Witnesses tell of their experiences. One lived through a car wreck. Another watched a man beat up his companion. A little boy watched his sister get her first kiss. A girl watched a paramedic help her grandmother breathe again. Witnesses experience real events and then offer their own perspectives on them.
Jesus didn't ask us all to be lawyers. A lawyer presents her case and then argues its merits. Jesus didn't ask us all to be soldiers, who defend their country and preserve its interests. Jesus didn't ask us all to be politicians, who build consensus with opponents to move governments forward. Jesus called us to be witnesses--to tell others of our personal experiences with him.
The book of Acts is full of witnesses--ordinary people who act with extraordinary grace from God. Some speak eloquently. Others act with boldness. Some give generously. Others move from town to town spreading news. A few sacrifice their lives. Each has received the Holy Spirit's power and has moved forward in mission.
Churches need all sorts of people: preachers who speak God's truth, ushers who make visitors feel welcome, musicians who lift our hearts toward heaven, givers who are cheerful and generous. But mostly churches need witnesses, people who listen to the quiet whisper of the Holy Spirit and act in obedient faith.
Father, thank you for sending your Spirit to ordinary people like us. Help us see our place as witnesses in your ongoing mission to spread the good news about Jesus. Amen.
About the author — Kevin Adams
Dr. Kevin Adams has served as a church planter/pastor in the Sacramento, California, area since 1991. He and his wife, Gerry, began Granite Springs Church in Lincoln, and this congregation has helped to nourish several other church plants. Kevin also serves as a director of the Sierra Leadership Network, a training program for new church leaders.
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