“Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again, those things ye do hear and see”…. Matt. 11:4 (KJV)
This scripture bears the basis of my foundational belief of what Christian witnessing is. There are three words that are in bold that I believe are the bedrock, but before they are addressed, I think it is important to look at the situation that precipitated this scripture.
The context of the scripture is that John the Baptist was in prison and about to be executed. There was not doubt about his earthly fate. I believe this was a valley experience for John. I am amazed by how God chose to use one of his strongest warriors to present a human frailty that we all experience. The question of “are we really walking this path for a reason?”. John instructed his disciples to go see Jesus and to ask him if He was the savior or if they should “seek another”. I can imagine that John was thinking, “as I walk this last mile of the way, I want to know my running has not been in vain” (to use the vernacular of our elders). Here we find the first lessons on Christian witness. First, witnessing takes place in the valley. This is because, whether they know it or not, any one who does not know Christ or is struggling with their relationship with Christ is in the valley. So it is when valley experiences are occurring that witnessing is so vital. Second, even those strongest in faith sometimes need to be witnessed to. Yes, a key component of witnessing is showing Christ to those who do not know him/have not accepted him as their savior, but there are also times when those who have been on the journey need the encouragement of a witness.
Now let’s look at Jesus’ instructions to the disciples of John as to how they should witness to him. Those same instructions are valid for our Christian witness today.
GO
To often we wait for someone to cross our paths before we speak of the goodness of God. Yes, our lives should witness each and every day. But the word GO is very instructional in Christian witness. We cannot just sit in the pews of our local gathering place and if someone happens to visit we “say a word” about the goodness of God. Jesus instructed John’s disciples to go back to where John was. To witness to John where he was. It is the same for us today. To truly witness for Christ, we must go to the places where the witnessing is most needed. We must go to the “valley of the shadow of death” where our brothers and sisters are walking aimlessly; and speak, through actions, of the goodness of God and salvation through Christ. We cannot just wait for people to come to the gathering place (the church building) we must take the church to them. Must must seek out those in need and provide, we must seek out those hurt and heal, we must seek out those discouraged and encourage, we must seek out those who hunger and feed, we must seek out those ignorant and educate, we must seek out those enslaved and liberate, we must seek out those transfixed and transform. But we can’t do it sitting in our homes, our church buildings or the warm cocoons of our comfort, we must GO.
SHOW
I am admittedly a skeptic by nature. You can say anything (a lot of people do) but when you show me something…that’s when I know where your heart is. Jesus did not say to John’s disciples to go and tell anything, He told them to GO and SHOW. I believe He was intentional in using those words. It implies that witnessing has to be action oriented. It is not enough to tell of the goodness of God. We have to show it by how His love has affected out attitudes and actions. In evangelism, I often say “we have to show people we care about them, before they will care what we say”. We can quote scripture and talk Jesus all we want, but if our actions do not show what a glimmer of God’s love looks like, all that talking is for naught.
AGAIN
I, for one, am glad that we have a God of AGAIN. Maybe I am slow, but I didn’t get it the first time. God has had to show me grace and mercy time after time after time. So how can I possibly think that sharing a witness is a one-time event. Jesus instructed John’s disciples to go, Show, AGAIN. We cannot get discourage if the seed of our witness does not produce a crop in the first sowing. We have to cultivate those fields, plant those seeds and water diligently with the knowledge that it might even be future generations that will reap the harvest. Our witnessing cannot be a “Hit It and Quit it” event. That phrase is reference of an event where no love is present. If there is an attitude of love in our witness, we must be diligent and faithful, even when the evidence of God working is not apparent to our eye. God has blessed us again, and Again, and AGAIN. Our witnessing must occur again, and Again, and AGAIN.
Salvation Unrestrained 