CHAPTER 6 - Witnessing/Discipling
It's been said that the two things you won't be able to do in Heaven are sin and witness. A witness is in effect someone who tells what happened. In your life, something happened, you got saved, and now your life has infinitely changed for the better. Out of love for others we get to share this good news with them too, so that they can come into that restored relationship with God that you have discovered. I mention that love compels us to witness because how unloving would it be to find a cure for cancer and just use it on yourself and not share it. In a like manner, we have discovered the meaning of life and the way to joy, peace, hope, and eternal life and to not share it is unloving. Jude 1:23 describes it this way
"save others by snatching them from the fire"
Picture this - A blind man is walking toward the edge of a cliff. You see it unfolding. What is the loving thing to do? It's to warn him, of course!
Not only do we share out of a love for others but we share out of our love for Jesus. For example, since I love my wife, kids, and grandkids, I will tell complete strangers about how wonderful they are. I will share pictures on social media to thousands of on-lookers. At work, I have pictures of them hung in my office and wherever else is possible. A lot of people say, "The two things you don't discuss in public are politics and religion." Technically, I agree because Christianity is not a religion but a relationship. If I took off my ring when I went to work saying, "I'm only married at home", that would be comparable to saying that I don't discuss Jesus, the great bridegroom, in public.
So how do we do that? The best way is to just be a witness. Tell what happened to you. Try to steer conversations to enable you to share. You might get to interject, "That's how I used to think, be, or act until something happened to me... Occasionally, but very rarely, someone might say to you, "You seem different" but that is extremely rare. Try to make opportunities. Some people carry tracts (gospel pamphlets you can probably get at church) and pass them out saying something like, "I'd like to give you something that changed my life." Witnessing is best done in pairs so see if your discipler or spiritual mentor will accompany you if you are planning to go out to strangers.
In time you will see other new believers and it is important to come alongside of them like your mentor did for you and help them grow. Invite them to your community group. Offer to meet with them and pray. Call them during the week and check on them. Memorize scripture with them. Take them out witnessing. If you see some pretty non joyful Christians around you, you can bet that they aren't witnessing or discipling as seen by the following two verses;
"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith so that you will have a full understanding of everything we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement because you brother have refreshed the heart of saints. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the faith." Philemon 1:6,7 and 3John 4
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