An earthen vessel that seeks to bear the heavenly to the unworthy in order to convince them of the unprovable / To talk about God to another person, which many people fear more than death.
Want to see your average Christian flinch? Ask them to share their faith. Publicly. [For readers who like a soundtrack with their theology, insert screaming sound here.]
To do so is to be a witness for Christ. Most Christians would rather be a witness against Tony Soprano than for Christ and would refuse to talk about their faith, even under subpoena.
Maybe we are reluctant to witness to Jesus because we think we are unable or unworthy to do it. “I can’t do that! I wouldn’t know what to say!” Sound familiar? But it’s not rocket science or brain surgery or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, it’s really quite simple (maybe not easy, but uncomplicated).
Start here: Everybody who believes has been witnessed to in some way, perhaps by a parent of grandparent, the care of a teacher, maybe even by the earthen foolishness of a boring preacher. Think about who witnessed to you. Go and do likewise. Tell someone about Jesus in your own words and do the right thing no matter what (remember, sometimes the things we won’t say or do are a witness, too!); that’s the best place to start to witness.
And here’s why it’s so important: Witnessing, sharing what you know about Jesus and what he means for you, is how people are saved (I Corinthians 1:21). Each witness tells Jesus’ story through her or his own words. And God uses these words to bring people to FAITH. No fooling.
– Pastor Bauer (with an assist from Rolf Jacobson)