Acts 4: What Are We Giving Witness To?

Football season is about to resume and with it comes one of our favorite pastimes. That is extolling on the virtues of our favorite team.

Now, I will not lie. I am passionate about the teams that I root for. I have been known to blare “Country Roads” when it comes on the radio and whistle “Hail, West Virginia!” non stop. We all have our favorite teams, even if we are not the biggest football fans.

One thing about our passions is that we are not allowed to tell others about them. We want everyone to know how great our favorite team is.

Extolling about the virtues of our favorite sports teams and passions helps us to understand something that takes place in Acts 4. Peter and the Apostles are arrested and told not to preach in Jesus’ name any longer by the leaders of the day. Peter refused to listen. He said they had to witness to what they have seen Jesus do in their lives and in the lives of others.

What it means to witness is to tell someone what Jesus has done in our lives and what Jesus is doing in their life. It means to talk about the greatest and most transformative thing that has happened to us. Witnessing is really about sharing what God has done for, in, and through us.

Yes, it is intimidating to talk about our faith with others, especially in the current climate that we live in. But, what if we saw talking about our faith the same as talking about why we cheer for our favorite team? What if we had such ease and comfort of talking about faith as we do about why a certain team will win a college title?

To do so means we must be comfortable with our own story about what God has done in and us and know that story well. That way we can share with others, with ease, the greatest hope the world has ever known.