Messages on Witnessing
You are My Witnesses
by Pastor John Khng
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:10-12, Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:8
Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
Isa 43:12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Luk 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Witness - One who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced: a witness to the accident. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/witness
I. Chosen to Be Witnesses - Chosen to Know, Believe, Understand and Testify for God – Isa. 43:10a
Who can testify? Those who are chosen to know, believe and understand who God is and what He has done for us.
Witnessing, Tragic Failure Of: Story
Perhaps the most tragic feature of the failure of Christians to take the gospel to the lost is the awful results. A pastor was passing a big department store and followed the impulse to go in and talk to the proprietor about his salvation. He said, "I've talked bed's and carpets and bookcases with you, but I've never talked my business with you. Would you give me a few minutes to do so now?" Being led to the private office the minister took out his New Testament and showed the businessman passage after passage which brought before him his to accept Christ. Finally the tears began to roll down his cheeks, and he said to the pastor, "I'm seventy years old. I was born in this city, and more than a hundred ministers and five hundred church officers have known me as you have, to do business with. In all these years you are the only man who ever spoke to me about my soul." - EVERY MEMBER EVANGELISM
II. Witnesses for God – To Testify that The God of the Bible is the Only True and Living God – Isa. 43:10b
Conclusion:
D.L. Moody made an covenant with God that he would witness for Christ to at least one person each day. One night, about ten o- clock, he realized that he had not yet witnessed; so he went out in to the street and spoke to a man standing by a lamppost, asking him, "Are you a Christian?" The man flew into a violent rage and threatened to knock Moody into the gutter. Later, that same man went to an elder in the church and complained that Moody was "doing more harm in Chicago than ten men were doing good." The elder begged Moody to temper his zeal with knowledge. Three months later, Moody was awakened at the YMCA by a man knocking at the door. It was the man he had witnessed to. "I want to talk to you about my soul," he said to Moody. He apologized for the way he had treated Moody and said that he had had no peace ever since that night on Lake Street when Moody witnessed to him. Moody led the man to Christ and he became a zealous worker in the Sunday school. - W. Wiersbe, The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 205.
You are My Witnesses
I. Chosen to Be Witnesses - Chosen to Know, Believe, Understand and Testify for God – Isa. 43:10a
II. Witnesses for God – To Testify that The God of the Bible is the Only True and Living God – Isa. 43:10b
III. Witnesses for Christ – To Testify that Jesus Christ is the Only True and Living Saviour – Isa. 43:11-12
Are you willing to be one of God’s Witnesses?
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 43:10-12, Luke 24:44-49; Acts 1:8
Isa 43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
Isa 43:12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
Luk 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Luk 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Witness - One who can give a firsthand account of something seen, heard, or experienced: a witness to the accident. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/witness
I. Chosen to Be Witnesses - Chosen to Know, Believe, Understand and Testify for God – Isa. 43:10a
Who can testify? Those who are chosen to know, believe and understand who God is and what He has done for us.
Witnessing, Tragic Failure Of: Story
Perhaps the most tragic feature of the failure of Christians to take the gospel to the lost is the awful results. A pastor was passing a big department store and followed the impulse to go in and talk to the proprietor about his salvation. He said, "I've talked bed's and carpets and bookcases with you, but I've never talked my business with you. Would you give me a few minutes to do so now?" Being led to the private office the minister took out his New Testament and showed the businessman passage after passage which brought before him his to accept Christ. Finally the tears began to roll down his cheeks, and he said to the pastor, "I'm seventy years old. I was born in this city, and more than a hundred ministers and five hundred church officers have known me as you have, to do business with. In all these years you are the only man who ever spoke to me about my soul." - EVERY MEMBER EVANGELISM
II. Witnesses for God – To Testify that The God of the Bible is the Only True and Living God – Isa. 43:10b
- “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” – Isa. 43:10
- What are we to testify? Testify that Jehovah is the Only True and Living God and there is no other God before Him and after Him.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? - Today there are many believers in God but their belief is only head knowledge and not experiential knowledge of knowing God personally through trusting Christ as their personal Saviour. There is another group and it is getting larger and larger in numbers, who believe in god with a small “g” and their god is not the god of the Bible but a god of their own making. It could be that they are believing in themselves as a god or the universe as a god, or mother earth as a god, or an object or a principle, or an idea or money or ambition as a god to be pursued and worshipped.
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Rom 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Rom 1:23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Rom 1:24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Rom 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
- Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
- Isa 43:12 I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.
- What are we to testify? Testify that Christ is Our One and Only Saviour and there no other Saviour who can save us from our sins.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” – John 14:6
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” – 1 Tim 2:5 - We are Witnesses for God and for Christ but how are we to testify?
- We are to Witness with God’s Power - Lk. 24: 47-49; Acts 1:8
Luk 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48 And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 - We are to be Willing to Witness – to come forward to witness because we need more than 2 Witnesses – Deu. 19:15; Mt 18:16
Deu 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. - We are to Witness with Courage – Isa. 44:8
Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
We are not to be afraid to be witnesses for God – Isa. 43:1-7 (seven reasons not to fear).
The change that came to the disciples of Christ from being fearful to being courageous – John 20:19 compare Act 2:14, 32 and 36
The disciples were fearful – John 20:19
“Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.” – John 20:19
The disciples were courageous – Acts 2:14, 32, 36
Acts 2:14, “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:”
“This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.” – Acts 2:32. Peter and the other 11 disciples lifted up their voices to testify for the Lord,
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” – Acts 2:36
Read also about their bold witnessing in Acts 3:15
Act 3:15 – “And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.” - Said by Peter and John.
They were imprisoned because of their witnessing – Acts 4:3
Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
Read Acts 5:18-19; 29-33
Illustration: When Phillip Brooks was recovering from an illness and was denying himself to all visitors, Robert G Ingersoll, the agnostic (One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.) called. The Bishop received him at once. "I appreciate this very much," said Ingersoll, "but why do you see me when you deny yourself to your friends?" "It is this way," said the Bishop. "I feel confident of seeing my friends in the next world, but this may be my last chance of seeing you." - We are to witness anytime, anywhere and everywhere – Acts 8:4
Acts 8:4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
Conclusion:
D.L. Moody made an covenant with God that he would witness for Christ to at least one person each day. One night, about ten o- clock, he realized that he had not yet witnessed; so he went out in to the street and spoke to a man standing by a lamppost, asking him, "Are you a Christian?" The man flew into a violent rage and threatened to knock Moody into the gutter. Later, that same man went to an elder in the church and complained that Moody was "doing more harm in Chicago than ten men were doing good." The elder begged Moody to temper his zeal with knowledge. Three months later, Moody was awakened at the YMCA by a man knocking at the door. It was the man he had witnessed to. "I want to talk to you about my soul," he said to Moody. He apologized for the way he had treated Moody and said that he had had no peace ever since that night on Lake Street when Moody witnessed to him. Moody led the man to Christ and he became a zealous worker in the Sunday school. - W. Wiersbe, The Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching & Preachers, p. 205.
You are My Witnesses
I. Chosen to Be Witnesses - Chosen to Know, Believe, Understand and Testify for God – Isa. 43:10a
II. Witnesses for God – To Testify that The God of the Bible is the Only True and Living God – Isa. 43:10b
III. Witnesses for Christ – To Testify that Jesus Christ is the Only True and Living Saviour – Isa. 43:11-12
Are you willing to be one of God’s Witnesses?
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