David McCowan
In our Message Series, Practicing the Way, we are learning more about being a Disciple of Jesus, or the way we could describe it in today’s language, being an Apprentice of Jesus. We have talked about how being a disciple / apprentice of Jesus means that we who have trusted Jesus in faith for forgiveness of sin and salvation, center our lives around 3 Goals:
· Be with Jesus
· Become like Jesus
· Do what Jesus did
When this is how we live our life, we become an Apprentice of Jesus, and it leads to Transformation of our life. And this is what we are pursuing as a church for our own personal lives and for our church family. Our goal this year is to take the Next Step in growing in our relationship with Jesus and each other so that rather than being consumers, we are disciples / apprentices of Jesus.
Today we are looking at another practice of Jesus and which he tells his followers to do: Witness – See Matthew 28:18-20, John 17:18, Acts 20:24, Acts 1:6-8….
Evangelism is the Greek word for “good news.” As we think about telling others the good news about Jesus, notice that Jesus doesn't say: You will be my defense attorney. You will be my prosecutor. You will be my salesperson.
You and I DO NOT have to defend God. We do not have to convince people about God or be a salesperson for God. Our role isn’t to convert anyone, but it is to tell others the good news of Jesus through the practice of witness.
What is a witness? A witness is somebody who simply tells what they have seen; who tells what happened to them.
You see, you are the expert on your life, and nobody can be a better witness on your life than you. Nobody can be a better witness of what God has done in your life than you, because you are the authority on your life, not some pastor or priest, not anybody else.
So, God says, “I just want you to tell other people what's happened to you, what's happened in your life.”
Barbie James
1. Loving people where they are
John 4:39 NIV Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony. “He told me everything I ever did.”
John 4:42 NIV Then they said to the woman. “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man is the Savior of the world.”
Romans 2:4 NIV …God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance. Because of Jesus’ kindness not only the woman at the well but many in her town came to believe all because Jesus met her where she was.
“Our role isn’t to convert anyone, but it’s to preach-tell others the good news of Jesus through the practice of witness.” -John Mark Comer
2. Share your story
You do this by making God the hero / main character of your story
John 8:2-11 NIV 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
No one came to the woman’s rescue, but Jesus did. He was her hero of her story!
3. Opening Your Home
1 Peter 4:9-10 NIV 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. Become people of hospitality in a world of hostility.
We must embody and extend the love, welcome, warmth, and generosity of the inner life of God. We must open our homes, our tables, and our lives to the “last, least, and the lost” -John Mark Comer
TALK IT OVER:
1. Jesus was so good at loving people where they were, like the Samaritan woman at the well. In what way can you love people where they are?
2. When was a time when God has rescued you?
3. Do you have an area in your life now where you need God to be your hero?
4. Read 1 Peter 4:10 How do you use your gift God gave you to serve others?
5. Who are you going to invite to your table
