WITNESSES...Acts 1. 1-9; Acts 2. 22-33

The twelve saw Jesus alive, risen from the dead. They related to him, talked with him, and walked with him.  Then they saw him whisked away, taken into the clouds.  But just before they saw that, they had one last conversation that went like this:  "Jesus, now that you've risen from the dead are you going to set up your kingdom?  Is now the time?"

And Jesus aid, "That's the wrong question: one the Father doesn't want to answer.  So I don't know. But what I do know is that you shall receive power and you will be my witnesses."  Ten days later, with the sound like a strong wind, the Spirit came, all the disciples were propelled into the street speaking about "The mighty deeds of God" and one of the twelve, Peter, stood up to tell the crowd all about it.  And he says, "God raised Jesus up, and we are witnesses to the fact!" 

So what is a witness?  What does it mean to be a witness?  
1. Witness is personal A witness is someone who has a story to tell; someone who has seen and experienced something and is able to pass that on.  A witness does not usually talk bout their opinions.  They talk about their experience.  Peter doesn't say, "In my opinion Jesus is alive."  What he does say is "Jesus us alive. I know. I saw him."  He talks about it as a fact. That's witness. Peter could talk about his experience: he had seen Jesus, listened to him and talked with him; eaten with him. He had sensed the Holy Spirit inside him.   Imagine standing the witness box, and you are asked is "Where were you on the night of the crime?"  You answer "I was on holiday in Spain."  The lawyer asks, "You didn't see the crime being committed?  You weren't offered any stolen goods for sale? What light can you shed on events of that night?"  Your answer is a bit lame: "Nothing really!"  No story, no witness.

You and I are witnesses: we have a story to tell.  We have an experience of Jesus. We know Jesus is alive.  We can say, "This happened in my experience."  That may be seeing Jesus. It may be having him clearly answer prayer. It may be knowing you are forgiven and clean. It may be having joy instead of sadness inside you.  It may be in being able to do something you couldn't do before.  If you are a Christian, you have God's Spirit in you; you have encountered Jesus. There is a process that brought you to that point, people or things that helped - maybe some that didn't - and a change, maybe subtle but still real, inside you.  Now you know Jesus. He is in you and you are in him.  You have an experience. 

2. Witness is for everyone An opinion is OK. Argument is OK. Some of us may have a particular gift for apologetics, giving reasons for what we believe, discussing things with other people, presenting a case.  If you are able to answer difficult questions, that's a gift. You should use it. But if you haven't got that gift, there is still something you can say for Jesus: you don't need to have a special gift to be a witness. You just need to have a story to tell.

3. Witness is the work of the Spirit in us. Not a special gift for a few but an anointing for everyone. It is the natural consequence of the Spirit coming.  What did Jesus said about the initial evidence for the Spirit coming.  Not tongues, not joy, not love, but becoming a witness. Nothing against any of these other things. But when the Spirit comes, witness flows, naturally.

So how do you do it?
1.  Make sure you have a story to tell. In order to be a witness, you need to have an experience. 
If you haven't got your own story of an encounter with Jesus, a journey with him into a living faith, you need to let that happen. "God says call to me and I will answer you." (Jeremiah 33.3) and loads of people in church today can tell you from our experience that is true. So if you call to him, telling him you want to be different, to be forgiven and clean, telling him you want his Kingdom in your life, he will answer.  And you will know he has answered.  So first of all, make sure you have your own story. 

2.  Think about your story....
Keep your story up to date.  It's a bit boring if all you ever are able to talk about is how, fifty years ago, you discovered you weren't going to heaven, and felt real peace when you asked Jesus to be your saviour.  Yes, that may be the most important thing that has every happened to you.  But how does that work out in your life today?  Has there been a recent answer to prayer? A recent challenge to grow? A recent special gift given, maybe something that has really spoken to you from God's word. 
Know the difference between opinion and the story.  We already defined witness as telling about your own experience. It's telling your story. As you reflect on your story, that story will illustrate some of the great Bible truths about God: I'm sure it will. But know story as your story.
Thankfully reflect on your story.  Give God thanks for what he has done in your life.   It is in an attitude of thanksgiving for the way grace has worked out in your life, that speaking about his grace to others becomes a natural outflow.   What we need to do is be a wee bit less Scottish, or British, and take the lid off that stuff.  I believe that real encounter is there, in each of our lives.  There may be a whole load of negative things that press that experience down: intellectual doubts; past hurts; the fear of emotion.   We need to get in touch with experienced reality. 

3.  Listen for the cues...  The witness comes to court at the right time, when he is called to the witness box.  You don't get all the witnesses jostling in the witness-box and shouting out their stories at the same time. Each witness waits until he is called. Now, the Monday Morning after something really special ha happened at Church, with a group of people whom you know well, it may be right to walk into the office and say, "You'd never guess what happened yesterday..." But often we need to wait, listen, and tell a bit of our story when there is an appropriate cue... and tell the story working from the cue you have been given.  Sometimes all you need to say is "Knowing Jesus has really turned my life around"

IF you want more cues, live a life that gets questions asked about what motivates, drives and empowers your life...

4.  Tell the story as a story with a beginning, a middle and an end: or a cycle of problem, crisis, discovery, appreciation, maturity. It is your story, so use your own language.  It's no use telling someone you were trying the broken cisterns, living for the world the flesh and the devil, unaware you were facing a lost eternity; then one day you had a Damascus Road experience, realised your need of a Saviour, because you were so deeply convicted of your sin. Then you trusted in Jesus as your own personal saviour, and now you are washed in the blood, sanctified, and your name is written in the Lamb's book of life! 

I'm a Bob Dylan fan, and I was trilled when Dylan became a Christian an about 1978. His first Christian album, "Slow Train Coming'" is fresh, creative passionate and real.  His next one, "Saved" is frustrating: the language is more "churchy".  Use your own words... It's your story. 

5.  Led by the Spirit...
I don't want to nag at you. It doesn't do any good.  I want to resource you.  If you're struggling with witness, don't go on a guilt trip. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you, to help you, to make you a witness.  At every point in the witness process, the Holy Spirit comes to us...
Having a real and current story, of an encounter with Jesus, is mediated by the Spirit.  Ask Him
Thankful reflection is something the Spirit will lead us into. Ask him
Living a life that makes people curious is the spirit's work. Ask Him
Recognizing the opportunities is something the Spirit can prompt us to. Ask Him.
Responding to the cues with the right words is the Spirit's guidance. Ask Him.

© Gilmour Lilly October 2010