Participants:
Series Code: RQRA
Program Code: RQRA000025A
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00:01 I don't understand.
00:04 Why did this have to happen to me? 00:08 I feel like I just can't make sense of things. 00:12 I need answers. 00:15 Where is God? 00:21 Hello and welcome to Raw Questions Relevant Answers. 00:24 A program where we look at your questions about God, 00:28 about life, spirituality, religion, 00:30 these are the questions that you have sent in 00:32 via the internet, Facebook page, 00:35 and we're excited 00:37 to be part of looking at those today. 00:38 Today, we're going to be talking about witnessing, 00:40 and I have with me our two co-hosts, 00:43 Dee Casper and Mark Paden. 00:45 And so we're going to jump 00:47 right into some of the questions here 00:48 'cause we have some good ones here today. 00:52 First question comes from a female, age 23, 00:55 and Tennessee. 00:56 "If I am a busy student 00:58 who ends up exhausted by the weekend, 01:01 how much outreach does God expect me to do?" 01:07 I want to kind of start with the premise 01:09 that the purpose of outreach is not to appease God, 01:13 the purpose... 01:14 And I don't mean to imply sour motives 01:16 on behalf of the question or answer, 01:18 but just sometimes, we feel like I have to do this 01:20 so God will be happy with me. 01:22 I want to give the example of the woman at the well. 01:24 When Jesus changes this woman's life, 01:26 knowing her broken past, this is in John 4, 01:29 she's had five husbands, 01:31 the man she's living with now is not her husband, 01:33 instead of shaming her for what she's wrestling with 01:35 or what she does, 01:36 Jesus heals her completely of her brokenness, 01:40 and the logical response 01:41 to her being healed of her brokenness 01:43 was to go and tell all the people in her city 01:45 that she could find... 01:46 That "I found a man Jesus who knew everything about me 01:50 and He still loves me." 01:53 I think the main motive and impetus for witnessing 01:56 is not that we have to or we ought to, 01:59 but it's a privilege to because we've found someone 02:02 who's radically changed our life. 02:04 So I think just from the ground level, 02:06 when it comes to witnessing, the whole purpose of witnessing 02:09 is sharing the beauty 02:10 of what Jesus has done in your life 02:12 and that can be done in any setting, 02:14 in any environment, at any point in time 02:16 as opposed to like mustering up the guts 02:18 to knock on a door, do something else, 02:20 and people will do that. 02:22 The purpose of witnessing is sharing with those 02:24 in your sphere of influence, wherever that is, 02:26 the goodness of God in your life. 02:27 So just a practical way of doing that, I mean, 02:30 you may not be able to go and knock on doors all day 02:33 and give Bible studies all the time, 02:35 but can you talk to your classmates? 02:37 I mean, guaranteed, almost no matter 02:40 what school you go to, 02:41 there's people that you can reach out to, 02:43 people that don't know the love of God 02:44 that you can witness to. 02:46 I don't think that we should ever be in this place 02:51 where we are negating what God has asked us to do 02:55 because something else is more pressing, 02:57 and I think this is another aspect 03:00 on this question too. 03:01 You know, I think, many times in our college experiences, 03:06 there's a lot of stuff that goes on that 03:10 it's almost too much sometimes. 03:11 If we lose our Christianity because we're getting a degree, 03:16 how worth it is that? 03:18 You know what I'm saying? 03:19 Like you may gain all this knowledge 03:22 on whatever your area of study is, 03:25 but is that knowledge worth you losing your eternal life? 03:29 I think this is something that... 03:31 especially you as students at college 03:34 need to think about seriously. 03:36 Yeah. 03:38 And let's be real too. 03:39 In a lot of cases, when people are at college, 03:43 there is time, you know? 03:45 If you really love God and you're really passionate 03:48 about sharing Him, 03:49 you're going to make time to do it, you know? 03:51 You'll find opportunities... 03:53 Yeah. 03:54 You just are influenced, you know? 03:55 Right. Right. 03:57 It kind of asked the question with this, what is witnessing? 03:59 We haven't even defined that. 04:02 In society, by definition, a witness is someone 04:05 who's actually been there for an event. 04:07 They've seen something. 04:08 I can't be a witness for a crime 04:10 just because you told me about it. 04:11 I have to actually have seen it to be a witness. 04:14 And it kind of goes with what you were saying, Mark, 04:17 if we're not spending time with God ourselves, 04:20 how much value is all of our education 04:22 and everything else? 04:23 But on the other hand, 04:25 if we are spending time with God, 04:27 if we are experiencing something with God, 04:29 will we not be sharing Him? 04:31 And maybe our definition of witnessing 04:33 can sometimes be a little narrow, 04:35 like it has to happen when we go out 04:38 at a certain time with our church 04:40 or to do a certain activity, 04:42 but what about the witnessing in just day to day life 04:46 with those people? 04:47 I was just going to say that there are people 04:49 in your sphere of influence who are fellow students, 04:51 who are struggling, who have difficulties, 04:53 who need someone to listen to them, 04:55 to point them to Jesus, to show them that, 04:57 "Hey, I was wrestling with this, too." 04:59 Maybe they're in a situation where they're so busy 05:02 with their school requirements, it's difficult for them 05:05 to feel like they can do what they need to do. 05:07 I've heard so many testimonies of people who stood for God 05:10 in spite of the seeming schedule conflict or difficulty 05:14 because of work at school, 05:16 that God always showed up for them, 05:17 they chose to have time with God 05:19 and not sacrifice that when they had an exam that day, 05:22 and they couldn't study as long as maybe they would have 05:24 had they not spent time with God, 05:26 and God honored it, right? 05:27 So these testimonies, you can share 05:29 the faithfulness of God in your experience 05:30 in this environment, and that people... 05:33 Be paying attention 05:35 to the needs of the people around you 05:37 and doors will open, I guess, is my point. 05:39 Here's one other thing 05:40 that I would throw into this mix. 05:43 In Galatians 1, Paul is talking to the Galatian church, 05:48 and he basically makes this point, 05:51 and it's part of a larger point that he's making, 05:53 but he basically says 05:54 that as soon as he got converted to Christ, 05:56 he didn't immediately go and start preaching. 05:59 He went to Arabia for three years 06:01 for God instructed him. 06:03 I think, sometimes... 06:05 And even look at the life of Christ. 06:07 Did He immediately go out when He... 06:10 As soon as He was able to talk, that He immediately go out 06:12 and start talking to all the nations? 06:14 No. 06:15 He faithfully did the work at His shop 06:19 and He blessed the people around Him, 06:22 you know, He helped those that were in need, 06:25 He stooped to pick up the hurt animal. 06:27 This was the picture that we got of Christ, 06:29 but He wasn't necessarily going and giving literature 06:31 to everybody on the street, you know? 06:33 And I think... 06:35 And same with Paul, 06:37 he had to have a time of learning, 06:39 and I'm sure, in that time, 06:40 he was sharing the things that he was learning 06:42 with the people he was in contact with, 06:44 but he wasn't going out on his major missionary trips. 06:47 And I think this is another thing too 06:48 that we should remember is, you know, 06:50 if we're taking time to study for God 06:53 and learn more about Him, 06:55 sometimes an important part of that 06:58 is dedicating the majority of our time to that. 07:01 Right. 07:03 So pulling that together, we are always witnessing, 07:06 we should be witnessing, 07:07 whatever we're hearing, we share, 07:09 but that doesn't mean that we're going to be 07:11 the big public evangelist or have a certain mission. 07:14 We could still be witnessing with what God gives us. 07:17 I think sometimes, we can downplay the benefit 07:20 for the kingdom of heaven of the day to day work. 07:22 Right. 07:23 You know, we think that if we're not 07:24 the famous missionary, if we're not the pastor, 07:26 if we're not the whatever, 07:28 then there's nothing I can do for God, 07:30 which isn't true, 07:31 like the woman who is administering 07:32 to the needs of her children in her home 07:34 as a single mother is doing just as much 07:36 for the kingdom of heaven as the man who's going 07:39 and preaching the gospel to thousands in Africa. 07:40 Wow. 07:42 Each of us have been given a sphere of influence 07:43 we can make a difference for the kingdom of heaven. 07:46 And so bloom where you're planted, 07:48 value the opportunities God does give you, 07:51 and don't let what someone else is doing in a different context 07:54 devalue what God has given you in your context. 07:56 That's right. That's right. 07:58 Yeah. 07:59 Well, here's a kind of a twist on this though. 08:02 There is someone that is asking, 08:03 "How can I share my faith and witness for Christ 08:06 when I still feel like I have so much growing to do 08:09 in my own relationship with Him?" 08:12 Perfect example. 08:13 Demoniacs, Jesus crosses the sea and... 08:16 Oh, man. 08:21 So picture this, right? 08:23 Christ, He crosses the sea with His disciples, 08:25 He gets on to this land and... 08:27 What was it? Damascus, something like that? 08:29 The Gadarenes is where He's going, yeah. 08:31 Yeah. 08:32 He gets over there and immediately, 08:33 He is assaulted by these two demoniacs, 08:35 they come rushing at Him. 08:36 What happens? 08:38 Well, they try to get Him 08:40 and Christ His power holds them at bay, right? 08:42 And then He delivers them from these demons, 08:46 and then immediately, what does He tell them to do? 08:48 Go back and share. Go back and share, right. 08:50 They want to go with Him 08:51 to go follow with the famous missionary work, 08:53 and He says, "Bloom where you're planted." 08:54 Right. Stay there. 08:56 And how much did they know? 08:57 Right. 08:59 They didn't know anything, they had just been set free, 09:00 they weren't even part of the Jewish nation. 09:02 And yet, Christ told them, 09:03 "Go and tell what has happened to you." 09:05 And that's to this question, you may not know 09:09 how to parse through everything in Scripture, 09:13 you may not know all the fancy terms 09:15 and all the theology, 09:16 but have you had an experience with God? 09:18 Yeah. Right. 09:19 Has God done something powerful in your life? 09:21 Have you been renewed? 09:22 That's your qualification for ministry, 09:25 and God can use you in that state. 09:27 I've heard a phrase this way, that everyone is born 09:29 into the kingdom of missionary. 09:31 And so whenever you have an encounter with Jesus 09:33 that changes your life, that immediately is some form 09:36 of credentialing that you have something 09:38 that you can tell and something you can share even then. 09:41 And what you're able to share will grow 09:43 as your experience grows, that's logical, 09:46 but what you can do now 09:47 is what the woman at the well did 09:48 and what the demoniacs did. 09:50 "I was in this condition 09:51 and Jesus came looking for me..." 09:53 Yes. 09:54 "And He changed my life. 09:56 And that's what I can start with." 09:57 And, you know, something I'll add to that is 09:59 even if there's someone watching this 10:00 who's struggling spiritually. 10:03 I have found that sharing what I do know about Christ 10:08 is sometimes the best thing to help in... 10:09 Yes. That time. 10:11 When the devil is coming and you don't feel like 10:14 you have an experience to share at that time, 10:18 remembering what God's done for me in the past, 10:21 sharing that with people can be the best thing 10:23 to overcome that spiritual slump 10:26 that Satan tries to bring out on us. 10:27 And the darkness and discouragement 10:29 you're going through in your experience too, 10:30 being willing to serve and give is an amazing testimony. 10:34 I'd also say too, you know, I think it's easy sometimes 10:39 for people to look at those who are in spiritual positions 10:42 of leadership and think that they have it all together. 10:46 You know, I mean, I can speak for all of us. 10:48 I know we're still wrestling through questions, 10:51 there's things that we wrestle too, 10:52 we don't have it all figured out. 10:54 And if God's requirement for the bearer of His good news 10:58 was that they be perfect, well, He'd have to use angels. 11:02 But He doesn't, He uses us, sinful and weak as we are. 11:05 Yes. 11:06 So here's a question with that. 11:08 It's from a college student from Tennessee, it says, 11:10 "Is it bad if I never know 11:12 if I have led someone to Christ? 11:15 Is it bad if I never see a baptism 11:17 as a direct result of me giving a Bible study? 11:19 Would the absence of such things indicate my lack 11:22 or that I'm not all in 11:24 or that I am not being intentional enough?" 11:28 Are you doing it? 11:30 I think this is the biggest question 11:32 in your heart of hearts, are you a worker for God? 11:36 Are you doing your best where you are? 11:38 Are you doing everything to the best of your ability? 11:41 Or are you slacking? 11:42 You know, just because you haven't 11:45 led someone to Christ, I don't think is a criterion. 11:47 There's a story of this minister 11:50 who at the end of his career, 11:52 he was lamenting because he only had... 11:56 He had only baptized one person, one child... 11:59 In his whole career? 12:00 In his whole career. 12:02 And that kid was Robert Moffat, 12:06 who was the first missionary to Africa, 12:09 who was responsible for David Livingston 12:12 going there as well. 12:13 So that one pastor, 12:15 he might have impacted that one life, 12:17 of course, I'm sure he even impacted others, 12:19 but he might have had that one baptism, 12:20 but what did he do in the bigger scheme, you know? 12:24 What can give one peace at the end of the day 12:26 is that you've done what God has asked for you to do. 12:28 Yeah. 12:29 The results are not your responsibility. 12:30 There are variables in the equation, 12:33 but what I have found is that 12:34 even in those moments of discouragement, 12:36 if I've done what God has asked me to do, 12:39 God always finds ways to let me know 12:41 that something is happening to keep me going. 12:43 You've had this, you've had this I'm sure. 12:45 You're doing what you can but you just feel like 12:47 I'm beating my head against a wall. 12:48 I had a situation, I was working 12:50 in a boarding school, and I'll make this quick, 12:51 I was working in like a Christian boarding school, 12:54 and I was just wondering, "God, am I getting anywhere?" 12:56 I had a really difficult class that year to work with. 12:59 It was just making me wonder 13:00 am I making any difference at all. 13:02 And on that day, 13:04 the most difficult kid in the school 13:05 came up to me and asked for Bible studies. 13:07 Wow. 13:08 And I remember thinking to myself 13:09 that your work is not in vain, 13:11 we're told to, "Do not grow weary in doing good 13:13 for it's not been in vain." 13:15 And I think that that's a lesson 13:17 that we can learn that the results... 13:19 We're not going to see all the results of our work, 13:20 but we do know that if we do 13:22 what God has asked us to do, stuff does happen. 13:24 Yes. 13:25 And He's promised that, and He will give us tokens 13:27 along the way to keep us going. 13:28 I love how Paul puts it. 13:30 "I planted, Apollos watered, God gives the increase." 13:33 We don't know whether that we are the one to plant 13:35 or the one to see the fruit of what's been planted. 13:39 But I think of it this way. 13:41 If you help someone become one step closer to Christ, 13:46 then they would have been otherwise, 13:47 you've made a difference. 13:48 Amen. 13:50 You don't know if you're coming to that person's life 13:51 at step one or step fifty and where it is, 13:55 but that's a step towards the kingdom of God. 13:57 So thank you for joining us 13:59 on Raw Questions Relevant Answers. 14:01 We want to hear more of your questions. 14:03 Please go on our Facebook page RQRA3ABN, 14:08 find us on Facebook. 14:10 We look forward to seeing you next time. |
Revised 2018-09-24