How can I be a faithful witness in every conversation?

Faithful Witnesses in Turbulent Times

Bible Passage: Daniel 6:6–16, Acts 1:4–8

0. Intro: Janet Lord Story

A Global Methodist Pastor, Janet Lord, shared a story from her childhood that touched my soul in a special way. She said:

Quote: When I was 6 years old, I was at the church with my dad during the week, while my dad was fixing something there. I was noodling around on the piano, as a regular 6-year-old would do, when a teenage boy came in. I stopped immediately, expecting a sharp scolding - when he said, “Don't stop,” I loved to hear you play. “ Janet said that it was the first time I realized that something I liked to do could be beneficial to somebody else. Now, I’ve been a church musician (and now an ordained pastor) for over 50 years. And that teenage boy? He went into ministry as well.”

How many of us have found Jesus, or have dedicated our lives to him, because of the way other caring adults impacted our lives, sometimes intentionally or other times unintentionally? But regardless, when we are filled with the Spirit of God and His love, our witness is unavoidable.

1. Let your simple words and actions become seeds of God’s calling

Because God has a calling for every person around us. And how wonderful it is to be part of planting those seeds, being instruments in God’s hands for the discovery of the gospel in others. When you have found Hope in Jesus, the best thing you can do is not to keep it for yourselves.

Today, I believe God has put in my heart the importance of our witnessing to the world of His love. Not just in conversation, not just in the way to explain the Gospel, but also in our lifestyle, in the way we have conversations, in the way we act in everyday life.

Let’s pray and ask the Spirit to guide us, to speak to our hearts, and help us be His witness in the world.

2. Daniel 6:5-16

So, in short: Daniel was a Jewish exile taken to Babylon after Jerusalem was conquered, and God used him there as a prophet and a witness to His power.

King Darious found Daniel so wise, outstanding, and honest that he decided to appoint 120 Satraps, meaning governors, to help rule over the empire. And put 3 administrators over the 120 governors, of whom Daniel was one of the 3. But Daniel was so distinguished among all the administrators and satraps that they all became very jealous. and decided to eliminate him by setting him up and having the King kill him.

Here is the thing. Starting in verse 5:

Daniel 6:5–16 NIV

Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.” So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” So King Darius put the decree in writing. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?” The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.” So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

We will stop there… If you read this story before, you know the ending. Spoiler… God freed Daniel by shutting down the lion’s mouth. He made it out alive with not even a scratch, and the ending for the bad guys was not a happy one.

However, I want to focus on one aspect of this story. I want to focus on the Defiant Devotion of Daniel, despite the outcome.

3. What can we learn from Daniel’s Defiant Devotion?

· Daniel was an exemplary citizen of a corrupt earthly kingdom.

Many of us like to complain and be shocked when we see corruption in the government, and act as it is a new thing. But corruption has always existed in the world. Because even when governments claim to put God first, the desire for power is even bigger. So no matter how corrupt our Government is, we are still called to be exemplary citizens and care for our neighbor, honour our bosses, and be witnesses of God wherever we are.

Daniel respected the authorities placed over him. He was an exemplary citizen. Even in the middle of corruption and plotting, he would not take part in unjust motives, which were so common in that day and age. That was the reason the Kings valued Daniel so much. As you know, King Nabuchonezar was the one who brought Daniel to the palace, and back in that time, when there was a change of King, HE would get rid of all the old servants to build new loyal subjects under him, which proves that Daniel’s fame, and being untouched by corruption, would be a huge asset to a new King.

How are you behaving in your community? In your schools, at your work? When people complain, speak badly about the boss, and insult the teacher. Do you join in the bad mouthing? Or, although not necessarily agreeing, respect your authorities? How do you behave on social media? Are you praying for your leaders? Or just complaining?

Daniel’s witness was so powerful, not because he was perfect, but because he was faithful in the situations God allowed him to live.

· Nothing got in between Daniel and his Devotion to God.

Nothing got in between Him and His devotion to God through prayer. That is the reason the governors were jealous of Daniel’s promotion.

And when I say nothing, I mean nothing. Daniel is about to die. Nobody would blame him if he just decided to pray in his room for those 30 days. Everybody knew Daniel prayed 3 times a day by the window toward Jerusalem. He didn't just start doing that after the decree. But if he had hidden away for those 30 days, He would be proclaiming that his God was not as important as the King, or as the law of the land, or than His life. Daniel, by keeping his unwavering devotion to God, sent the most powerful witness to the world that the God of Daniel was bigger than any ruler in the universe.

Daniel 6:5 NIV

Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

Can you imagine, as believers, what if we lived this way? That we would not let anything get in the way of our relationship with God.

Parents, what if we modeled this for our kids? Because I bet you want the best for your kid, correct? What if we lived in a way that did not let anything get in the way of our devotion to God as a family? Because if your children are not seeing you model the most important thing is our devotion to God, and not work, not a sport, not their performance in school, but the love of God in our lives. Then we cannot expect them to follow Jesus! As parents, we are primarily called to witness to our children.

But what if the outcome of our witness is not the outcome we expected?

Illustration: Richard Wurmbrand’s Defiant Devotion

In the 1940s, Communism swept through Romania. The government wanted total control—including control of the church. They ordered pastors to stop preaching the full gospel and to only teach what the state approved. At a huge gathering, officials pressured pastors to pledge loyalty to the Communist regime. Many gave in. But one man could not. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand stood up and said, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The price was high. He was arrested and thrown into prison—for 14 years. Richard was beaten, tortured, and locked in solitary confinement in a windowless cell deep underground. He later said it was so silent he could hear the beating of his own heart. Guards tried to break him, telling him, “No one remembers you. Your God has forgotten you.”

But Richard would not give in. He kept praying. He kept worshiping in whispers. And he even found ways to share Christ with other prisoners. At times, he was so filled with the joy of Christ that he said he would stand up in his cell and dance, alone, with chains on his feet.

Eventually, Richard was released. He later founded The Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry that still serves persecuted Christians around the world today. Just wow.

Daniel 6:5 “Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.””

What did the witness of the Teenage boy and the dramatic witness of Richard Warmwood have in common?

Both were used by God to change lives and both were strong witnesses of God’s love with an unexpected outcome. They did not have control of the outcome they only had contril of their actions.

A lot of times we are afraid to witness God to others, because we are afraid or nervous of the outcome. We overthink, what if we pray for somebody and they say no, what if they dont like us anymore. What if...

God calls us to witness His love first and leave the outcome to Him?

Let's go to the New Testament

Acts 1:4–8 takes place after Jesus’ resurrection, when He gathers His disciples in Jerusalem and tells them to wait for the promised Holy Spirit. The disciples are still expecting a political restoration of Israel, but Jesus redirects their focus: the kingdom’s timing belongs to the Father, and their mission is to be Spirit-empowered witnesses.

4. Acts 1:4–8 “On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.””

Being Jesus’s Witness was not a suggestion or a recommendation, but a command

We have been talking about being a good witness. But what is Witness in a Biblical Sense?

5. Witness: It is the Greek word μάρτυς (mártys) – to witness or to testify judicially

From this developed the Christian use of the word martyr, meaning one who bears witness to their faith through suffering and death.

So the root idea is not originally “dying for the faith,” but “to witness” or “to testify.” But because the cost of witnessing the gospel, the good news, was so prevalent in early Christians, many would risk their own lives to the point of martyrdom.

6. What are you witnessing?

Do you know what you are witnessing? Or have you witnessed the love of God?

You see, many of us struggle with sharing the Gospel because we haven't encountered the Gospel, or we have forgotten what it was to know Jesus. We have forgotten the love of God. So we are not compelled to share it with others.

According to the dictionary, a witness is a person who has knowledge of (an event or change) from personal observation and experience.

Suppose you have not experienced the love of God, if you haven't witnessed his transformation, if you have not accepted Jesus as your King, if you are not practicing the ways of Jesus. Then you cannot, by definition, be a witness.

Unfortunately, because we live in a Christian country, and many call themselves Christians, or are fond of Christianity, doesn't mean they are witnessing the love of Christ.

There is a famous showman named Penn Jillette; he is one of the most renowned magicians in TV history, but at the same time, he is an outspoken atheist. But a few years ago, in a video conference online, she shared a fascinating perspective, as an atheist, that I think should be a wake-up call to many Christians. After somebody approached him and gave him a bible on the street and had a very kind and warm conversation with him, he found admiration for that man. And he said the following: I respect people who evangelize because ....

7. “. . . . How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize (evangelize)? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” - Penn Jillette

Penn continued with an illustration, if a a truck is about to hit somebody, we start yelling at them and eventually we run and tucle the. The Gospel is more important than that.

What I am not saying is that you need to trick people to convert to Christianity. What I am saying is if you truly believe in the Gospel. In that Jesus came to bring good news and eternal life.. The urgency of this message is massive.

But what if you come to Sunday service, grew up in church, call yourself a Christian, and have not yet encountered that love, you won't be able to share it with others.

8. Before the great commission comes the great encounter: Ross Johnson 

When you have come to taste and see that the Lord is Good, you cannot contain it in your bones, when you experience the abundant life of Jesus. You want to tell everyone.

Like when you watch an amazing movie at the Theater. You come out of that show, ecstatic. Maybe inspired. What do you do? You go home and tell everybody about it. You cont care if some people hear your, think to watch it or not. You just tell people of what you witnessed in the theater. You share your joy with the world.

If you truly believe that The Good News of Christ is real? Why would you keep it to yourselves?

I want to close with Revelation 2:4,

9.  “But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love.” Revelation 2:4

Jesus speaks to the church in Ephesus, praising their endurance and commitment to truth, but confronting them for losing their first love. Though they worked hard and stood firm against false teaching, their devotion to Him had grown cold. Jesus calls them to remember, repent, and return, reminding them that love is the foundation of faithful witness.

10. To be faithful witnesses of the Gospel, we need to encounter God’s love and transformation daily.

Today God wants to invite you to come and encounter Him again, to renew the joy you had when you first met him. Or maybe for the first time. Do not leave this place experiencing the love of God that is available to all. And if we do, we will be able to be a passionate witness of His love, despite the circumstances. loving our neighbor, treating everybody with dignity. Forgiving others even when they hurt us, that is the way Jesus is calling us to, through the power of the HS, be His witnesses here in Marion, in the United States, and the world to the ends of the world.

Re-encounter your first love

Like any relationship, to be alive, to be healthy, to grow - We need to feed it, we need to invest time in it. Spend time in the Word, seek to hear what God is doing in the lives of others. Don't let anything get in between you and your devotion to God.

Applications:

Give your life to Christ

Identify things that are in the way of your devotion to God.

Set time to encounter Him Daily