Is witnessing really necessary?

Acts 1:8“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus described witnessing as normal for his disciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit. If we are followers of Jesus, we are being witnesses to his presence in our lives, whether we are being effective at it or not.

Psalm 107:2Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.

Mark 16:15Then he [Jesus] told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.”

God wants us to tell others about what he has done. When we fail to do this, others may assume God has done nothing for us or question the reality of our claim to be a follower of Jesus.

Mark 1:17Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

Acts 10:42“He ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead.”

Telling others the story of Jesus is an essential part of being a follower of Jesus. Simply tell others why you love him; he promises to soften the hearts of many who listen. Do you know why?

2 Kings 7:9Finally, they said to each other, “This is not right. This is a day of good news, and we aren’t sharing it with anyone! . . . Come on, let’s go back and tell the people at the palace.”

It isn’t right to keep the Good News to ourselves. Our witness may be the only way some people will ever hear the Good News. Being a Christian isn’t about getting “in” to some exclusive group. It’s about experiencing something so wonderful that you can’t wait to invite others to experience it, too. Is this how you feel about being a Christian? If it isn’t worth sharing, how much is it really worth to you?

Romans 10:14How can they [lost people] call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

The only way some people can experience all the benefits of following God is by hearing and believing his message of Good News—and that may need to come from you!

Acts 28:23-31On that day a large number of people came to Paul’s lodging. He explained and testified about the Kingdom of God and tried to persuade them about Jesus from the Scriptures. Using the law of Moses and the books of the prophets, he spoke to them from morning until evening. Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe. And after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: “The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, ‘Go and say to this people: When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ So I want you to know that this salvation from God has also been offered to the Gentiles, and they will accept it.” For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.

A straightforward description of our personal encounter with Jesus is a powerful testimony. This is the place for us to start.

Ezekiel 3:18“If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths.”

We have a responsibility to tell others about Jesus if the opportunity arises.

Jude 1:23Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.

We are called to rescue others from the flames of judgment.