Why I Didn't Witness

Acts 13

Introduction

Point 1: Why I Didn't Witness

Confession of past roles without witnessing:
- Youth for Christ director for three years
- Pastor for nine years
- Bible college teacher for six years
Reasons for not witnessing:
- Lack of Gift of Evangelism:
  - Belief that evangelism is a special gift
  - Studied gifts in Corinthians, Ephesians, Peter, and Romans, concluding some had the gift, and he did not
- Gift of Teaching:
  - Focused on teaching Christians rather than evangelizing non-Christians
- Dislike of Impersonal Evangelism:
  - Critique of impersonal evangelism and preference for friendship evangelism
  - Influenced by J.I. Packer's book "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God"
- God’s Sovereignty in Evangelism:
  - Belief that God would save those He chose without his involvement
  - Acts 13:48

Point 2: What God Did to Change Me

Conviction and the role of prayer:
- Convicted by the song “Lead Me to Some Soul Today”
- Began to pray for opportunities to witness
First experience:
- Led a student who doubted her salvation in Christ
- Realization of the need to do the work of an evangelist despite not having the gift
Influence of a Presbyterian speaker:
- Presbyterian speaker’s arguments dismantled all of his excuses
- Realization that evangelism is a responsibility for all believers
Practical steps taken:
- Volunteering for church's calling program
- Encounter with an atheist leading to his conversion
- Buying an ashtray to make non-Christians comfortable in his home
Ongoing transformation:
- Continued witnessing and seeing results
- Encouragement to others to engage in evangelism

Conclusion

Acknowledgement of past disobedience and flimsy excuses
Call to action for personal evangelism and the importance of leadership in witnessing
Prayer for willingness and effectiveness in evangelism

*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.

About the Contributors

Norman L. Geisler