Growing in Bold Witness
How can we grow in confidence to open our mouths and speak about Jesus?
“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’”
If we believe that Jesus has commanded us to go and proclaim the gospel to all the earth (Mark 16:15). And if we believe that the gospel is “good news” and the means God is using to save people (Romans 1:16). Then proclaiming it confidently, clearly, and courageously—boldly—can and should be central to our whole life. (Acts 4:29, 9:28)
But believing these things, in a way, and wanting to be bold with the gospel, in a way, doesn’t necessarily translate into opening our mouths and speaking about Jesus to those around us.
What gets in our way?
Here are four common underlying obstacles:
We are not confident that we can articulate the message.
We are not confident that our identity can sustain rejection.
We are not confident that our personal testimony is convincing.
We are not confident that the gospel clearly impacts everyday stuff.
As a family of churches we want to be encouraging and equipping one another to move from these places of insecurity and ambiguity to security and clarity. We want to grow in confidence and boldness. We want to be able to say:
We can articulate the message.
Our identity can sustain rejection.
Our personal testimony is convincing.
The gospel clearly impacts everyday stuff.
What can get us there?
Amazingly the very thing we are hoping to share more boldly is the same thing which can overcome these obstacles for us. The gospel message itself, by the grace of God, is the only thing which can really equip us, free us and fuel us to grow as bold witnesses.
Knowing, remembering and actively believing in the good news about Jesus will give us increasing clarity on its content and thereby increasing confidence in articulating the message.
Knowing, remembering and actively believing in the gospel will root us in our good, forgiven, loved, pleasing, secure identity in Christ Jesus so that fear of rejection will no longer phase us.
Knowing, remembering and actively believing in the gospel, and thereby being rooted in our identity in Christ, will change the way we think, feel and live which will provide evidence of the goodness and reality of the gospel in our personal testimonies.
Knowing, remembering and actively believing in the gospel, and thereby being rooted in our identity in Christ, and thereby experiencing real transformation in our lives, will convince us that the gospel clearly impacts even everyday stuff.
In other words to grow in our bold witness for the amazing gospel of Jesus we need to
intentionally and consistently train our people in the gospel message
intentionally and consistently ground and root one another in our gospel-won identity in Christ
the fruit of which will invade our everyday parts of life
which will supply us with everyday gospel conversations and transformational testimonies.
It is worth it
The gospel—the good news about who Jesus is and what he’s done—is amazing, saving, life-bringing news for everyone who hears it and believes it. It’s amazing, saving and life-bringing for the big things in life and the everyday things; for life after the death of the body and for life right here, right now.
Because of God’s love and mercy for us he sent his Son, Jesus, to save us from evil and death and condemnation. He lived and died and was raised from the dead so that we could be made right with God, be set free from from our patterns of sin and destruction and have everlasting life with him in an amazing new heaven and earth which is coming when he returns. It means that all God asks of us is to trust in him; trust that Jesus has accomplished all we need to be fully and totally forgiven, accepted, pleasing, good, safe, secure, meaningful and part of an incredible, wonderful future.
This news is worth sharing. It answers and overcomes all of our fears and struggles. It saves lives and changes lives. It’s worth opening our mouths and speaking. It’s worth boldly witnessing about. It’s worth going and proclaiming to all the world, to all creation.
Lord, reveal to us your gospel in ever greater ways, rooting and building us up in Christ Jesus, and use us as your instruments as you proclaim the gospel to all the world. Amen and amen!
“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’”
Mark 16:15
For more information and resources for boldly sharing the gospel go to our Bold Witnesses page.
About the Author
Scott Hunt is the ANiC Communications Director and leader of our Bold Witnesses Priority. He lives in Southern Ontario with his wife, Richelle, and is a member of St. George’s Burlington.