Our Job Description: A Witness
Tom Shrader opens the book of Acts by establishing its key verse, Acts 1:8, and the central theme that every believer is already a witness — the only question is whether they are a good one or a bad one. He traces Luke's purpose in writing to Theophilus, the infallible proofs of the resurrection, and Jesus's command to wait for the Holy Spirit before going out. Shrader draws a strong distinction between human effort and Spirit-empowered proclamation, arguing that evangelism is not about converting anyone — which only God can do — but about bringing glory to God by faithfully telling what you know.
“Witnessing isn't mandatory. Witnessing isn't optional. Witnessing is inevitable. The question is, are you a good witness or a bad witness?”
— Tom Shrader
Series: Acts
Recorded: 1999 at East Valley Bible Church
Duration: 37 min
Themes: witnessing, evangelism, holy spirit, resurrection, obedience, sharing faith, power, purpose, afraid to share faith, new believer, feeling unqualified to evangelize, everyday christian, young adult, struggling with passivity, seeker, person doubting their role in ministry
Scripture: Acts 1:1-8, Acts 17:6, Luke 24:49-53, John 7, John 14:16, John 14:26, John 15, John 16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, 2 Timothy 4, Matthew 28
Theological Themes: pneumatology, holy spirit empowerment, missiology, great commission, soteriology, conversion is god's work, biblical witness, acts of the apostles
Full Transcript
Introduction to the Book of Acts
We began last week with the introduction of a new study that we will spend however much time it takes to examine the book of Acts. The formal title is the Acts of the Apostles, frequently referred to simply as the book of Acts. John Stott has used this sentence to describe the book: the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the church of Jesus Christ through God's people. It is the idea of the Holy Spirit working in the church, working in and through God's people — the continuing works and deeds of Christ by the apostles.
As we look at the book of Acts, we are struck at the very beginning that it has no formal close. The book just ends, very abruptly. In a sense, the book is still being written. It is the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in the church, in God's church, using God's people to accomplish God's purpose. That is the book of Acts.
The Author: Luke
Here is the fact sheet on the book of Acts. The author is Luke — the same Luke who wrote the gospel that bears his name. We saw last week that he is a physician, and also a historian. He is a loyal and trusted friend of the Apostle Paul.
In fact, we saw in three sections of the book of Acts that Luke speaks in terms of "we traveled" and "this happened to us." He was a companion of Paul's. At the same time, not just a companion — he was a loyal friend to the very end. As Paul closes out the last book we have from him, 2 Timothy, chapter four, he says to Timothy, "Come quickly, because only Luke is with me." Only Luke is left.
The Key Verse: Witnesses to the Ends of the Earth
The key verse in the book of Acts is the verse we will look at today: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses to me in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth." The key word is witness. It is the idea that we will bear witness — that this is the story of the witnessing and the expansion of God's work through Christ, what He did, and now the residue of that.
The key character in the book of Acts is the Holy Spirit. It is a mistake for us to look at the activities of Peter or of Paul or of any of the saints we meet in the book and say, "This is what I want to emulate, and that is where the power is." We may well want to pattern our life and behavior after them, but the power comes from the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is about the work of the Holy Spirit in the world, and specifically in the lives of God's people.
The Recipient: Theophilus
The book begins in the first verse: "The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to both do and teach." The recipient of this book is a gentleman by the name of Theophilus. We know nothing about this man. His name appears here and also at the introduction of the Gospel of Luke.
There are a couple of theories about him. One is that he never really existed — that the word Theophilus, which means "lover of God," makes him a representative figure, a picture of someone who loves Christ, and that Luke is saying, "Here is the instruction I have for you." There is also a romantic theory — and I think it probably is a myth, certainly not supportable — that many physicians in the ancient world were slaves, and that Luke was a slave of Theophilus. According to this theory, Theophilus was gravely ill, Luke came along and was part of what God used to heal him, and as a gesture of gratitude Theophilus gave Luke his freedom. Luke then began to witness to him, and the two volumes — the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts — are his written testimony to Theophilus.
The theory that makes the most sense is found in the introduction to the Gospel of Luke, where Theophilus is addressed as "most excellent Theophilus." That title literally means "his excellency" and is reserved for a high official in the Roman government or authority. The most likely explanation is that Theophilus was someone in the Roman government who was befriended by Luke or somehow acquainted with him, and Luke then began to write to him.
Luke as Historian and Wordsmith
Here is how Luke introduces the Gospel. He says that just as those from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word who delivered these things to us, it seemed good to him also, "having had perfect understanding" — that phrase literally means "having traced out carefully." Remember who this man is. Luke is a physician, a historian, a wordsmith, and a precise thinker. He says that with great precision he traced those things that happened from the very beginning concerning Christ, in order to write an orderly account.
Most of the Gospel of Luke — not all, but most — is in chronological order. It is a logical progression through the life of Christ, who He is, what He said, and what He did. Luke states in verse four that he wrote "that you may know the certainty of the things in which you were instructed." In volume one — the Gospel of Luke — he is saying: what I have told you is reliable, authoritative, dependable, and true.
The Bridge from the Gospel to Acts
That was volume one, covering the life of Christ — what He said, what He did, where He went, His death, and His resurrection. Now we come to the book of Acts, and Luke picks up exactly where he left off. Let me read the closing verses of the Gospel of Luke. Jesus is speaking and says, "Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you. But tarry" — that is, wait — "in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." Then Jesus led them as far as Bethany, lifted up His hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.
The Foundation of Our Faith: The Risen Christ
That is the end of the Gospel of Luke. The book of Acts picks up exactly there. It begins with the ascension. Luke says he is writing to Theophilus to give him volume two, the completion of the story that began with the life and death and resurrection of Christ. He is writing about the apostles and the command they receive. The ones who were chosen — verse three of Acts chapter one — to whom He also presented Himself alive.
Luke cannot wait to make the point that Jesus Christ is alive. I was Friday and Saturday at Forest Home for a men's retreat sponsored by Forest Home itself, so there were twenty or twenty-five churches represented. When you get twenty-five churches together, you have very diverse views on things, even things that I would call no-brainers. At lunch a discussion broke out over something I had said earlier in the morning, and it was not controversial — it was based on the fact that Jesus Christ was alive and that the bodily resurrection was the foundation of our faith. The discussion was that the bodily resurrection wasn't important.
How I wish every one of you could have been there to say: not important? It's essential. If there is an empty tomb, we have Christianity. If there isn't an empty tomb, there is no Christianity. All we have left is some body of ethical behavior and teaching. Christianity is not about the teaching of Christ. At its core, it is about the life, the death, and the resurrection of Christ. He is alive.
Infallible Proofs of the Resurrection
Luke says that is the first point he has to make, and there are infallible proofs — many proofs that are convincing and compelling. He mentions three of them. Number one, Jesus had been seen by the disciples. There are eyewitnesses all around. Luke says to Theophilus: if you want to, you can go and interview those who saw Him — not once or twice, but again and again and again. They not only saw Him, they heard Him speak, and they know what He talked about. He talked about the kingdom of God — the sphere of influence, the control, the authority, the majesty, and the sovereignty of God.
Not only did they see Him and hear Him, they spent time with Him. Verse four says they were assembled together, which means they ate together. There is residue everywhere. You want to talk about the risen Christ? There is evidence you cannot miss.
As I was going through security recently, something happened that had never happened to me before. I got through and they said, could we check your bag? The agent never opened it. He took a white cloth and wiped all over the bag I was carrying. I had seen agents open a bag and pull things out, but this was different — he just ran this white cloth over everything. Then he walked to a machine with a knob on top and pressed the cloth against it. He said, okay, you can go. I said, no, no — I have to know what just happened. He said he was looking for the residue of any explosives. I told him all that was in the bag were the Dixie Chicks, Jimmy Buffett, and Bonnie Raitt — nothing explosive. He said he just needed a little residue. Apparently the residue of explosives, though not visible to the eye, would be detectable by the machine.
Luke says the residue of the Resurrector does not need to be scrubbed and put in a machine. All you have to do is go and ask. The residue of the risen Christ is all over. You cannot miss the infallible proofs.
The Command to Wait
They had been assembled with Jesus, and then He says something strange to them. He says: I want you to wait. Isn't that odd? Here are these men who have the infallible proofs. They have seen the risen Christ, listened to Him, heard Him, eaten with Him. They are ready to go. And Jesus says: no, stop, wait. There is something missing.
What is missing? The promise of the Father. Jesus says to the disciples, this is not brand new — these are things we have already talked about. I know you are ready to go, but you need to wait. You need the promise of the Father that we have mentioned.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
In John chapter seven, Jesus had been teaching and said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come after me," and that his heart would be overflowing with living waters. Then He says this is not about Him — it is about the Holy Spirit whom those believing in Him would receive. But the Spirit is not yet given, He says.
In John chapter fourteen, the night before He is to die, He comforts the disciples with these words: "I will pray the Father and He will give you another Helper." Notice the capital H in Helper — it signifies something special, signifying the deity. Jesus says He is going to give them another Helper, an Advocate, and He will abide with them forever. A little later in the same chapter, verse twenty-six, He says: "But the Helper — the Holy Spirit — whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you many things." There is this promise coming, this one who is on the way.
He says it again in John chapter fifteen: "But when the Spirit comes, whom I will send, the Spirit of truth will proceed from Me." He is not yet here. There is this one that is coming. It is the Holy Spirit.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
In John chapter 16, Jesus says, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away." I remember the first time I heard this — it was revolutionary to me. We sit and think that it couldn't get any better than to have Jesus right here, to have Jesus walk in and spend time with us. That has to be about as good as it could get. And yet Jesus says to His disciples while He is still present with them: you are better off that I am gone than that I am here. That is a strong statement. It is to your advantage that I am gone, for if I do not go away, the Helper — that is the Holy Spirit — cannot come. If I do not depart, He will not be sent.
Jesus told them to wait — to sit and wait for the promise from the Father. And who is the promise from the Father? The Holy Spirit. So here they are at the opening of the book of Acts, Jesus just about to depart, and He says: wait for the promise, the promise of the Holy Spirit. John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit — not many days from now, ten days to be precise.
Understanding Acts as a Transition Book
We need to spend a moment understanding the book of Acts. It is a transition book. We move from the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus into the formation and expansion of the church, and the Holy Spirit is brought into the center of that story. We also need to understand that this experience — this baptism of the Holy Spirit that the believing apostles were waiting for — is unique to that point in time. It is not a pattern being prescribed for us today.
Someone said to me not long ago, "Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit?" And I said, yes — I am a Christian. That is what the Bible says. First Corinthians 12:13 tells us we are all baptized with one Spirit. If you are a Christian, you have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. It is not something reserved for after conversion. It is not some special experience that happens down the road. The baptism and indwelling of the Holy Spirit happen at the point of conversion.
The Disciples' Question About the Kingdom
Verse six tells us that the disciples said to Him, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom of Israel?" This breaks somewhat the flow of what is going on, but it reveals how deeply they understood that Jesus is King and that He will reign. John Stott helps us here: the verb "restore" shows they are expecting a political kingdom, the reference to "Israel" carries a national sense, and the phrase "at this time" shows they expect it now. They were looking for an earthly kingdom, right then, in the form of the nation of Israel.
They were essentially saying: Jesus, is this the moment? We are ready. We would love a political Messiah who will set up His kingdom right now. We are ready to go. Verse seven records Jesus responding: it is not for you to know the times or the seasons. It is not now. Someday He will come again. Someday there will be a kingdom. Someday He will reign. But it is not happening now, and to the extent they got sidetracked by that question, they would miss the whole point — because Jesus has a job for them.
The Key Verse of the Book of Acts
There it is, verse eight. We said this is the key verse of the entire book, and it is not very difficult to understand. "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Here is the problem Jesus identifies: He has asked them to wait because they are ready to go, but they do not have any power. They are operating under their own strength and in their own way. But He has real power for them. When the Holy Spirit comes upon them, they will have power — the Greek word is *dunamis*. You can guess the English word that comes from it: dynamite. We tend to think of dynamite in a destructive sense, blowing things apart. But Jesus is saying they will have explosive, supernatural power.
True Power Versus Human Power
I started reading the new George Stephanopoulos book on the plane — his account of his involvement with President Clinton during the campaign and then in the White House. It is a terrific book, really interesting material. But those men actually thought they were rising to power. There is what might be called the illusion of political power, where you think you have control, and yet you cannot even stop your nose from running or prevent a cold. We imagine there is real power in those positions, that we are creating something, and yet we know that is not really true — or we would not bother reading the polls.
When we think of power, we think of influence. We think of economic power — this person can buy and sell us, can make things happen. We think of the kind of power where you pick up the phone and say, "I know the concert is sold out, but can you get me tickets?" And the answer is no problem — front row, right where you want to be. I have connections. That is what we call real power. But Jesus says He is not talking about that kind of power. He is not talking about power to get seats or acquire land. He is talking about power to change lives — not to reform lives, but to transform lives. Power that comes from the Holy Spirit.
There is no other power like it in the world. It is the power that takes a dead heart and causes it to be born again, and no power on earth can do that. And here is what is so key: Jesus says this to all of His disciples — to us today. He will give us the power that transforms lives. We need to understand clearly that it comes from Him.
The Power Behind East Valley Bible Church
Something interesting started to happen. When Jim, Walter, Les, Gary, and Beth go out to meetings about ministry opportunities, people inevitably ask where they are from on staff. They say East Valley Bible Church, and people respond with a knowing "oh." They all come back telling the same story: there is in the marketplace a very definitive idea about what East Valley Bible Church is, what it is about, and what is happening here.
Here is where it breaks down. People then want to know how you program that. Gary is especially susceptible to this. They come to him and ask, "How do you program worship?" There are certain things we can point to that we spend time with and pay attention to, but you do not program worship. God does that.
East Valley Bible Church is right now working the way it is for one simple reason: God has His hands all over it. My message to the staff, to the leadership team, and to myself in particular is this: don't screw it up. Don't mess it up. Don't for a second think we are so clever that we came up with some system.
We have no system. We do what we do. It is about what God does here — the power God has, the power to transform lives. If you are sitting there trying to figure out why this place is different, it is different because, for whatever reason, it has nothing to do with us. It is not our cleverness, it is not how worthy we are; it is because God has designed and decided, for this point in time, to bless this place with unbelievable power in the lives of people.
You Shall Be My Witnesses
You have a power. And with that power, Jesus gives a job description: "You shall be My witnesses." Remember, we said that is the key word in this study. This statement is both prophetic and a command simultaneously. He is saying it as a matter of fact: you will be My witnesses.
Matthew 28 is the Great Commission — go therefore and make disciples, baptize in the name of the Father, and teach them. In 1 John, John talks about the things we heard, the things we saw, the things we handled. Those are the things we give testimony to. Peter says he wants you to be ready to make a defense, to be a witness.
What is a witness? The English word "wit" means literally to know. The Greek word used here is the root word for "martyr" — one who dies for their faith. A witness is one who knows something and gives testimony to it. A witness is saying, all I can tell you is what I know.
Now put these things together, and here is what Jesus is saying: I am going to give you a power that works in a supernatural way. If you will go into the marketplace, go to the golf course, go home, and simply tell what you know, there will be a power that transforms lives. You will see things you never dreamt could possibly happen.
I received an email this week — one in particular — that took me back to the roots of this church, back beyond even its beginning. It spoke about a study we did years ago in a gymnasium with an overhead projector that did not work and sat at an angle. And the message of that email was not about what we had done, but about what God has done in this body, in this time. That is what He said: I want you to be My witnesses. That is the charge you and I have.
Turning the World Upside Down
A little later in the book of Acts, in the seventeenth chapter, Paul and Silas and Timothy and his entourage are coming into Thessalonica, and the Jews are petrified. They try to find Paul and Silas and Timothy but cannot. They end up with a man named Jason and drag him before the rulers of the city. Here is what they say in Acts 17:6: "Those who have turned the world upside down have now come here."
Think about what that means. This group of men had been everywhere — Ephesus, Antioch, Corinth, all over — and now they were coming to Thessalonica. And wherever they went, they turned the world upside down. They had no laptop, no building, no program, no structure. What did they have? Two things: the power of the Holy Spirit and obedient hearts. That is what they had. That is what a witness does.
How I desire that someone would one day say, "Here come those people from East Valley Bible Church. Do you know what they have done in Gilbert, Tempe, and Mesa? They have turned that corner of the city upside down, and now they are coming to Glendale — look out." Not because they are so smart, but because the power of the Holy Spirit just seems to be all over these people. That is what evangelism is.
What Evangelism Actually Is
We have talked to you about this before, and in September we will roll out an exhaustive effort to familiarize you with the opportunities and tools of evangelism. But let us first understand what evangelism is at its core.
Evangelism at its core is not us winning souls. If there is anything we understand theologically, it is that we cannot convert anybody. We cannot make that happen. That is God's job. And this may be revolutionary for you, and therefore helpful: we do not even evangelize in order to win souls. That is not the reason I share the gospel. We evangelize to bring honor and glory to God. And sometimes He moves and saves people, converts hearts.
One of the advantages of speaking at a place like Forest Home is that no one knows who you are. I am simply the speaker — I do my thing, people come and go. But they all want to talk, and it just makes me shiver to think that you are in similar settings doing the same thing. People come wanting to talk about their lives and their churches. One man came to me and said, "You have been talking a lot about evangelism," and he said —
Calvinism, Sovereignty, and Evangelism
I got to tell you something — my point was that most of us don't evangelize because we just don't really care. And he said, "I got to tell you something. I don't know if you're familiar with the term, but I'm a Calvinist." I said, "Well, I've heard of it." He said, "I'm of the Reformed faith." I said, "Okay." He said, "Do you know what that means?" I said, "I think I do." He said, "Do you know much about it?" I said, "It depends — that's a relative term. I don't know as much as R.C. Sproul, but I probably know more than some."
He said, "Well, in our faith, we believe God saves and God is sovereign and God does the work of salvation from beginning to end. It's all of God." I said, "Well, I would believe that. I think that's true." He said, "So evangelism really isn't a big issue for us." I said, "I'm not sure exactly what you mean by Calvinism, but I would think I'm a Calvinist, and I think I'm from a Reformed faith. But I'll tell you what — evangelism is a huge deal for us."
I asked, "Do you sound Presbyterian?" He said, "I am." I said, "If you go to the very first word of your catechism, the very first question is why you are on earth — to bring glory to God. That's the core of evangelism." We don't try in our church to motivate people by telling them to go out and save people. You can't save people. That's like asking you to flap your wings and fly to Chicago — it simply cannot be done.
We would never ask you to go and try to save somebody. We would ask you to bring glory to God, and one of the great ways we do that is by obediently proclaiming the gospel. God receives glory in the proclamation of the gospel, whether anybody responds or not.
The Illustration: Merle and Jim
This is really important, and here's the illustration we've used over and over again. Let's say the service is over and people leave. Merle goes out and runs into a lady, and she begins to speak with her. The lady says, "I'm lost." And Merle says, "It's not really an economic problem — the problem is you don't know Christ." She shares the gospel, and the lady says, "Those are the sweetest words I've ever heard. What do I have to do?"
On the other side of the room, that lady's husband is talking with Jim. The husband shares how empty he is, Jim shares his faith and pours it out — and the husband says, "You know what? I don't need that."
The question is: who is God most pleased with, Merle or Jim? The answer is He is equally pleased with both. Because you cannot convert anyone. Do you see how that ties together? There is great freedom in that. I share the gospel without thinking for a moment that I can make this person respond.
The Heart Problem Apologetics Cannot Fix
There is a whole world of apologetics, and I don't mean to dismiss that entirely, because I suppose it's important to some. But when you're sitting down with someone who has a PhD and you're trying to debate him, his problem isn't that he's not smart. His problem is that he has an unregenerate heart. He understands that something cannot come from nothing — his problem is that he is spiritually dead.
So I don't try to win him, convert him, or out-argue him. I say, "Here's the truth. Here's what it is. And if you don't get it, we'll pray for you." God is glorified in that.
You are to be His witnesses, and you will have the power to proclaim the gospel. But you will not have any power to save anybody. That is the exclusive property of the sovereign God. So I am called to be His witness — to tell what I know, to tell the truth, to share it.
Ignorant or Stupid?
If you're sitting there saying, "I can't really share much because I don't know much," here are two things. Number one, keep sharing. Number two, learn more. Just go and learn more. If you don't know much, that's your problem, and we can fix it.
I remember a man telling me this once. I said, "I don't know much." He said, "Are you ignorant or are you stupid?" I said, "Probably a little bit of both." He said, "If you're ignorant, we can fix you. If you're stupid, there's no hope."
If you've been around this material for a long time but someone asks you what it means to come to Christ and you're stumped, then you need to study and you need to prepare. But here is what is really key to understand — not just that you've been called to be a witness, but that you are a witness right now.
Witnessing isn't mandatory. Witnessing isn't optional. Witnessing is inevitable. The question is not whether you are a witness — the question is whether you are a good witness or a bad witness.
The Outline of the Book of Acts
Here is what He says to these men, and what He says to us today: "I want you to be My witnesses." He gives them a perfect outline of the book of Acts. The first seven chapters deal with the teaching in Jerusalem. Then, in chapters 8 through 12, the witness moves to Judea and Samaria. And then chapters 13 through 28 cover the outermost parts of the earth — including Gilbert. That is the outline, in the broadest sense, of the book of Acts.
The question we ask as we look at the key verse — and how fitting that the key verse of the book of Acts appears in the very first week of our study — is the question we carry all the way through: Are you a good witness here?
What Kind of Witness Are You?
What about in the marketplace tomorrow? What do they think of you there? What about at the golf course? What about in the areas where you recreate — your social circles? The hardest place of all, though, is at home. We had a baby dedication this first hour. The child's name is Maxwell — Mad Max — a cute kid. It is really important to understand that these parents are determined. That is why they are here. This is not mere ritual for them; they are determined to be witnesses to this child.
We always talk about all the things we are going to say to our children, but it will not take Max long to figure out whether mom and dad say one thing and do another. What kind of witness are you there? You are called to be witnesses, and that means to tell what you know — to take what you know and give testimony to it. It is our prayer that over the years you would know more and more. To go into the world, to proclaim the gospel, to tell the truth — that act in and of itself brings honor and glory to God.
Sometimes God moves in a supernatural way, and the person on the other end suddenly has the scales fall from their eyes and sees the truth for the very first time in their life. Not because of you, and not because of them, but because God worked in that setting.
Confess It and Draw a Line
So what kind of witness are you — good or bad? If you are a bad witness, then confess it as sin and draw a line in the sand. We pray that two, three, four, or five — even ten — years from now, you look back to this Sunday morning and say, it was that Sunday morning that I understood that the Holy Spirit dwells in me, and I have the power to be a legitimate witness for Christ in the world.
Will you do it? All you have to do is obey. Tell the truth. Follow Him. Is there more to it? Yes — we will give you some tools, and we are going to prepare you for that. But the tools are not going to help you if you do not care about lost people — people around you who are heading to hell. Do you care about that?
A Pastor Who Didn't Care
Let me tell this story, because it started with a man who said to me, "My father is not a Christian, and I have got to tell you, it doesn't bother me that much." I said, "Wow." The next thing he told me will give you a sense of why a lot of churches are in trouble. I asked, "What do you do for a living?" He said, "I'm a pastor."
Let me tell you what you are: you are a witness. And it is our prayer that you are a good one. It is our prayer that one day people look back and say, "There are those people from East Valley Bible Church — they are turning the world upside down." Not because they are so smart or so clever, but because they just keep doing what God tells them to do. And He seems to bless and honor that.
Closing Prayer
Father, tell us and show us today what we need to do — what is before us. Do not let us be discouraged. Help us understand that we have a power within us — an explosive power — the Holy Spirit. Father, let us be good witnesses. Let us tell what we know and give testimony to the way You work in a life.
Father, I thank You for the men and women who are here, for their love for You and their care for You. I pray that as they obediently bring glory and honor to You through their lives — and especially as they evangelize and witness to the people around them — You would allow them to see the fruit of that labor. Father, may they have the privilege of being used by You to sovereignly bring a person to salvation. God, we hold this up to You. We praise You in Jesus' name, amen.