Can I Get A Witness?

Sometimes it took knocking on people’s doors to ask ‘can I get a witness,’ and here the idea did Jehovah Witnesses come from for knocking on people’s doors.

Witness- a person who gives testimony to establish the truth of a charge or statement of fact.

But in the church it can mean something else altogether

Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery said this way at Duke University’s Chapel on June 1, 2014

There are times in the preaching moment when the preacher may be unsure whether the congregation is on the same homiletical highway as him or her, whether the listening audience is following the sermon, tracking the sermon, paying attention to the sermon, is engaged with the sermon, or wishing they were still asleep at home attending Bedside Baptist Church (I hear they have a large congregation!).

Some preachers become a bit concerned when there is more silence than exclamatory shouts during their sermons. Of course, this may depend on one’s ecclesial tradition and spiritual socialization. But at such moments, in some sectors of the universal Church, when the preacher wants to check in with those in the pew to assure that they are with him or her, the preacher may ask, “Can I get a witness?”

It is a question without multiple choice answers because it really only has one right answer: yes or amen.

In the book “Can I Get A Witness? Prophetic Religious Voices of African American Women An Anthology” in Part 1: Hearing and Answering God’s Call To Prophetic Witness, “Who Are the Witnesses?”

There is a preacher by the name of Elizabeth (1766-1867) who’s biography is provided.

Elizabeth only had a first name, but her identity was not in her name, it was in her faith in God.

Elizabeth gave a witness of her call saying

she thought she heard a voice saying, “Art thou willing to be saved?” in which Elizabeth responded, “Yes, Lord.” Again Elizabeth was asked, “Art thou willing to be saved in my way?” Then Elizabeth heard a whispering voice say, “If thou art not saved in the LORD’s way, thou canst not be saved at all;” at which Elizabeth exclaimed, “Yes LORD, in they own way.”

Transition To Body- Can Jesus Get A Witness?

John 5:9–11 ESV

9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. 10 So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” 11 But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’ ”

John 5:15 ESV

15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him.

John 5:18 ESV

18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 5:19–24 ESV

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

The Authority of the Son

John 5:26–27 ESV

26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.

Jesus, Alone, Does Not Bear Witness About Himself

John 5:30–31 ESV

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31 If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.

Bear Witness

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 33.262 μαρτυρέω; μαρτυρία, ας; μαρύριον, ου; ἐπιμαρτυρέω

to provide information about a person or an event concerning which the speaker has direct knowledge—‘to witness.

Deuteronomy 19:15 ESV

15 “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established.

Body

Witness Of The Faithful Discipler

John 5:32–35 ESV

32 There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. 33 You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35 He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.

Identifies Jesus the Christ (as the Son of God)

John 1:6–8 ESV

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

John 1:32–34 ESV

32 And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Points People to Jesus the Christ

John 1:19–22 ESV

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John 1:35–37 ESV

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

Example of Andrew’s Witness- without which we would not have Peter’s ministry

John 1:40–41 ESV

40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).

Example of Philip’s Witness- Finds People

John 1:45 ESV

45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Example of the Samaritan Women’s Witness

John 4:39–42 ESV

39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

How? Jesus Increases, but they Decrease

John 3:28–30 ESV

28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV

1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Angst of Witnessing

Illustration: Intense Conversation with Men’s Discipleship Group over Witnessing

Discipleship Essentials by John Ogden

Chapter 19 Witness

Ways to Reduce the Anxiety of Witnessing:

REDUCE SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS AND INCREASE GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

OUR WITNESS IS ONLY ONE OF MANY INFLUENCES

LISTENING BY ASKING PROBING QUESTIONS

ASK PEOPLE TO INVESTIGATE JESUS

SHARE OUT OF JOY

THEIR BEST SELVES AWAIT THEM

1 Corinthians 3:5–6 ESV

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

Witness Of The Glorious Son

John 5:36 ESV

36 But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me.

Moses’ Fading Glory & God’s Glory

Exodus 33:18–20 ESV

18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”

2 Corinthians 3:7–11 ESV

7 Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. 10 Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

We Have Seen His Glory

John 1:14–18 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Jesus is the Radiance of the Glory of God

Hebrews 1:3–5 ESV

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

Confess Jesus Christ is LORD to the Glory of God the Father

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Witness Of The Loving Father

John 5:37–38 ESV

37 And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, 38 and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent.

The witness of the Father should be all that is necessary. Israel at Sinai supposedly saw his form and heard his voice (cf. Ex 19:9, 11; 24:10–11; Sirach 17:13; but cf. the qualification in Deut 4:12), and accepted his word through his agent Moses; Jesus says that his own generation rejects the fuller revelation of God sent to them (cf. Jn 1:11, 14–18).

For God So Loved the Word...

John 3:16–17 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

God is Love

1 John 3:1 ESV

1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 4:7–12 ESV

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Lionel Richie when he was in the Commodores, sang:

And I know the Truth And His words will be our salvation Lift up our hearts To be thankful and glad

That Jesus is love He won't let you down And I know He's mine Deep down in my soul Jesus is love Oh, yes, He is He won't let you down And I know He's mine, He's mine, He's mine, He's mine, all mine Forever, oh, in my heart Help me, heart, heart Ooh...ooh...

The Beloved Son of God

Matthew 3:16–17 ESV

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Witness Of The Revealed Word

John 5:39–40 ESV

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

Even *Gentiles recognized the Jewish people’s zeal for their Scriptures, and various groups (including the people reflected in the *Dead Sea Scrolls) emphasized diligent searching of the Scriptures. Scripture said, “Do this and you will live,” which Jewish teachers read as: “Do this and you will have life in the world to come.” Thus they believed that one had eternal life through the Scriptures; but Jesus says that the Scriptures witness to him, hence to reject him is to disobey the Scriptures. 5:41–4

Scripture itself does not impart life, but it witnesses to the one who does—Jesus

Luke 24:27 ESV

27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:31–32 ESV

31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Luke 24:44–45 ESV

44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,

Psalm 119:105 ESV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Hebrews 4:12–13 ESV

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Transition To Close- Seek Glory That Only Comes From God

A LITTLE girl treated her mother badly because she was ashamed of her. Her mother had a big, ugly scar on her face. She looked horrible. The little girl would never bring her friends around because of the scar on her mother’s face. She would never invite her mother to school functions because of the scar on her face. Her mother finally asked her, “Honey, why don’t you ever bring your friends around? Why don’t you ever invite me to anything?”

She said, “Mama, it’s the scar on your face. I can’t bear to introduce you to others.”

Her mother said, “Darling, sit down. Let me tell you something I’ve never told you about the scar on my face. One day, I went out to draw water when you were a little girl, and when I looked back from the well, I saw the house was on fire. I rushed back in, dropped my water, and came and grabbed you, my little baby, out of the crib. The fire was engulfing you, but I got there just in the nick of time. On my way out the house, one of the beams of the house collapsed and hit me across the face. It knocked me to the ground and seethed on my face for a period of time before I could get it off, but I was able to throw you to safety. I just wanted you to know, darling, the next time you don’t want your friends to see me, that the only reason I have a scar on my face is because I was saving your life.”

Jesus has some scars on His hands. He’s got scars on His feet. He’s got a scar on His side. Let me tell you how He got those scars. You and I were on our way to hell. We were on our way to be separated from a holy God forever. But Jesus Christ looked down, and He didn’t want us to suffer the consequences of sin. He told the Father, “I’ll go.” He came down and stretched out on a cross. They nailed His hands in the cross, His feet on the cross, and stuck a spear in His side.

So the next time you don’t want to tell anybody about Him, remember how He got His scars. The next time you don’t want to be a disciple, remember how He got His scars. The next time you don’t want to live for Him, remember how He got His scars. When you remember, tell Him you’ll follow Him for the rest of your days.

John 5:41–47 ESV

41 I do not receive glory from people. 42 But I know that you do not have the love of God within you. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. 44 How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

Close- Witness Of The Incarnate Word

Isaiah 43:10–12 ESV

10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. 11 I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. 12 I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and I am God.

John 1:1–2 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

John 1:11–13 ESV

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:14–18 ESV

John 3:11–15 ESV

11 Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

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