Study Focus: Zephaniah 3:17; John 7:37; 1 Timothy 2:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15.
Part I: Overview
Deep within the heart of God is His desire for all peoples to be saved in His kingdom. There is nothing He desires more than for each one of us to personally experience the joy of salvation and live eternally with Him. He has unleashed all the powers of heaven to redeem us. Jesus came to earth to reveal the Father’s measureless love to humanity, live the perfect life we should have lived, bear the condemnation of our sins on the cross, and die the death we should have died.
In Christ, we see what the Father is really like. Jesus dispels the myth that God is unloving. Millennia ago, Lucifer, a being of dazzling brightness, misrepresented the character of God. Jesus came to set the record straight. God is not a vindictive judge or a wrathful tyrant. He is a loving Father who wants all His children home as soon as possible.
Witnessing is all about God. It is participating in His mission. It is sharing His love with others. It is revealing in our lives and speech His gracious character. As we witness to others, we enter life’s greatest joy and grow to be more like Jesus. Service starves selfishness to death. The more we share God’s love, the more our love for Him increases.
Part II: Commentary
Have you ever asked yourself the questions, “Why should I share my faith? Isn’t God doing everything He can to save people without my witness? Does witnessing make any difference at all in an individual’s personal salvation?”
It is true that God reveals Himself in a variety of ways. He is not limited to our witness. David avers, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard” (Ps. 19:1–3, NKJV). The design, order, and symmetry of the universe reveal a designer God of infinite intelligence.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit in each of our hearts creates within us a desire to know God. This longing for eternity within each one of us is powerful evidence of the existence of God. Then, of course, there are those unusual providences each of us experiences that cause us to reflect on the reality of God’s presence. Each time we experience love when we do not deserve it or an unexpected kind act, we tangibly see a revelation of God’s character. God is constantly seeking to draw us to Himself in multiple ways.
If this is true, then why witness? Why not let God do His job and be done with it? Why not step back and let nature, as David says, do the job of declaring the glory of God? Nature gives us mixed messages. Although it reveals God’s infinite complex design, it also can reveal destruction and devastation in hurricanes, floods, forest fires, typhoons, and other natural disasters. Thousands die suddenly. What does this say about God and the great controversy between good and evil? Nature presents both good and evil, but it does not reveal the reason good and evil exist.
Neither can the providences of life nor our own longings provide a satisfactory explanation for the existence of good and evil. It is true that there is a longing for God in each one of us; but it is also true that we have a sinful, fallen nature, and we find a battle within. We may know right, but we do not have within ourselves the power to do what is right. Likewise, providences in our lives reveal a God who cares, but there are many things that happen in our lives that remind us that we live in a world of good and evil. Thus, the question persists, “Why is there good and evil in the world?” What is their origin, and what is the fate of humanity? Neither nature, the providences of life, nor our longings within can address this question in a satisfactory way as witnessing to others through God’s Word can.
The reason we witness is not to give people their only chance at salvation. God can save them in multiple ways without our aid. The reason we witness is twofold.
First, we witness because the love of Christ overflows from our hearts to others, and we want them to have the best possible chance for salvation. The clearest revelation of God’s character is not in nature, the providences of life, or our longings within. Each of these are evidence of God’s existence, but they do not clearly portray His loving character. The clearest revelation of God’s character is found in the life of Christ as revealed in Scripture. Sharing God’s Word with others, opening the Scriptures to them, and explaining the great truths of the Bible reveal who He is and provides the best chance for each person to know and understand His love and truth. In the cosmic conflict between good and evil, the Scriptures present the ultimate answers to the great questions of life.
Second, we witness because we know that witnessing is one of heaven’s means of bringing joy to the heart of God and enabling us to grow spiritually. The more we love Him, the more we will share His love. The more we share His love, the more we will love Him. As we share the Word of God with others, we ourselves are drawn closer to Him. The life-changing Word not only changes those with whom we study the Bible, it changes us as we study with them.
Expanding the Word
The fifteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel shares three stories about the heart of God. These timeless stories portray a God who is passionate about saving the lost. He is the tireless shepherd who seeks His lost sheep until He finds it. He is the sorrowful woman who searches her house on her knees to find her precious lost coin from her wedding dowry. He is the anxious Father constantly scanning the horizon for His lost son to come home. In each story when the lost is found, there is joy. All of heaven rejoices when men and women accept the salvation that Christ has so willingly given on the cross.
There are four significant points Jesus makes in the story of the lost sheep. First, God’s love pursues the lost. Luke 15:4 (NKJV) declares that the shepherd goes after the lost sheep. Our God is a pursuing God. He will not let His children go easily. He seeks them wherever they go. He searches for them with a relentless love. The second thing we notice about our passage is that the shepherd goes after the lost sheep until he finds it. God’s love perseveres. He does not give up on us easily. We cannot weary Him. He will never give up His search. If a Near Eastern shepherd at the time of Christ lost one of his sheep, it was necessary to either return to the flock with the lost sheep or return with its carcass to demonstrate that he had done everything possible to find it.
Each sheep was valuable to the shepherd. He knew the flock so well that he was immediately aware that one sheep was missing. To Christ, we are not a mass of nameless humanity, but individuals created in His image that He has redeemed by His grace.
The last point in this story is that when the lost sheep is found, the shepherd cries out with joy, “ ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ” (Luke 15:6, NKJV). The Good Shepherd pursues His lost sheep. The Good Shepherd perseveres until He finds His lost sheep, and the Good Shepherd rejoices when He finds His lost sheep. God is not an emotionless God. He is a God who is filled with joy when the lost are found.
In a world of disappointment and sorrow, it brings joy to Christ’s heart when we participate with Him in soulwinning. When our heart beats with the heart of God and our mind is one with the mind of God, united in the single-minded purpose of witness, His heart is filled with unspeakable joy.
Illustration
Have you ever spent hours searching for just the right gift for someone you loved? It may have been a birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or some other special occasion. When you finally discovered the gift you were looking for, you were thrilled. The gift matched both the person and the event. You could not wait to give it to this special person. When the day finally arrived, and this person unwrapped your special gift, he or she was delighted. This person threw his or her arms around you and said, “Thank you so much!”
Who received greater joy from the gift? You or the one you gave it to? Of course, both of you were joyful, but there is a special satisfaction that comes when we give something of value to someone else. Unselfish gift-giving bonds you to another person in a unique way.
When we share the most precious gift of all, Jesus Christ, a joy fills our own hearts. There is a satisfaction deep within that we have made an eternal difference. When an individual that we shared Christ with accepts the truths of Scripture, we make a friend for eternity. There is no greater joy. Ellen G. White states it well: “The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor.”—Steps to Christ, p. 80. It is still an eternal truth that “ ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ ” (Acts 20:35, NKJV).
Part III: Life Application
Think of someone in your sphere of influence who might be receptive to knowing more about Jesus. It might be a son or a daughter, a husband or a wife, a working colleague, neighbor or friend. Ask God to create an opportunity for you to guide the conversation in a spiritual direction. Don’t feel you have to create an opportunity that does not present itself. Mission is God’s. We do not necessarily create opportunities; God does. We are sensitive to the opportunities God creates and constantly cooperate with Him to walk through the doors He opens.
When a person is in a transition in life, he or she is more open to spiritual realities. This person may be going through a difficult time. Possibly he or she has been diagnosed with a serious illness, experienced a broken relationship, faced a job crisis, or is confronted with a major decision. Each of these crossroads presents an opportunity to give a personal testimony of God’s faithfulness, share a promise from God’s Word, or offer a short prayer for your friend. Remember we win our friends to Christ, not our enemies. We first make a friend, then make a Christian friend, and then make a Seventh-day Adventist Christian friend. Our goal is to make friends for God, and let Him lead our friends on a journey of discovery to the deeper truths of His Word.
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Key Text: Luke 15:1-7
Study Focus: Zephaniah 3:17; John 7:37; 1 Timothy 2:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15.
Part I: Overview
Deep within the heart of God is His desire for all peoples to be saved in His kingdom. There is nothing He desires more than for each one of us to personally experience the joy of salvation and live eternally with Him. He has unleashed all the powers of heaven to redeem us. Jesus came to earth to reveal the Father’s measureless love to humanity, live the perfect life we should have lived, bear the condemnation of our sins on the cross, and die the death we should have died.
In Christ, we see what the Father is really like. Jesus dispels the myth that God is unloving. Millennia ago, Lucifer, a being of dazzling brightness, misrepresented the character of God. Jesus came to set the record straight. God is not a vindictive judge or a wrathful tyrant. He is a loving Father who wants all His children home as soon as possible.
Witnessing is all about God. It is participating in His mission. It is sharing His love with others. It is revealing in our lives and speech His gracious character. As we witness to others, we enter life’s greatest joy and grow to be more like Jesus. Service starves selfishness to death. The more we share God’s love, the more our love for Him increases.
Part II: Commentary
Have you ever asked yourself the questions, “Why should I share my faith? Isn’t God doing everything He can to save people without my witness? Does witnessing make any difference at all in an individual’s personal salvation?”
It is true that God reveals Himself in a variety of ways. He is not limited to our witness. David avers, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard” (Ps. 19:1–3, NKJV). The design, order, and symmetry of the universe reveal a designer God of infinite intelligence.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit in each of our hearts creates within us a desire to know God. This longing for eternity within each one of us is powerful evidence of the existence of God. Then, of course, there are those unusual providences each of us experiences that cause us to reflect on the reality of God’s presence. Each time we experience love when we do not deserve it or an unexpected kind act, we tangibly see a revelation of God’s character. God is constantly seeking to draw us to Himself in multiple ways.
If this is true, then why witness? Why not let God do His job and be done with it? Why not step back and let nature, as David says, do the job of declaring the glory of God? Nature gives us mixed messages. Although it reveals God’s infinite complex design, it also can reveal destruction and devastation in hurricanes, floods, forest fires, typhoons, and other natural disasters. Thousands die suddenly. What does this say about God and the great controversy between good and evil? Nature presents both good and evil, but it does not reveal the reason good and evil exist.
Neither can the providences of life nor our own longings provide a satisfactory explanation for the existence of good and evil. It is true that there is a longing for God in each one of us; but it is also true that we have a sinful, fallen nature, and we find a battle within. We may know right, but we do not have within ourselves the power to do what is right. Likewise, providences in our lives reveal a God who cares, but there are many things that happen in our lives that remind us that we live in a world of good and evil. Thus, the question persists, “Why is there good and evil in the world?” What is their origin, and what is the fate of humanity? Neither nature, the providences of life, nor our longings within can address this question in a satisfactory way as witnessing to others through God’s Word can.
The reason we witness is not to give people their only chance at salvation. God can save them in multiple ways without our aid. The reason we witness is twofold.
First, we witness because the love of Christ overflows from our hearts to others, and we want them to have the best possible chance for salvation. The clearest revelation of God’s character is not in nature, the providences of life, or our longings within. Each of these are evidence of God’s existence, but they do not clearly portray His loving character. The clearest revelation of God’s character is found in the life of Christ as revealed in Scripture. Sharing God’s Word with others, opening the Scriptures to them, and explaining the great truths of the Bible reveal who He is and provides the best chance for each person to know and understand His love and truth. In the cosmic conflict between good and evil, the Scriptures present the ultimate answers to the great questions of life.
Second, we witness because we know that witnessing is one of heaven’s means of bringing joy to the heart of God and enabling us to grow spiritually. The more we love Him, the more we will share His love. The more we share His love, the more we will love Him. As we share the Word of God with others, we ourselves are drawn closer to Him. The life-changing Word not only changes those with whom we study the Bible, it changes us as we study with them.
Expanding the Word
The fifteenth chapter of Luke’s gospel shares three stories about the heart of God. These timeless stories portray a God who is passionate about saving the lost. He is the tireless shepherd who seeks His lost sheep until He finds it. He is the sorrowful woman who searches her house on her knees to find her precious lost coin from her wedding dowry. He is the anxious Father constantly scanning the horizon for His lost son to come home. In each story when the lost is found, there is joy. All of heaven rejoices when men and women accept the salvation that Christ has so willingly given on the cross.
There are four significant points Jesus makes in the story of the lost sheep. First, God’s love pursues the lost. Luke 15:4 (NKJV) declares that the shepherd goes after the lost sheep. Our God is a pursuing God. He will not let His children go easily. He seeks them wherever they go. He searches for them with a relentless love. The second thing we notice about our passage is that the shepherd goes after the lost sheep until he finds it. God’s love perseveres. He does not give up on us easily. We cannot weary Him. He will never give up His search. If a Near Eastern shepherd at the time of Christ lost one of his sheep, it was necessary to either return to the flock with the lost sheep or return with its carcass to demonstrate that he had done everything possible to find it.
Each sheep was valuable to the shepherd. He knew the flock so well that he was immediately aware that one sheep was missing. To Christ, we are not a mass of nameless humanity, but individuals created in His image that He has redeemed by His grace.
The last point in this story is that when the lost sheep is found, the shepherd cries out with joy, “ ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ ” (Luke 15:6, NKJV). The Good Shepherd pursues His lost sheep. The Good Shepherd perseveres until He finds His lost sheep, and the Good Shepherd rejoices when He finds His lost sheep. God is not an emotionless God. He is a God who is filled with joy when the lost are found.
In a world of disappointment and sorrow, it brings joy to Christ’s heart when we participate with Him in soulwinning. When our heart beats with the heart of God and our mind is one with the mind of God, united in the single-minded purpose of witness, His heart is filled with unspeakable joy.
Illustration
Have you ever spent hours searching for just the right gift for someone you loved? It may have been a birthday, anniversary, Christmas, or some other special occasion. When you finally discovered the gift you were looking for, you were thrilled. The gift matched both the person and the event. You could not wait to give it to this special person. When the day finally arrived, and this person unwrapped your special gift, he or she was delighted. This person threw his or her arms around you and said, “Thank you so much!”
Who received greater joy from the gift? You or the one you gave it to? Of course, both of you were joyful, but there is a special satisfaction that comes when we give something of value to someone else. Unselfish gift-giving bonds you to another person in a unique way.
When we share the most precious gift of all, Jesus Christ, a joy fills our own hearts. There is a satisfaction deep within that we have made an eternal difference. When an individual that we shared Christ with accepts the truths of Scripture, we make a friend for eternity. There is no greater joy. Ellen G. White states it well: “The spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability, and Christlike loveliness to the character, and brings peace and happiness to its possessor.”—Steps to Christ, p. 80. It is still an eternal truth that “ ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ ” (Acts 20:35, NKJV).
Part III: Life Application
Think of someone in your sphere of influence who might be receptive to knowing more about Jesus. It might be a son or a daughter, a husband or a wife, a working colleague, neighbor or friend. Ask God to create an opportunity for you to guide the conversation in a spiritual direction. Don’t feel you have to create an opportunity that does not present itself. Mission is God’s. We do not necessarily create opportunities; God does. We are sensitive to the opportunities God creates and constantly cooperate with Him to walk through the doors He opens.
When a person is in a transition in life, he or she is more open to spiritual realities. This person may be going through a difficult time. Possibly he or she has been diagnosed with a serious illness, experienced a broken relationship, faced a job crisis, or is confronted with a major decision. Each of these crossroads presents an opportunity to give a personal testimony of God’s faithfulness, share a promise from God’s Word, or offer a short prayer for your friend. Remember we win our friends to Christ, not our enemies. We first make a friend, then make a Christian friend, and then make a Seventh-day Adventist Christian friend. Our goal is to make friends for God, and let Him lead our friends on a journey of discovery to the deeper truths of His Word.