Written by Joel Deacon - Lead Pastor of City on a Hill Wollongong

WITNESS - PART 1

My church has a ministry called Monday Free Meal which exists to love our community and share the gospel. We cook fresh meals, share dinner with people and invite them to Alpha to hear about Jesus. And one night a new man walked in and was hugged twice by our volunteer Cindy. I asked him, “How do you know Cindy?” He said, “I don’t. I just met her.”

I laughed and said, “Oh, I just assumed you knew her because she gave you two hugs.”

He wiped tears from his eyes. “I feel so loved. No one has ever done that before.”

Later that night at Alpha he teared up as we talked about the love of God, that he had just experienced.

WE CANNOT NOT SPEAK

Before Jesus ascended he told his disciples,

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Now two things stand out to me.

Firstly, “you” is plural. Jesus was not giving one person a job but calling a whole community. “You all… together… will be my witnesses.”

Secondly, the Greek word for “witness” is martys, the word we get martyr from. At its core it means to testify to what you have seen and heard. Some of us find that exciting, others terrifying. But when the Holy Spirit empowers you, you cannot not use the gifts God has given you. This is why Peter said this in Acts 4 (ESV), “We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

POWER

Before Pentecost Peter denied Jesus. He shrank back. He hid. But after the Spirit filled him with fresh wind and fire, he stood up and witnessed boldly. The same Spirit wants to empower us today with different gifts so that together we can fulfil the Great Commission and be witness for Jesus.

Now to be clear, all Christians are called to evangelise. In 1 Peter 3 we are told to live such beautiful, hope filled lives that people ask why, and then we are called to share the reason for our hope with gentleness and respect.

But witness is more than words. It is a community shaped by love. It is strengthened by hospitality. It is confirmed by serving each other with the strength God provides. When Jesus called us to be a city on a hill in the Sermon on the Mount, he was calling us not only to preach but to live differently, so that the light of the gospel shines brightly to our dark world. And this is why the Holy Spirit empowers some believers with the gift of hospitality, to amplify the gospel message. But to be clear, biblical hospitality is not simply having friends over. It is loving strangers so they can taste the love of God and hear the gospel. The greek word for hospitality is philoxenia and it literally means "love for the stranger".

JOY AND RISK

Being a witness is both a joyful and risky task. But Jesus prepared us for this. People may misunderstand us. There will be resistance. There will be spiritual opposition. Which is why Peter writes, “Do not be surprised at the fiery trial… but rejoice.”

That is why we need courage, and why we should imitate the disciples who prayed again and again for boldness in the book of Acts. But this is also why the Holy Spirit gives the gift of encouragement to people in the church. The word encouragement literally means to inspire courage.

Encouragers steady shaky hearts. When darkness frightens us, they remind us Jesus is the light. When suffering comes, they remind us it is worth it. When we feel like giving up, they breathe strength back into our bones.

To be witnesses for Jesus, we need to work together, we need the power of the Holy Spirit, and we need hearts aligned with the heart of Jesus. Tragically, many Christians have spiritual gifts that sit dormant because we forget God’s heart for the lost. The church can drift into becoming a social club instead of a mission outpost. We ignore the reality of Satan, the reality of hell and the urgency of Jesus’ call to go and make disciples.

QUESTIONS:

1. Who does Jesus want you to be a witness to right now?
2. When was the last time you wept for the lost?

CHALLENGE:

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you courage and boldness to be a witness for Jesus this week.