Churchwork
06-25-2006, 03:23 PM
One Christian writer puts it this way...
Some young brothers decided to witness for the Lord. I asked them, "What are you going to speak to people about when you testify for the Lord? You may perhaps tell them that Christ is this or that and how many things He has done for you, or you may be able to say only one thing—that Christ is your Savior. Then you have nothing more to say. If such be the case, you are not qualified to be witnesses of the Lord because you do not have much practical knowledge of Him."
Do not think you can witness because you have cleverness and eloquence. What you lack is divine life and the Holy Spirit. Only those who really know Christ can make people live. Do not conclude that because you are saved and possess Biblical knowledge, that because you have eloquence and some good thoughts, you are therefore qualified to witness for Christ. What is essential is your history with the Lord. Many acknowledge that they have shared all that they know of Christ and there is nothing left. This is a shallow knowledge which cannot be taken as the testimony of the riches of Christ. Your recognition of Him as Savior is correct, but this is the minimal condition of any Christian. You ought to have more advanced, richer and more practical experience of the knowledge of Christ so that you can supply what people do not have. What is the use if you can only expound the Scriptures and preach a sermon without a deeper knowledge of Christ?
A brother came to town and asked me to arrange a preaching opportunity for him. "Your time has not yet come," I told him. "You gave opportunities to three other brothers to speak; give me a chance to speak too," he replied; "if they could occupy the pulpit, why couldn’t I? You may sit there and listen to what I say, for I am not inferior to any of them." I therefore politely said to him, "You may be more clever, eloquent, and familiar with the Scriptures, and people may like to hear you speak, but I know you lack one thing which they have, and that is, they have deeper practical knowledge of Christ before God which you do not have. They have many practical experiences, but you have only the experience of being saved without any further knowledge in life." To be a witness of Christ, you must be established on the foundation of the knowledge of Christ. Though you may speak much, you may not necessarily be His witness.
Some young brothers decided to witness for the Lord. I asked them, "What are you going to speak to people about when you testify for the Lord? You may perhaps tell them that Christ is this or that and how many things He has done for you, or you may be able to say only one thing—that Christ is your Savior. Then you have nothing more to say. If such be the case, you are not qualified to be witnesses of the Lord because you do not have much practical knowledge of Him."
Do not think you can witness because you have cleverness and eloquence. What you lack is divine life and the Holy Spirit. Only those who really know Christ can make people live. Do not conclude that because you are saved and possess Biblical knowledge, that because you have eloquence and some good thoughts, you are therefore qualified to witness for Christ. What is essential is your history with the Lord. Many acknowledge that they have shared all that they know of Christ and there is nothing left. This is a shallow knowledge which cannot be taken as the testimony of the riches of Christ. Your recognition of Him as Savior is correct, but this is the minimal condition of any Christian. You ought to have more advanced, richer and more practical experience of the knowledge of Christ so that you can supply what people do not have. What is the use if you can only expound the Scriptures and preach a sermon without a deeper knowledge of Christ?
A brother came to town and asked me to arrange a preaching opportunity for him. "Your time has not yet come," I told him. "You gave opportunities to three other brothers to speak; give me a chance to speak too," he replied; "if they could occupy the pulpit, why couldn’t I? You may sit there and listen to what I say, for I am not inferior to any of them." I therefore politely said to him, "You may be more clever, eloquent, and familiar with the Scriptures, and people may like to hear you speak, but I know you lack one thing which they have, and that is, they have deeper practical knowledge of Christ before God which you do not have. They have many practical experiences, but you have only the experience of being saved without any further knowledge in life." To be a witness of Christ, you must be established on the foundation of the knowledge of Christ. Though you may speak much, you may not necessarily be His witness.