“… you will be My witnesses …” Acts 1:8… “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Romans 10:13-14 (NLT)
“Will you tell the truth and nothing but the truth?” the court clerk asked. “I do,”I replied, but I was nervous as heck, not because I had anything to hide, butbecause in a courtroom I feel like a fish out of water and because what happens ina courtroom is serious stuff. It was that day, the defendant was being accused ofmurder. I am not sure why I was there, because I didn’t witness the crime. I thinkthe defense wanted to use me to create some doubt in the jurors, but the districtattorney saw right through it. I never did hear how the case ended.
“You will be my witnesses,” Jesus told his followers, so that all the world mightknow the truth, so every man, every woman, every child might walk out of thecourtroom of God (the judgment of God), be saved from eternal judgment, andbe set free. That’s serious business, even more serious as someone being accusedof murder.
So what do we as followers of Jesus, as Christians, give witness to? Jesus. We give witness to the fact that Jesus lives, that He is God’s Son, that He lived sinlessly, that He died on a cross, that He was buried for three days, that He arose from the grave, conquering sin and death, that He ascended into heaven to plead the case of sinners in the courtroom of God, that everyone who calls on His name will be set free because He paid the penalty for our sins which is death and hell, and that He will return in glory and power to gather all those who have placed their faith and trust in Him and followed Him.I grew up in a church where the importance of witnessing (that’s what witnessesdo), was no longer considered important. The preacher didn’t think so, theleaders didn’t think so, and the people in the pews didn’t think so. Every SundayI looked at a live-sized carving of a crucified Christ hanging on a real cross rightthere in the middle of the old Lutheran church, at the back wall in the choirsection behind it there was a carving of the empty tomb with angels sitting infront of it. But no one told me how badly I needed the Jesus of whom these worksof art told. I needed a witness to tell me.6000 Miles from that place God in his providence allowed me to attend a littleChurch in Greeley Hill, the building couldn’t compare to what I was used to butthere were witnesses, the Pastor, his wife, the deacons, and Pat Jenkins and JackMauney. Pat would often rise to and give public testimony of Jesus Christ andhow he saved her and was alive and active in her life. Jack let me hang around hissmall car repair business, took me to town and fed me whoppers and milk shakes,let me drive his old pickup, opened his home to youth activities, and he toldme about being saved, calling on Jesus’ name, and my need for Him. They werewitnesses. God used their testimony to change my life and destiny.Jesus said the Holy Spirit would empower us (subpoena) us to be Christ’switnesses, lets answer the call, too much is at stake.To God be all glory, Pastor Hans