Introduction:
A. When we think of witnessing, there are two
extremes we think about.
1. There are those who can't carry on a normal
conversation
without making a strong sales-pitch
for someone to
be saved or repent of their
wrongs! People
begin to avoid them because they know they are in for a beating! This isn't good!
Most of us
aren't at this extreme!
2. The other extreme that comes to mind is
someone
who you could
work with and talk to for twenty
years and never
know that they were a Christian!
If someone
asked them how to become a Christian,
they wouldn't
have the foggiest idea what to tell
them! This isn't good either!
I Hope none of
us are at this extreme. I doubt we
are!
B. Most of us probably fall somewhere between
these, and
we need to, but
chances are most of us at times, if we
are honest,
come closer to the second extreme than we'd like to and pass up good opportunities
to witness!
Trans:
So, this
morning I would like to talk about, "A
Beautiful
Tongue is a Witnessing Tongue."
Prayer
I. We cannot have a private faith! (hear these words)
A. Rom. 10:9 "because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
B. (and again) Matt. 10:32&33 "Everyone therefore who
acknowledges me before others, I
also will
acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but
whoever denies me before others, I will also
deny before my Father in heaven."
C. It goes hand in hand; someone with a true Faith will want to share some way!
II. We should always be ready to speak for Christ!
A. I Peter 3:15 "but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an account for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence."
B. Notice this verse assumes people will
ask! We are to live our lives in a
way that people will see us and
want what we've got! They will be impressed, and they will ask how do we do that! (Story of dad hurting finger and saying, “Mike get a bandaid.)
1. When they ask, we should be
ready to give them the reason! Christ!
2. This is the most effective way to
witness! Get
them to where
they will ask us!!
C. This verse brings out 3 important things
about a
witnessing
tongue!
1. It must be willing! Ready!
If we aren't
willing, we will let the
opportunities
go by, and the door will be shut!
2. A witnessing tongue must be gentle!
a. This means we must be gentle with the
seeker.
b. We must show them the compassionate love of Christ. Offer Christ, not push Christ down their throats!
c. They may have committed a sin that to us is terrible, but if they are coming to us for help, we have no right to judge them and slam the door on the opportunity to tell them about Christ. We need to show them the way to a forgiving Savior and start them on a new life in Christ.
3. A witnessing tongue must show respect. "Reverence!"
a. Respect for God's word.
b. Respect for people created by God!
1) People
shouldn't get the feeling that
we are looking down our noses at
them
but that we view them on the same
level as ourselves.
2) In God's eyes, their sin is no worse
than
ours; the only difference being
God’s
grace in Christ.
III. A witnessing tongue can be trained!
A. It should be trained! Too many times the Christian Church has been rather cruel to new converts; we win someone, and we tell them what is expected of them and throw them out there to either sink or float: most sink.
1. First, we need to teach people character
development!
This is what this series seeks to
do! They need to grow as Christians themselves!
a. When they do, this will give them
opportunities
to witness! People will notice
and will ask!
b. Then, they will be ready to hear.
2. Next, we need to teach people about faith,
grace, and salvation so they are ready when given the opportunity
to lead someone to Christ!
B. Our church is better at this
than most! We offer a lot to help
Christian growth.
1. The emphasis in the United Methodist Church
of
doing
something with our faith gives people ways
to
exercise their faith.
2. Children's Sermons/Church.
3. Confirmation classes as needed.
4. Small groups for prayer, service, and study!
5. Preaching
growth, especially during the seasons of growth! We don’t just bring people to Christ
and
forget them!
IV. A witnessing tongue needs to trust in the guidance of the Spirit!
A. Without the Spirit, we are helpless: training or no- training!
B. All the training in the world can't prepare
us for
every
situation, but the Spirit can supply the need.
"When they
hand you over, do not worry about how you
are to speak or
what you are to say; for what you are
to say will be
given to you at that time;" (Matt.
10:19).
Conclusion:
A. Have we failed in this area? Do we feel like at times we have came too close to the second extreme that we talked about at the beginning?
B. Sometimes it is because we have been scared!
Sometimes
well meaning men/women have painted the
picture of
witnessing that scares most of us to death, and we back off!
1. That picture looks something like this:
a. Knock on door!
b. Stick foot in the door!
c. Are you a Christian?
d. You have sinned!!
e. In another denomination, I participated in a
class
on evangelism that basically described
a
method just like that! No wonder people
are
afraid at the thought of witnessing! No
wonder
people are afraid to come to church!
2. You say, "I can't do that!"
3. God probably isn't asking us to do that!
4. By being too pushy, we can sometimes do more
damage than
good.
C. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't visit and
get to
know people and
rely on the Lord to give us an
opportunity.
D. And there are other ways of witnessing!
1. Get
to know people!
2. Create
opportunities to be with them, besides at
work or places they would be embarrassed to talk!
3. Look for opportunities to share a word of
witness! God has made a difference
in my life!
Let the Lord lead you in what to say! If they are
not ready, respect that! It will
leave the door
open for another time!
E. What God is asking is that we be ready and
willing!
Are we ready
and willing today?
Don't be afraid
of the Lord! God won't ask anything
of us that we
can't do! God won't put us in any
situation that
God can't bring us through!
Remember our
membership vow that we answer to when
joining the
church:
“Will you
faithfully participate in the ministries of
this congregation
by your prayers, your presence, your
gifts, your
service, and your witness?”
As we encounter
Christ at the table, if we will say, "
Yes Lord, I
want to be a better witness." God
will
give us the
opportunities!
Prayer of Confession
Service
of Communion
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