“Can I Get A Witness?” Message Notes (Isaiah 6:1-8 / Romans 10:13-15); Pastor Curt Audet 10/5/25 7th in the 14 Message Series: The Master’s Plan For Making Disciples
“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2Above Him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!’ 4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of Him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
5And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’ 6Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth and said: ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’
8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’ And He said, ‘Go, and [tell the] people.”
In his time, God called Isaiah and showed him the holiness, and the forgiveness and grace and mercy of the LORD. Isaiah became His witness to the people of Judah. In our time, He calls us: ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ May we say: ‘Here I am! Send me, use me.’
In each generation, the LORD, the Master, the Creator, the King of the Universe calls all people to Himself. And He does this through us.
13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Himunless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:13-15 NLT)
We witness to those we love of the Gospel and King Jesus from the testimony of ourselves having been given grace, mercy and forgiveness.
A witness stands to tell of the mercy God has shown us. Can I get a witness this morning?
What is our ‘witness’? As we think and plan how to communicate God’s love to all our relational connections, the question naturally arises: What do I say? The Bible has the answers. In searching Scripture to answer this question, What do I say? I notice that there is no one simple formula that was used in the Bible. Every situation was different. Indeed, the Bible presents a wide variety of illustrations of how people came to faith.
Excellent Tools For Sharing The Gospel
The Roman Road Steps To Peace With God Two Ways To Live The Bridge Illustration The Four Spiritual Laws
Jesus teaches His disciples to be fishers of men using many different examples. With Nicodemus—the highly educated religious ruler—Jesus told him he needed to be born again, to enter His Kingdom. To the woman at the well in Samaria, Jesus offered her water of eternal life springing from her soul; To the thief on the cross who only asked for Jesus to remember him, Jesus invites and promises him to join Him when came into His Kingdom paradise. Each situation presents different needs; each portrays different relationships; each uses different words. Each brings a different response. Each situation is unique. Each human being is unique in their own life and experience.
There is no one formula for witnessing to the Gospel but there are core basic elements of the gospel messages. What are they?
CORE BASICS FOR WITNESSING THE GOSPEL
(1) The Biblical assumption is man’s sinful nature. The teachings of Jesus, the Apostles, the early Church all assume and acknowledge the pervasive sinfulness of mankind. Because of man’s universal and individual sinful nature, the Gospel embodies a call to all people everywhere to repent and believe. Scripture abounds with the recognition of the sinfulness of mankind.
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Is 53:6)
10 As it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one’; 11no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. 13 ‘Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.’ ‘The venom of asps is under their lips.’ 14 ‘Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.’ 15 ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.’ 18 ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’ . . . For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:10-18, 22-25)
(2) The central focal point is always Jesus Christ. People in the New Testament did not respond to a series of theological propositions. They responded to a person, Jesus Christ. “We have found the Messiah”, said Andrew (Jn 1:41). “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” asked the woman at the well of her friends (Jn 4:29). “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”, Philip told his friend Nathaniel (Jn 1:45).
(3) The object for witness is responsive people. Jesus told His followers,
“As you enter the house, greet it. 13And if the house is worthy [welcoming, receptive], let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town.” (Mt 10:12-14)
Jesus instructs His disciples to identify receptive people and communicate the Good News to them. We are instructed to focus on people who are willing to listen and respond. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mt 13:9) “Turn your eyes upon unto the fields that are already white under harvest.” (Jn 4:35) “The seed sown on good soil is the man who hears and understands [and receives].” (Mt 13:33) The Apostle Paul’s strategy for telling the Gospel was to find and win responsive people to Christ. People who God is preparing. Sharing the good news with responsive people who God had prepared is a common denominator of New Testament witnessing. Keep this in mind.
(4) The starting place is the person’s need. The message of the Gospel is relevant as it speaks to a person’s need. Jesus’ ministry of healing focused on people’s needs. Then on their healing. Then on their following Christ. They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. “Jesus said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’” (Mk 5:34) The Christian commitment seeks faith in Christ that brings healing and makes people whole. ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well.’
(5) The instrument of God is the redeemed person’s testimony. In most cases, God uses people to bring other people to Himself. Conversions do not take place in a relational vacuum. Nearly every example of someone coming to Christ in Scripture and in history there is a willing witness telling that person about Jesus.
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?” (Romans 10:13-15 NLT)
God sent Philip to the Ethiopian man’s chariot to witness to him about Jesus. God sent Peter to help Cornelius and his whole family come to Jesus. Paul was sent there to help Lydia and her women’s group come to faith in Christ. When people come to Jesus in their faith, they come through the relationship, influence and witness of other redeemed people. While we remember only the Holy Spirit accomplishes the transforming work of making a lost person saved, we absolutely cannot neglect our responsibility to carry the power of the Gospel to everyone who will believe. How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news! Can I get a witness this morning?
(6) The proclamation is the Good News. There are important essentials that comprise the good news proclaimed by the early church. The prophecies are fulfilled. The Messiah has come. He is Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son in the flesh. Therefore, repent and believe this good news and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and for the gift of the Holy Spirit within you.
(7) The motivation is genuine love. Jesus’ entire life & ministry was personification of God’s unconditional love. The apostles and early church continued to emphasize this all-encompassing love. The rapid spread of the gospel fueled by the Holy Spirit was in large part driven by the disciples’ desire to see others share in such extraordinary love.
(8) The method is dialogue and interaction. The Ethiopian posed questions to Philip about the Scripture passage that he was reading. The unconverted Saul asked Jesus for a confirmation of His identity. Cornelius asked the angel for an explanation of his vision and asked Peter for an explanation of the Gospel. The woman at the well asked Christ about His identity. Nicodemus, Zacchaeus, and everyone have opportunity to question discuss and consider the claims of Christ.
(9) The goal is repentance and Conversion. John the Baptist called for repentance. Jesus’ teaching demanded repentance. Peter’s preaching required repentance. Paul’s message required repentance. Repentance is an important step in the conversion process. Repentance involves a change of mind and heart. A turning from sin and to Christ. Repenting of sin and converting to allegiance to God and obedience and faith. An embracing of Jesus as Master, and the new spiritual life in Christ. God regenerates and gives life. ‘Rebirth’, ‘new life in Christ’, ‘obedience to the faith’, ‘hearing the word of the gospel’, ‘hearing the Word’ or ‘believing and baptizing’. Scripture uses many terms to describe a person who has moved from death to life, from doubt to faith, from sin to salvation.
(10) The result is baptism and identification with Christ / The Church. The New Testament church knew nothing of coming into the body by faith without getting baptized. It is always by faith and baptism. Baptism was the accompanying act of obedience and confession, and without baptism a new believer did not enter into the early Community of Faith. Baptism clarifies and testifies to our identification in Christ.
If you have encountered the grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus YOU are His witness.
We witness to those we love of the Gospel and King Jesus from the testimony of ourselves having been given grace, mercy and forgiveness.
Prayer
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