David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
April 21, 1985
Witnessing By Words and Deeds
Acts 1:8 and 1 Peter 2:12, NIV
Witnessing...
A few years ago Celeste and I went on a tour of Washington, D.C. One of the highlights was climbing up the steps to the Capitol building. It seems like the steps never end but it makes an impressive entrance for the building. Once we got to the top we joined hundreds of tourists who were lined up to enter. And that's where we saw him. His hat had a big card on it with Scripture verses. On either side of his body he had what are called sandwich signs. The kind you see on people who sell hotdogs, except his said, "Repent America! Or God will punish!" To reinforce his message he pranced in a circle, banged a tambourine and sang gospel songs. Everyone studiously ignored him, which wasn't easy.
Witnessing...
In 1980 Rollen Stewart, alias "Rock-in-Rollin", accepted Christ as his Savior after attending the Super Bowl game. Ever since, he has witnessed about his faith and in a rather unique way, too. He puts on a rainbow-colored wig, a T-shirt that only says "John 3:16" and goes to sporting events. Lots of them! Professional golf tournaments, championship basketball games, the World Series and major football games. He also likes to hit the Olympics. At each event he places himself smack in front of a TV camera. He estimates his technique has reached more people than any other evangelist in history but I don't think Billy Graham is worried.*
A leading Christian writer has said that Christians and non-Christians have something in common. Both are uptight about witnessing. Non-Christians are afraid some fanatic is going to buttonhole them. Christians; on the other hand, have the nagging feeling that we must be a little obnoxious in order to be good at witnessing.
One of the best books I've read on witnessing is called "Out of the Saltshaker" by Rebecca Pippert. At one point she says:
"As a non-believer I had thought many Christians were weird, spreading leaflets on street corners and nabbing strangers. I was terrified that if I said anything at all about Christ my friends would consider me just as strange and I would agree with them. There was a part of me that secretly felt evangelism was something you shouldn't do to your dog, let alone a friend."
If you have been brought up in a church that preaches from the Bible you know you are supposed to witness. You also feel guilty because you don't do it. It's because it is distasteful, we are timid and we don't know what to say. One of my friends in seminary said he wouldn't witness until he had the answer to every question non-Christians were going to ask. I doubt he has them all yet!
I think the main problem in witnessing is that we look at it all wrong. To share the Christian message effectively is not to follow a set of rules or be motivated by guilt. Witnessing is primarily a way of life.
It's like being an American. By virtue of the fact that we are Americans we are witnesses for our country, whether we like it or not. This may not be striking to you because everyone here is an American. But I grew up in Germany. For some Germans I was probably the only American they ever met. If they found me unfriendly or arrogant they would probably think that all Americans are that way. The opposite is also true. If they liked me they would tend to project those positive feelings on other Americans. I didn't have to say one word of "witness" about America.
The same principle operates for Christians. By virtue of the fact that I am a Christian, I am automatically a witness for Jesus Christ. I may not be a good one but I am one anyway. Jesus did not say to his disciples, "After you receive the Holy Spirit you will go out and do witnessing." He said, "After you receive the Holy Spirit, you will be witnesses for me."
What you do is important, no question about it! But what you are is much more important and influential. So the question is not really how to do witnessing or how to become a witness. If we are Christians we already are witnesses. The question should be:
How can we become better witnesses? I suppose I should start off with the negative aspect first. Some Christians are lousy witnesses. They may have all the words down pat but the way they live turns people off immediately. This is nothing new. In Philippians 3:18 the Apostle Paul himself says:
"As I have told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things."
Paul is not talking about pagans here. These are people who claim to be born-again Christians. You can talk all you want about how wonderful it is to let God control your life but if you are enslaved by the same addictive habits no one will be convinced. For every Christian who has been defeated by sin there are three non-believers who will point to them as an excuse not to believe.
What I find sad is that many of these corrupt Christians are aware of their hypocrisy and are ashamed of it. God may understand but non-believers will find it pretty difficult. Because of this many Christians feel they cannot share about their faith even if they want to. Their sins and shortcomings may have occurred years ago but their witness is still affected. People have long memories.
Your witness is affected by more than specific things you may have done. It can also be affected by what you haven't done. There are Christians who have never publicly broken one of the Ten Commandments. They haven't committed adultery, or been arrested, or even used a dirty word. They're in church every night of the week. But they are still a lousy witness. Do you know why? They lack Love. Cold, uncaring Christians contradict everything Jesus stands for. To non-believers this is the worst kind of hypocrite.
These things describe a negative witness. A positive witness is altogether different. Such a person is not perfect but they try to exhibit the love of God in their life. To be a positive witness you first have to be God's person. This means you base your relationship with God on what Jesus has done, not what you have done. No matter how good you are you still fail to meet God's perfect standards and the penalty is separation from God. Only forgiveness through Jesus Christ can make us acceptable to God.
Our good works do not save us. But they are the best way to show God, and others, that we are grateful we are saved. More than at any other time, Christians need to show that believing in Jesus makes a difference in the way we live.
One survey after another shows that people who claim to be Christians are no better than those who don't. Our moral actions, and even our attitudes, are not much different than the general population's. God wants people who are willing to be different. People who will run from sin and strive to do what's right. Others will then listen to us because they'll want to be like us.
Our lifestyles are the clearest message we can give. We won't have to beat a tambourine or wear a rainbow-colored wig to gain attention. If you're living a Christian life you get all the attention you want. Peter says that godly behavior both silences our critics and can even win them over. As the NIV translates 2:12,
"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."
They will glorify God. In the Bible this always means they are led to believe in God and put their trust in him. You may never say a single word to these people but they can be influenced by your character.
You are a witness - But what kind of witness?
I have heard glowing things said about people in our church, from those you'd never expect it from. On the other hand, I've heard some of you described in less-than-glowing terms.
What would the reports be about you?
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* A sad update on Rollen - In 1992 he proclaimed the apocalypse was six days away, took a woman as a hostage at a Los Angeles hotel, and threatened to blow the place up after shooting at passing airplanes. He was given three life sentences. See http://home.pacifier.com/~dkossy/rainbow.html for more details. If anything, it gives more ammunition for those who despise witnessing.
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Typed on February 19, 2005, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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