Witnessing and Sharing the Good News
by Mihran Kulhanjian
My Dear Friends,
If you are a Christian and your heart is filled with the Holy Spirit you will want to witness and share the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. We are commanded by Jesus to share the Gospel. The word "Gospel" means "Good News." The Good News that the Savior of the world [Jesus Christ] has come and risen. He is the Redeemer, the Messiah, the Deliverer. By the grace of God fulfilled God's will to bring His people to Him for eternal life and a complete salvation with communion with God. If you are a Christian, a true believer in Jesus, and believe what He did, witnessing and sharing the gospel message with the lost and unconverted is a privilege, a joy, and a responsibility of expressing love for others by telling them the truth that all have sinned [Romans 3:23] and that Jesus came to save sinners [1 Timothy 1:15]. We should not be fearful, embarrassed or ashamed of Jesus; but instead, excited to share the truth. Knowing God and what He has planned for us in this life that the next life should be exciting, and it is exciting. If you are not excited about Jesus then you should reexamine yourself and renew your mind. Get your mind back into the Bible. Listen to the Word of God.
Can you confess with your mouth aloud "JESUS IS LORD" and believe it? You can share the Gospel with others. We all have a personal story to witness to others. Simply tell your story. It is unique and original. Every Christian has a unique story. No two are the same. It's remarkable?
In all four of the Gospels [the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John] Jesus commands us [His disciples (all true Christians)] to go out into the world and preach the Gospel to everyone. Do you see now how important it is for every Christian to do this? Yet, very few Christian's witness and share the Good News. Why is this? Do they not know? Are they ashamed? Paul wrote to Timothy, "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God." Paul was clear with Timothy regarding the testimony of Jesus Christ. Do not be ashamed. Do they not know the written word of God? Go out and share with others. If Jesus said do it, then do it!
In Acts 1:8 Jesus told His disciples to witness: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Further, Jesus said, "I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself" [John 12:32].
Jesus said in Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" We must go out into all the world and to all the nations. Jesus is very specific as to where the gospel should be preached.
Jesus said again in Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
"And as He [Jesus] walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him" [Mark 1:16-18]. What did Jesus do here? He made witnesses. "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Jesus made them witnesses and they made others witnesses and all the other witnesses made more and more witnesses. How do we grow the church, the children and sons of God? We witness and share the gospel--it's what God wants us to do and it is what we should want to do.
Jesus said in Mark 13:10 "And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations."
Jesus said to His Father in John 17:18: "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world."
And once again, Jesus said to His disciples in John 20:2: “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
As Christians and followers of Jesus Christ we are commanded to share the gospel with all. Preach the "Good News" that the Savior of the World has come. His name is Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last" (Revelation 22:13).
Jesus said to His disciples: "Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem" [Luke 24:46-47].
Paul was told: "For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard" [Acts 22:15].
The apostle Paul was a great witness. It was his personal experience that he shared with others. This is the way we should witness. By telling our story and what Christ has done for us. Your personal testimony cannot be disputed. Nobody can disagree with you, because your story is your story. It is the transformation from sinner to saint. Your testimony is the new birth. We win souls to Christ with our personal testimony, because your testimony is indisputable. This is the most effective way to win souls. Proverbs 11:30 says: " ...he who wins souls is wise." And in Proverbs 14:25 "....a true witness delivers souls." Let's deliver souls for Christ and be wise, and let's be a true witness. Our personal story, our experience coming to Christ and living in Christ is more powerful in witnessing than any other method. This was how Paul witnessed.
Paul states in Romans 15:17-29:
"Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— 19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written:
“To whom He was not announced, they shall see;
And those who have not heard shall understand.”
1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul states:
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
If you are fearful or hesitant, pray before witnessing. Remember what Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." A timid spirit does not come from God. A spirit of fear is not from God, so, cast it out. Trust and obey God over man, and let your witness win souls. Go out into the world and share the "Good News." How else will they know without a preacher? Every Christian is a preacher. Preach and tell the lost the most marvelous truth of Jesus Christ and what He has done for the world and how He has transformed you.