TOPIC:“Witnessing at Its Finest (Philip)”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:Acts 8:35
“Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him
the good news about Jesus” (NIV)
In that Bible verse we discover what evangelism really is according to the New Testament. It is every believer sharing the good news of the gospel to every one they meet. Andrew sharing it with Peter. Philip sharing it with Nathanael. Jesus sharing it with Nicodemus. If that is true, the question arises: Why then don't we share the gospel with others?
I believe the reason why many believers remain silent instead of speaking out for Christ all boils down to four primary reasons. Though these reasons don't justify us remaining silent, here they are:
1. LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
We just don't know how to do it. We have not been trained in any proven method.
2. FEAR
We are just plain scared. We are afraid that we might be asked a question that we don't know how to answer.
3. UNCONCERNED
There are some Christians who just don't care. They are indifferent to the spiritual destiny of others. They just don't want to get involved.
4. DEVASTATING EXPERIENCE
Some believers are reluctant to share their faith because they remember back to their pre-Christian days when they were turned off from receiving Christ because of being pressured, pushed, and even embarrassed by some religious zealot.
I never cease to marvel at the way God used this man, Philip, who followed the Holy Spirit's leading and reached out to a total stranger to give him the Gospel. Acts chapter 8 is a great chapter on evangelism. In verses 5 through 25 we find mass evangelism in a city, but in verses 26 through 40 we find personal evangelism in a desert. According to the first few verses of this chapter Philip was forced by persecution out of Jerusalem. Being a Grecian Jew he went to the city of Samaria to win the Samaritans to Christ. This was indeed a very difficult task.
But the Spirit of God moved in a wonderful way as revival fires and evangelism spread throughout Samaria. It was an exciting time. The people witnessed with renewed enthusiasm. They went from village . . .