A TIME TO TESTIFY 1Peter 3:13-15 says, Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? but even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So dont worry or be afraid of their threats.Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. If you were asked to tell a friend about one of the most significant events in your life, you would talk about it with conviction and passion. Thats because the events and experiences that shape you most convincingly are also the ones you share most readily. Ask a hunter about the ten-point trophy deer he shot, and he will talk about it with gusto. Could you imagine him saying, I dont want to talk it because I dont understand everything about gun powder? Would he likely decline to tell his story because he feared that others would have a different opinion about hunting? Obviously, most of us will never bag a trophy buck. If we are Christ-followers, however, we are trophies of Gods grace. Simon Peter compelled first generation Christians to witness, and he emphasized four factors involved in a testimony. first is the courage factor, fear is one of the main reasons that believers dont share their faith in Christ. We fear rejection. We fear conflict. We fear embarrassment. We fear suffering. Peter stressed the necessity of courage when he admonished believers not to be afraid or disturbed by those who oppose the gospel. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the overcoming of it. Courage to bear witness for Christ necessitates a resolve to honor Him in spite of all anxiety, intimidation, and threats.Next is the preparation factor, the directive to always be prepared is a challenge to remain alert and ready to testify. Opportunities seldom announce their significance, but exalting Christ as Lord enables us to seize moments for evangelism. Billy Graham wondered if he missed a golden opportunity to witness to President John F Kennedy. Following the 1963 National Prayer Breakfast, Kennedy eagerly wanted to talk to Graham and invited him to the White House. Graham was fighting a fever and not feeling well. He asked if they could talk some other time. President Kennedy understood,but Graham sadly acknowledged that it was the last time he was with the President. He realized that the opportunity was an irrecoverable moment. Next is the reason factor, Christianity is a reasonable faith because it provides Gods answer to sin, suffering, and death. Unfortunately, many believers want to suspend testifying until all possible objections can be resolved. Peters instruction to give a reason for the hope that is in you is a challenge to declare the trustworthiness of the gospel regardless of objections. In the New Testament, the word hope is not a vague and fragile wish, but a robust and confident trust. True faith is the reliability of Jesus Christ. And last is the respect factor,testifying about Christ in an arrogant manner is not endorsed in the New Testament. Consequently, Peter wrote that we are to evangelize with gentleness and respect. Notice how Jesus witnessed. He never compromised truth, but He always drenched it in an appealing style. To the women at the well He spoke authoritatively but tenderly. To the rich ruler He answered with dignity and countered the mans hesitation with an invitation to salvation. So let us use these points, and become better at testifying, and most impotently, always pray for the Lords leading so that we will always be doing it His way. God bless, and walk in His will and ways always. In much brotherly Love, Pastor Jim.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 14:41:11 +0000
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