I believe the greatest disobedience toward God, and toward our Lord Jesus Christ by His churches today is the failure to witness of Him to a lost and dying world. I believe there are several reasons for this, and at the outset of this message I want to name a few. The first and foremost reason, I believe, is fear. 1. Fear of opposition - that someone might just be opposed to our wanting to talk to them about their sin, their sinfulness, their lost condition, and their need of a Savior. 2. The second fear is fear of ridicule. It is human nature to dislike being fun of. We often learn at an early age that being different brings ridicule. We learn that the best way to avoid that is to conform to the world around us. But, we are told in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Of being “insufficient” or “ineffective” - as in not knowing how to present the Gospel. Sometimes it is because we don’t go to where the lost are. Of course, we are not going to “hang out” in bars and nightclubs. They are not places where we can have an effective witness. (And we shouldn’t be in those places.) Often we cannot witness at work . . . Because our employer doesn’t allow it. But sometimes it is our fault (because our co- workers have seen how we act away from church). We don’t witness in our neighborhoods. Hopefully that is not because we are “feuding” neighbors. Also, as in #2 above, our neighbors have also see how we act away from church. And many times we don’t even know who our neighbors are. We won’t at Albertsons, Walmart, or out shopping (see “fear” above). And some will not even witness to their own families. Because they “are afraid” of creating a division in the family. Because, again, our families see us as we really are - good, bad, or ugly. But we have a command and a mandate from our Lord to be “soulwinners,” to tell others about Him -- Matthew 28:19-20 ; Acts 1:8. The terms “soulwinner” and “soulwinning” are actually misnomers. We don’t actually do the “winning.” That is the job of God and the Holy Spirit. Instead, we are simply to witness visually (by our lives) and verbally (by our lips) of what the Lord Jesus has done for us and in us. Acts 1:8: “But ye shall receive power (dynamic ability), after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” I personally fear that the term “soulwinner” scares many believers away from this work. Because they don’t feel equal to the task. Because they have never been taught how to witness. Or, because they have sat through “soulwinning classes” that put more emphasis on “making the sale” than on sharing the message. There are actually only 2 qualities needed to be an effective witness for Christ. You must know Christ as Savior - why you needed to be saved, and how you were saved. You must have a love for the Lord and love the souls of people like He does. If you have those qualities and can talk, you can witness. Yes, there may indeed at times be opposition to our witness, however, there is an even greater joy in being used of God to bring a lost person to Christ - to seeing a friend, family member, or even a stranger go from being a child of the devil to being a child of God. The church at Thessalonica was exemplary in carrying the Gospel to the world and stand as a wonderful example for us today. Following their example, we must . . .

I. WITNESS BY DEMONSTRATION.

II. WITNESSING BY DIRECT ACTION.

III. WITNESS THROUGH DOMESTIC CONTACT.

IV. WE WITNESS THROUGH A DEDICATED CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.