Being A Witness

Reading in John 15:18-27, 16:1-4, Romans Chapters 1, 2, 3, 12

As a Christian, the world is not exactly going to be excited about your life or your witness.  So, how should you respond to a hostile world?

First off, do not be combative about your beliefs with others, respect their opinions and pray them out of it!
Nor, be complacent.  If you care enough about them to witness to them, then be honest enough to share your life with them!

Do be committed to telling them the truth you have experienced and in prayer for them to receive it.
And COMMUNICATE!  Use ordinate words they can understand.  No theory, no philosophy, just God's simple Gospel.

Dare to be different.
Live your Christianity, do not attempt to straddle the world and Christianity, they are not compatible!  ( I digress to tell you of my friend Bruce whom found himself with one foot on a dock and the other on an unmoored boat.  Yeah, he got mighty wet!  But, that is just an example of how attempting to make two stands at once does not work.)

We are to please God, not man, in all that we do.  If the world is happy with us, just know that your Christian witness has a problem.

In Romans chapters 1, 2, 3 and 12 Paul lays out how difficult it is to please both God and culture at the same time.  We all want to be liked, accepted, loved, and be popular.  But, the basis for those things is often the very things which will drag us away from God and unfortunately into sin.

God loves you.  (PERIOD)  And that very same God wants you to choose, His love or the world's "love".  Sorry you actively have to make the choice.  No choice is still not going to lead to His love.

Communicate Christ.
Just accept the fact that you are going to be judged by all those around you, Christian and non-Christian alike.

The world's desire is not to see us succeed, it is to see us give up, back up, surrender.

But, we are not in this for the fight, we are to be courageous in telling God's truth about God, Jesus and ourself.

We are supposed to communicate and not attack others.  People whom are attacked become defensive and do not listen well.

Be sure to stand on the basics of our faith:  Virgin Birth, Cross, Resurrection!

No matter their response, keep communicating Christ and being in prayer for them!

Stay on Track!
John 16:1-4 gives us the expected results of our witness to the world:
- we will be killed
- we will be thrown from the Synagogs

And we must:
- keep from falling asleep
- keep from stumbling

Be faithful through all trials and temptations for the world desires to make you a scandal.....