Bible reading for 40.Day 2025 | John 1:6-8

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I would like to share with you about going All In for personal witnessing.

Let me start by asking:

• How many of you are apostles? Probably a few.
• How many of you are evangelists? Probably a few.
• How many of you are prophets? Probably a few.
• How many of you are Pastors and/or teachers? I think there will be more here.
• How many of you are God’s witnesses?

I trust all of you will say: “Yes I am!”

Bearing witness

All of us are witnesses. Why? Because we know what Acts 1:8b (ESV) says:

“And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

This is God’s job description for all Christians.

It refers to someone who testifies to the truth from their experience. It is them telling others what they have seen or heard.

If we are faithful to bear witness to Who Jesus is and what He has done for our lives, then one day in heaven, there will be a long line of people waiting to shake our hands and say to us, “Thank you for telling me Who Jesus is and what He has done for your life. That is why I am here today!”

In John 1:6-8 (ESV), the Bible reads:

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

John the Baptist was such a faithful witness for Jesus. Verse 6 says that he was “a man sent from God”. In other words, John was divinely chosen and commissioned by God.

In Luke 1:41, the Bible tells us the baby John leaped in his mother’s womb when his mother, Elizabeth, met Mary, who was also pregnant with Jesus. John was already a forerunner even before he was born.

John the Baptist knew he had only one job in his life: “To make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:17) And that was exactly what he did.

Look at verses 7-8:

“He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light but came to bear witness about the light.”

Three times, the Bible emphasised that John the Baptist was a focused, faithful and fervent witness for Jesus.

Brothers and sisters, John the Baptist was so good at the one job he had in his life that he even received commendation from Jesus Himself. Look at John 5:35a (ESV): “He was a burning and shining lamp.” The Message Bible paraphrases this verse: “John was a torch, blazing and bright.”

Like John, all of us are called to do the one job that God has divinely commissioned us on earth before we meet him in heaven – to be God’s witnesses.

Yes, be a witnessing student or witnessing engineer or witnessing teacher or witnessing Grab driver or for that matter, a witnessing Pastor or leader or member.

CS Lewis said: “Don’t shine so others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see God.”

Our divine commission

I came to know Jesus at 14 years old because someone invited me to a youth camp. Thereafter, God used several persons to nurture and disciple me in my younger days.

My sister was hospitalised. In the hospital, I asked if she wanted to know Jesus. After praying for her, she was discharged within a week.

My brother had a few brushes with the law when he was young, and my parents challenged us: “Can your Jesus change him?” My sister brought him to an outreach event and he was totally transformed.

Many years later, after countless times hearing the sharing of the Gospel and attending various outreach programmes, my parents also gave their lives to Jesus.

My life and the lives of all in my family were changed because someone first shared with me about Jesus!

Last year, while at a Pastors’ retreat, we were convicted by God about the state of evangelistic engagement in our church.

We stopped the planning and repented of our passivity. We ask the Lord to start the fire in each one of us personally.

I told the Lord, “Lord, I don’t think I am an evangelist; I am an introvert, and I don’t like to talk to strangers. But at the end of the day, I know all these are excuses.” I asked God to help me be His witness. Not too long after that, I had an opportunity to lead someone to Christ.

Come, join me, set aside your doubts and fears, and go All In as personal witnesses for God!

Let’s pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, help us know the one job we have to do while we are on earth, and make us like John the Baptist – a burning and shining lamp; a torch, blazing and bright! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Reflect:

1. Who shared Christ with you and how did you become a believer? Think back on how that small act changed your whole life.

2. If you have not shared about Jesus to anyone for a while – a few months, a few years – why? How can you change that situation?

3. Who are the people God has already put in your heart to tell about Him? Will you obey the call? Why or why not?

Pray:

1. For God to place in our hearts and minds the people in our spheres that He wants us to reach out to, and that we will be diligent to pray for them.

2. For the Lord to remove all excuses and wrong thinking from us, that we may be uncompromisingly obedient to the call to tell the world about Jesus.

3. For courage and conviction to tell others about Jesus by sharing our personal testimony, and boldly asking them if they want to receive Jesus.

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