Killing the witnessing fear

[Sketcher]

How do you people kill the fear when witnessing? How has God changed you so that showing your faith is more of a natural flow from inside you rather than something you have to force out? What key verses and passages has God used for this?

For me, a lot of it was listening to bands like No Innocent Victim all the time, just getting the hardcore mentality, along with plain and simple growth in the Spirit. Is anything the same for you guys? Different?

 

[charligirl]

The start of Acts helped me, in nearly everycase , prior to them witnessing and people getting, the HolySpirit moved and Boldness came upon them. I pray for that, for the SPirit to fill me and for boldness to come.

 

[Rafael]

We are living epistles, read of all men. How we live our lives speaks more about our faith than does what we say. If they see us doing the good works Jesus asks about and give our lives as servants to others as He did, they are more apt to ask why we hold to God's economy of life. What we say is important, too, as it should be from a heart changed by God.

2Cor.3:2 But the only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves! Your lives are a letter written in our hearts, and everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you.
3 Clearly, you are a letter from Christ prepared by us. It is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on stone, but on human hearts.

I JOHN 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children let us not love in words or tongue but with ACTIONS and truth.

MATT. 25:31-45 When the Son of Man comes in his glory....He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.....Then he will say to those on his left,'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil & his angels. For I was hungry & YOU gave ME nothing to eat, I was thirsty & you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger & YOU did not invite ME in, I needed clothes and YOU did not clothe ME, I was sick and in prison, and YOU did not look after ME.". "Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

 

[Yitzchak]

The fear does tend to go when I'm flowing in the annointing. it also helps to just share from the heart.......... I think it is just a process to be walked out and worked out between each of us and the lord....... One thing though, if we never take a step forward, the process is not going forward much........In other words start doing it and learn as you go......

 

[J.A.I]

I recently read a booklet about this. It is also available online:
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q0709

It helped me quite a bit and it did minister to me. Maybe it will help others as well

In Christ,
Jai

 

[Andry]

One of the things to understand and appreciate is that we cannot be all things to all people all of the time (despite our efforts). God has given us gifts, and he's given us talents, and he's purposed us to become different parts of the body, and we all come from different or unique backgrounds and experiences. Last but not least, he's given us different callings.

What's been key for me is to discover what / where my 'niche' is in the body and not try to step into an area that I have not been given/gifted/called to. It is there in that place that I find 'witnessing' or sharing the gospel a most natural and rewarding experience.

So in my real world, because I know I don't have much relevance or impact - given my gifting/calling (as above), etc. - to the homeless, drug addicts, and prostitutes at our local Gospel Mission, God allows me to make pretty good PB&J sandwiches one Thursday evening a month there, and allows those Christians who are called and trained/gifted to witness to these marginalized. However, at the local businessmen's fellowship, I do have some relevance and my witness does have some impact, so I flow in that spirit there.

 

[Rafael]

If your a big reader, such as myself, there is also another good book for those seeking more skills in evangelism. It is by Brian D. McLaren called "More Ready Than You Realize" - "Evangelism as Dance in The Postmodern Matrix".
Long name but it has good advice too.
God bless...

 

[Takesha]

Raphe,

I don't really know how to share this...but I am gonna give it a whirl.

When I first got saved I used to go with my church group street witnessing. I was always scared to death! Later, I figured out that this just wasn't me...not my personality.

I find now that God brings people across my path and I pray that He will do so. Knowing the person I am sharing Christ with helps me a lot. When someone comes to me complaining or is hurt and starts to share, they open the door and I can then share how Christ has helped me in the same situation.

I try to have an open and loving personality so I am approachable...and for me this works. I have been able to witness to so many people this way and really didn't even recognize I was witnessing, I was just sharing the love that God shed abroad in my heart.

When you live a life of peace, joy and love in the middle of all the chaos of this world people just want to know how you do that and they will ask you!

I don't know if this answers your question or not but this has really worked for me.

Takesha

 

[rogsr]

Takesha,
This is the way that I am also. Some people can go door to door, but I have a bit of a temper and would probably lose it on someone who persecuted me during such evangalism. I don't have a temper because i'm intemperate, it's kind of an irish catholic family thing . Anyway, I witness to people all the time but they kind of come to me randomly, like out of the blue, and then I help them. God is so awesome to work with us and not force us into doing things that we can not accomplish. That shows His Majesty. The true Majesty of a true King. I used to feel the same as this person, I was afraid that I was ashamed of the Gospel of the Lord. But in the end I learned that we all have certain strengths, like I am the foot and you are the hand. The foot should not try and be a hand, but should try and be the best foot he can be and of coarse visa versa. I can preach to a group of people in a public square of a downtown area, and be seen and persecuted by members of a large crowd, but not individually..go figure When I preach to individuals I want to know them, and I want it to be personal, I don't want it to be a (forgive my word) generic sermon like the ones we use to preach to a crowd.

God's peace to you

 

[Takesha]

Rogsr,

I think that some people are also called to be evangalist, and this calling seems to draw them more into a more "forward" way of witnessing. I think that if God lays this burden on a persons heart and this is their calling they should be obedient to it. However, this is not my calling per se, even though we are all called to be witnesses for Christ and also are exhorted to be ready to give an answer to those who ask us about our hope in Christ.

Back in the day when I did street witnessing we went as a group to a high school football game...There were two girls (twins) and one got in front of me and the other behind me and they started pushing me back and forth calling me Jesus Freak and cursing. Then one hit me in the head. At that moment I thought my heart would break with love and compassion for these two young girls...it was quite an experience because normally I would have felt fear or anger. I just looked at them and said...You have no idea how much the Lord love you! I could hear my mouth speak the words, but it seemed like they were coming from someone else...and they were, it was the Holy Spirit.
So even when I was witnessing in a way I wasn't comfortable with, God still used me, even though I didn't see the results, I know his world never returns void.

I agree with you...we are all not hands or feet or ears, and we all being a part of the BODY as a whole have our own distinct gifts and functions...none are greater than the other.

Praise God that we are able to be who we are and that even then- God Changes us from Glory to Glory!

I understand about the "Irish" thing....my other was an O'conner! LOL

Takesha

 

[Takesha]

Twistedsketch,

I would like to apologize as my first post on this thread was meant to be for you and not raphe....ooops!