Episode 49 Show Notes
How to Share Your Testimony
From the Show
Is it a sign of weak faith to be afraid of death?
Think of Jesus at Lazarus' tomb, John 11. Jesus is just about to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead and yet he comes to the tomb and he weeps. This is a kind of Northern European way of translating the verbs that are used there. Have you ever seen in the news a Palestinian funeral or a Jewish funeral? That's what we're talking about here. Wailing. Jesus wailed. The same verbs are used for a horse to snort in fear. The same verbs are used when the disciples are terrified on the sea after Jesus calms the storm. They're terrified now of Jesus, who has this power over the waves and the wind. That's the kind of fear that Jesus himself felt. He was overwhelmed with the terror, the horror, of death and he wept.
If that's true of Jesus even just before he raised Lazarus from the dead, surely [for] those who are suffering it can feel the same way. Now dying a martyr's death or even suffering for Christ's name in various ways can also be a fearful thing, but martyrs don't go looking for a cross. The cross finds them. But God promises to give us the strength if and when that moment comes. That means that you shouldn't vex yourself over the hypothetical question of whether you'd have the guts for it. You don't. I don't either. But the Holy Spirit gives us the guts for it.— Michael Horton
Questions in this Episode
1. In First Timothy 1:5, Paul says, “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” How do you think that we can keep love the focus when studying the Bible so that we don’t get too caught up in pointless debates?
2. Why does John call Jesus “the Word made flesh”? Is this similar to Philippians 2:7?
3. I know that the Bible teaches that the older women are supposed to teach the younger women. My question is, who counts as the older women? Who should disciple the younger women?
4. What do you think is most important to say when giving your testimony?
5. Is Jeremiah 23:5 a prophecy about Jesus?
6. Is it a sign of weak faith to be afraid of death?
Resources
The Deep Things of Godby Fred Sanders
7 Simple Ways to Share Your Faith With Others
How Can I Get Over the Fear of Death?
5 Ways God Meets Us When Our Faith Is Weak
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