [equipping them to carry on these very
priorities in their lives, obeying and serving me fully]. A
balance of Great Commission priorities is evangelizing, edifying,
and equipping. This is how we make disciples, which is the objective of
the Great Commission. Developing a Heart for
Evangelism Choosing
Obedience God
provides us with opportunities with the promise of His presence (Matt 28:20)
and power (Acts 1:8). Yet we simply say, “No.” Because
of fear, our “No” to God is accompanied by much defensiveness and
justification; but to say “No” to God for any reason is sin. The first step for each of us to become a witnessing Christian is a change in our own heart. We must choose obedience to God. “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” (1 Pet 3:15 NIV). Think
it over.
What does it mean to set apart Christ as Lord in your heart? Do
you allow Christ to rule in your heart?
Do you allow Christ to establish your priorities? If you do, you will
follow Him in witnessing. Our failure to witness is really a failure to trust and obey our Lord Jesus. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me” (John 14:21, NIV). In Luke 6:46 Jesus said, “But why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ and not do the things which I say?” I’m sure that none of us what’s to hear our Lord say these words to us. One of the ways we can show our love and obedience to Christ is by obeying His command to be His witnesses. “Follow me and I will make
you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). If we’re not fishing,
we’re not following. The
Christian who doesn’t seek the lost is lost himself. Charles Spurgeon said,
“Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you’re not saved, be sure of
that.” Imagine
a man sitting by a swimming pool reading a book. A panicked voice calls out
from a window in the apartment building, “Help, there’s a baby drowning the
water! Please save the baby!” And the man just says, “Ah, it’s not my kid and
this is a really good book . . . .” He has a heart of stone! And
the person who has no compassion for the lost also has a heart of stone. He is
not born of God. Beloved,
let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of
God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In
this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only
begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love,
not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love
one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God
abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we
abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit (1 John
4:7-13). Let
your compassion swallow your fears. If we wait until we feel like witnessing,
we probably will never do it. We are not to allow our feelings to determine our
actions. God calls us to obedience, not waiting for a feeling. “An immature
person follows his feelings. A mature person chooses to do what is right.”
Choose to obey the Lord Jesus and you will be free from the feeling of fear. The word “compulsion” may best describe the passion that
drives a person who focuses on witnessing. For some Christians, knowing that
people are lost presents a decision as to whether or not they will attempt to
witness. A person with a desire to obey Jesus’ command to witness, however,
doesn’t decide each time he or she has an opportunity. The decision has already
been made conclusively. The decision becomes, “How am I going to approach or
respond to this person who is lost?” rather than “Should I attempt to approach
or respond to this lost person?” Raising
Awareness Witnessing seldom requires extra time in your schedule, just greater awareness. Take a look at Matthew 9:35-38 for what I call the process of compassion. Then Jesus went about all the cities and
villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and
healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw
the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because
they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to
His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” Note that “Jesus went . . . He saw . . . He was moved with compassion.” We are conditioned not to look at suffering. We teach our children not to stare at someone with a physical deformity. It’s not polite. But by doing this, we don’t allow ourselves to be moved with compassion. The old saying is true, “Out of sight, out of mind.” The reason why some of us have no compassion for the lost is WE’RE NOT LOOKING! The
moves heart always follows the seeing eye. But we have an enemy who has devised a
tactic to keep us from truly seeing and, thus, witnessing to people. Allow me
to describe this tactic Satan has devised. BUSY Satan
called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he
said, “We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep then
from reading their Bibles & knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from
conservative values. The ones who are already true Christians are lost to us.
We cannot get them back.” “But
we can do something else. We can keep them from growing in numbers by
conversion. We can keep them from evangelizing the people around them. If we
can contain them and neutralize them, they will not be a threat to our kingdom
of darkness.” “So
let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal
their time so they will not even think about talking to others about that
Jesus. This is what I want you to do, my fellow haters of God. Distract them
from getting involved in The Great Commission that Jesus gave them. Keep them
so occupied with ‘good’ things that they never do get around to the mission
that Jesus assigned to them!” “How
shall we do this?” shouted his demonic horde. “Keep
them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy
their minds,” he answered. “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then, borrow,
borrow, borrow. Convince the wives to go to work and the husbands to work 6 or
7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep
them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon,
their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work.” “Over-stimulate
their minds so that they cannot meditate on the Word of God. Entice them to
play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, the VCR,
& their CDs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store
and restaurant in the world plays music constantly. This will jam their minds
and break their communion with Christ.” “Fill
their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the
news 24 hrs. a day. Invade their private moments with order catalogues, and
every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services,
false hopes, and distractions of every kind.” “Even
in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their
recreational weekends away exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming
week.” “And
when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk
so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion.” “Let
them be involved in their Bible studies and church meetings and events out
their ears. Crowd their lives with so many good causes that they have no time
to seek the lost for Christ. Keep them so busy in their churches that they
never befriend an unbeliever. Soon the years will roll by as they squander the
time they had for ‘The Mission’ that they will be able to go their entire
Christian lives without leading anyone to Christ!” It
was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their
assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here
and there. Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge. Does
“busy” mean B - Being U - Under S – Satan’s Y - Yoke? Joy in Witnessing Have
you ever been on a cruise ship? One couple recently decided to celebrate their
wedding anniversary by taking a cruise to Europe. They had been saving money
for several years for the cruise. The tickets ended up being more expensive
than they had planned for, so they decided to save money by bringing their own
food on the ship. They brought crackers, peanut butter, and cheese. While
everyone else was upstairs enjoying good food in the dining areas and exciting
entertainment, this couple stayed in their cabin, eating their cheese and
crackers. After
several days they started to get “cabin fever.” They became cranky and hungry.
Finally, one night the husband said, “We need to have at least one good meal
before we get to Europe—let’s go to the dining room.” When they got to the
dining room and the waiter handed them the menus, the husband noticed there were no prices on it. He asked the
waiter, “How come there are no prices on the menus?” The waiter replied, “Where
have you been? Didn’t you know that when you bought your ticket for the cruise
it included all the meals?” We
laugh, but many of us seated here are like that couple. We have trusted in
Christ for our salvation, but we don’t allow the Holy Spirit to use us fully in
witnessing for Christ. As a result of our disobedience, we rob ourselves of the
blessing of being used to lead lost sinners to Christ for salvation. You may
well be on the narrow road that leads to life, but you’re not experiencing the
joy of bringing others on that road with you. Author
David Grant said, “Fear restrains most of us . . . and keeps us from reaching
the fullest life possible.” When
Jesus Rejoiced Evangelism is the task of rescuing souls from Satan’s grip. It is an invasion of the domain of darkness. It is a rescue operation from behind enemy lines. Through our evangelism, we have the privilege of being used by God to rescue sinners from the power of darkness and transfer them to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col 1:13). Paul said that Jesus commissioned him to invade the nations, armed with the gospel of Christ. Jesus said to him, “. . . I now send you to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:18). This is serious business that requires serious effort on our part. But our efforts are rewarded with the joy that follows. Then the seventy returned with joy,
saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” And He said to
them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the
authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the
enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in
this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your
names are written in heaven.” In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit
and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden
these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so,
Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to
Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the
Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes
which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and
kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what
you hear, and have not heard it” (Luke 10:17-24, emphasis added). When we gain ground, the devil loses ground. This caused the disciples, and Jesus with them, to rejoice. Jesus rejoices in our evangelistic successes. Don’t you want to give Him more reasons to rejoice? This passage is the only time in the gospels where Jesus is said to have rejoiced in anything. If there is anything to rejoice over, it’s the salvation of sinners. What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses
one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the
one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on
his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends
and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep
which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no
repentance (Luke 15:4-7). Let
the joy of evangelism permeate your soul and drive out any fear you may have. Our Dependence upon God Your strengths will not bring you the power to share Jesus
with a lost person. It is your dependence on His power. Successful witnessing
is about obedience and dependence. Your greatest strength is your willingness
to trust God as your partner in guiding a lost brother or sister, a parent, a
son, or daughter, or co-worker, or a stranger to know the saving grace of God. Partnering
With God The Great Commission is a call to partner with God in making disciples (see 2 Cor 5:20-6:1, “workers together with Him”). When I speak of partnership, by no means do I believe that we are in any way equal partners. God is the Master and we are His servants. By partnership, I mean that we both have a role to play in the Great Commission. We proclaim the Gospel and God does the convicting and saving. The relationship between God and His witness is a thread running throughout the Bible. Moses[1] God told Moses to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt. Moses would take the lead in making God’s message known (Exod 3:10). His reaction to the call was to give reasons why he surely shouldn’t go to tell Pharaoh God’s message. These same reasons echo into our own time as many Christians speak these same protests. Moses’ excuses for not wanting to go to Pharaoh with God’s message were really just covers for the real reason, which he finally admits. Moses’
objections to speak for God: (1)
He didn’t have the position or stature to approach a powerful Pharaoh (Exod
3:11-12). Today’s Christian might say, “A minister will be the best person to go to my neighbor who is lost. Ministers are trained; and people respect ministers. They’ll believe them.” (2) The people won’t have a way to know that he is speaking for the true God of Israel. He, like many of us today, stated that he didn’t know enough about God to convince the people (Exod 3:13-17). Today’s Christian might say, “I don’t know enough about doctrine and how to explain things about God to a lost person. Somebody who is deeply spiritual and knows a lot about God should go to my lost relatives.” (3)
The people wouldn’t believe his story (Exod 4:1-9). Today’s Christian might say, “A lost person will not
see any reason in my life to believe my witness of God’s saving grace and care.
Somebody who’s had a miracle in his life that anyone can see would be the best
person to witness.” (4)
He wasn’t a good speaker, and could not talk easily or say the right things
(Exod 4:10-12). Today’s Christian might say something quite similar:
“I don’t do a good job talking about spiritual things with other people. I
might say the wrong things or just confuse my lost friend.” (5) Moses expressed the heart of most Christians today when faced with God’s call to witness. Moses said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (Exod 4:13). Although uttered hundreds of years ago, Moses’
appeal to God still represents the attitudes of many Christians toward
witnessing to lost people. Just as in the day of Moses, there is a fear
embedded deep in our hearts that our witness will bring dishonor to God and
embarrassment to ourselves. What Moses overlooked, and what many Christians today overlook, is God’s promise. In Exodus 3:12 God said, “I will be with you.” God called Aaron, Moses’ brother, to go with him and tell the people what God had said. Working together to convince one of their world’s most powerful leaders, Moses and Aaron portrayed a profound and exciting partnership. In a similar manner, the intimate partnership that God established with Moses exists today between God and those called to share His message. He will be with you as well. If things you do are to have any lasting significance, they must be done in partnership with Christ. As Jesus said in John 15:5, “without Me you can do nothing.” It is equally true, as the apostle Paul declared, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). Facing Our Fears Someone said, “Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.” Zig Ziglar said fear is “False Evidence Appearing Real.” Fear keeps us from obeying Christ in being His witnesses. It’s time we face our fears and find out what they’re made of. According
to a recent study, most of us rarely, if ever, witness to the lost because of
our struggle with four major fears: (1) Fear of being rejected. (2) Fear of not
knowing enough. (3) Fear of offending
a friend or relative. (4) Fear of being ridiculed or persecuted.[2] Think
it over.
Which one is the most threatening to you? If
you gave someone a twenty dollar bill and they crumpled it up and threw it on
the ground would that make the money lose its value? No, it still has value. So
does your witness if it is rejected. Think
it over.
Why does your witness still have value if rejected? Many times the feeling of threat precedes the basic motivation for the feeling of fear. If you do not feel threatened, then you don’t feel fear. Fear is a learned behavior based on anticipated negative personal consequences. Our acceptance of something as a threat is dependent on experience or acceptance of the truth of someone else’s experience. Think
it over.
Are you afraid of bungee jumping? Why? Why not? Fear
Comes From Perceived Threats Our perception of threat will lead to a feeling of fear. Lower the perception of threat, and the level of fear will be lowered. What is it you feel is threatened when you witness? Do our
actions govern our thoughts or do our thoughts govern our actions? Our thoughts
govern our actions, but our thoughts can be changed by our actions. As a child, you overcame your fear of slides by taking action and sliding down. Your perception was changed from this being a fearful action to one of joy. You may have later even hurt yourself while sliding, but your perception of going down a slide was not changed to perceive it as a threat. Fear
will not automatically go away. However, we can reduce its effects through
realistic evaluation. Reducing
Fear Identify
Real Dangers What
is the probability that something negative will happen to you in witnessing? If
you feel fear in witnessing, what real danger is there to you? Physically?
Emotionally? Socially? What
is the worst possible thing that could happen to you if you witness to someone? Negative
Outcomes List List
all the negative outcomes that could possibly happen if you witnessed to
someone: 1.
4. 7. 2. 5. 8. 3. 6. 9. Circle every one of the
negative outcomes in your list that you know happens every time a witness is
given. Next to these circled items write “100%.” Next to any item not circled,
write the chances of that negative outcome happening in ten witnessing encounters.
For example, write “1 in 10” or “6 in 10.” You may have a very short
list and also had a hard time guessing the probability of that negative outcome
happening. This may be because you have not witnessed very much. If this is the
case, base your assessment on the experience of another who has experience in
witnessing. Look at your list of negative
outcomes. Now that you have evaluated possible negative outcomes, does the
threat seem lesser or greater? The Fear of Man vs. the Fear of God We call it “peer pressure” or
“co-dependency” or being a “people-pleaser.” Whatever we call it, if it keeps
us from obeying God it is sin. This desire for the praise of others can hold
more power over us than the praise of God. Our fear of man can become stronger than
our faith in God. It’s what keeps many from ever trusting in Christ. “How can you believe, who
receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the
only God?” (John 5:44). Too often we are more concerned about looking stupid (a
fear of people) that we are about acting sinfully (fear of the Lord). In order for us to find freedom from the fear of man, we must become driven by a heartfelt fear of God (a desire to please Him and love for Him) and a genuine love for people. Becoming
a People-Lover, Not a People-Pleaser Regarding
other people, our problem is that we need them (for our own needs) more
than we love them (for the glory of God). The task God sets for us is to
need them less and love them more. We must ask God what our duty
is toward them. If we place their best interest ahead of our own, we will love
them rather than fear them. The path of people-loving is the road to freedom
from people-pleasing.[3] If you choose not to witness because you don’t want the person to reject you or ridicule you or despise you, you love yourself more than you love that other person. You are seeking your own temporal ease and reputation among lost sinners rather than their eternal well-being. But
biblical love is sacrificial love; it doesn’t seek its own (1 Cor 13:5). Or as
The Message renders it, “[love] isn’t always ‘me first.’ ” Jesus
as a Model People-Lover, Not a People-Pleaser Jesus modeled speaking the truth without fear of man. Even his enemies knew this when they said, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men” (Matt 22:16). Jesus was able to do this because His confidence was in God the Father rather than man. And supper being ended, the devil having already put
it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus,
knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had
come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His
garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a
basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel
with which He was girded (John 13:2-5, emphasis added). Jesus,
the sinless God-Man, Lord of lords and King of kings, was about to be betrayed
by one of His closest friends and crucified publicly. Even while fully aware of
this, He humbled Himself by performing the most menial task imaginable for His
disciples by washing their feet. This was the chore for a slave! The thought of
it was scandalous to Peter who objected to it. How can we explain the confident servanthood Jesus displayed? How can we explain the composure and assurance He demonstrated in serving others while He Himself was on the verge of betrayal, desertion, mockery, and execution? We can only explain it by the knowledge He had “that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God.” He was free to serve and love men because He knew He was in relation to God the Father. We too can be free to love and serve others when we find our confidence in relation to God. Knowing who we are in Christ and where we are going frees us from the fear of man so we may give attention to their best interest because we know the Father is taking care of our best interest. Becoming
a God-Pleaser, Not a People-Pleaser Someone said, “We fear men so much because we fear God so little.” The most radical treatment for the fear of man is the fear of the Lord. God must be bigger to you than people are. In fact, God must be biggest in your thinking about everything, including witnessing. When God is big, people are small. But too often we think people are big and God is small. The key to overcoming the fear of man in witnessing, or in anything else, is to get a view of how big God is and keep Him at the forefront of your thinking. God
is ultimately our audience in witnessing. He is the one we aim to please. If we
aim to please people we will be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. We bring a
message that is unavoidably offensive to unbelievers. We proclaim a crucified
Savior. This message is both a stumbling block and foolishness to unbelievers
(1 Cor 1). The gospel makes exclusive claims in our culture of pluralism,
relativism, and inclusivism. The postmodern man is offended by concepts like a
God who holds absolute authority over us; a God who will hold us accountable
for keeping His moral laws; a God whose Son is the only person who can grant us
eternal life; a God who says we must humble ourselves to the point of denying
ourselves in order to follow His Son; a God who calls us to base all our hope
for righteousness on the imputed merit of a substitute. If
we are ever to overcome the fear of man in witnessing for Christ, we must be willing
to admit this inherent offensiveness of the gospel and be willing to bear the
reproach of Christ. That is, to be willing to be misunderstood and mocked by
others, even to the point of suffering for our testimony. We cannot make the
mistake of trying to make the gospel appealing to the unbelieving mind. Don’t
fall for the temptation to base your security and self-image on the acceptance
of unbelievers! Remind yourself that God is your audience and He has chosen to
save sinners by the foolishness of the preaching of the cross. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those
who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it
is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the
understanding of the prudent.” Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is
the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it
pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who
believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach
Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and
the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the
weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that
not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.
But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise,
and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things
which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are
despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the
things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence (1 Cor 1:18-29). Allow
the offense of the cross to stand, it is God’s way of humbling proud sinners.
Allow your weakness in persuading the lost be your strength as it causes you to
rely on God’s ability to overcome the sinner’s resistance. Remember that it’s
normal to look like a fool for Christ to those who are unsaved. Let the gospel
and prayer be your arsenal in the spiritual war. Fear
versus Faith Our faith in God can slay our fears. Fear and faith cannot occupy the same space. Fear can displace our faith, and our faith can displace our fear. The question for us is, Which one will you choose to live by? “Fear not” (and other related commands like “be not afraid”) appears 366 times, each followed by an assurance of God’s activity in our lives if we yield to Him. Use a concordance to look up some of them. Count on God’s promises. Be stretched in your faith as you trust Him to use your witness for Christ. Fear knocked on the door.
Faith opened it. There was nobody there. Making It Personal Witnessing Without Fear: Worksheet #2 1. Read Psalm 33 and describe
what it means to fear the Lord. 2. Read Proverbs 29:25. How
has the fear of man expressed itself in your life? Think of examples from when
you were younger all the way up until last week. Write down some examples. 3. Read Psalms 27:1 and
118:6. List some specific steps you can take to cultivate a greater fear of the
Lord. 4. Read John 15:13. List some
specific steps you can take to cultivate a greater love for people that would
free you from the fear of man or being a people-pleaser. 5. If you haven=t yet completed your interviews with three
non-Christians, be sure to take some time to complete that assignment this
week. Feel the fear and do it anyway! You=ll
be glad you did. Pray for boldness. If you don=t know any non-Christians, just find three people wherever you can
(neighbors, public park, college campus, etc.). It can even be done randomly by
phone. 6. Be sure to keep up with
your Scripture memory (two verses a week or one long one). You can use the list
of suggested Scriptures provided for you in the notebook. Try to balance
yourself between the five categories. The benefits of doing this are numerous,
but for our purposes here, it will greatly increase your ability to use God=s Word in witnessing. Look over the Scripture Memory
Tips provided to you and consider using the Scripture Memory Record to help you
stay on track. 7. Continue praying for those
on your three most-wanted for Christ list. Pray for them at least once day
until you speak to them. Make an effort to witness to them before the end of
the class. The following are some prayer tips. How do I pray for the lost? ·
Ask God to open their
spiritual eyes (2 Cor 4:4). ·
Ask God to set them free
from Satan=s captivity (2 Tim 2:25-26). ·
Pray for the Holy Spirit=s conviction (John 16:8). ·
Ask God to give them
ears to hear (Matt 13:15), faith to believe (Acts 20:21), and the will to
respond (Rom 10:9). ·
Ask God to send laborers
(like you!) in the person=s life (Matt 9:38). ·
Pray for opportunities
to witness (Col 4:3). ·
Pray for boldness to
witness (Acts 4:29). 8. The Reality of Persecution We are appointed to suffering
for the advancement of Christ=s kingdom in
the world. God intends to present the afflictions of Christ to the world
through the afflictions of His people. “In the pursuit of joy through
suffering, we magnify the all-satisfying worth of the Source of our joy.”[4]
In other words, when we continue to seek first the kingdom of God because of
the joy to be gained in doing so, even at the expense of personal suffering, we
demonstrate that God is infinitely desirable and worthy of our relentless
allegiance because what we gain in Him is immeasurably beyond comparison with
any personal sacrifice we suffer as a result. “For our light affliction, which
is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory” (2 Cor 4:17). Read and reflect on the
following passages of Scripture (either in one sitting or throughout your quiet
time this week). Then answer the following questions. Matt 10:16-39; Luke
10:2-3; John 15:18-16:4; Acts 4:1-31; 5:25-33, 40-42; 14:21-22; Phil 1:29; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Pet 4:12-19; Rev 6:9-11. A.
What are some ways you have had the privilege of suffering for the name of
Jesus and the proclamation of the gospel? B.
Are you willing to bear the reproach and personal suffering involved in being a
witness for Christ? C.
Do you count it all joy to be made to suffer for His name? D.
If you cannot answer yes to B and C, what prevents you from doing so? E. Spend
part of your prayer time this week in thanking Jesus for the sacrifice He made
to save you. Ask Him to give you boldness and courage to confess Him before
men. 9. Personal Testimony Complete the following
exercise before finishing Part 3 of this study and begin to think of someone
you can share your salvation testimony with (preferably in person or by
telephone, but you may also send it as part of a letter if need be). Sharing your personal
salvation testimony is an effective way to witness. Many Christians are unable
to point to a crisis experience, or we do not always know the date when God
saved us. This does not mean you have nothing to testify about. After a person
has heard your story will they know basic truths about Christ, or only know you
better? Use some of the phrases under each heading to help you focus on
important things. (You may wish to use another sheet of paper or a computer.) 1. What I Was Like:[5] My family, friends, interest
were . . . . My security (most important value) was . . . . My religious
background and attitude about Christ was . . . . 2. What God Used to Begin to
Open My Eyes: I was awakened to my need by
(people, books, meeting, circumstances) . . . . What I thought and/or noticed
(about myself, God, others) at this point was . . . . 3. What It Was I
Saw/Understood: Those aspects of the Gospel
that touched me were . . . . I came to understand that Christ . . . . I saw my
need was . . . . 4. How Christ Has/Is
Affecting My Life: My relationships with . . . .
My attitude toward . . . . My desires now are . . . . I=m now doing . . . . A difficult area of obedience is .
. . [1] Some of the material here is from William Fay and Ralph Hodge, Share Jesus Without Fear (Nashville, Tenn.: Lifeway Press, 1997), 17-18. [2] Some of the material here is from Bill Fay and Dean Finley, Fearless: Sharing an Authentic Witness (Nashville, Tenn.: Lifeway Press, 1999), 42-45. [3] Some of these thoughts are from Edward T. Welch, When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming Peer Pressure, Codependency, and the Fear of Man (Phillipsburg, N.J., Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1997), 19, 40-41. [4] John Piper, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah Books, 1996), 238. I encourage the reader to see Piper’s chapter on suffering in Desiring God for further explanation. Note, this chapter is not in the first edition of 1986. [5] This outline is from Will Metzger, Tell the Truth (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1984), 159-60. Witnessing Without Fear - Part Three.
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