The Common Series is our new sermon series designed to teach and encourage us on the practices that unite the body of Christ both locally and universally.
In an unprecedented and isolating season when we aren’t able to meet safely in-person, many of us can feel disoriented and spiritually lethargic. That’s why it’s important to remember that we are part of a larger tapestry of believers who are connected far more than we ever realized.
This isn’t the first time the church has been separated and scattered. In the book of Acts, we see how the early church maintained unity and stayed on the course of God’s mission despite obstacles, persecution and hardship. So using Acts as our guide, we as the local church, can study, stay united and energized in and for Jesus.
THE FIRST COMMON PRACTICE | WITNESS
“…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.” – Acts 1:8
As Christians, we are witnesses of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To be a witness is to live out of our identity as recipients of grace. In 1 Corinthians, it is written, “What do you have that you did not receive?”
A witness is a person who has a deep revelation of the gift of life and responds, “There is nothing I have that wasn’t given to me by God.”
A Witness is One Who Has Received Faith, Forgiveness, and the Power to be Faithful
But we aren’t innocent by-stander kinds of witnesses as if we’re witnesses to an accident on the street in front of us. To be a witness of God is to be directly impacted by what we see, notice, or hear.
A Christian witness is one who is permanently shaped by their encounter with the living Christ. And they believe that their public witness is of the utmost importance even if the world rejects and hurts them for it.
But how does the world see the Christian witness?
As traitors.
Because we have received the love and grace of God, a Christian witness decides he or she can no longer live by the values of this world that have been built on sin, selfishness, a world where man tries to build a society without grace.
Hence, a witness inevitably becomes a “traitor” to the world’s ways, values, and systems of injustice.
Story about Mr. William Haffa of Mississippi in the 1870’s
Not long after the Haffas moved to Mississippi, the white male landlords asked William Haffa whether “he was a friend to the white people or to the n—–.” When Haffa responded that “he was a friend to anyone, be he Black or white,” the landowners threatened him.
In the 1870s, Haffa was not seen as a respectable white person. To the white people around him, he was seen as a traitor because he would not align himself with the beliefs of white supremacy.
On the contrary, he began to teach black students in a nearby town.
While Haffa was being a faithful witness to the truth that all men are created equal, his racist neighbors considered him a traitor to white people, culture, and belief systems.
In September 1875, roughly 70 armed men arrived at Haffa’s home where they shot and killed Haffa for his kindness and friendship with Black people.
Like William Haffa, when we receive grace, we inevitably want to switch sides. We become a traitor to this world of sin and selfishness.
And most of the time, we either have to make sacrifices to stay a witness or suffer for being one. This is why the word “witness” in Greek is the word, martyr.
Because a witness is willing to sacrifice and suffer for what they believe and who they believe in.
Hence, a witness is a receiver of God’s grace, a traitor to the systems of this world, and one who is willing to suffer for Christ.
So how do we practice “witnessing”?
- Show the world that Jesus is alive. Find creative and satisfying ways of expressing and testifying to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Witness with your life, that Jesus is the Resurrection.
- Submit to a new king, the true Lord and God, Jesus Christ. Show the world what life is like under Jesus’ rule and reign. Witness with your life, that Jesus is Lord.
- Share with others, knowing that all of life’s goodness comes from above. Witness with your generosity, that Jesus is Savior.
Another way we can practice being a witness and following Christ’s commands is to Let Our Light Shine.
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Some questions you can ask as you reflect:
- Who can I witness to today as the light of Christ?
- Who is in need of encouragement/prayer today?
- How can I overflow God’s joy to those around me?
- What would it look like to let my light shine?
For more discussion and behind the scenes of each sermon in the Common Series, listen to our new podcast: The Common Podcast. We upload new episodes every Wednesday!
Stay tuned every Sunday as we continue to learn the Common practices that keep us united as Christ followers.