What The Bible Says About Witnessing
(Text: Matthew 28:18-20)
By: Barry L. Cameron
THE GREAT COMMISSION: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
* According to the most recent church growth statistics, less than 2% of the church members in America have ever had a role of any kind in leading someone else to Christ. Nor can they even quote Matthew 28:18-20. Perhaps there’s a connection?
* In short, when it comes to witnessing, the Bible says to DO IT!!
Luke 5:1-11
Quote: Tony Evans in his book, What Matters Most writes:
“Jesus said, ‘I will make you fishers of men.’ I don’t know any fisherman who says, ‘Oh well, if the fish bite, fine. But if they don’t that’s OK. I’m not going to bother baiting my hook or making sure I have a strong line. No big deal either way.’ Nobody fishes that way. You go fishing to catch something.”
* Jesus assumed that we would be sharing our faith. (Acts 1:8)
- Unfortunately a large portion of the body of Christ is not doing it.
Quote: Mark Mittleberg in his book, Becoming A Contagious Church writes:
Bill Hybels recently spoke about this to a group of church leaders in Europe: “If you went to the airport, and there were no airplanes landing, and there were no airplanes taking off, you’d say, ‘There’s a problem!’ If you went to the train station, and there were no trains coming in and no trains leaving, you’d say, ‘There’s a problem!’ So why is it that we can be a part of churches that go year after year with almost no truly unchurched people coming to faith in Christ, and with very few people really becoming more Christlike, and yet think there’s no problem. Friends, if that describes your church, ‘There’s a problem’!”
John 1:40-42
Quote: Leith Anderson in his book Winning The Values War writes:
“Most Chinese Christians in the house churches say that if a person does not evangelize, that person is not a Christian. Despite large numbers of imprisonments and executions, they keep on evangelizing and multiplying. Nothing stops them.”
Quote: Luis Palau said, “The church is like manure. Pile it up, and it stinks up the neighborhood; spread it out, and it enriches the world.”
Quote: Dr. John MacArthur in his book Nothing But The Truth writes:
“If God’s primary purpose for believers was loving fellowship, He would take us immediately to Heaven, where spiritual fellowship is perfect, unhindered by sin, disharmony, or loneliness. If His primary purpose for us was learning His Word, He would also take us immediately to Heaven, the only place where we can know His Word perfectly. And if His primary purpose for us was to give Him praise, He would take us to Heaven, where praise is perfect and unending. There is only one reason the Lord allows His church to remain on earth--to reach the lost, just as Christ’s only reason for coming to earth was to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:10)
John 20:21, “As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.”
Romans 10:14-15, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news’!” (Quoting Isaiah 52:7)
Proverbs 11:30, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise.”
Daniel 12:3, “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.”
* Sharing our faith is not only a sacred duty, but also a supreme delight.
Quote: Tom Youngblood, vice president of U.S. Field Ministries at International Bible Society, described the effect on Christians, “Lead a seeker to Christ and you will experience spiritual growth on steroids.”
* Unfortunately, much of contemporary Christianity has withdrawn from the very world we are supposed to be reaching. We retreat to the confines of everything Christian and, in the process have become, in fact, not very Christian at all.
Quote: Billy Graham, “Instead of becoming salt and light, we have been content to withdraw into our separate ecclesiastical ghettos, preoccupied with our own internal affairs and unconcerned about the deepest needs of those around us. In the eyes of many, religion has lost its relevance.”
* Some mistakenly believe and teach that what we do has nothing to do with people getting saved.
* They say God has already decided who will be a part of the elect and our efforts can’t alter that one bit.
Quote: Jerry Falwell in his autobiography, writes:
“Many theologians do battle over election and predestination. It has been my experience that the more persons with whom you share the Gospel, the more persons that get elected.”
“When you enter that beautiful city, and the saved all around you appear.
What joy when someone will tell you, it was you who invited me here.”
* You and I are under divine mandate to share the gospel with every living creature on this planet.
* So, we need to learn how to share our faith and then get busy doing it.
SIMPLE MESSAGE . . . SIMPLE METHOD
