Chapter 1: Motivation for Witnessing

IN THIS CHAPTER, you will discover:

• The true source of evangelism.
• Important motivations for witnessing.
• Excuses frequently used for not witnessing.
• That witnessing is primarily who you are.

AS A RESULT, you will be able to:

• View witnessing as a privilege, not an obligation.
• Define and refine your motivations for witnessing.
• Cast aside any excuses you may have used.
• Develop integrity in your witnessing.

Key Scripture: “He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ” (Eph. 1:9-10).

From the very beginning, God created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them to be a witness to His power, glory, and love. Through the ages, those He has chosen He has called to give testimony of His great deeds in their lives and in their world. So, even today, He is calling His people to testify of His love and power to a lonely and searching world.

The Need for a Witness

Our Creator, a loving and generous Father, gave the priceless gift of life to Adam and Eve. However, His love extended far beyond the provision of life, health, and an idyllic environment. Adam and Eve, because of their intricate design, needed to be useful and responsible. God honored this trait by giving humanity dominion to oversee and care for the earth and to make it productive. This visible gift was complemented by Adam and Eve’s most precious privilege — fellowship with the living God. As God walked with them in the garden, communication was sweet. Naive and innocent, the two were able to love their Father completely — without pretense or guile. Today we can scarcely imagine the peace, beauty, and purity of worship that permeated ancient Eden.

Paradise was pristine until sin entered the garden. Satan, the deceitful usurper, replaced its beauty and tranquility with ugliness and contention. Adam and Eve’'s rebellion ruptured their intimate relationship with God, causing a great chasm between them. As their Creator, He had every right to destroy them, the earth, and Satan. But God allowed them all to survive. From that moment on, however, everything changed drastically.

This break in fellowship produced a need for reconciliation between Creator and creature. God in His omniscience had known that sin would alienate His children. Therefore, even before creation, He had ordained a means of reconciliation. Yet He never revealed His entire plan at once. In the beginning, God chose particular individuals — prophets, priests, and kings — to witness His faithfulness and to speak on His behalf.

God spoke to His friend Abraham (2 Chron. 20:7) and made a covenant with the prophet, promising that all the nations of the earth would be blessed through Him (Gen. 12:2-3). As Abraham’s descendants increased, so did God’s overtures of reconciliation. He continued to speak to His chosen people Israel through individuals like Moses (Ex. 20:18-20), Samuel (1 Sam. 3:19-4:1), and David (Ps. 22:23-24).

God was looking forward to a time when all nations would respond to His salvation and reconciliation through His Son Jesus. “"All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him. . . . Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord. They will proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn — for he has done it”" (Ps. 22:27, 30-31).

The Witness of the Resurrection

In the fullness of time, God sent His only Son as the greatest witness to His salvation (Gal. 5:4-5; Heb. 1:2ff.). At last Christ made reconciliation possible between God and humanity. Jesus came to share the Good News that God was once again accessible, as He had been in the garden. And it was through His sacrifice that God would finally reveal His plan to redeem creation (Acts 26:23). Jesus’ death on the cross and His glorious resurrection further testified to the Father’s love for those who were lost. No longer would He reach them through prophets or priests. From that time on God’s communication would be through His indwelling Spirit.

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He charged His disciples to be witnesses of all they had seen and experienced. Not only did He give them an assignment, but He also promised that help was on the way. Once the Holy Spirit descended on them, they would be able to do even greater works than He had done. At their commissioning service the disciples heard their beloved Lord say, “"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”" (Matt. 28:18-20).

“"Therefore Go . . .”"

Today “"making disciples”" takes on as many forms as there are opportunities. Nevertheless, the propelling force behind every type of witness is a loving, compassionate Father. Therefore, it is impossible to define witnessing, evangelism, and discipleship without first considering the divine source.

Feet to Your Faith

When God called Abraham out of His familiar homeland to an unknown place, the prophet had several options. He might have waited — perhaps for further guidance or more specific directions. Abraham could have refused -— using various excuses. Instead, he chose to obey. His choice caused James centuries later to applaud him as a great man of faith. James explained how Abraham’s faith and actions had worked together, declaring, “"You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone”" (2:24). Inactive compassion is a contradiction in terms. True compassion for the lost requires a positive act of the witness.

Bothersome Barriers

As we find ourselves called upon to witness for Christ, we often discover barriers rising up to prevent it. Fear is perhaps the most common barrier to Christian witnessing. One of its most debilitating forms is the fear of rejection or failure. And that fear usually affects every other area of life. Other fears may be a lack of knowledge concerning the Bible or how to witness. We may even fear that an unbeliever will react violently to our witness. But as we draw on the strength of the source of our witness, we find the wisdom to deal with these and all other hindrances. Each of these barriers, and how to overcome them, are discussed in Chapter 2 of the Study Guide.

Mission in Action: Floyd McClung became upset with tourists in Amsterdam who visited the live sex shows, peep show booths, porno cinemas, and sex shops. He observed that they were trying to have a good time at the expense of others. Many visited such places because they were far from home — and they thought no one would know (LDD, pp. 12-13). Have you ever been tempted to do something immoral while away from family and friends, perhaps on a vacation or business trip? How would your witness be jeopardized by giving in to such temptation?

Key Scripture: “A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction” (Prov. 16:23).

Motivation is a force from deep within that causes a person to move forward in a specific direction. The various sources of motivation include the conscience, personality, experience, and emotion. The motivations rising from these can often be self-serving. Christians especially desire to have motives that are pleasing to God. Because our faith is based on love and humility, we may think that the "religious" motivation we experience must be pure. This is not necessarily true. Sometimes we are motivated to witness out of obligation or even guilt. Neither of these are desirable motivations, and neither can be sustained. Furthermore, Christ came to release us from all “religious” motivations. He instead calls us to witness out of our personal experience. As we experience His peace, joy, comfort, and direction in our own lives, we cannot help but share Him with others.

Scriptural Motivations for Witnessing

According to His Word, we are commanded to witness for a variety of reasons:

Because people are lost without Christ (Luke 19:9-10). By Jesus revealing Himself to us, and dwelling in us through His Spirit, He enables us to experience His compassion. We can be filled with the same motivation He had when He gave up His place of fellowship with the Father to bring a lost world to Himself.

Because God first loved us (1 John 4:10-11). We therefore acknowledge that there is nothing we have done or ever could do that would merit His saving grace. We share with others from a common background, knowing that Jesus died for them, and loves them just as much as He loves us.

Because God works through His people (Mark 16:15-20). Though we serve a sovereign God, He shares with His people the joy He experiences when He finds that which has been lost. We can marvel at the wondrous ways God convicts and heals those whose hearts He has prepared to receive the truth of the gospel. Truly this is a privilege to rejoice in.

Because Christ commands it (Matt. 28:19-20). Just as He commands us to make disciples, we recognize that we obey Him not because of fear, guilt, or obligation, but because we love Him and want to please Him. Since these motivations are given by the Lord, it is His strength that will sustain us.

Mountain-Moving Motivation

Pastor and author Larry Tomczak made these comments regarding the need for truly motivated witnesses:

The time has come, amid the increasing needs of today’s world, for a whole new generation of Christians to rise up and meet the divine appointment God has arranged for them. God wants to form a generation of uncompromising, valiant believers who will seize their unique destiny and give their lives away to serve God’s grand purpose in our day: the restoration of authentic New Testament Christianity to reach the nations with his glorious good news. He wants to form a generation driven by a holy determination to live radical and heroic lives for him in order to get the job done! 

(Divine Appointments, p. 19)

Few Christians are ready or able to live radical and heroic lives for God. A vast majority of believers merely sit back and watch — or complain. Whether we like it or not, each of us fits into one of the following humorous categories:

Wishbones: Those who wish someone would do something.

Jawbones: Those who talk but do nothing.

Knucklebones: Those who knock whatever anyone else tries to do.

Backbones: Those who work and alter the course of history.

(adapted from Divine Appointments, pp. 19-20)

As we obey the Lord, He creates in us the backbone we need. Through this process He assigns divine appointments, which non-Christians (and some Christians as well) dismiss as coincidences. Through these encounters God presents an opportunity to witness — often to someone who ordinarily would never have touched our life.

Assigned Appointments

The following divine appointment experienced by Paul Miller, former director of YWAM in England, illustrates the eternal significance of a seemingly insignificant moment in time:

Once, when I was working with Youth With A Mission in Afghanistan, I was out buying food supplies when I passed a bicycle rickshaw just as it was stopping. Out stepped a young, long-haired Westerner obviously on his way to a hotel. I had that prompting, that inner compulsion I could not shake off, that I should go up to him and talk. “But Lord,” I said, “I don’t know him and I’m on my way somewhere else.” But the Lord does not quit that easily. I gave in and went up to him. It turned out that he was a non-Christian who had heard of our ministry while in India. He was, in point of fact, actually looking for this rumored Christian ministry with the hopes that he could stay there. Could I help him find it, he wondered. I told him he had found the right man or, rather, the right God had found him.

(The Reluctant Evangelist, p. 129)

As Paul Miller discovered, when you follow God’s promptings, He will lead you into divine appointments. And once you have experienced a divine appointment personally, you will eagerly pray for God to send more your way. Furthermore, you will look at “"coincidences”" in a different light.

Regaining Your Motivation

When Christians are first born again and filled with the Spirit, their enthusiasm for soul winning is ignited. Evangelistic flames roar and shine brightly, and no one escapes the heat. Every unbeliever is a potential mission field. As time goes on, however, they may no longer feel compelled to share the gospel. Their bonfire dies down to a mere candle flame -— providing only enough light for themselves.

If you find yourself in this situation, God wants to restore your zeal and desire to tell others the gospel -— the Good News of what He has done and is doing in your life. He will renew your compassion for others when you follow these three steps:

1. Repent. Ask God to forgive you for having a hard heart, for the excuses you have made, for your busyness, or for whatever He brings to your mind.

2. Pray. Ask Him to rekindle your passion for lost souls and to break up the fallow ground of your heart.

3. Obey. When the Lord brings someone across your path, you must do whatever the Lord asks of you, even if it may seem foolish at the time. You can be certain that as you ask He will make opportunities for you to witness.

Mission in Action: The Trail, which ran from Amsterdam to Katmandu, was filled with desperately lonely young people. They were lost - many inside their own heads -— with no values, no goals, and no destinations. Furthermore, they had no ideas about how to find any. However, these young people were no different from millions today who are searching for the truth. Where would you find such young seekers today? List some ways in which you could reach out to them.

Reading: Living on the Devil’s Doorstep, pp. 23-33.

Key Scripture: “"Moses said to the Lord, ‘O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue’" ” (Ex. 4:10).

When it comes to witnessing, many Christians would rather avoid an opportunity than risk an unwanted or uncontrolled outcome. Excuses for not witnessing are innumerable. A few common ones appear below, with the reasons why they are invalid, and how to overcome them:

I am an introvert -— I’'m too shy to witness.

Shyness is never an excuse — the success of your witness doesn’t depend on you. Don’t use your personality or some perceived handicap as a reason not to share. Look at what God did with Moses and his speech difficulties (Ex. 6:30; Deut. 34:12). Instead keep your eyes and ears on the Lord; He will give you the boldness you need.

I don’'t have the gift of evangelism.

You don’'t need the gift of evangelism to share what Jesus is doing in your life. Jesus did not choose His disciples for their evangelistic gifts. Each displayed different gifts and talents. Yet Jesus commanded all of them to witness (Mark 16:15), since all of them experienced His life-changing power.

I don’t want to offend anyone.

True Christianity is an offense to unbelievers. Therefore, at some time in your Christian walk you will meet hostility, especially when the Holy Spirit is convicting a sinner of his guilt. You may bear the brunt of an unbeliever’'s confusion and anger. However, you do have the assurance that God will bless you if you are persecuted for His sake (Matt. 5:11-12). Ask for His help, and He will give you the loving response needed to turn that anger into blessing.

I tried witnessing once and it didn’'t work.

"“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!”" This adage is especially true in witnessing. Not only will others be blessed as you persist, but also the Lord will minister to your deepest needs in the process (Nah. 1:7). Remember that it is God who gives the increase; you will be successful according to your persistence.

I might jeopardize my job.

Most employers are more interested in your job performance than in your faith. By your work record, you are already witnessing to unsaved colleagues. Your employer pays for your work time, but you may have time to witness before and after work or during coffee breaks and lunch. If your employer objects to this, then God will provide you with creative ways to witness (John 21:6), especially if it is your employer’s heart the Lord is working on.

I don’'t wear my religion on my sleeve.

Too many people -— believers and unbelievers alike -— use the excuse that "“religion is a private matter."” Unbelievers proudly wear this armor to protect themselves from the onslaught of Christian “"fanatics.”" Christians use the same excuse for not witnessing. Yet Christianity isn’t something we do, or can turn on or off when it’s convenient. Christianity is Christ being expressed through us. We must expose and make ourselves vulnerable for the sake of the gospel and for others (Luke 18:16-17).

The Stumbling Block of Pride

Note that every excuse begins with "“I"”, which points out the power pride has as a stumbling block. The following acrostics show how pride sets a believer up for a fall (Prov. 16:18), but humility paves the way for effective witnessing (Prov. 18:12).

Pass up encounters with unbelievers.
Remember all your past mistakes.
Increase your fears by dwelling on them.
Decide that you have no talent.
Expect to fail when witnessing.

Honor the Lord with your life.
Understand the needs of the lost.
Motivate others through your enthusiasm.
I mplant God’s Word in your heart.
Love unlovely people whom you meet.
I ncrease your interests outside the church.
T ell others what Jesus has done for you.
Y ield to the gentle urging of the Lord.

"“Not Enough” Excuses"

There are still more reasons why Christians don’'t witness:

Not Enough Energy. Some people are too tired to witness because of very taxing schedules. But God gives strength to the weary to do His work and spread His Word (Ps. 145:14). Make sure you are following and fulfilling the priorities the Lord has set for you. When we do things His way, we will have the energy and time to accomplish extraordinary things.

Not Enough Time. A spirit of procrastination hovers over many believers. But waiting to witness amounts to ignoring totally the physical problem until the spiritual time is perceived as right (James 2:15-16). Remember, delayed obedience is disobedience.

Not Enough Need. Without realizing it, many Christians get so caught up in the fellowship of “"good”" people within the church that they become isolated from the outside “"sinful”" world. Yet Jesus came to save the sick and the lost (Matt. 9:12-13). This is why it is helpful to set aside time to be available specifically for witnessing.

Here are three other excuses that Christians use for not witnessing:

I don’'t believe in talking; I believe in being.

But Jesus believed in being -— talking, walking, healing, laughing, sleeping, and all the things that we do, not because we believe in them but because they are part of who and what we are. As the Lord gives us the words, we must speak.

I believe in spontaneous evangelism like Jesus used, not planned evangelism.

But Jesus’' style was both spontaneous and planned (Luke 9:51), since He was following His Father’'s plan as it was laid out for Him. As we follow Jesus, there will be times when He will ask us to follow a specific plan of action, and times when He will ask us to be instantly available and flexible. This is one reason He sent His Spirit to dwell in us; we are to depend on His leading for all things.

I believe in waiting for the witnessing opportunity to come to me, not running after it.

Jesus said both “"come and see”" (John 1:39) and “"go and tell”" (Luke 8:39). We must not limit the ways the Lord uses us. It is important that we follow Him closely, and are ready to follow His instructions to the letter.

When God calls us to witness, our natural response is to decline. We must therefore be prepared for a struggle between our old nature and His new nature. Decide ahead of time, daily, that when the Lord calls, you will obey.

Mission in Action: Pop Jenkins questioned everything in Floyd’s life— his goals, values, motives, relationships, and insecurities. He even asked, “"Why do you want to serve God? What is driving you to enter the ministry?”" At first Floyd was annoyed, but then God touched his heart. He longed for what Pop had — a concern for people (LDD, pp. 28-29). Who has challenged your faith like that? What are your motivations for ministry now?

Key Scripture: "“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires”" (Rom. 8:5).

The key to effective evangelism is having the power of God working through us. As He creates a pure heart in us, He works through us to accomplish His purposes in the lives of others. Every person was created in the image of God and has great worth and value in His sight. We have both the obligation and privilege to share that fact with others. For many Christians, however, an interest in people needs to be broadened to include more unbelievers. That can often be accomplished by finding common ground with them, but no relationship should be forced. We must always depend on the Holy Spirit’s direction when speaking about eternal truths.

Effective Evidence

Unbelievers often draw conclusions about Christianity solely on what they see in our lives. As we daily experience the trials and testing of our faith, we often find unbelievers around us going through the same things. It is the peace, stability, and joy we demonstrate through these experiences that bear witness to the grace and mercy of our Lord. It is often our reactions to our circumstances that reveal who we really depend on.

If we truly lived the victorious Christian walk, unbelievers would not have to be convinced solely by what we say. They would see the Lord, and echo the jailer’s question to Paul, "“What must I do to be saved?”" (Acts 16:30). Unfortunately, our talk is more often head knowledge and wishful thinking than speaking from experience. Our integrity in witnessing develops when our words and our lives line up. Jesus said, "“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks”" (Matt. 12:34). It is impossible for us to demonstrate spiritual truth to others if it isn’t already firmly rooted in our own lives. To do this is the difference between effective evangelism and hypocrisy.

As we witness to our neighbors, we must be continually developing our relationship with the Lord. It is Christ, not others, who measures our effectiveness. Our emphasis should be on pleasing Him, knowing He will correct, direct, and encourage us to fulfill His purpose for our lives. Even when people did not understand what Jesus was teaching, they always comprehended the quality of His life. As His followers, we are not compelled to lead every person we meet in repeating the sinner’s prayer, but we are compelled to be obedient. We can only lead others to Christ if we ourselves are traveling in that direction, being drawn closer to Him by His Spirit. God calls us to lead, but we can never bring someone closer to Christ than we are ourselves.

Inner Vision

Nurturing inner vision — setting our eyes and ears on the indwelling Spirit — is our first step in evangelism. Only then will Christ be reflected in our lives. As we follow the steps listed below, we will discover that our priorities have changed, thereby enhancing the quality of our ministry.

1. Accept Jesus as Lord as well as Savior. As we daily submit our will and rights to His lordship, we experience not only His salvation but His provision, leadership, power, and joy.

2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person, and desires to develop an ongoing relationship with us. As we submit to and nurture this relationship, the Spirit transforms us from the inside, conforming us to the image of Christ. He reveals Christ to us and through us, equipping us to do His will.

3. Schedule Bible reading into every day. The Spirit uses daily disciplines to speak to us and develop diligence. Often we read the Scriptures and don’t think we have gotten anything out of it. But remember that Spirit speaks to spirit, and the author of the Scriptures is energizing the Spirit within us, transforming head knowledge into spiritual strength. Weeks, even months later, that unknown strength we discover within may be the result of the blossoming of scriptural seeds. Trust the Spirit to provide the wisdom and understanding you need.

4. Make ourselves available to God and others. One way we make ourselves available to God is by spending time meditating on His Word and learning to distinguish His inner voice from our own. This learned skill takes practice and perseverance, but is necessary when He puts us into situations where, if we relied on our own understanding, we would not speak a life-giving word. Listening to the Spirit and to others is an undervalued attribute, but one which, once cultivated, is necessary in almost every situation. As we listen to His direction, He will prioritize how we spend our time. We will soon find the Lord directing us in very specific ways.

5. Discover talents and develop them to the fullest. Jesus has a specific purpose and plan for each of His children, which He often reveals to us moment by moment. As the Spirit reveals the desires of our hearts, He also makes known His direction. As we act on this direction because He is the motivator, we begin to do Christ’s works. It isn’t the accomplishment of the goal that is of utmost importance; rather it is the attitude, the character that is developed through our obedience. As we attempt to put into practice what we believe, He is faithful to correct and direct us. We are not to fear making mistakes, only to fear losing our willingness to use our talents.

6. Expect God to use us. Whether or not God uses us does not depend on our physical age, spiritual maturity, skill, talent, or intellect. It depends on our availability to be used according to his direction. He will develop those talents and gifts in us that He wants to use. Though they will always be pleasing to Him, they may go against the way we perceive ourselves or our talents, and may not always be used in the same way. One way to remain available is to remain flexible.

7. Recognize setbacks as challenges. When God teaches us something, it is usually followed by a test. As we are faced with challenging situations, remember that we have nothing to fear. We can turn to the Spirit within for the resources necessary to overcome. When we allow the outcome to rest with Him, we can be assured that it will not only be for our good, but for His best. He is always ready, willing, and able to work things out far beyond what we hope or think.

8. Pray for the salvation of the lost. As we lean on the Spirit for direction on how to pray, He often responds by giving us special burdens for the lost. Just as Jesus is interceding on our behalf, we also stand in the gap for those who cannot pray for themselves. This is a special privilege we cannot take lightly. Of course, as we learn to respond to His voice, the purpose of our prayers may not always be known to us. Sometimes we don’'t know who or what we are praying and fasting for, yet we can be confident it is having an effect, since the burden is from the Lord.

9. Ask for opportunities to share our faith. As we prayerfully seek out situations for sharing our personal testimony with unbelievers God provides the opportunities. And as we tell what Jesus has done for us, we can encourage a stable faith to be formed within them. Through these experiences of sharing our faith, we begin to see unbelievers entering the kingdom.

10. Fellowship with maturing, fruit-bearing Christians. It is imperative that as we develop and grow into faithful followers of Christ, we remain accountable to a fellowship of believers. As we ask, the Lord will direct us into nurturing environments in which we can risk making mistakes in developing spiritual gifts, knowing we will be corrected in love. Remember that no church is perfect, and where the Lord puts us, even if only for a season, He expects us to learn faithfulness, patience, and submission.

Accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord is the prerequisite to a truly purposeful life. Success in the world, often obtained at the expense of others, determines a person’'s social status. But spiritual success is obtained in direct proportion to our willingness to be obedient to the Lord and involved in the lives of others.

Inner Conviction

A common problem that arises when witnessing is that of taking on too much responsibility for another person’'s salvation. There is a definite line between leading someone to the Lord and convicting them of their sins. God does not require or even sanction our attempts to convict others of their sin. Our role is to be responsive to God’'s inner leading and to talk to unbelievers about Jesus. If we try to convict others, then we’ve stepped over the line by usurping the role of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8).

Anyone who tries to do the job of the Holy Spirit will be totally frustrated. In His own time and way, the Holy Spirit will do the convicting. The Christian’'s part in evangelism is to sow and water the seed of the gospel in a person’'s heart. In turn, the Holy Spirit gives the increase, by causing the seed to take root and bring forth a harvest of conviction, repentance, and new life.

Part of our call to witness is to move out of our Christian environment. It’s easy to retreat into the church away from unbelievers, for we enjoy those who share our values and beliefs. We feel encouraged by other Christians -— and safe. For that reason, some Christians seek refuge in the church to avoid confrontation with sinners. But effective witnesses cannot be isolated. Christians must venture from the safety of the church into the harvest fields of the world to be the salt and light we were destined to be.

Knowing that Christ is the answer to the problems overwhelming people all over the world, we sometimes fall into using manipulation to bring unbelievers into the kingdom. But Jesus never manipulated people to accept Him. He always presented the truth in love, allowing them to act upon it as they saw fit. Many responded, but others did not. Jesus set the example for all of our efforts. We have to remember that a person manipulated into accepting Christ can just as easily be manipulated out of it. Everyone must make the choice freely. In that way evangelism will be effective and eternal.

Mission in Action: The young people on the Trail were leaving the church behind. They stereotyped Christians as either hypocritical or fanatical. Sally and Floyd began to overcome these assumptions by simply loving them and listening intently to what they were saying (LDD, pp. 38-39). What stereotypes do your unbelieving friends have about Christians? What steps are you taking to counteract them? Perhaps you can use the McClung’s formula for winning them over.