An Example of Lifestyle (Vocational) Evangelism

I recently officiated at a wedding for one of the members of my congregation. After the service I was able to join in the celebration, mingle with the other guests, and enjoy a nice evening. While visiting with some of the guests I was told how well they thought of me because the bride had told them how she liked her pastor, how she was able ask him questions, especially theological and ethical questions and then how she would be better able to give an answer to others. They expressed how the bride truly liked her church and her pastor. She, the bride was truly a great witness, even evangelist and a great example of lifestyle or vocational evangelism as she was living her life as a living sacrifice always being ready to give an answer for the hope she had in her Savior. She exemplifies what lifestyle or vocational evangelism is at its best.

To get a better understanding of how effective was her witness is to understand the opposite, that is to understand people who continually degrade, bad mouth, and talk down their church and especially their pastor. When one lives a life of such a negative witness is it any wonder that should they ask any of their friends or coworkers if they would want to come and visit their church the answer would be a resounding “No!” Indeed, when we make such a negative witness, either consciously or unconsciously, griping and complaining, talking negative, bad mouthing and degrading or church or our pastor whom God called to be our pastor, we simply become a negative witnesses and evangelists even a witness and evangelist for Satan.

God has given us our church. He has called our pastor to be His representative and shepherd in His congregation. At the same time, God does not call us to like our pastor or our church, although it would certainly help if we did. God calls us to faith and to faithfulness including defending, speaking well of, and putting the best construction on everything (Eight Commandment Explanation). God calls us to be witnesses, living lives as living sacrifices for Him! I wonder how much better our own lives would be and how much more effective our churches would be in reaching out to others if we stopped and engaged our minds especially thinking about for whom we are witnessing, before we speak, especially before we speak negatively. Perhaps then, we might speak positively instead and truly be a good witness/evangelist!