In our meditation yesterday, we began talking about four things that God brings to bear when a person witnesses to another about the Kingdom of God. It is good for us to know these truths because we feel the pressure of responsibility, lack of knowledge, and our own sinfulness. Let's take that pressure away by looking at the other two things that interact when we share Christ:
3) The Body of Truth in the Word of God. There are specific truths that should be communicated if we want people to believe and trust in the finished work of Christ. The more we convey the truth of the Word of God, the higher the chance that the person will come through to a powerful life-changing experience of being born again (John 3:3). Our own words can come up short, but Scripture tells us that God’s Word never returns to Him empty, without effect or void. (Isaiah 55:11). How many times have you heard a message that entertains but lacks any truth and fails to point to Christ? In seeking to be relevant, we must not shrink back from sharing the truth of God's Word with love; it will never be out of style or out of touch. God the Father knows how to reach every heart. A gospel message spoken by a willing servant of God, sharing truths from God's Word, can win many a lost person seeking inward peace.
4) The Person Sharing. If possible, prepare your heart before you share the message of Christ. Pray for the person, and maybe even fast a meal or two while you plan what you will say and how you will bring up spiritual things. Spend time listening to God and be open to sharing things that the Holy Spirit will give you. One of the most loving things you can do is to pray for the person. Trust that God will provide you with the right words and a heart of compassion as you share His message. One of the greatest encouragements to us as witnesses is that we have divine help from the invisible world around us:
18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 Emphasis mine).
In the passage above, Jesus tells the disciples that as they go with the gospel, they are not alone; the Lord Himself will be with them as they go. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). We can draw on His help as we rely on the Holy Spirit to give us insight and the right scriptures to use. Without Him, we can do nothing. If our eyes were opened to the spiritual world around us, we would see all kinds of spiritual help. Gehazi, Elisha's servant, found this to be the truth after the man of God prayed for his servant's eyes to be open to the spiritual world around him. He looked outside the city he was in and found that Israel's enemies surrounded it, but there were greater angelic spiritual forces around them, protecting them:
16So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:16-17).
God is for us and will work with us as we go forth bearing the precious seed of the Word of God to sow into the lives of those around us. May God bless you with a harvest as you share. Keith Thomas.
Taken from the series in Discipleship, Study 7. The Main Thing
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