Bread of Life Voice

Focus: From this message, we are going to focus on two important things;

1. Growth
2. Bearing Fruit that will last

These two things are important because it is not normal to remain dormant after receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. After being endowed with the life of Christ, what next? Because, there is a day of reckoning, there is a great need to talk about today’s topic. He has giving us a new life which we are manifesting today, some are yet to manifest, but the important thing is that the Lord has giving it to us.

WHAT THEN IS WITNESSING?

To witness is to encounter, to experience or to see. It means you were there when it happened. Understanding the word itself will help us greatly in understanding the topic proper. Giving the testimony of an encounter, what you saw or experienced is known as Witnessing.

WHAT THEN IS THE PURPOSE OF WITNESSING?

The purpose is to establish a truth about something or someone. If two people ‘re in conflict, and go to court, they invite a witness to establish a fact or evidence. Because, you ‘re invited to bear this witness to the matter on ground, your life will be in danger, this is because, in every conflict, one is a liar. This is why when we were called to the life of Witnessing for Christ, our lives were/are in danger. The enemy, the devil knew that those who are in bondage today is as a result of ignorance, they lack the truth. This is what believers don’t know about.

By living an apostolic life, we experience Christ though not of the first time, but of now. The whole essence of this is to establish the fact that Christ is coming again, and so, prepare men for His second coming.

THE FIRST START OF WITNESSING:

It is important you know that if you don’t start correctly, you will not end correctly.

1. Find the right direction (Phil. 3:4-8)

From the above quotation, St. Paul thought he was in the right direction as a Jew, an educated man, a Hebrew and even a persecutor of Christians. But when he met the Lord, he got the right direction. If you find yourself in a wrong direction, and realize that you re in a wrong route, the first thing to do is to recover the loss and retrace your step. Therefore, we must get it right from the beginning. When you get it right from the beginning, every little effort you make counts.

2. You will grow and bear fruit (Phil. 3:13-14)

Living in the old glory does not help, everyday should come with a different task and target. St. Paul counted the old glory in the Jewish tradition as loss, as he now desired to know Christ and the power behind his resurrection. If you prayed 20 minutes yesterday, pray for 40 minutes today and target 2 hours tomorrow. That is growth and bearing fruits.

METHODS OF WITNESSING/TOOLS FOR WITNESSING:

There re things that we should doas those called to witness;

1. Living a holy life:

The life of someone called to witness must be in order. If the person’s life is not in order, that call has a comma, this life itself bears witnesses in itself. Before you start talking with your mouth, your life has spoken of it. If your words contradict your life, you are in confusion. A life that is not holy is not on the part of eternity, and it will not lead you anywhere. Without Holiness, no eyes will se the Lord. Therefore, you will hold Holiness as a tool and live out Holiness as a method. Let your life preach Christ first.

2. Demonstration of power (Acts 13)

When Paul was preaching to a Proconsul called Sergius Paulius during his evangelism, a certain magician called Bar Jesus or Elymas tried to interrupt the ministration, it took demonstration of power by Paul to convince the Proconsul about the life in what he was preaching. Sometimes, power needs to be demonstrated for people to believe.

3. Preaching and Teaching the gospel (Mark 16:28)

The great commission and responsibility handed over to us is to preach Christ to all nations. There are those called to take this message round through bus evangelization, house to house evangelization, media, fliers and printing press.

4. Witnessing by action (General act of goodness)

Who do people say you are? In your neighborhood, your place of work, your business, your school, your community, who do people say you are? Our inability to reveal our identity to the world is the reason our light is not shining as it should.

5. Bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23)

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the character, the behavior, the attitude, the nature of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we carry so much power, anointing, yet lacking in the fruit. You may not talk but people around you are feeling the presence of God, you may not be preaching with mega phone, but people are hearing you loud through the fruit you bear.

MERITS OF WITNESSING:

1. instrument of kingdom advancement.

2. Position for divine assistance.

3. We receive the testimony of Jesus on the last day.

CONCLUSION:

What are we going to do henceforth? We are encouraged to take up the gospel with a holy living round the world.