Witnessing

How Does That Work? (part 2 of 3)

This is the second in a series of three Bible studies entitled, "How Does That Work?"  Our second installment delves into Witnessing.  

So, how does witnessing work?  Before we get into that, I can tell you how it doesn't work...by keeping your mouth shut.  This insight, unfortunately, comes from first-hand experience.  If I were a revisionist historian, I would say that my entire life has been characterized by this verse:

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”  (1Corinthians 2:2 ESV)

However, this would be a false characterization.  For the first 35 years of my life I virtually kept my mouth shut regarding Jesus, thus hiding the gospel under a bushel basket.  Oh, I occasionally talked about my religious experience, and even more about my church...but I did not openly, boldly, and regularly proclaim the truth of the gospel. Shame on me (or to quote the Apostle Paul, "Woe is me").  God created me and saved me for His purpose...to reflect the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ to all.  So, what right did I have to say to God, "I'll decide if I will witness...I'll pick and choose the people to whom I'll share...I'll decide when the timing is right."  None whatsoever.

In 2005 God graciously sent James Engle into my life.  He has been my Senior Pastor (and boss) for the past three years, and in those three years he has taught the gospel, modeled the gospel, equipped me to share the gospel, and given me the privilege of training others to share the gospel.  Jim knows how the Gospel works, and he knows that it is work.  What he may never know is how much my life has been changed by his "gospel influence" on me.  This blog entry is dedicated to him, and it also serves as a blueprint for the kind of gospel-centered life I want to live.  By God's grace, may I have at least another 35 years to obey God's gospel call...for God's glory.

Most of the verses we'll be studying are not quoted here.  If you are going to follow along, you'll need to open your own Bible, or open a new tab or window in your browser and use the ESV Online Bible.   

_______________________________

1.  The Preface

When God reveals Himself, it is always glorious (3:7-11)

• The glory of the law
  

- Characterized by death (v.7) and condemnation (v.9)

- Observed by looking upon Moses’s face (v.7)

- The law’s glory fades (v.11)

• The glory of righteousness (the gospel) - v.9
  

- Characterized by the life (“Spirit” vv.6, 8) and righteousness (v.9)

- Observed by looking upon Jesus’ face (v.16)

- Jesus’ glory endures forever (v.11)

When God reveals Himself, it usually involves the use of human instruments

• God does not need man’s help, but he chooses to use man’s obedience
  
• The source of power and effectiveness comes from God, not ourselves (3:4-6;
  

4:7-11)

• "Our Evangelistic work is the instrument that He uses for this purpose, but the power that saves is not in the instrument: it is in the hand of the one who uses the instrument."(J.I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, p. 27)

When God reveals Himself, it requires His leading and our obedience (2:14-17)

• Sincere representatives of God
  
• Commissioned by God
  
• Under the supervision of God
  
• Empowered by God (“in Christ)
  

2.  The Presentation

We must first understand “this ministry” (the gospel and witnessing)

What is the gospel?  (Best comprehensive description: 1 Corinthians 15)

• The problem is sin...“the veil” (3:14)
  
• The solution is Jesus (3:14-15)
  
• The conversion requires repentance...“turn to the Lord” (v.16)
  
• The source of salvation is the Spirit (3:17-18)
  
• The content is not open to change (4:2)
  

The message is this:

• Man is a sinner and cannot save himself (we stand condemned to Hell)
  
• God is just and must punish sin, but he is also merciful, offering salvation
  
• Jesus is God’s means of mercy and grace
  
• He is fully God and man
  
• He died on a cross to pay the penalty of our sin
  
• He rose from the grave to prove that He purchased our redemption
  
• Man receives this gift by faith...trusting in Jesus alone for salvation
  
• Man must repent (turn from sin) and submit to the Lord, Jesus
  

What is witnessing?  It is NOT... 

• Peddling or selling God’s word (2:17)
  
• Using disgraceful, underhanded ways (4:2)
  

        - Cunning 
        - Tampering with God’s Word  (The gospel is a message, a body of information; we’re not to dilute, weaken, or omit any part of it)

• Proclaiming ourselves (our testimony, our church, our man-made formulas)
  

Witnessing IS...openly stating the truth (the message of the gospel)

3.  The Process

• Man is blind and cannot see because of the veil/sin (3:14b; 4:4)
  

- God of this world (Satan) has blinded their eyes (4:4)
- Satan’s goal: keep people from “seeing” (hearing) the light of the gospel (Jesus)

• We preach/proclaim the truth of Jesus’s gospel (4:2, 5)
  
• The Spirit powerfully works, opening the eyes of the blind (3:17-18; cf. John 3:5-8)
  
• Man believes the message, turns from sin, and submits to God (3:16)
  
• Man receives the light to reflect the light (4:6)
  

3.  The Prescription

We have obstacles in our way, so we must overcome each one (1 Cor. 9:12, 15b)

“...but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ...For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.”

• What are the obstacles you must overcome?  How will you overcome them?
  

We have an amazing hope, so we must be bold (3:12)

“...that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”  (Ephesians 6:19-20 ESV)

• Are you bold?  If not, could it be that you have lost the amazement of grace? 
  

We have received mercy, so we must not lose heart (4:1)

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”  (1Timothy 1:16 ESV)

• Do you lose heart?  Do you daily remind yourself of His mercy and why He gave it? 
  

We have a “winning vision”, so we must be sacrificial and disciplined (1 Cor. 9:19-27)

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

• Are you aiming to win?  How will you discipline yourself, sacrifice, and be active?
  

We have a been given a specific message and means, so we must use them (2 Cor. 4:2)

“We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”

• Do you resort to sales tactics, or do you openly state the truth of the gospel?   Can you articulate each essential part of the gospel?  If you can’t articulate the gospel, will you seek to be equipped for this task?  
  

We have seen that witnessing is a necessity, so we must be obedient (1 Cor. 9:16b)

“For necessity is laid upon me. Woe [grief] to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

• Do you want to bring grief upon yourself?  Will you proclaim the gospel to all?
  

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing...”   (2Corinthians 2:14-15 ESV)