TRAINING COURSE

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PERSONAL WITNESS

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Acts 11:19-26 describes the result and blessing when Christians become witnesses for Christ. Some of the sessions in this training course may be of only general interest to you, and no more, because you do not feel you have gifts for that ministry, or that you are not called to it. This session is not one of general interest, but particular interest to us all. We are all called to be witnesses. Confession with the mouth is essential to our salvation and our spiritual growth, Romans 10:9, as well as essential to the growth of the Christ's Church.

The need for personal witness.

The personal witness of every believer is the great need of the church. The church needs the witness of all its members if it is going to tackle the task of evangelism in any realistic way.

Each of us individually go out and meet people the organised church’s preaching never reaches. If we don't witness they will not hear the Gospel.

We have an acceptability to some people which is unique to us and them. People will listen to us who will not listen to a sermon. If we fail to witness then they will not hear the Gospel.

We can relate to some people because we are like them in background, age, culture and interests. We are the best people to communicate the Gospel to them. Our witness is crucial.

Personal witness is the bridge which spans the gap between the non-Christian and the Church. The mission of the church will prosper according to the degree its members become witnesses.

Bible Teaching

St. Matthew 5 v 13-16.
Christians are salt in society, preserving it from moral and spiritual corruption.
Christians are light in society, making God's way and His truth known to people.
We are salt and light by the way we live - what we will not do, and the way we live and follow Christ's way and word.
We are salt and light by what we say - making Christ known and proclaiming his saving grace.

Romans 10 v 9.
Confessing Christ as Lord to others confirms our faith and commitment to Christ. Witnessing is a blessing to us as well as to others.

St. Matthew 28 v 16-20.
Christ gave a command to his disciples to witness before he ascended into heaven. Every Christian has this command given to them by Jesus. Jesus specially promises to be with us when we witness. (v.20)

What personal witness is.

In essence it is seeking to communicate the Good News of Jesus to other people. This can be done in two main ways.

a. Indirect witness.

This is by the quality of our lives.

1. We witness by our habits and interests - what we spend our time on. e.g. going to church is a form of witness.

2. We witness by our reaction to the strains and stresses of life - how we cope; the strength we are able to draw upon; our reliance on Jesus, etc.

3. We witness by the way we do things and carry out our jobs. We do everything as well as we can because we do it as unto Jesus.

4. We witness in our caring and love for others - showing the divine character within.

5. We witness by holiness and moral uprightness.

Our lives speak either for Christ or against Christ. We will have a good witness or a bad witness by the quality of our lives.

We will not always act Christianly, but the way we face failure and our ability to admit wrong and apologise, etc. will be a good witness. The non-Christian is not good at admitting faults or apologising.

(This section can be dealt with by getting contribution from the floor and putting each suggestion on the overhead projector and promoting discussion on it)

b. Direct witness.

Actions are important. The way we live is essential. But personal witness needs to include speech. Our lives can only witness to the power of the Gospel. Our speech must be used to tell and explain the Gospel.

Personal witness by word is -

1. Being prepared to apply Christian values and principles to topics being discussed. e.g attitude to strikes, etc.

2. Being prepared to give an answer for the faith in us when asked.

3. Taking opportunities to apply Christian truth to the situations of our friends, etc.

4. When opportunity arises being ready to share the fact we are sinners and what Christ has done on the cross for us.

How to engage in personal witness.

a. Want to be a witness and be used by God.

b. Pray daily for God to give opportunity and grace to witness in that day.

c. Be expectant for God to give opportunities each day for witness.

d. Sieze any opportunity given to speak a word for Christ.

e. Evaluate the record of each day from the point of view of our witness, praying over success and failure in witnessing.

f. Ask God to lay on your heart someone he wants you particularly to witness to.

g. Believe the promise in Matthew 10:19,20 that at the moment of need, words will be given you.

h. Never be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ before others, and consciously mortify the sin of fear and reluctance.

i. Don't force spiritual conversation. Let it arise naturally.

j. Thank God for every blessing in witness he gives.

k. Be like the Blind Man in John 9:13ff - he testified to what he knew. When he did not know the answer he was not ashamed to admit it.

How to stimulate a desire to witness.

(Involve the group by getting them to make suggestions under this heading)

1. Keep alive in your soul the goodness of God in saving you, and all this means to you.

2. Seek to have a daily testimony of God's love for you.

3. Be constantly refreshing your soul form God's Word. Deep draft's for the water of life will keep you constantly delighting in Jesus and excited to share this delight.

4. Witness - nothing promotes witness so much as the blessing the practice of witness brings to our own lives.

5. Constantly remember Christ's commission to his disciples to be witnesses for him.

6. Remind yourself constantly of the awful state of the unsaved.

7. Share together concerning witness - its success and failure. We sharpen our witness and encourage each other by such fellowship.

8. Encourage fellow Christian's to witness.

Places where we can seek to witness -

(Involve the Group be getting them to make suggestions under this heading)

a. To our contacts in the Church Fellowship - specially in those organisations which attract fringe members.

b. To our friends and through our social activity.

c. By and in the hobbies, clubs or activities we are engaged in. Christians should not give up all their activities, etc. when they become Christians. Some activities may have to be given up because they are harmful morally and spiritually; but others are places where we can be in contact with those who are without Christ.

d. At Work. But it is always a bad witness if our work suffers because we are using time to discuss Christian things. (e.g. Mr. Boast)

Conclusion.

There can be no doubt of the blessing and growth to Christ's Church if all believers are eager and active witnesses. It is a sad fact that we are not so like the early Church in this respect, who were so full of Christ, that they were given the nickname "Christian".