Attitudes In Witnessing

How’s it going with your witnessing prayers?
Still doing it?  Praying, that is, for three people that God has brought into your life, asking for opportunities to build authentic relationships with them, and for a chance to share the love and joy of Jesus with them – still doing so?
Praying for peace to fill their lives and homes.
Praying for fellowship to grow in natural, real ways between you and them
Praying for a chance for you to display some real, immediate care in their lives
Praying for a moment to share about the joy and hope of the eternal relationship that you have with God through Jesus.

And then…..
……What happens if the Lord hears and answers our prayers?
Like, really.
What happens if Jesus actually brings people into our lives with whom we can build a relationship.
And, as that relationship grows, and we share the stuff of life, that an opportunity comes to share something of our faith.
NOW WHAT??
HOW?

Earlier this year we did a sermon series called “Re-gifting Christmas.”  Messages can be found on our website HERE.

Four key points were:
1. Check our attitudes
2. Ask more questions than you make statements
3. Drop spiritual pebbles in their shoes from time to time
4. Translate “Christian-ese” into language they understand

We’ll review each of these over the next few weeks.

Beginning this week with our attitudes.

Matthew 4:18-22; 5:13-16; 9:35-38; 28:16-20  all suggest that one of THE central tasks we all share as followers of Jesus is the urgent one of being his witnesses.

So, do we have the attitude that our friends NEED Jesus?
REALLY need him?
That it is urgent?
Urgency is a central attitude of witnessing.

As is the attitude of respect -
1 Peter 3:16 tells us to share our faith with gentleness and respect.
No hard nosed, gimmick sales jobs wanted!

Do we also convey an attitude of graciousness?
After all, isn’t GRACE at the heart of the gospel?
They won’t understand grace unless they see it modelled in our lives.

Have we worked to build a trust relationship with the one we see to tell about Jesus?
We cross bridges of trust, rather than lob spiritual hand grenades into their lives.

And – are we aware of how God is ALREADY at work in their lives?
We ought never forget that we are, most of the time, not the first people who are connecting with them on Christ’s behalf.
Other believers may well have been there before us.
The Holy Spirit is most definitely already at work.
Meaning, it is NOT all up to us.  We can relax and move forward in obedience.
As someone once shared with me:
    “Ken, just share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit….. and then leave the results to God.”

Let us pray:
    “Lord, help me see my friend & neighbour as someone you love, and with whom you truly desire to be in intimate relationship.
Guide me to love them as you do.
To honour them as your image bearer.
And to use the opportunities you present to share a word of Life and Grace with them.
Personally.
Naturally.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen!”

Thoughts on this?
Love to hear from you.