Dear Church,
WE CAN DO THIS WITNESSING THING! God has given us everything we need to share His Gospel with others. From Matthew 10:5-20 let me remind you of Sunday’s key points:
When Jesus sends us out He may not send us very far. Notice in verses 5 and 6, the disciples weren’t told to go everywhere to everyone with the Kingdom message, at least not just yet. They were told first to go to their own people, the Israelites, to share about Jesus. God wants to use you to win those closest to you—your friends and family.
We need to remember we are not alone when we attempt to witness. Look at John 15:26-27-“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.
The Holy Spirit will assist us in this witnessing effort. Start with prayer and ask God for open doors and hearts. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you at the right time and in the right way to share with your loved ones.
When Jesus sends us out He will give us what we need. The disciples were told in verses 9-11 that they didn’t need to take a bunch of money, they didn’t need to carry lots of luggage, and that they didn’t need to worry about where they would sleep each night. Random people would just be opening up their homes. Wow! Talk about depending totally on God. What faith they had to have in order to witness to the people God had called them to reach. That is the big point. God wants us to know as we share the Gospel, He will give us the resources we need in order to do it.
When Jesus sends us out He will tell us how to retreat. (Matthew 10:14-“Shake off the dust from that conversation and keep walking!”)
Maybe you have stepped out of your comfort zone to witness, and it didn’t go well. Don’t see that as a moment of failure. It wasn’t. It was a moment of obedience to God. Rejoice that you did what God asked of you! Don’t take someone else’s indifference to the Gospel as personal. Shake it off, and keep walking. Don’t let their resistance cause you to doubt your personal faith in Christ. Shake it off, and keep walking. Pray for them, shake it off, and move on to the next person.
When Jesus sends us out He will tell us what to say. Matthew 10:19-20-But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. After you pray, go with confidence! God will speak His truth to you!
God is stirring His people to be the sent ones. As you go, you are being sent first to those in your sphere of influence. As you go, God will give you resources to use to communicate His Gospel. As you go, the Holy Spirit goes with you. As you go, you may face rejection, but keep going. As you go, God will give you the words He desires for you to share. These are the things you can count on when Jesus sends us out!
Pastor Melissa
Teays Valley Church of God
6979 Teays Valley Rd
Scott Depot, WV 25560
304-757-9222
www.tvcog.org
