Being Authentic Witnesses for Christ in Daily Life
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound importance of being a true witness for Jesus Christ. We began by acknowledging our daily needs and desires, recognizing that while these are significant, our spiritual needs hold greater importance. As we navigate life, it's crucial to understand that God is more interested in our spiritual formation than our physical comforts. This understanding is foundational to our identity as Christians and shapes how we live and witness to others.
We discussed the spiritual disciplines that form the backbone of our faith: scripture reading, solitude, Sabbath, fasting, prayer, generosity, community, serving, and leading. These practices are not just rituals but are essential for spiritual growth and for being effective witnesses. The culmination of these disciplines is the practice of being a witness, which involves telling the truth about Jesus through our words and actions. It's not enough to speak about Jesus; our lives must reflect His teachings and love.
The concept of witness is deeply tied to discipline, which means being a student or learner. As followers of Christ, we are called to be lifelong learners, continually growing in our understanding and practice of faith. This growth enables us to be true witnesses, not just in words but in the authenticity of our lives. We are reminded that our witness is not about comparison or lip service but about genuine transformation and alignment with God's will.
We also explored the threats to being a true witness, such as the temptation of convenience and comfort, which can lead to a false witness. The enemy seeks to deceive us, turning God's truth into lies. However, we are encouraged by the promise of victory through the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. We must remain vigilant, discerning truth from deception, and rely on the Holy Spirit's power to guide us.
Finally, we are called to be witnesses in our immediate surroundings (Jerusalem), our broader community (Judea), those we may not naturally associate with (Samaria), and to the ends of the earth. This call to witness is not just about evangelism but about living a life that reflects Christ's love and truth in every aspect. As we embrace this calling, we become salt and light in the world, stopping the rot of deception and bringing the hope of the gospel to all.
Key Takeaways:
- Spiritual Needs Over Physical Comforts: Our spiritual needs are of greater importance than our physical desires. God is more interested in our spiritual formation, which shapes our identity and witness as Christians. This understanding helps us prioritize spiritual disciplines that lead to genuine transformation. [02:00]
- The Practice of Witness: Being a true witness involves both words and actions. It's not enough to speak about Jesus; our lives must reflect His teachings. This requires discipline and a commitment to spiritual growth, enabling us to be authentic witnesses of Christ. [06:01]
- Threats to True Witness: The temptation of convenience and comfort can lead to a false witness. The enemy seeks to deceive us, turning God's truth into lies. We must remain vigilant, discerning truth from deception, and rely on the Holy Spirit's power to guide us. [13:32]
- Witness in All Areas of Life: We are called to be witnesses in our immediate surroundings, broader community, and to those we may not naturally associate with. This call is not just about evangelism but about living a life that reflects Christ's love and truth in every aspect. [29:05]
- Empowered by the Holy Spirit: We cannot be true witnesses without the power of the Holy Spirit. We must wait for God's timing and rely on His strength to guide us in our witness. This empowerment enables us to be effective in sharing the gospel and living out our faith. [25:44]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:00] - Spiritual Needs Over Physical Comforts
- [04:30] - Family Rules and Spiritual Formation
- [06:01] - The Practice of Witness
- [09:29] - The Importance of True Witness
- [13:32] - Threats to True Witness
- [16:08] - Deception and Spiritual Discernment
- [20:18] - Apostolic Mandate and Kingdom Building
- [25:44] - Empowered by the Holy Spirit
- [29:05] - Witness in All Areas of Life
- [33:30] - Guarding Against Deception
- [35:49] - Being Salt and Light
- [38:00] - Call to Action and Easter Opportunity
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. 1 Corinthians 9:25-27
2. Matthew 12:35-37
3. Acts 1:8
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Observation Questions:
1. According to 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, what is the purpose of exercising self-control and discipline in the Christian life? How does this relate to being a true witness? [06:01]
2. In Matthew 12:35-37, what does Jesus say about the words we speak and their significance? How does this passage emphasize the importance of our witness? [09:29]
3. Acts 1:8 mentions a specific promise given to the disciples. What is this promise, and how does it empower them to be witnesses? [25:44]
4. The sermon mentions the concept of being a witness in different areas: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. How are these areas defined in the context of the sermon? [29:05]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the discipline of spiritual practices like scripture reading, prayer, and fasting contribute to being a true witness for Christ? [06:01]
2. What are the potential threats to being a true witness, as discussed in the sermon, and how can believers guard against them? [13:32]
3. How does the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, as described in Acts 1:8, change the way believers approach their witness? [25:44]
4. The sermon discusses the importance of being a witness in one's immediate surroundings and beyond. How does this align with the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20? [33:30]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current spiritual disciplines. Are there areas where you feel you need to grow to become a more effective witness for Christ? What steps can you take to improve in these areas? [06:01]
2. Consider the threats of convenience and comfort mentioned in the sermon. How have these affected your witness in the past, and what changes can you make to prioritize spiritual growth over comfort? [13:32]
3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of being a witness in your "Jerusalem." Who are the people in your immediate surroundings that you can be a witness to, and how can you start engaging with them this week? [29:05]
4. How can you rely more on the Holy Spirit's power in your daily life to be a true witness? Are there specific areas where you need to wait for God's timing and empowerment before taking action? [25:44]
5. The sermon challenges us to be witnesses even to those we may not naturally associate with, our "Samaria." Who in your life fits this description, and how can you reach out to them with Christ's love? [29:05]
6. Reflect on the concept of being salt and light in the world. What practical steps can you take this week to stop the "rot" of deception and bring hope to those around you? [35:49]
7. Easter is highlighted as an opportunity for witness. How can you use this season to share the gospel with someone in your life? What specific actions will you take to invite them to church or share your faith? [35:49]
Devotional
Day 1: Spiritual Formation Over Physical Comfort
Our spiritual needs are of greater importance than our physical desires. This understanding helps us prioritize spiritual disciplines that lead to genuine transformation. God is more interested in our spiritual formation, which shapes our identity and witness as Christians. By focusing on spiritual growth, we align ourselves with God's will and become more effective in our witness to others. This requires a commitment to practices such as scripture reading, prayer, and community, which are essential for nurturing our spiritual lives. [02:00]
"For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1 Timothy 4:8, ESV)
Reflection: What is one physical comfort you can set aside this week to focus more on your spiritual growth?
Day 2: Authentic Witness Through Words and Actions
Being a true witness involves both words and actions. It's not enough to speak about Jesus; our lives must reflect His teachings. This requires discipline and a commitment to spiritual growth, enabling us to be authentic witnesses of Christ. As we grow in our faith, our actions should naturally align with our words, demonstrating the love and truth of Jesus to those around us. This authenticity is crucial for effectively sharing the gospel and living out our faith. [06:01]
"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (1 John 3:18, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one area in your life where your actions do not align with your words about your faith. What steps can you take to bring them into alignment today?
Day 3: Vigilance Against Deception
The temptation of convenience and comfort can lead to a false witness. The enemy seeks to deceive us, turning God's truth into lies. We must remain vigilant, discerning truth from deception, and rely on the Holy Spirit's power to guide us. By staying rooted in scripture and prayer, we can guard against the subtle lies that threaten to undermine our witness. This vigilance is essential for maintaining the integrity of our faith and our testimony to others. [13:32]
"See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ." (Colossians 2:8, ESV)
Reflection: What is one area where you feel tempted to compromise your faith for convenience? How can you seek the Holy Spirit's guidance to stand firm in truth?
Day 4: Witness in Every Sphere of Life
We are called to be witnesses in our immediate surroundings, broader community, and to those we may not naturally associate with. This call is not just about evangelism but about living a life that reflects Christ's love and truth in every aspect. By embracing this calling, we become salt and light in the world, bringing the hope of the gospel to all. Our witness should extend beyond words to encompass our actions and relationships, demonstrating the transformative power of Christ in every area of life. [29:05]
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8, ESV)
Reflection: Who is one person in your immediate surroundings that you can intentionally show Christ's love to this week? What specific action can you take to demonstrate this love?
Day 5: Empowered by the Holy Spirit
We cannot be true witnesses without the power of the Holy Spirit. We must wait for God's timing and rely on His strength to guide us in our witness. This empowerment enables us to be effective in sharing the gospel and living out our faith. By depending on the Holy Spirit, we can overcome our limitations and fears, allowing God's power to work through us in reaching others with His love and truth. [25:44]
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17, ESV)
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to rely more on the Holy Spirit's power? How can you invite Him to guide you in this area today?
Quotes
"We ask for that indwelling wisdom and indwelling power, and I ask, Lord, that you help me and use me to speak your word boldly in spirit and in truth. We ask all of this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. How many know that we come into days like today, and you're like, my gosh, I just need the sun. Or, you know, like, I just need this, and I just need that. And we all have these needs, and we have these daily needs, daily wants. You know, days like this, I just want, you know, some really cozy foods, whereas yesterday, I wanted a fruit salad. So strange. But we do. We have needs, and we won't have wants. And the older I get, and actually, the more we get into this parenting world, the more I realize that sometimes, maybe, just maybe, that God himself may be more interested in our spiritual needs more than our physical." [00:00:32] (55 seconds)
"You know, as a family, we have family rules, family do's and don'ts. It's important to Max and I that my children know that they belong to something, that it's part of their formation. It's part of them being able to grow up well, being well-formed on the inside, that they have a sense of belonging. So we talk about things that the Lyons family do, and the Lyons family do not. The Lyons family have no secrets. The Lyons family do their best. We don't just do the best that we can based on what's in the room, but we do the best that is in us. We always say to our kids, whenever they go to jiu-jitsu, wherever they attempt something, I don't want you to be the best in the room. I want you to do your very best. Because maybe the best in the room might actually not be your best." [00:01:40] (49 seconds)
"The spiritual practice of being a good witness in this day and age. And that's why we have these disciplines, so that we can learn how to be spiritually formed according to the family that we belong to. The do's and don'ts of being a child of God, having Christian as our identity. That is why we take time to learn the disciplines. The disciplines take discipline. It takes hard work. It takes waking up every day, getting back on the horse, falling flat on our face, learning from it, and doing the hard work. We want to be not just the best in the room, but we want to do our best according to the way that Christ made us." [00:03:42] (48 seconds)
"Tell the people about who he is. Being a witness takes discipline to be able to tell the truth about Jesus from the inside and the outside. It's so easy to go and stand on a soapbox in the street corners of Chicago and tell everybody that they need to repent and then go home and have a gnarly life where everyone that's up close and personal to you don't want to be around you. That's not being a witness. And so why is it important to be a true witness of Jesus Christ? Why is it important to practice the discipline of scripture reading? Practice the discipline of fasting, of praying, of generosity. Practice the discipline of community and serving one another and leading one another. Why is it important?" [00:06:10] (44 seconds)
"I tell you, on the day of judgment, people will give account for every careless word they speak out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And then verse 37 says, for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned. That word, word, actually means logos. So what it's saying is by your speech, by your message, by your account, by your reason, by your doctrine, the way you think about life, by your statements, by your witness, you will be justified or condemned. Each and every one of us are going to stand before Jesus. Whether we are Christian or not, we're going to stand before God and we will be judged. For our witness." [00:07:16] (52 seconds)
"And can I tell you, there is a threat to us being a true and honest witness. And that threat is when we believe that convenience, the temptation to have just an easy and a comfortable life, turns us into a false witness. The easiest thing to do is put comfort and ease over being a real and true witness. There are people that live an entire lifetime thinking that they are good witnesses. And at the end of the day, get told that they were actually a false one. Oh Lord, we did all these things on your behalf. I served my heart out. Depart from me. I never knew you. It's a real thing. We got to be careful. Are we true or are we not? Are we real ones or are we not?" [00:10:24] (56 seconds)
"And how many know that there is an amazing marketing strategy that the Lord created from the beginning of time that actually we all know it's been researched that it's the best way to market anything on this planet. And that is the word of our mouth. You know that, right? You go on Instagram and everyone's, hey, you know, these influences, they know word of mouth is the highest influence that we have on this planet. And God created it. But much like most things that God created, the enemy will come and twist it and corrupt it and corrode it and turn it into his own thing. Primetime example, sex. Isn't it the most beautiful thing when done in the right way that God intended?" [00:11:49] (44 seconds)
"Revelations 12 tells us that Satan is triumphed over by what? The blood of the lamb and the word of the testimony of the bride. They did not love their lives as much as to shrink from death. You know, that word, that line actually comes from the word martyr, which means to be a witness. They didn't shrink from their witness. They let their word of their mouth come out in truth. Let's not be deceived. The enemy will mess up our testimony by using the greatest weapon he has borrowed from God. Stolen. Do not be deceived. Let us not be deceived, church. Jesus himself warns us." [00:14:20] (50 seconds)
"God is so clear, undeterred by their questionings and their way that their mind's working because they're stuck in their own worldview. He says to them, it's not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. The disciples, they expected it to be so quick. And he's saying, chill. And then he goes on, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the end of the earth. The principal reason, Christians, that we're on this earth is to further the kingdom, empower the word by the Holy Spirit." [00:26:31] (41 seconds)
"When we have the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, it helps us to see people differently, the way God sees people. That's why we need power on the inside of us. And then there's the utmost parts of the world. You know, ironically, we as in America think that we are the center of the world. But this over here, at the time, geographically, we would have been the utmost part. We would have been the utmost part of the world. And so God is saying, what are you doing to the people that you'll never meet? The people that you'll never know? There is a lot of people on this world that still, in 2025, that don't know Jesus." [00:31:25] (41 seconds)
"That's how we can, that's how we know that we are not being deceived when we are in our Bible, listening to the word of God, fasting, seeking God's presence, being close to God, abiding in solitude, taking out all the noise, making sure that we are listening to only one voice, learning that voice. My sheep will know my voice. That's how we know we're not deceived. That's how we know we're not giving out counterfeit truths and being false witnesses everywhere unknowingly. That's how the enemy wants to steal your voice. And the band can come and join me. Abandon your post. Steal the truth of your witness. Convince you that the enemy's truth is your truth." [00:32:55] (48 seconds)
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