6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:6-14 ESV
As John introduces the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, it is clear what he considers to be the great need of our world: belief in Jesus Christ. John wrote his Gospel to show that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).
As human beings, we are alienated from God because of our sin. God is holy, and the guilt of our sin has placed us under His just condemnation. Meanwhile, the power of sin works evil in and through our lives, so that John could say in his first epistle that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (I John 5:19). If these are our great problems—God’s condemning judgment and the insidious effects of sin—the answer is the Savior whom God sent as a light to this dark world … the true answer to the world’s true problems is Jesus Christ, an answer we receive through belief in Him [emphasis added].
Richard Phillips, in Jesus the Evangelist, goes on to discuss how necessary it is to have witnesses to establish the truth, and how many different witnesses are presented in the Gospel of John. He further concludes that, just as Jesus sent out the disciples to be witnesses, now we are to carry on the work of witnessing to the world.
Christians understand the problems of the world as no one else can. Those who are spiritually dead cannot comprehend the truth. How many people do you know who live in darkness? How many people do you know who have the light … but keep it hidden?
Men, your role as a leader—in your home, at church, at work, and in your community—includes this most important task: to lead in evangelism. You must lead your family in witnessing; you must be a witness at work; you must shine the light of the gospel in the community; and you must work together with the rest of the church to spread the good news of the gospel.
• What is the content of your witness for Christ in evangelism? (What are the facts that people must hear?)
• How do you need to grow in your practice of witnessing?
• What will you do to equip yourself to be a better witness?
1 comment:
Learning God's word through the scriptures, appropriate teachings, and resources at Redeemer has helped me grow and equip me. Being an effective witness is an on going growth process, just as any other aspect of being a Christian. Prayer, Bible study groups and the abundance of opportunities through our Church body has help my spiritual growth immensely. God has also use the encouragement of my Christian brothers to keep me motivated.
Evangelism in my life is not what it could be and God has blessed me with others to call on for advise and suggestions on how to witness to others. For I found there is not one way to evangelize to all. Positive results are not always seen by me except my growth. I can get frustrated when it looks as if I failed, but I remember God is control. If and when someone has a change of heart, I can't do it, God does.
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