Witness
SUMMARY
This sermon explores the concept of Christian witness as part of an "Impact" series, emphasizing that everyone witnesses to something they love. Pastor Raigan challenges the congregation to let their light shine authentically, drawing from Jesus' words in Matthew 5 about being light bearers in the world. Using Eugene Peterson's childhood story as an example of poor witnessing, the sermon reframes evangelism as simply sharing what we've seen, heard, and experienced with Christ - like a courtroom witness who only testifies to facts, not argues cases or judges others.
Pastor Raigan outlines five key components of effective witnessing, all beginning with 'P':
Proximity to non-religious and nominally religious people,
Pointing authentically to Christ,
Playing the long game in relationships, helping people discover their..
Potential and Purpose
Maintaining contagious joy in our faith with Passion.
ICE BREAKER
What's something you love so much that you can't help but tell others about it? (It could be a hobby, restaurant, TV show, or anything that gets you excited to share with friends!)
KEY VERSES
Matthew 5:14-16
1 Corinthians 3:6-7
John 1:41-42
QUESTIONS
Pastor Raigan mentioned that we all witness to something we love. What are some things you find yourself naturally 'witnessing' about in your daily conversations?
Eugene Peterson's story shows how witnessing can go wrong. What are some ways you've seen Christians share their faith that felt inauthentic or off-putting? What made those approaches ineffective?
The sermon compares Christian witness to a courtroom witness who only shares what they've seen, heard, and experienced. How does this perspective change the way you think about sharing your faith?
Looking at the five 'P's of witnessing, which one do you find most challenging: Proximity, Pointing to Christ, Playing the long game, helping discover Potential/Purpose, or maintaining contagious joy and Passion? Why?
The pastor shared about intentionally building relationships with non-Christians through tennis. What activities or contexts in your life could provide natural opportunities to build relationships with people who don't know Christ?
How does the concept of 'playing the long game' (helping people take the next step rather than trying to take them from 1 to 100) reduce pressure and anxiety about witnessing?
The sermon ends with the boy who caught the foul ball and couldn't stop sharing his excitement. What would it look like for you to have that same contagious joy about your relationship with Jesus?
LIFE APPLICATION
Identify 5 people in your life that might not know the transforming love of Jesus
Commit to pray for them daily. Ask God to give you opportunities to authentically point to Christ when given the opportunity.
Commit to invite 5 people to church by the end of the year.
Make posts on social media about an event in the church, a recent worship service/sermon that might have been meaningful. Let your friends know that you are believer- and who knows how God might use that to encourage others.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Everyone witnesses to something they love - the question is what will you witness to as a Christian?
Effective witnessing is like being a courtroom witness: simply share what you've seen, heard, and experienced with Christ rather than arguing, judging, or pressuring others.
The five components of impactful witnessing are: Proximity to non-religious or nominally religious people, Pointing authentically to Christ, Playing the long game, helping discover Potential and Purpose, and maintaining a Passion of contagious joy.
Building authentic relationships with non-Christians requires intentionality and often changing our schedules and social circles to include people who think and believe differently.
Witnessing is about playing the long game - helping people take the next step in their spiritual journey rather than trying to take them from start to finish ourselves.
ENDING PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank You for the reminder that you have called us to be lights in this world, bringing out the God colors wherever we go. Help us to examine our own lives and see where we might need to step out of our comfort zones to build authentic relationships with those who don't yet know you. Give us the courage to be vulnerable witnesses who simply share what we've seen, heard, and experienced in our relationship with you. Help us to trust you with the results and to play the long game with patience and love. May our joy in you be so contagious that others can't help but want to know the source of our hope. Use us, Lord, to impact others for your kingdom, and help us to remember that it's not about our ability to argue or convince, but about your power to transform hearts. In your precious name we pray, Amen.
