The Wheel Illustration (Part 5)

The final spoke in the Navigator Wheel Illustration, in addition to the three spokes of prayer, fellowship, and the word is ‘witnessing.’ To witness is to see something important and testify to its importance. And this occupies a very important place in the life of believers. In fact, right before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Believers have seen the reality of Jesus in their very lives and are called to bear witness to this reality by proclaiming the gospel of Jesus. This is one of the main applications of our church vision of what it means to be a gospel community in action. As a church we want to be a community that is characterized by the gospel in our word and deed displayed in the action of bearing witness to the truth of Jesus.

The call to bear witness to Jesus is very important in the Christian life. It reflects our view of the gospel and our dependence upon Jesus by His Spirit. So it is so important to remind ourselves to be a witness for Jesus especially when it is unpopular to do so in our culture. And this isn’t anything new. In fact, when Jesus exhorted the disciples in Acts 1:8, it was more unpopular in that time and place. The disciples faced great persecution and suffering because of their faith. Yet they persisted because the mission of witness is empowered not by our feeble efforts but by the Holy Spirit. One of the fruits of being filled with the Spirit is to be a witness. So let us be encouraged. We do not wage this battle alone. Jesus will never leave nor forsake us. And He has given us His Spirit who is powerfully working within us. What a blessing to be reminded of our mission. Let us be a witness for Jesus Christ! And this is for the good of so many and the glory of God!