I want to talk about the attitude of every effective witness for Christ. Remember, the church is still around here for two key reasons:
- To resist the full manifestation of the antichrist until the fullness of time.
- To re-present Christ to the world.
The last time He (Christ) walked the face of the earth, many of us were not here. Many of us did not see His works, His body is here to re-present or re-enact the teaching and works of the Christ.
We are called to be witnesses of Christ to the world. We must show the world that it is true that God became flesh and walked the earth. Our assignment is to testify that Jesus Christ walked the earth. We, therefore, want to discuss how we can do this effectively.
[Acts 1:6-8 KJV] “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
The Lord was emphatic when He taught on how to become witnesses. He stated that we will become witnesses when we receive the Holy Ghost and subsequently, power.
How to become an effective witness for Christ
The anointing of the Holy Ghost is what will transform you into a witness, but you will be an effective witness when you cultivate and work with these key attitudes;
- Be compelling
- Be compassionate and tender
- Be swift
- Be shameless
- Be wise as a serpent
- Be harmless as a dove
- Be as a master builder
1. Be compelling and forceful
A laid back pastor cannot grow a church. The effective witness is more compelling and forceful. He pushes beyond the ordinary and is fervent in spirit.
[Luke 14:23-24 KJV] “And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.”
The servants of the man in Luke 14 had to go to those bidden to the banquet, then to every street and lane in the city, and then to the hedges and highways. We must be compelling enough to do win some.
2. Be compassionate
Listen! there are some people we can never save, except we are compassionate and tender. Some people cannot be saved by wisdom and instruction; they can only be saved by compassion and tender care.
[Jude 1:22-23 KJV] “And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.”
3. Be swift
Most effective witnesses are swift. They are fervent in spirit and are swift as hawks and eagles. There are some people we must pull out or snatch as out of fire. We cannot reason with them or teach them; we just have to snatch them.
4. Be “shameless”
The next attitude of an effective witness is shamelessness. An effective witness for Christ is not ashamed of the Gospel, nor of Christ, nor His servants. We must be a people who are courageous about the gospel. We must share the gospel and be bold.
[Romans 1:16 KJV] “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
See what the Lord said,
[Luke 9:26 KJV] “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels”
And Apostle Paul admonished Timothy on the same things. You must be bold about inviting people to church and be bold about the church.
[2 Timothy 1:8 KJV] “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;”
5. Be wise as a serpent but harmless as a dove
we are to be as wise as serpents, but as harmless as doves
[Matthew 10:16 KJV] “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
6. Be as a master builder
[1 Corinthians 3:5-11 KJV] “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? “
“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. “
“Now he that planteth and he that waterethare one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.”
“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. “
“But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
These are, without doubt, the key attitudes of an effective witness. In my book, Taking Territories, I discuss how you can win your world by the Gospel of Christ.
Stay blessed
Simpe Bediako
