Witnessing
Witnessing
“Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people! ”
I can guarantee that we are fishing for people! What kind of bait are we using? Are we using Godly bait or the world's bait?
“Now the works of the flesh are obvious:
sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.
I tell you about these things in advance — as I told you before — that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.
Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Galatians 5:19-24 HCSB
God’s bait is all the good stuff listed above but the Devil’s bait is all the sins listed above.
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35 HCSB
One other bait is serving them.
“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
Proverbs 25:21-22 HCSB
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”
Are we ashamed of the gospel? Or are we ignorant of the gospel? Or is the Gospel written on our hearts and lived in our lives so that the world will see it lived out and believe?
What is the gospel?
First, it is Jesus! Jesus was born of a virgin being all God and all man at the same time. Lived a perfect life not deserving death. Was crucified on the cross for our imperfections. Was buried in an empty borrowed tomb. And was raised back to life on the third day. And now lives at the right hand of God helping us live for God on this earth.
Do we do our part to live in a way that Jesus is alive? Do we talk and act as Jesus would talk and act? Not in “these and thous” but in love, joy, and peace. Do we act like Jesus when people are and are not watching? If we “live” for God only when people are watching then we are a hypocrite. If we live for God only when people are not watching we are a secret “christian” and we may not be saved. But if we are living for God both while people are watching and when they are not then we are fulfilling the will of God in our lives.
“Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?”
“Whenever you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!”
“Whenever you fast, don’t be sad-faced like the hypocrites. For they make their faces unattractive so their fasting is obvious to people. I assure you: They’ve got their reward!”
Matthew 6:5, 16 HCSB
“But when you pray, go into your private room, shut your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
“But when you fast, put oil on your head, and wash your face, so that you don’t show your fasting to people but to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
Matthew 6:6, 17-18 HCSB
“Although I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law — though I myself am not under the law — to win those under the law. To those who are without that law, like one without the law — not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law — to win those without the law. To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits.”
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 HCSB
Paul was able to be all things to all people without sinning. He did not become a drunkard to witness to the drunks but would be their talking company and their ride so that they may see Jesus in his actions.
Will we become all things to all people so that they to may see Jesus in us?
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