Power to witness begins at home

Acts 1:8 says; “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”   

Jesus calls his followers to be a witness for him, but more than a command, Christ also empowers us to represent him.      

First, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit who gives us power to witness.  Then he said where we’re to witness, first in Jerusalem (that’s home) then to Judea (that’s the surrounding area), then to Samaria (that speaks of those who are hard toward the gospel) finally, be a witness for Christ to the ends of the earth.  That’s often viewed as a priority list and how, once you’re an effective witness at home, you have more credibility to witness for Jesus everywhere else.  While that may have some validity, for this article I’d like to address what a witness is, and how to be an effective witness for Jesus.

While we live in a culture with a lot of religion, I dare to say there few true witnesses for Jesus.  So just what is a witness?  I like to say it this way; “A witness is always what you are, and it is expressed by what you say.”   In other words, a witness for the gospel is someone who lives their faith, and shares their faith. 

Believers are called to represent Jesus, and we represent him by living differently than the culture around us.  Jesus said you’re to live as “salt and light” so you bring flavor and light to a world where darkness reigns.  And Jesus said, people will know we follow him as we walk in love, like he loved us. 

When the first century church was experiencing persecution, the Apostle Peter wrote them about the hope of the return of Jesus, and told them in 2 Peter 3:11 how to live in light of the faith Jesus is coming back.   “…What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.”  The professing Christian is a witness to the world as we live holy and godly.  Not speaking about outward observance of rules that appear godly, but representing Christ as we live different than those without faith.

The Apostle Paul challenges us in Ephesians 4:31-32 where he says; “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”  Putting away the bitterness and attitude of vengeance, laying aside the need to gossip and slander, and walking in love, which is the most powerful witness anyone will ever have. 

I love the poem by Gilbert, because it challenges us in our witness for Christ; “You are writing a Gospel, A chapter each day, By deeds that you do, By words that you say.  Men read what you write, Whether faithless or true; Say, what is the Gospel According to you?”

Pastor Rich Lammay of High Sierra Fellowship is a member of the Carson Valley Ministers’ Association.