You Will Be My Witnesses
Acts 1:8 – “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.”
This week’s message focuses on our calling to be a witness for Christ through testimonies, not so that we can celebrate our individual accomplishments and triumphs but so that God may be glorified.
Testimonies serve many purposes.
They can serve as a time for personal reflection to help believers remember God’s living work in their lives.
They can serve to edify others. Through personal testimonies, we can strengthen and encourage brothers and sisters.
They can serve to glorify God. The ultimate purpose of testimonies is to bring glory to God.
In Acts 1:8, Jesus calls his followers to be His “witnesses.” The word “witness” comes from the Latin word “testis,” meaning one who sees and bears witness in a court. To share a testimony then, is not simply recount on our personal life and to focus on the witness, but to declare God’s works in our lives and reveal God’s character through our life. We serve as living evidence of what God has been doing. Additionally, the word witness in Greek is “martys,” which is the origin of the English word “martyr”. To be Christ’s “witness,” also means to live and die for Christ’s name’s sake, to stand and bear witness for Christ through persecution and even death.
As Christians, we bear many identities. We are children of God, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’s bride, but above all, as we see in Acts 1:8, we are called to be Christ’s witnesses. As noted above, to bear witness for Christ is not something that is always comfortable. To truly follow Christ is not something to be taken lightly. To follow Christ is a decision to bear witness to Christ, to live through persecution, and even death so that Jesus Christ’s name may be lifted high.
Thus, sharing our testimonies should point and reveal who Jesus is and what He has done in our lives. A witness, above all else, should point in the direction that reveals God’s character, that He is alive, and that He is working for our good every day.
Reflection Questions:
What is your main takeaway from this week’s message?
Sharing a testimony or the lack thereof, may point to one’s spiritual condition. How might God be using you as a witness in this season?
Considering the message, what does it mean to you personally to be Christ’s witness?
