"Weary World, Weary Witnesses"

by Pastor Ben Dolby

Beloved people of God. How are you holding up? We all carry unique burdens, anxieties, and cares; yet, we are united, believers and unbelievers, by the weariness of this broken world.

One does not have to look too long or too far to sense a feeling of extreme tiredness in the heart, mind, and soul. Perhaps we’re also reluctant to disturb the world around us because we see the weariness on our neighbors’ sad faces or hear it in their words of anguish.

What could we possibly offer to a weary world when we ourselves, are weary witnesses – Christians battle our own sense of exhaustion, frailty, and vulnerability…in fact, we battle it so often by denying it or not broaching the topic when witnessing (evangelizing) to the world or even in prayers we lift to God!

Are you afraid you’re going to burden God with the same lamentations or anxieties you’ve laid at the foot of the cross, countless days and nights before today?

October is an excellent month to remember our Reformation Heritage. It is not about anything unique to 500 years ago, per se, but a re-claiming and remembering our spiritual birthright given as a gift: The Gospel is exactly what the weary world and we weary witnesses need!

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:8-9

Saint Paul first quotes Deuteronomy 30:14 here, then declares there is an inseparable link between faith as expressed outwardly and possessed inwardly.

What does this mean?!

It means the Holy Spirit is calling to you through the Holy Promises of the Father to remember what the Son has defeated upon the Cross: All of this weariness of soul and body is from the spiritual darkness assaulting us from within and from outside our own being. The Good News is that this present darkness, this inescapable weariness, is a temporal, temporary thing.

But in this present day, the Enemy (Satan and our sinful nature) lie and tell us how hopeless of a state we and the whole world is.

In this darkest of days, God calls us to outwardly share the Gospel, the Light of Jesus defeating Death and the Grave forever. The LORD Almighty calls us back to our baptism where he sealed us in his Name: Father, + Son, and Holy Spirit.

Outwardly, you are called to share the Gospel. There will be times where you point people to God’s great plan in Genesis 3:15 and John 3:16-17. Other times you’ll give an apologetics type of witness with the glorious Gospel in Ezekiel 18:23 and Job 19:23-27.

Do not underestimate the power of your evangelism witness by giving forgiveness to those who have trespassed against you, including yourself! I testify to seeing unbelievers recently blown away by grace and forgiveness offered to someone who was not even sorry yet! I repent of underestimating the power of God’s spoken and lived out Word of forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

There is no shame in being weary, but do not weary of outwardly bearing witness to the glorious Gospel. Share the promises of Jesus with the unbelieving, callous world with your words. Do not grow weary inwardly but rather remember his promises are eternally for you too.

It is a weary world and we all may be weary witnesses; but the LORD Almighty has defeated Death, he crushed Satan under his feet at the Cross, and he is certainly defeating all that afflicts us in body and spirit. Do not underestimate what the Reformation was all about: It’s all about Jesus’ victory for the sake of the world upon the cross and when he rose from the dead. It really is as simple and beautiful as uttering forgiveness, hope of life eternal without suffering, where pain, sorrow, and Death are no more.

Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. Your neighbor desperately needs to hear it. You desperately need to remember it. Remember, it is all about Jesus for you and for the sake of all who may yet come to faith. Alleluia and Amen!

In Christ,

Pastor Dolby