TEXT: Matthew 28:18-20

AIM: That Christians may learn how to witness more effectively.

INTRODUCTION:
Witnessing is sharing with others or testifying of one's personal salvation experience, so as to win them for Christ. A witness is a person who has first-hand information that he can tell anyone who needs it. In this case, a witness is a person who has a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ. And having surrendered his life to Him, he is empowered by the Holy Spirit to tell others about Him (1 John 1:1).

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THE MEANING OF WITNESSING

• To preach the gospel to all (Mark 16:15).Jesus commanded
  His disciples and, by extension the Church, to preach the gospel to all nations. The Church comprises of all who have given their lives to Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. No Christian is exempted from the going.

• To go and teach all nations (Matthew 28:19)."And how can they preach unless they are sent ..." (Romans 10:15)? Unfortunately, most members of the church prefer to sit in the church. Rick Warren says "you know the health and the strength of a church not by its sitting capacity but by its going capacity."

• To Declare that Christ died, was buried, rose from the grave and ascended into Heaven (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4).The gospel message is complete in these four historical facts. Paul says "this is what we preach and this is what you believed"(v. 11). If there is no resurrection, then we are to be pitied (v. 19).

• To baptize the nations in the Name of the Triune God (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is one of the two ordinances of the Church, commanded by Christ. Baptizing a person signifies that he has received Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, and has been placed into His Body, the Church (ICorinthians 12:13). Baptism in itself does not
  guarantee salvation. It is only to be a testimony to the outside world that one is born again.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE WITNESS

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• He must be born again (Luke 6:39). A witness is one who has first' hand information or experience to share with others. In this case' only the person who is born again, who has received and believed in Jesus, is empowered by the Holy Spirit to become a witness for Him.

• Must be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-8). We cannot stage manage evangelism. The Holy Spirit supplies the right word at the right time to a Christian witness. What is required of a witness is to yield to the leading of the Spirit.

• He must possess adequate knowledge of the scriptures about the gospel(Deuteronomy 6:6-7; Joshua 1:8). We may not predict the details of what the Holy Spirit wants us to say while witnessing. However, we need to prepare in order to be effective witnesses. Part of our preparation is to have an adequate knowledge of the word of God. We must be familiar with basic Bible passages on evangelism.

• He must have faith, be prayerful and courageous (Acts 4:19, 20).Someone has likened evangelism to a woman who is pregnant. From the time of conception to delivery day, she prays to deliver safely. She has faith that the baby and herself will make it. On delivery day, she groans in pain until the baby is born. In the same way, a witness must agonize in prayer and believe that a new convert must be born.

DO's AND DON'TS OF EFFECTIVE WITNESSING

• Approach the person through his felt need. First of all establish a rapport when you have secured the attention of your hearer. Then recognize his felt need. The issue of sin is his greatest problem, but he may not feel so. His felt need at the moment may be money, food, shelter, companionship or some other non spiritual need. If you first show genuine interest in his felt need your effort to reach him spiritually and meet his actual need is likely to get a boost.

• Start from a common ground. While Jesus was addressing an audience of rural farmers, the parable of the sower Was an appropriate common ground to start from (Mark 4:3-8). For Jesus and the Samarian woman, the common ground was water (John 4:5-15). You too should find a common ground on which to begin.

• Personal appearance and friendliness count. Watch your dress. Don't dress in an offensive way. A Christian young man who is wearing ear ring, or has deadlock on his head because he is a musician, may find it difficult to evangelize effectively.

• Avoid fruitless arguments. If the person you are talking to raises an argument, tell him to please wait till you finish, then you will address his question.

• Be sensitive to the circumstance of the person you are approaching, so that you are not perceived as an intruder or a disturbance. It is important you create a friendly environment that will earn you a welcome as a witness for Christ.

• Watch their attention span. Try to get your point across quickly before you lose their attention.

• Don't make promises you cannot deliver.

• Effectively follow up those who just received Christ.

STAY WELL.

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