Work in Order to Receive
True witnessing for Jesus requires surrendering ourselves to Him, allowing Him to work through us to share His love with others.
Andrew Murray emphasizes the necessity of openly expressing our faith in Jesus, using the story of a little girl who could not contain her joy in singing hymns despite her mother's disapproval. He asserts that if Jesus truly resides in our hearts, His love and presence will naturally overflow into our lives. Murray challenges believers to fully surrender their character and reputation to Christ, as withholding our witness may indicate a lack of true commitment to Him. The sermon calls for an active and visible faith that reflects our relationship with Jesus.
Text
Do not try to hide your treasure; do not think that you can hide it if Jesus is truly with you! I remember a true story about a little girl who used to sing hymns which she had learned at some meetings led by the evangelist D.L. Moody. The child's parents were in a high position in society and did not approve of her singing these hymns, so her mother forbade it. But one day she caught her daughter singing the hymn, "Oh, I'm so glad that Jesus loves me", and told her off. "Why are you singing that song, even though I have told you not to?" she asked indignantly. "Oh mother", replied the girl, "I can't help it; the song just comes out of me all by itself!" If Jesus is in the heart, he must come out. It is our duty to witness about Jesus, but there is more than that.
If we do not do it, it suggests we have not given ourselves up to Jesus - we have not surrendered our character, our reputation, our all.
(Excerpted from Christ is All by Andrew Murray, pg. 30)
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Witnessing
- The Condition of True Witnessing
- The Consequence of Not Witnessing
- It suggests we have not given ourselves up to Jesus
- We have not surrendered our character, our reputation, our all
Key Quotes
“If Jesus is in the heart, he must come out.” — Andrew Murray
“The song just comes out of me all by itself!” — Andrew Murray
“If we do not do it, it suggests we have not given ourselves up to Jesus - we have not surrendered our character, our reputation, our all.” — Andrew Murray
Application Points
- We must surrender ourselves to Jesus, allowing Him to guide and direct our actions.
- True witnessing for Jesus is not just a duty, but a natural result of having Jesus in our hearts.
- If we do not witness about Jesus, it may indicate that we have not fully given ourselves up to Him.