Fear OF Witnessing...

[JohnD]

Many believers are too timid to witness.

1. they are uninformed / uneducated

2. they have taken man's word for truth

3. they fear what others think of them

4. they are uncertain about what they believe and fear

a challenge just might prove them wrong.

5. they are told never to discuss politics or religion

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5. never discuss politic or religion = handing the world and eternity over to satan

4. know the truth. Ye shall KNOW the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

3. get persecuted enough by others (including fellow believers) and it will teach you not to give a @#$% what others think

2. Study the Bible to show yourself approved a workman who needs not blush with embarrassment rightly dividing the word of truth

1. refer to number two immediately above

You may not have the gift of  evangelism, or are in the education phase of your walk with Christ. Support others who are already there.

Help them financially, babysit their kids, etc. to free their time to grab others by their neckties... "Have you heard the word of God today?"

[Gideon]

2 hours ago, JohnD said:

Many believers are too timid to witness.

1. they are uninformed / uneducated

2. they have taken man's word for truth

3. they fear what others think of them

4. they are uncertain about what they believe and fear

a challenge just might prove them wrong.

5. they are told never to discuss politics or religion

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5. never discuss politic or religion = handing the world and eternity over to satan

4. know the truth. Ye shall KNOW the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

3. get persecuted enough by others (including fellow believers) and it will teach you not to give a @#$% what others think

2. Study the Bible to show yourself approved a workman who needs not blush with embarrassment rightly dividing the word of truth

1. refer to number two immediately above

You may not have the gift of  evangelism, or are in the education phase of your walk with Christ. Support others who are already there.

Help them financially, babysit their kids, etc. to free their time to grab others by their neckties... "Have you heard the word of God today?"

I rhink there is another one. 

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 

We are not told to witness but to BE witnesses. If our light is sbining bright before men, people will want to  know what we have that they do not.  Different people have different personalities. Some are extroverted and can easily share with others. Others are introverted and extremely shy. The thought of 'going witnessing' absolutely terrifies them. But letting our light so shine before men, in whatever fashion God works in us, can be very effective, and often, far moreso than being preached at.  

If people cannot see our joy, our peace, and our lives look similar to theirs except we go to church on Sundays and they do not, perhaps we should find our why the joy of our salvation is not being seen by others.

blessings,

Gids

[missmuffet]

Christians do not have to go amongst a crowd of people to witness. They can come to Worthy if they are an introvert. What is important is that what you say is the true Word of God and not false teaching. 

[Eddy Crocker]

On 4/17/2020 at 10:35 AM, JohnD said:

Many believers are too timid to witness.

1. they are uninformed / uneducated

2. they have taken man's word for truth

3. they fear what others think of them

4. they are uncertain about what they believe and fear

a challenge just might prove them wrong.

5. they are told never to discuss politics or religion

 

We must wait on our ministry until we are truly sent out as a true witness of Christ. The disciples waited for the gift of the Holy Spirit until Pentecost when they were imbued with power from on high. This was when they were true witnesses.

Witness in Greek means a martyr. They had to become a martyr first meaning the flesh Adamic nature had to be crucified and they became born from above. They had to be baptized with Jesus’s baptism which was of fire. 
The cloven tongues like as fire upon their foreheads was a physical sign of them being baptized with fire and also that they were acceptable sacrifices upon the altar of God. Even Moses was baptized with fire at the burning bush in Exodus the 3rd chapter.

Moses was baptized and immersed in the name of God at the bush so that he could help deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. We must be first equipped to truly be witnesses of Christ. Witnessing before we ard prepared can cause irreparable damage to souls by possibly turning them off to the truth later on. 
We must be led by the Spirit because everything not done in or through faith is sin. Paul says in...,

1 Corinthians 2:4-5  4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Our flesh must be dead in order to speak in the wisdom and power of God to souls effectively.  God is the Great I Am and we are the great Are Nots. All of our righteousness is as filthy rags in his sight so don’t think your going Hof a favor by ministering until he has truly sent you out and had given you the power to do so.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Eddy Crocker
Correction words left out

[Eddy Crocker]

2 minutes ago, Eddy Crocker said:

We must wait on our ministry until we are truly sent out as a true witness of Christ. The disciples waited for the gift of the Holy Spirit until Pentecost when they were imbued with power from on high. This was when they were true witnesses.

Witness in Greek means a martyr. They had to become a martyr first meaning the flesh Adamic nature had to be crucified and they became born from above. They had to be baptized with Jesus’s baptism which was of fire. 
The cloven tongues like as fire upon their foreheads was a physical sign of them being baptized with fire and also that they were acceptable sacrifices upon the altar of God. Even Moses was baptized with fire at the burning bush in Exodus the 3rd chapter.

Moses was baptized and immersed in the name of God at the bush so that he could help deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt. We must be first equipped to truly be witnesses of Christ. Witnessing before we ard prepared can cause irreparable damage to souls by possibly turning them off to the truth later on. 
We must be led by the Spirit because everything not done in or through faith is sin. Paul says in...,

1 Corinthians 2:4-5  4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. Our flesh must be dead in order to speak in the wisdom and power of God to souls effectively.  God is the Great I Am and we are the great Are Nots. All of our righteousness is as filthy rags in his sight so don’t think your doing God a favor by ministering until he has truly sent you out and had given you the power to do so.

 

[branchesofHim]

One can only truly witness what they have seen or know. If you haven't seen it or don't know it, then it's not witness of anything. Simple. Shalom.

[Sower]

On 4/17/2020 at 12:34 PM, Gideon said:

I rhink there is another one. 

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 

We are not told to witness but to BE witnesses. If our light is sbining bright before men, people will want to  know what we have that they do not.  Different people have different personalities. Some are extroverted and can easily share with others. Others are introverted and extremely shy. The thought of 'going witnessing' absolutely terrifies them. But letting our light so shine before men, in whatever fashion God works in us, can be very effective, and often, far moreso than being preached at.  

If people cannot see our joy, our peace, and our lives look similar to theirs except we go to church on Sundays and they do not, perhaps we should find our why the joy of our salvation is not being seen by others.

blessings,

Gids

  "Well done is better than well said"
Living next to a wonderful Christian family 40+yrs ago, I was not told I was lost, nor how to be saved, by their words or by actions.
Later, when I went to the funeral of their young son at a small baptist church, I heard the gospel,
a seed was planted, and I was shortly saved.
Good Testimony is a great characteristic. It may plow/soften the soil for seed. But it is hearing God's word that saves........

Romans 10:17

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.   Romans 10:17

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom
they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good things!  Romans 10, 13-15

 

[TruthDefender]

One simply CANNOT be a Christian, who is guide by spirit, without witnessing, preaching, teaching , and encouraging!

[Behold]

 

On 4/17/2020 at 12:34 PM, Gideon said:

 

 

We are not told to witness but to BE witnesses. If our light is sbining bright before men, people will want to  know what we have that they do not.   But letting our light so shine before men, in whatever fashion God works in us, can be very effective, and often, far moreso than being preached at.  

 

Redefine the word "witnessing" all you like, but you have to eventually open your mouth, as a "shining light" does give them anything to BELIEVE. @Gideon

"faith comes by HEARING = WORDS= WITNESSING"...  You have to TELL THEM, and that is witnessing...... Or Soul Winning, but,..its best to think of it as Sharing the Love of God and of Christ.

And truthfully,  you usually just dont have the time for the effect of your "shining light" to cause them to notice you.  Few strangers will come up to you and say "wow, why are you so happy", but if that happens, then, .............share.

Its better to look for an opportunity that is an open door , being conscious of timing, place, situation, mood, etc.

Witnessing is all about leading someone to the Love of God.. 

Unbelievers think God is angry with them.....their dirty conscious makes them want to hide from God.   So, we are to let them know that God is LOVE.  He Cares.   He wants them as His FAMILY.  He actually loves the ungodly so much that Jesus died for them....   Romans 4:5  "" But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.""

When you have time,  read Mark 16:15 and 2nd Timothy 4:2    

Also, i posted a Thread today...."Finding God's Will" that can help.

 

 

Edited April 26, 2020 by Behold

[Guest]

On 4/17/2020 at 10:35 AM, JohnD said:

Many believers are too timid to witness.

1. they are uninformed / uneducated

2. they have taken man's word for truth

3. they fear what others think of them

4. they are uncertain about what they believe and fear

a challenge just might prove them wrong.

5. they are told never to discuss politics or religion

There are more than five reasons some are uncomfortable to witness.  We are all part of God's plan.  We are not cookie cutter Christians.