A Powerful Testimony Series

It’s only natural – we want to share our story!

Your story can have a powerful impact on someone else’s life, even if it’s just a little part of that story!

This past week gave us several great examples of that truth.

While enjoying the 4th of July fireworks at Stewart Park in Beaumont, Mary got into a conversation with Vickie. Their conversation led to Mary sharing that she was at the park with a group from her church, FamilyFellowship. One thing lead to another and Mary eventually introduced Vickie to her Pastor. Vickie attended church Sunday morning and our home Bible study Sunday evening; all the result of Mary sharing a little piece of her story. (Mary shared with me later that that was the first time she had ever invited someone to church and it worked!)

Sunday evening I witness it again. People sitting around after Bible study sharing their stories, each relating how God brought them to FamilyFellowship and back to Himself. Each time someone shared part of their story others were touched, encouraged, challenged.

Thursday afternoon at the park we again sat around telling our stories while the kids slid down the waterslides and build sand castles. There is incredible power in sharing our stories.

Think about it, when God began to reveal Himself to the world He did not send down bookshelves filled with outlines, theologies, or lectures, He began with a story. As a matter of fact, He created a huge picture of His love (creation) and then placed a man and a woman inside that picture. Adam and Eve were the first recipients of God’s story!

Just look at the Bible, it’s a story book. It’s not a book of lectures, outlines and sermons. It’s simply a storybook filled with the most powerful stories you will ever read or hear.

So, it’s no wonder that God wants us to share our stories of His work in our lives. First John chapter one shares it this way: “And now we testify and announce to you that he [Jesus] is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was shown to us. We are telling you about what we ourselves have actually seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:2-3)

The Apostle John who walked with Jesus was now sharing that story with his readers. He was testifying, announcing the Good News of Jesus to those who would listen.

Did you catch the word - testify? The Bible uses another word for sharing our story; it’s called testimony or witness. When we share the story of God’s work in our life we are sharing our testimony. That’s exactly what God expects from each of us as His followers – to simply share the Good News, to share the story of how that Good News has changed us! He wants us to share our testimony. He wants us to be witnesses to what we have seen Him do in our lives.

Sharing that kind of story is powerful and life changing! I would dare say that most of you here this morning are here because someone shared their story with you and it brought you to Jesus! So relax, you don’t have to know everything in the Bible to be a witness. You don’t have to be a graduate theologian to share the Good News. You only have to be willing to share the story of what God did in your life.

During His time on earth that’s exactly what happened. Jesus would work in someone’s life and they would simply share that story with others.

When Jesus healed the blind man, the blind man said: I know this: “I was blind, and now I can see!” (John 9:25)

When Jesus forgave the Samaritan woman she “told everyone, Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did! Can this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29) The people of her village later told her, “Now we believe because we have heard him ourselves, (John 4:42)

These were simply common people telling an extraordinary story of Jesus working in their lives. That’s why Jesus told His disciples “you must also tell others about me” (John 15:27).

But let’s be honest, sometimes we are ashamed to tell our story. We’re not ashamed of the story, but we are ashamed that we don’t really we can meet the expectations of that story!

In other words, our lives don’t always match what we know God has done in us. Instead of living a good story and having a good “testimony” we get sidetracked and our testimony, our lives become a mess. We become ashamed of our testimony.