Christmas at MVC // Week 2

Witness is who we are, testify is what we do
John 1:6-8 December 15, 2019
I. Introduction:
A. Announce Christmas offering
B. How many of you ever had to answer this question before? “Do you swear to tell
the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
1. If you did that means you were a witness – you were someone who had
firsthand, direct, personal knowledge about someone or something.
2. What you did is give a testimony – that is the statement you made regarding
what you were personally aware of in order to provide evidence.
C. Last week we learned that Jesus is God’s perfect message to the world, God’s
light to this spiritually dark world. The world did not understand Him or what He
was trying to communicate to us about God and His ways.
1. That introduced the section we are dealing with this Christmas in John 1:1-18
2. Please turn in your Bibles now – and share with someone who may not have
one.
D. This week the subject changes from the Jesus, God’s perfect light or message that
shined into this dark world, to that of a witness. A man named John who was sent
from God for the very purpose to be a witness of Jesus Christ!
E. Before I read this section let me show you the simple structure of the key verse
we will be looking at, v7.
1. Who he was – a witness,
2. What he did - testified,
3. Why he did it – that I want you to watch for and see if you can figure it out as
we read.
4. Read v1-8
F. Before we jump into this passage, let me remind you that John was sent by God
the Father for the purpose of being a witness of Jesus Christ, the light. Every one
of us here this morning, that is a believer, have been sent by Jesus Christ for the
same purpose of being a witness of Jesus Christ, the light.
1. Acts 1:8
2. 1 Peter 2:9
• So what we learn about John this morning has special relevance to us because it is
also true of you and me! I just want to focus on v7 this morning as we look at the
who, the what and the why of John and you and me! Let’s start by looking at the who
and the what together because they go hand in hand!
II. Who we are, and what we do!
A. A witness is who we are as believers in Jesus Christ and testifying is what we do!
Reread v7a-b
B. Let me unpack that line (a witness is who we are; testify is what we do) for just a
moment as it is crucial for our lives and ministries.
1. The word witness and testify are the exact same word in the Greek, except
one is a noun and the other is a verb!
2. A noun identifies who we are – it tells us something about ourselves, our
identity; it is the distinguishing characteristic that makes who we are distinct
from others!
3. A verb tells us what we do – the activities we engage in.
4. Just like a surgeon does surgeries and a runner runs, so a witness testifies!
C. Who we are and what we do are intimately connected to one another and one
flows out of the other. Let me illustrate that
D. 1. We had our grandson Jonny, who is three, over this week and he was going to
have a baby sister just a day or two from then. He made it very clear to me that
he was not a baby but a big boy!
a) Not long after that Jonny began some behavior that was not fitting for a
big boy so I reminded him he was not a baby but a big boy and what big
boys do. Instantly his behavior switched to fit his identity as a big boy
rather than behavior that fit a baby.
2. When we recognize who we are that identity controls our behavior as our
behavior flows out of who we see ourselves to be!
E. So what is a witness? A witness, who we are, is someone who has personal and
direct knowledge about something who provides evidence in a case. The witness
is the person, the testimony is what we do - makes a statement about what they
personally know or have seen and that statement becomes evidence in a case.
1. A witness swears to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
because their job is not to add anything to what they know, or subtract
anything from it. Their job is not to give their opinions or speculate on the
facts.
2. Their job is to tell the truth about what they personally know!
3. Our job is to tell other the truth about what we know about Jesus and have
experienced of Him. That can come from what we know of Him from the
Bible or what we have seen Him do for us in our personal lives!
F. John was sent by God to be a witness, that is who he is, a person who had direct
knowledge about Jesus, and he testified about Jesus, that is where he told people
what he knew about Jesus! A couple examples:
1. John 1:19-23 – A “voice” that is a witness
2. John 1:29-34
G. So God created us or better said recreated us, caused us to be born again as new
creatures who are witnesses or a synonym to that is ambassadors,
1. We see who we are issuing into what we do in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
a) v17 new creatures
b) v 18 – he gave us something to do – ministry of reconciliation
c) v19 – explains this ministry – Jesus did the work of reconciliation and
we spread the word
d) v20 – therefore – in light of all of this – this is who we are
“ambassadors”
(1) we are God’s official representatives in this world
(2) as if God Himself were speaking through us passionately calling
people to come to Christ
e) v21 – the message
• So John was sent by God to be a witness, telling other people what he knew about
Jesus. Next he tells us why witnessing is so important in God’s kingdom. Let’s look
back at the end of v7 and …
III. Why we witness
A. Read v7 again.
1. Yes, it is a big deal to be a witness because it is through witnesses telling
people what they know about Jesus that people come to believe in Jesus!
2. God has chosen us to be His agents, His ambassadors, His instrument, His
means, His witnesses to tell others about the light so that they can believe
through what we testify to them, about what we know directly from our
experiences and the Bible, about Jesus.
B. We have been entrusted with the most powerful and life changing message in the
world. – The gospel of Jesus Christ.
a) Read 1 Corinthians 1:18
• So what do we do with this recognition that we are witnesses who testify of what we
know of Jesus so others can be saved
IV. Final Exhort
A. Ron Hutchcraft years ago taught us here at MVC the three open prayer that when
it becomes part of our prayer life as witnesses it will get us right in the middle of
the mix of eternal and kingdom activity.
1. It has been amazing how when I pray this way God has done exciting things
in light of it.
2. Maybe even more amazing is the question why I do not pray like this every
day!
B. Three open prayer
1. Open door – Colossians 4:2-3
2. Open mouth – Ephesians 6:19
3. Open heart – Acts 16:14
C. Are you ready when God opens that door?
1. Are you ready to talk about what you personally know or have experienced
with Jesus, especially how you came into a relationship with Him?
a) That would be time well spent to think that through for the sake of others
and the glory of God!
2. Are you ready to tell someone how they can come into a relationship with
Jesus Christ – the gospel?
a) A few helps to have on hand in wallet; purse whatever to make that
easier.
b) Gospel tract
c) Seed card – man at Costco this week – I was not ready
D. Pray three open prayer – Gary Olson