Seeing The KingdomSample

Bold Witness The Kingdom of God comes with power (1 Cor. 4:20), embodied in the Holy Spirit of God, a power from beyond this world Who brings us into a realm of righteousness, peace, and joy that makes all things new. One of the primary means whereby the power of God’s Kingdom is expressed in believers is through bold witness. We see this consistently throughout the book of Acts. Not only the apostles, but even the humblest believers proclaimed Good News of the Kingdom of God. They spoke to neighbors, authorities, and strangers. Everywhere they went, talking about Jesus and the Kingdom seems to have been an integral part of their daily lives. Why are Christians today so reluctant to talk freely, boldly, and consistently about their faith in the Lord? There are at least two reasons. First, we have come to believe that our neighbors are no longer interested in our message. Why bother talking to unsaved people about the Lord if we have already concluded they don’t want to have anything to do with Him? The truth is, however, that people today are just as willing to talk about the Lord as they’ve ever been. An outspoken and intimidating few may give a different impression, but most people will be more than willing to consider what we have to say. The second reason we don’t bear bold witness for Christ is because church leaders have told us, implicitly or explicitly, that they’ll take care of witness-bearing for us. Just let them make a few adjustments here and there, so that their unsaved neighbors feel more at home, and soon enough any real “seekers” out there will find their way here, and then we’ll win them. But if you’ve really tasted of the power of the Holy Spirit, and if you truly delight in the glory of God and the all-things-new way of life which is the Kingdom of God, no threats from the culture – real or perceived – and no discouragement from church leaders will be able to keep you from bearing bold witness to Jesus and His Kingdom. Next step: Write out an outline of what you would say in sharing the Gospel. Then share this with a friend.