By Larry Rosenbaum
Not long ago people started putting bumper stickers on their cars telling everyone what they`d rather be doing than driving down the road. “I`d rather be skiing, swimming, boating, etc.” It may not make the best slogan for a bumper sticker, but I`d rather be telling people about Jesus. And I`m not the only one.
We have a regular Friday night evangelism team in San Francisco. When we gather together for prayer at the end of our witnessing session, almost everyone has a big smile on their face and is filled with excitement about what took place that night. This happens not only when we get to lead someone to Christ but even on nights when most people don`t seem to be interested in listening. Witnessing is fun. This is one of the best-kept secrets in the Christian world.
Most of the streets we go to on Friday nights are party streets. People go there to have a “good time.” Yet we are having the best time of anyone. It`s great to approach someone who is trying so hard to have fun, but is miserable, with a big smile on your face and tell him how to really party. We have the truth. We know why we are alive. We have a personal relationship with our Creator. Our life has a purpose and direction. Our conscience is clear. And we are doing what God created us to do.
Witnessing is profitable. Many people today are seeking to get rich. People envy the movie star or business executive with a big mansion and lots of money. Yet we Christians are the richest people on earth. Every time we go out witnessing, we are accumulating eternal treasures.
Witnessing is easy. The early Christians didn’t take witnessing courses, yet they turned their world “upside down.” There`s only one book you need to read: the Bible. Some evangelism classes make witnessing seem complicated. We come away from them thinking that we need a lot of special knowledge and techniques to witness effectively.
Witnessing is easy, very easy. It`s as easy as opening your mouth, and most of us find that very easy to do. All you need is to know Jesus, be filled with His Spirit, open your mouth and start talking. Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8)
If witnessing is so much fun, so profitable, and so easy, why don`t more Christians witness? That can be answered, for the most part, in one word: Satan. The Devil is holding a lot of people captive, and he is determined not to let go of them until they end up in Hell. His main worry is that Christians will tell them about Jesus. So he has launched an all-out effort to prevent this from happening. And his efforts have been highly successful. One study indicated that 90% of all Christians never witness to anyone.
How does Satan do this? Basically, by lying to us. He gives us many different excuses for not witnessing. He tells us it`s ineffective or we`re too busy or sick or whatever excuse will work. Most of us who witness on Friday night find ourselves under satanic attack. Often we won`t feel good on Friday afternoon, or something “important” will come up that keeps us from witnessing, or the car will break down, or our mind will be troubled by temptations.
Only when we refuse to be swayed from our commitment to witness, and actually get out on the streets and start witnessing, do we experience the great joy I talked about earlier. I think that if Satan and his demons were bound up for three months, such a wave of evangelism would come forth from the church that the entire world would be evangelized. How long will we continue to listen to the Devil`s lies, and allow him to keep us from doing God`s work, and experiencing the victory and abundant life Jesus intended for us?
