Witnessing for Christ

Matthew 10:32-33

It never ceases to amaze me how confused the issue of witnessing for Christ can become in the minds of many of God’s people. I’m amazed because we never seem to struggle with witnessing about anything else. We will jabber on for hours about our favorite sport or team. We have no problem extolling the many virtues of our boyfriends or girlfriends. We will discuss the weather and its effects on farming with complete strangers. Yet when it comes to witnessing the amazing love of the Messiah – we stutter, mumble and mutter at best. At worst we stand woefully silent.

Confessing Christ is our duty.

· Matthew 10:32-33 HCSB "Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. (33) But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

· Luke 12:8-9 HCSB "And I say to you, anyone who acknowledges Me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God, (9) but whoever denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

· Romans 10:8-10 HCSB On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: (9) if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) With the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.

· Philippians 2:11 HCSB and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

· 1 John 2:22-23 HCSB Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Messiah? He is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. (23) No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.

· 1 John 4:13-15 HCSB This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given to us from His Spirit. (14) And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. (15) Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God--God remains in him and he in God.

Seven remarkable confessions.

Let’s examine seven remarkable confessions and see what we can learn from them.

Peter’s first confession

· Matthew 16:16 HCSB Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!"

Nathanael

· John 1:49 HCSB "Rabbi," Nathanael replied, "You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

The Samaritan woman

· John 4:29 HCSB "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?"

Peter’s second confession

· John 6:68-69 HCSB Simon Peter answered, "Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life. (69) We have come to believe and know that You are the Holy One of God!"

Martha

· John 11:27 HCSB "Yes, Lord," she told Him, "I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Thomas

· John 20:28 HCSB Thomas responded to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

The blind man

· John 9:30-33 HCSB "This is an amazing thing," the man told them. "You don't know where He is from, yet He opened my eyes! (31) We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him. (32) Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind. (33) If this man were not from God, He wouldn't be able to do anything."

· John 9:35-38 HCSB When Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out, He found him and asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (36) "Who is He, Sir, that I may believe in Him?" he asked. (37) Jesus answered, "You have seen Him; in fact, He is the One speaking with you." (38) "I believe, Lord!" he said, and he worshiped Him.

Derashot:

1. Jesus is the Messiah.

2. Jesus is the Son of the Living God.

3. He is the King of Israel – our rightful King.

4. He knows everything we have done and yet loves us anyway.

5. We have no one else to turn to.

6. He has the words of eternal life.

7. He is he Holy One of God

8. He is God come into the world, God in Flesh, Immanuel.

9. He is our Lord and our God.

10. He is able to open our eyes.

11. I once was blind, I now can see, and He did it.

12. He is sinless and God-fearing for God listens to Him.

13. He is the promised “Son of Man” who was to tread on the serpent’s head.

14. He is worthy of our worship.

Study Questions:

1. Why was Peter compelled to speak of Jesus?

2. How should seeking God’s approval be a motive in our witnessing?

3. Why is love so important in witnessing?

4. What qualities of life make a person an effective witness?

5. How much do you need to know to speak to someone about your faith in Christ?

6. What kind of man was Paul before he met Christ?

7. How did Christ change Paul?

8. What can you learn from Paul’s story that is helpful in your witness?

9. I would like to challenge each of you to write out your story of how you became a Christian and allow us (after appropriate editing) to post it on the church website.