Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Expert Witnesses for Christ

Theme: Telling People about Jesus Christ

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.

They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:18-20)

All who claim to be a Christian are witnesses

In a court of law, an expert witness is one who is recognized by others in their field as an expert.

According to the law this expert is able to appear before a court of law and is able to justify his or her professional opinion under cross-examination.

An expert witness for Jesus Christ is able to appear before the court of the world and is “Always …prepared to give an answer to everyone who ask [him] for the reason for the hope that [he] has.” (1 Peter 3:15) Because of his preparedness he is able to give gentle answers out of respect, with a clear conscience, so that those who speak about him maliciously are put to shame because of his behavior.

(1 Peter 3:16) Such an expert is prepared in season and out of season and he can give careful instructions on what he believes with great patience.

(2 Timothy 4:2)

Those who are lost and bound by the flesh, the world and Satan are the ones who need to hear the testimony of a Christian who is an expert witness for Jesus Christ.

I would propose to you that all who claim to be a Christian are witnesses.

Some are bad and some are good and there are those who are experts.

Just how do we become an expert in witnessing about Christ?

In what ways can we tell about Jesus?

Remember when Christ was lifted up on the Cross and then raised from the grave and ascended into heaven He won victory over sin and death and gave a promise of His return.

All men will stand before a court, either the Judgment Seat of Christ or the White Throne Judgment.

Every child of God stands before the court of those who live in this world.

What does the witness of your life say?

Why should we witness about Christ?

Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”

(John 12:32) (Thru the Bible; The Expositors Bible Commentary;

His death paved the only way for mankind to escape the judgment of God, therefore, Christians are called to bare witness to the saving grace found in Jesus Christ and to testify of His wonderful works especially His work on the Cross.

(Matthew Henry Commentary)

Our key text holds a truth that is for all who will but surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Listen as I read Matthew 4:18-20, “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.

They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

“Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed Him.”

Have a heart that is willing to respond

The first step to being an expert witness for Jesus Christ is to have a heart that is willing to respond when Jesus says “Come and follow Me.” (Matthew 4:19)

There are many expressions for “follow Me” in classical Greek.

A true follower of Jesus Christ does not just hear His words and understand His life.

He actually becomes a trainee in a sense, thus, striving to live out the Lord’s instructions in every part of his life.

(The Expositors Bible Commentary)

Following Jesus, as it is understood from the whole of Scripture dose not give the thought of following Him from place to place.

The disciple of Christ who follows Jesus has an immediate detachment from that present sphere of his interest to an attachment to Jesus as guide, friend and Lord.

(The Pulpit Commentary) He seeks the Lord’s will, personally finding instructions on how to use his Spiritual gifts, God-given talents and resources in a way that will lift up the name and life of Jesus Christ for all to see.

Jesus used a term “follow Me” to Peter and Andrew in John 1:35-42.

“Follow” (akoloutheo) meaning to be a companion or expressing a like-ness of Christ.

(Vines New Testament Words) It means to cleave, to be united with Him, to be in close union with and to be conformed by His continued influence.

(Practical Word Studies of the New Testament) This is an individual calling involving an abiding fellowship, not only for the sake of learning as a scholar from Jesus as Teacher (Matthew 8:19), but for the salvation of ones soul.

This involves having a complete trust in and obedience to Jesus Christ.

This cleaving comes as the results of allowing Him to lead in every part of a Christian’s life.

(John 8:12;10:4,5,27)

Jesus teaches that a follower of His lives a life of self-denial and takes up his cross daily.

(Matthew 10:38 Mark 8:34; John 12:26) Following Jesus denotes a fellowship of faith as well as a fellowship of life, sharing His sufferings not just inwardly but outwardly if necessary.

(Matthew 9:9,19,27) Such an outward fellowship with Jesus can only continue through spiritual fellowship with the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit.

All this can be summed up in one word, “disciple.”

In the New Testament the word disciple usually refers to adherents of Jesus Christ.

(The New International Dictionary of the Bible) A disciple (mathetes) is a person who accepts the instructions given to him by a teacher and he makes it his rule of conduct.

(The Complete Word Study of the New Testament, Spiros Zodiates) The Word implies the acceptance in mind and life of the views and practices of the teacher.

Applying this to a child of God means that he accepts the views and practice of Jesus Christ and he makes the Lord’s instructions the rule and conduct of his life.

In Knight’s Treasury there are two quotes.

One is a statement and the other an exhortation.

The first, “The devil is willing for a person to confess Christianity as long as he does not practice it.”

The second, “So let our lives and lips express the holy gospel we profess; So let our words and actions shine and show forth the doctrine of [Christ].”

Walter B. Knight wrote about the power of a Christ-centered life in a brief article titled, “Why Are You Different.”

The article tells of a man who was not a preacher, not a singer nor public speaker who worked in a factory with men who swore, cursed and spoke ill of each other.

He lived a life that was quiet, a Christian life and he spoke of Jesus every opportunity that opened up.

One day as he was eating lunch, one of his fellow employees asked him, “May I sit with you, Bob?

There is a question I have wanted to ask you for some time, but I was ashamed to do it.

I want to know what makes you different from the rest of us.

You never let your anger overcome you and respond as we do.

Even when we rough fellows say and do bad things to you.

You withstand and respond to life’s hard blows in a much different way than we do.

What do you have that we do not?”

Bob replied with, “I am no better than others, but it is Jesus Christ who lives in me by His Holy Spirit that enables me to live and respond differently from those who do not know Him as personal Savior and Lord.”

Bob was an expert witness for Jesus Christ.

He withstood the cross-examination of wicked men and life’s hard blows.

He had made a connection with a fellow worker and by his life he intrigued one man who observed his life to ask the needed question.

All your life you are standing in the courtroom of the world.

According to a court of law an expert witness is one who is seen as an expert by those in their field.

Does God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit see you as an expert witness, a follower of Christ?

Can you withstand the cross-examination of those who live in this world and life’s hard blows?

Are you seen as a disciple of Christ?

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors

Once the child of God has been marked as a disciple of Jesus Christ he must be growing in his knowledge of Him through the written Word of God if he is going to be an expert witness.

Keeping in mind the “Great Commission” is given to all who are in Christ Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) and what the Book of Ephesians says about the Christ apportioned gifts given to the church for preparing her for works of service unto the Lord.

(Ephesians 4:11-12) We must prayerfully consider the writings of the apostle Paul that tells us how we are to be approaching the Lord’s work.

He writes, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.

We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:20)

Webster tells us “An ambassador is a minister of the highest rank, employed by one prince or state at the court of another, to manage the concerns of his own dignity and the power of his sovereign.”

The ambassador of any country is to deliver the message of the country he represents.

It is his duty to deliver a definite message, to carry out a definite policy.

He is to do nothing more than explain or enforce the heart of the message being brought forth.

He is bound to obey the instruction of his leader and as far as possible to do only what the leaders of His country would do if they were present in the court.

At all times, and in all countries, an ambassador is to live and exercise his authority in a way that reflects the character of the nation he represents.

He is obligated to watch for opportunities to place before his hearers his message in a way that would cause the listener to think well of his country.

An ambassador of a foreign country spends most of his career in a place where people have different traditions and who follow a different way of life.

There is always that pull to draw an ambassador into that country’s way of thinking and living, which may be in conflict to the nation he represents.

The Christian finds himself in that condition as he lives in this world; he takes part in all the life and the work of the world; but his citizenship is of heaven, working for the God of heaven and earth and serving the King of kings and Lord of lords.

(Barnes Notes) The apostle Peter reminds Christians that they are “…aliens and strangers in this world.”

(1 Peter 2:11)

The Apostle Paul’s message of being an ambassador speaks loud and clear.

Being Christ’s ambassador (presbeuomen) is a wonderful privilege and great responsibility.

Christ’s ambassadors are not to negotiate on any new terms nor change those truths proclaimed by God.

They are not to think lightly of their mission, seek their own glory, aim at their own comfort, or depart from their instructions or mission.