Witnessing results from a personal experience!
Witnessing has to do with a personal experience. We witness about something as a result of a personal experience.
An experience about something implies 3 things: a place of encounter, some conversation and some response to what has been experienced.
A biblical example of the above can be found in John 4 (verses 1 through 43). This is about the famous story of the Samaritan woman. We will use it to discuss witnessing as a personal experience.
Witnessing, as a personal experience, begins at a place of encounter
In our story the place of encounter is a well. At this well, Jesus shows up before the Samaritan woman comes.
There are two things I could say about this. First, the well is very important to the Samaritans. It was Jacob’s well, which he had given to his son Joseph. It was also viewed as a heritage the Samaritans had received from Jacob (John 4: 5, 12). Second, the woman comes to the well around noon, which was not the time of the day most women would go to the well during those days.
She might have been avoiding people by choosing to go around that time to the well. But, the Person she could not avoid is Jesus Christ.
Jesus is at the well (place of encounter) waiting for you!
But, how do we know we are at a place of encounter with God?
The reality is that you and I don’t know anything about the specific place where we could likely encounter God.
This place isn’t physical. Surroundings of a place of encounter may often be visible.
The reason is that the place where Jesus waits for you isn’t really far from where you are right now.
Just as the Samaritans thought the place was on a mountain and the Israelites in Jerusalem (John 4..), the real place is spiritual. It is at the intersection of the Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-24).
John talks about Jesus standing at the door and knocking (Revelations 3:20). This metaphor is about Jesus being at the door of our hearts. It is an example that Jesus isn’t really far from us. Jesus is very present on your journey in life.
Just as Jesus was with the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24: 13-25), He is also walking with you. He is ever present on your life journey.
So, the place of encounter is just where you are even though its surroundings may take different forms.
Witnessing, as a personal experience, means an ongoing conversation with Jesus Christ at the well
At the place of encounter, Jesus initiates the conversation just as He did with the Samaritan woman (John 4: 7).
In the story, Jesus requests: “give me water to drink” (John 4: 7).
When Jesus asks us of something, it doesn’t mean that He will gain anything by receiving from us. It is for our own sake! God wants us to live at our best: body, soul and mind.
Think of Revelation 3: 20 one more time again. Jesus standing at the door of our hearts and knocking. Letting Jesus in means responding to His offer or request.
Part of the conversation with God may also mean you questioning God. Yes, it is ok to do so.
But, that’s not the purpose for being at the well.
The ultimate goal for Jesus being at the well (knocking at the door of your heart) is to get into your life.
He says to the woman, who also questions Him: If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water” (John 4: 10).
The gift Jesus has does two things:
- It quenches all our thirsts, and
- It gives us eternal life. (John 4: 13-14).
But, in order to begin experiencing all of that, we have to respond, which is the third component of witnessing as a personal experience.
Witnessing, as a personal experience, results from responding to the gift of God
Jesus did two things to help the woman respond to God’s grace.
First, He told her about her true life.
This woman, in the story, had never been married, but was living with her fifth husband. She had a disorderly life, which was probably the reason why she chose to go to the well at noon hoping not to meet other people there.
Second, He told her that He is the Messiah.
Upon hearing this from Jesus, the woman responded by going back to town in order to tell everyone about Jesus.
She feels that she has met the Christ, Who is all-knowing.
She has had a very life changing encounter with Jesus Christ and chose not to keep the story to herself.
Witnessing for Christ comes out of a personal experience with Christ at the well!
Witnessing begins with a personal encounter with Christ. It is completed in the sharing of this personal experience with the hope of leading other people to their own encounter with Christ!
This is a reflection based on the sermon, “Witnessing: A Personal Experience.” It is the second in this series. In case you missed the first one, click here to read it or to listen to the full audio sermon.
