When I say testimony, what do you think of?
Do you need a testimony to witness?
So often, we think we need a written testimony in order to properly witness to others. Althought that is very help and I strongly encourage you to write down your own testimony for the proper time, you do not need a written testimony to witness. Our testimony is our life change that God made in us. I believe that it is more of our actions than our words. We can all get up and share what God has done in our lives, but, I believe it is more of a witness/testimony when someone sees the life change in us day in and day out.
Today, we are going to talk about Christ's commandment to witness to others and how you can effectly witness to others without a written testimony - how your life in Christ can be an impact to others.
Read Acts 1:8
If you look at it in a map, Christ said this in or around Jerusalem. So He was telling them to witness to the closest group of people they know (people in Jerusalem). Then he told them to witness to Judea which was the region in which they lived in. Then He told them to witness to all of Samaria which was the outward reaches of the region. So, His model was to witness to those closest to you, those that you are associated with and then those who are out there, further out.
If we were to relate what Christ is telling them to what he could be telling us, I believe that he is telling us to be witnesses in:
Jerusalem: close friends
Judea: your school
All Samaria: the world
Let’s break this down a little bit deeper.
Jerusalem: Close Friends
The single closest mission field we have in front of us (besides our family) are our friends. They are the ones we hang out with the most. However, despite this closeness, our friends are a mission field we rarely tap into. Here are a few questions to think about in rating how you are doing with your non-christian friends:
1. What do you all talk about?
2. Why not talk about Christ? If they aren't Christians, they might be challenged to look deeper into who Christ is. If your friends are Christians, you might be able to hold each other accountable to living your life for Christ. Either way, it is a win, win.
3. Do your close friends even know that you believe in Christ? Why or why not?
4. What are you afraid of? Rejection? If they are your friends, won't they still be your friend even if you talk about Christ?
If your close friends don’t even know that you believe in Christ, how can you expect to share Christ with complete strangers? We need to put our trust solely on God to ask Him to give us opportunities to share our faith and to give us the words to say when those opportunities present themselves to us. God will not leave you high and dry. (Isaiah 41:10)
Judea: Your School
If I were to see you down the hall at your school…see you live your life, do the things you do at school and with your “school” friends, would I be able to tell there was something different about you?
What I’m asking is, Is Christ revealed in everything you do or are you no different than the average Joe in the halls?
If we are going to make an impact in your school, in your community, you need to be different than the average Joe. Why be like everyone else?
John 13:34-35
It says for us to love one another. By the way we love others (treat them, respond to them, etc), others will know that we are Christ’s disciples.
The way you treat people can make all the difference in the world. Wouldn’t it be great to be remembered in your school as a person who treats people right…never degrading or picking on people. Not because you’re this “Ned Flanders” guy who thinks the world is hunky dory, but because Christ has made a life-changing impact on you. Think of the impact you can have one others through that.
One last way to minister and witness to the world is by doing service and mission opportunities. How does doing service and mission opportunities allow you to witness to others? Through our deeds. On service projects and mission trips, we have a unique opportunity to go to another place and help people in need. By doing this, we win the right to share with them why us NOVA people would help others. We win the right to share with them the impact that Christ has made in our lives, in hope that they would come to know Him as well.
A bunch of students and leaders at my Church had the opportunity to help a single mom move apartments last spring. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, as it took most of the day, and many of them sacrificed their “day off” to do this.
Well, because of their sacrifice, this family saw the love of Christ demonstrated. You see, a woman in our Church has been working with this woman and her kids for quite some time and has been telling her about Christ. However, it wasn’t into this past spring in which she actually got to see the love of Christ demonstrated in a great magnitude. In fact, for the past few months, she has been coming to our Church regularly - hearing about Christ.
What an impact you all made on this mother!
Challenge
Even without a written testimony, your life testimony can have a huge impact on others. I have outlined 3 different Groups that we can share Christ. Our friends, our schools and the world.
Christ gives us a plan, a strategy to reach others for Christ. Now, we have to go and do it.
Step out in faith and Christ will bless what you do. Maybe not immediately, but Christ will bless your efforts.
Read Philippians 4:13 - Christ can empower all of us to share our faith with others - with or without a written testimony.
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