It doesn’t matter, really, how great the pressure is; it only matters where the pressure lies. See that it never comes between you and the Lord – then, the greater the pressure, the more it presses you to His breast. (J. Hudson Taylor, from Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secrets)

In this lesson the question is asked, what stands between a called and equipped church and the evangelization of the world? Or, if the church has it all and can do it all why has the gospel not been preached to all the nations?

First, does the modern church know its position in Christ and potential in Christ? John 15 is the central chapter on teaching on abiding in the Vine. Believers who abide have the very life of Christ flowing into them; the potential of Christ becomes their own personal potential. The culmination of this passage is verse 16:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.

Abiding qualifies the believer for fruit bearing; it positions a person to fulfill his/her appointment or destiny. With observable fruit production seemingly low the conclusion could easily be made, no fruit is the direct result of no abiding. How well are you abiding? Are you bearing fruit? How about those with whom you are in fellowship, do they live the abiding lifestyle?

If believers are not abiding in the Vine, what are they abiding in: The most worn out excuse for not living up to our obligation is, “I’m busy.” That expression, as truthful as it may be, is an indictment that the believer is abiding in the world not in the Vine. Whatever comes into a Christian’s life and replaces the priority and centrality of Christ is idolatry. Those are strong words. For many believers Christian duty is what has replaced Jesus. For others their career, their family or their preoccupation with recreation, sports, or their “own” free time. Since we are bought with a price our life is no longer our own. Our sense of freedom is at the expense of the multitudes without Christ.

Abiding is recognizing “It is no longer I who live but Christ” (Gal. 2:20). It is a person under the Lordship of Christ. This person realizes, “Without Him I can do nothing,” and yet “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

The believer who is abiding in the world has not come to know personally the joy of surrendering to Jesus or the peace that accompanies the decision to live with long-term priorities. “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). When a Christian lays down his/her life to Jesus that is the ultimate expression of love.

Another question must be asked, “If Jesus is not willing for people to be lost, why then are His people so willing? First a few Scriptures:

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (II Pet. 3:9) Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (I Tim. 2:4). Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

Jesus died for all and stands desiring for all to be saved. If it is God’s will for all to be saved there must be a divine strategy for each generation to fulfill that will of God. The gap between those being saved and those who could be saved is enormous. Each lost person will miss heaven based upon his/her own decisions. But each believer carries a responsibility to the Lord for the lost. The reality of that responsibility may or may not motivate a person to action.

How can a Christian, who obviously loves God, be casual or calloused about the fulfillment of the Great Commission? How can any Christian use their time, talent, and treasures as it pleases them with wanton disregard to those outside the Body of Christ? Are we convinced of the possibility of eternity in hell?

But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him (I John 3:17).

Logic would say, if I say I love God and if I have the potential to help and I do not then I am a liar and the truth I do not have abiding in me. If such conviction ran throughout the Body would there be any change? What will it take for Christians to rise up and spend their lives on the building of the Kingdom of God?

A testimony is a convincing declaration of what Jesus Christ has done for your life. And there are principles for developing and using it all through your Christian walk.

God has testimonies to us that we can believe and personally apply. They then become our testimonies. We should have many testimonies based on the Word, what it says, and what it has done for others. We can even testify when nothing has yet happened to us.

Psalm 119:2 says, “Blessed are those who keep (obey) His testimonies…” Keeping God’s testimonies can mean believing what He had said or promised. John 6:39, “this is the work of God, that you believe in Him who He has sent.”

The foundation of a powerful and effective testimony must be faith in Jesus Christ and all He is and all He has done and promised to us. Then it can become a useful evangelistic tool.

Developing your testimony is unique by God’s design and is a life-long process. Personal failure is built in to this by God’s foreknowledge. Don’t let it discourage you. This is process. “Procession” is a similar word. You are in the parade of God, featured as a precious person unlike no other and constructed to touch lives like no one else can. Ephesians 2:10 states that “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Many Christians feel like they have no testimony. We generally think in extreme or dramatic terms of a pre-salvation lifestyle filled with drugs, jail, the occult, or alcoholism. If you haven’t lived that sort of life before you got saved, then how can you now be that much different? How can your testimony really be effective to draw people to God? Here is the good news….your testimony is ALWAYS powerful now that you’re saved.

It’s not so much your former life that distinguishes you, but your conversion. Conversion is the key. No matter how dramatic or routine our conversion seems, the fact that you were called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9) means an amazing miracle has occurred. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the lord (Ephesians 5:8). There are no distinguished saints. All are products of the same Holy Spirit power.

This is the foundation of developing your testimony. It begins with our understanding of basic Biblical principles that should give us confidence in who we are now. Not what we were, but what has happened inside our hearts that has caused transformation to take place.

How do we use all this…to evangelize and reach the lost? Wait! We also use our testimony to bless God and His saints on earth. Your testimony is to be used for everyone’s edification. 2 Corinthians 2:15-16, “For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the savor of death unto death and to the other the savor of life unto life.”

We are to be witnesses. Witnessing for Jesus is not just speaking; it is also being. “You shall be witnesses…” Acts 1:8.

Using your testimony requires flexibility, coupled with God’s wisdom. “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” (Colossians 4:5). It takes great wisdom and patience to know how to use a testimony. Most Christians don’t realize the power of gracious words. Often we are too forceful. We think it’s up to us to save someone. How should be speak? Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt that you may know how you ought to answer every man.”

Don’t compromise the seriousness of the gospel, but do it like Jesus did. People wondered at His gracious words (Luke 4:18, 22). Yet there was authority in His speech (Matthew 7:28-29). In using your testimony, try to target a common need that you and your audience both have. For example, “I was afraid of what the future held until I put my faith in Jesus.” Or, “I knew I needed forgiveness.”

By all means, use the name of JESUS in your testimony. Don’t shrink back. Too many Christians, especially contemporary musicians and singers, write their lyrics and sing testimonies without using Jesus’ name. There is power in that name. You won’t “turn off” someone who is already “off”, but you will draw those to God whose hearts are prepared to hear the gospel. This is an important key in testimony. You’ll feel the atmosphere change when the name “JESUS” is used. (It changes the atmosphere when “Jesus’ is used as a cuss word, does it not?) Hebrews 4:12 says “The Word of God (JESUS) is quick and powerful, dividing soul and spirit and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Use your testimony in the 2 Timothy 2:23-26 way. Since “giving testimony” implies dialogue, you will surely face, at times, an arguer. Stick to the claim that Jesus has on all our lives. Sure, go ahead and answer a peripheral question about other Biblical issues, but gently steer the discussion back to what Jesus did for you and must do for your hearers. Don’t strive. Especially if Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses are involved. Be sweet. Be at peace. God alone can change a heart. People will always remember how you made them feel. Titus 3:2 “To speak evil of no man to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.”

Our testimonies are always developing because Jesus is still at work in our lives. We are ever learning Him and ever testifying of Him. Christ in you, the hope of glory! Now that’s a testimony!

Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world. A city that’s set on a hill cannot be hid.”

What is “Friendship Evangelism”? I will define it as a Christian who cultivates a short- or long-term acquaintance with the aim of disseminating the gospel to an unsaved person.

The aim is not conversion 100% of the time. Jesus saves and we witness or testify. We also use persuasion when needed. With the mind of Christ in us comes greatly persuasive speech. As the mind thinks, so we speak.

We can discuss Friendship Evangelism in stages. The first stage is simply friendship. We are drawn to another person by the Holy Spirit. We feel a keen liking in the Spirit. We go out of our way to converse with them.

However, we may not like the person God puts in our path. Yet we know we are to befriend them. We choose to befriend them and relate to them.

We may base our Friendship Evangelism on those we work with. Like it or not, we are there (involuntarily) to share the gospel to them. The power of your evangelism is directly correlated to how much you exhibit diligence and hard work on the job. Your boss ought to consider you one of the top employees he has. Laziness is to never be linked to a Christian.

Friendship Evangelism is based on extended family. We don’t choose our co-workers or our relatives. So, we must make the most of our presence in their lives. Remember, you are the light of the word as Matthew 5:14 says.

Before I name stage 2, let’s introduce a scripture to undergird this article. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before me that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”

Stage one and Matthew 5:14 can be thought of as a powerful introduction into peoples’ lives in Friendship Evangelism. “You are” is a key phrase! It doesn’t say a thing about trying to be the light or working at it or even speaking it. “You are.” Who you are will be communicated to a heathen as LIGHT.

Also, a city set on a hill CANNOT be hid. It doesn’t say, “SHOULD NOT”, or “BETTER NOT”. You are what the Word of God says you are. Be bold and confident in all that was just said. Your uniqueness as an anointed saint is already there inside of you.

Back to Matthew 5:16 in Stage 2. There are 3 parts here:

Part 1 speaks of “letting” your light shine. Inside of you to the outside. It will manifest through the way you speak, the way you look at someone, and the way your presence affects someone.

So far you can gather from this article that nothing has been said about “The Four Spiritual Laws” or “How To Debate and Reason As An Expert Apologist”. The most crucial aspect of Friendship Evangelism is letting your light shine.

Part 2 speaks of good works. Good works will be “seen” (perceived as from God) once the light of the gospel and person of Jesus shines through our lives.

Part 3 speaks of God being glorified, apparently by heathens as well as a few saints. Why? “That they may see your good works.” 1 Peter 2:12 is a good cross reference that speaks of God being glorified by evil people when Christians exhibit good works, though being maligned by those heathens.

Remember this—it’s not just the good works. It’s also the Spirit in which they’re done. Anyone can do good works, but when done with the love of Jesus…now you’ve got power behind it all. That’s the essence of Friendship Evangelism. Sure, be ready to give a defense as 1 Peter 3:15 says. It’s good to have skill in challenging/debating about the faith. (Most believers need more skill in apologetics.) But let’s do it with “meekness and fear”. If we fail and lose our temper, speak unkindly, etc., believe God to redeem the situation.

What could Stage 3 possibly be? It may be the actual praying with another for conversion. Or the conversion may occur after you’ve exited their lives. You’ve planted, another may water, but God gives the increase.

Lastly, Stage 3 may involve discipleship after conversion. This is the most costly effort on our part. Are you ready? Willing? John 15:13 is self-understood. If you can’t embrace this verse, all of the previous article here will be useless to you. Let your prayer be, “Here am I Lord, send me.” Amen.