Revolutionary Witnessing

Witnessing is a great challenge to many Christians. In college I remember learning all these wonderful truths about Jesus Christ. For the first time Christianity was making a lot of sense to me. I got my questions answered. I was stretched and challenged. My faith became my own. My eyes were opened up to what God was doing in other people’s lives as well as around the world. I understood why Jesus Christ really is the Savior of the world and why Jesus should be Lord of my life. I understood why his resurrection from death to life is the hope of the world and why I should serve him with my life. My Bible reading and personal devotions came alive. I wanted to know the Christ. I wanted to know God’s holiness. I wanted to comprehend his majesty, his grace, and his mercy and forgiveness.

Up to that point, I had attended church my whole life. But I actually started enjoying it in college. I looked forward to sermons. I rented sermon tapes from the media center. I dialed into Christian radio. Communion became a celebration of Christ’s sacrifice. Offering became a response of gratitude. Worship became an adventure into the heart and mind of God. I found deeper peace and joy. I found purpose for my life.

The challenge of witnessing in real life.

But then I took a class in college called "The Dynamics of Personal Evangelism". The goal of the class was to take all of that excitement and buzz and share it with others. I was to develop a personal testimony about why I was a Christian. I was challenged to memorize scripture and know how to share the gospel without any helps. I was to build relationships with unchurched people and pray for them throughout the semester. In order to pass the class we had to keep an evangelism diary and initiate conversations with no less than fifteen unchurched people.

As a college student that was an overwhelming challenge. Fifteen people! When would I find the time? I was so busy with school. I was cleaning at a dentist's office every night. I had a girlfriend. I was burning the candle on both ends. And the other problem was being isolated. I lived on a Christian college campus on the edge of town. I was surrounded by Christians all day, every day. I didn’t know any unchurched people, let alone have any real contact with them. But it didn’t matter. I had just a few months to initiate fifteen evangelistic encounters.

I cannot remember who I spoke to that semester. But I do remember one attempt. One night while cleaning at the dentist's office, I met a guy who was cleaning some other offices in the same building I cleaned. His name was Blain. Blain was in his early twenties, drove a rusty truck, and took his dog with him everywhere he went. He was a nice guy, but didn’t seem to have much interest in spiritual things. I put him on my list. He would be a great person to talk to about Jesus Christ.

For months, I kept running into him everywhere. At the dentist's office. At Wal-mart. Every time I saw him, I’d try to get the nerve up to talk about Christ. But then I’d chicken out. We’d talk about his dog, the weather, cleaning chemicals. Anything else! In fact, the whole semester went by and I never once mentioned my faith or Jesus Christ.

That following summer, my ministry internship was well underway at Lincoln Christian Church. I was in charge of teaching the college and career class. The class was located in the basement of the church, well out of the way of traffic. The only ones who knew about my class were Christian college students. One week, about halfway through class, a visitor in blue jeans came stumbling in. And who did this latecomer happen to be? It was Blain. Blain walked in, sat in the front row, and listened intently as I taught about Jesus. I was stunned. This is the guy I had been praying for! This is the guy I was too nervous to talk to Christ about earlier. What was he doing at Lincoln Christian Church? How did he happen upon the class I was teaching in a basement? Was this a coincidence?

Coincidence or not, God used that day to shake me up. One way or another, excuses or not, willing or not, God was going to have me witness for Christ to that young man. I was ashamed of myself. Blain got up the nerve to come to church long before I ever got up the nerve to tell him about Jesus Christ. He was surprised to learn that I was a Christian. He had absolutely no idea because I had never said anything!

Witnessing was a great challenge for the early Christians.

I tell you, witnessing is a great challenge for many Christians. Have you ever wondered how many of your friends, neighbors or coworkers know that you are a Christian? You see them almost every day. You talk to them on a regular basis about hundreds of different things. You exchange e-mail. You wave at them over the fence. But do they know? Do you want them to know? Would they be surprised if they suddenly learned you were a Christian? Would they be shocked if one Sunday they came to church and saw you sitting there? What is most likely to happen first? Your unchurched friend or neighbor stumbling into church one weekend, or you going to them and sharing your faith with them? It's something to think about.

One reason the early Church was so revolutionary is because God taught them how to witness. I know that sounds a bit odd, but it is true. Immediately after the early Church was founded, the Church seemed to fall into a kind of rut. Yes, the Church experienced explosive growth. But how was that growth achieved? And through whom? And what would need to change if the Church were to impact the whole world?

The early Church was largely confined to Jerusalem.

Jerusalem was the epicenter, the geographical starting point for Christianity. It's where Christ lived out his last days. It's where the crucifixion took place. It's where Christ was raised from the dead. It's where he appeared to his disciples. It's where the disciples gathered in the upper room and later received power on the day of Pentecost. It's where the temple was located. Jerusalem was a sacred gathering place.

But Jerusalem was more than that for the early Church. It was home. It was where they grew up and where they ran barefoot through the streets. It was where they were known. Because of this, the Church was emotionally and spiritually centered in Jerusalem.

Of course, this isn’t exactly what Christ envisioned for his followers. In Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV) he commanded them, "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." In Acts 1:8 (NIV) Jesus tells them, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Jerusalem was to be the geographical starting point and not the ending point. Christ intended for the Church to go into all the world and to be witnesses of the resurrection. But the early Church was comfortable in Jerusalem. They were spiritually satisfied.

The testimony was largely offered by the apostles.

The apostles were the central, primary voice of the Christian revolution. In Acts 2Peter stands up and preaches powerfully to the crowd. He calls the Jewish nation to repentance and baptism. Thousands responded and were baptized. In Acts 2:42 the early Church devotes themselves to the apostles' teaching. In Acts 3 and Acts 4, Peter and John are brought before the Sanhedrin. Again, these two apostles are the focus. They defend their actions and proclaim the name of Christ, and are warned to be quiet. In Acts 5 the apostles are again called upon to defend their faith. The Jewish authorities threaten them and have them flogged for proclaiming the name of Christ. In Acts 6 the early Church is told to appoint men to serve so that the apostles might more fully devote themselves to the ministry of the word and prayer. The Church responds, the apostles preach, and the word of the Lord spreads.

But again, this isn’t exactly what Christ envisioned for his followers. Jesus' command to all the believers was, "You (all) will be my witnesses." Not just the twelve, but all of Christ’s followers were to charged to proclaim the name of Christ. With such quality preaching by the apostles in Jerusalem, why would the average Joe ever feel compelled to proclaim the name of Christ? "Go listen to Peter or John! Let’s just sit at the apostles' feet and be sponges!" Again, the early Church was spiritually satisfied. Their bellies were being filled by the apostle’s teaching.

The Church was a popular movement.

As the early Church grew in strength and in number, it was largely a popular movement. The church was growing rapidly. It was the latest fad. There was energy and excitement. There was extraordinary generosity, love, and compassion. There were changed lives. In Acts 2:47 we're told that the Church enjoyed the favor of all the people. In Acts 6:7 we discover that even Jewish priests were embracing the faith.

This was certainly a welcome development from the crucifixion of Christ, but would the Church be compromised by an easy-believism, by its popularity, by culture? Would the Church venture down the broad path leading to destruction, or stay on the narrow road leading to life? Would the Church just rest and become lax after experiencing a measure of success?

This was the early Church’s rut! This is what threatened the Church from maximizing her witness and from being the revolution Christ intended. The truth is that the Church often slips back into this very same rut. It's so easy to stop caring about the lost people who live just beyond our doorsteps. It's so easy to place the yoke of preaching on the professional few and stop witnessing ourselves. It's so easy to rest in our past successes and no longer attempt to impact our culture for Christ.

A storm was brewing for the early Christians.

In Acts 8 God shook the early Church out of her rut and inaugurated a movement. As the Church remained comfortable in Jerusalem sitting at the apostles' feet, absorbing their testimony of Christ, and enjoying the favor of the masses, a storm was brewing. The Jewish authorities were becoming filled with jealousy. First they ignore the apostles. Then they warn the apostles. Then they threaten the apostles. Then they throw the apostles in jail and have them flogged and beaten.

But in Acts 7 things reach a boiling point. Stephen gets stoned for proclaiming the name of Christ. He becomes the first Christian martyr. As Stephen dies Acts 8:1-3 (NIV) says, "And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison."

Suddenly it was no longer safe nor comfortable to gather in Jerusalem. The Church became scattered through Judea and Samaria and neighboring communities. And the Church could no longer sit at the apostles' feet in the temple or synagogues. They would be arrested and thrown in prison. Or worse, stoned to death. The Church was no longer popular, enjoying the favor of many. The Church became persecuted. Saul and others went from house to house dragging the Christians away to prison. As a result, the Church had to make a revolutionary shift.

First, they shifted from congregating in Jerusalem to going into the world.

They scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. But there is good news. Acts 8:4 (NIV) says, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." The salt was shaken out of the saltshaker and was penetrating the ends of the earth.

Second, they shifted from apostolic-centered to average Joe-centered witnessing.

The apostles stayed in Jerusalem and courageously preached the truth. But again, Acts 8:4 says those who had been scattered, preached the word wherever they went. Those people, who days earlier had sat at the apostles' feet, were taking a stand for Christ by proclaiming the good news of Christ wherever they found themselves.

In Acts 8:5-8 (NIV) we're given an example in Philip. "Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Phillip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city."

Down in Acts 8:26-40 (NIV) we again find God using Philip as his witness. "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, 'Go to that chariot and stay near it.' Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 'Do you understand what you are reading?' Philip asked. 'How can I,' he said, 'unless someone explains it to me?' So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: 'He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.' The eunuch asked Philip, 'Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?' Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, 'Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?' And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea."

Again, there is a lot more we could dig into. But notice how ordinary men like Philip are now joining the apostles in proclaiming the good news. Instead of the gospel being proclaimed in just twelve places, the gospel is being proclaimed everywhere. Perhaps in hundreds or even thousands of places.

They shifted from being popular to being persecuted.

We shouldn’t go out and look for persecution. But we should realize that there is a cost involved in witnessing for Jesus Christ. Jesus warned his disciples that they would be hated. With the rise of Islam in our culture, with the rise of secularism, with the dramatic demise of Christian morality in our culture evidenced on every front, we should be aware that our days of comfort are coming to a close. If you are living the Christian life, you are a minority. If you are proclaiming the name of Christ, you are even more a minority. But we shouldn’t stop.

Christ wants us out of our Jerusalem and out of our comfort zones. He wants us to venture beyond the sacred places we love to congregate in. He wants us to go into all the world being salt and light. Christ wants the average Joe and Mary proclaiming the good news of Christ in chorus with the apostles. Along with the professionals. He wants us preaching everywhere we are. In our cubicles, in our cars, and in our communities.

Christ wants us to take up his cross. He wants us to witness to the truth no matter what the cost. The cost may be persecution, social discomfort, or death. He wants us to understand that the gospel is a matter of eternal life or death for those who hear it. The church paid the price to advance the gospel.

So what’s it going to take for you to leave your Jerusalem and witness, despite the costs?