In Acts 1:8 Jesus said “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” From this verse we learn that one of the roles of the preacher is to witness for Jesus (this isn’t limited to preachers, but includes preachers). In this post we’ll explore what it means to be Christ’s witness in preaching.
Whereas as the preacher as steward is a domestic illustration, and whereas the preacher as herald is a political illustration, the preacher as witness is a legal illustration. To help us better understand our role in the pulpit we ought to imagine ourselves in a courtroom.
- Court is in session anytime you’re preaching.
- The jury are the unsaved people you’re talking to.
- The defense attorney is the Holy Spirit trying to sway the jury toward a favorable verdict concerning Christ.
- To help Him the Holy Spirit calls you forward as one of His witnesses.
- When you testify it ought to be concerning the truth about Jesus.
- The prosecuting attorney is Satan who’s trying to sway the jury toward an unfavorable verdict concerning Christ.
- His witness is secular, godless, non-Christian society that is hostile towards Christ.
- The verdict is the judgment call the jury makes after hearing you (the witness) testify.
When it comes to the believers in the audience, the preacher is to work to “…build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). But when it comes to unbelievers, the preacher is to work to influence the jury toward a favorable verdict concerning Christ. This should make every preacher work hard to present compelling testimony about Jesus that they will share in the power of the Holy Spirit.
[…] too long ago I learned the concept of the preacher as witness. Here’s the basic idea: A preacher is like a witness in a courtroom. And the audience is […]