The Old Testament is full of symbolism pointing to the day of Pentecost. The main purpose for the Day of Pentecost was not only that we would speak in tongues, but mainly to empower every single believer to be a witness (or martyr) for Jesus. This implies that there is a certain death to self when it comes to witnessing. We are to witness through both our lives and our words. The gift of tongues is a sign of us having received the power to be witnesses. A person’s witness is in the first case powerful to the degree to which the witness’ life has been transformed (godliness) by the gospel and the Holy Spirit. Secondly a message or witness is very powerful and credible when a person has had first-hand experience of God acting in his/her life. We can witness of the reality of Jesus from the Word. The personal experiences of what God had done in our lives also give a weightiness, effectiveness, and power to our words. There is a conviction and persuasion to our words and testimony, especially when God confirms them with demonstrations of power, signs, and wonders through the Holy Spirit. God wants us to be stewards of our time and talents. We are also to steward the treasures He has entrusted to us, as well as our testimony, and take every opportunity to lead people to Jesus.
