Giving your testimony Acts 26:12-32 WBC 17/11/02 pm
Drama:
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
The Bible tells us that we should always be able to talk and tell about our faith. But how should we do it? How should you give your testimony
- church… to friends
Well- note what Paul does. Note how he gives his testimony, and how he tells what Jesus has done for him (3rd occasion in Acts!)
1 “I am Jesus” (v15)
I’m kind of cautious how soon I get to the nitty-gritty of my testimony
- don’t want to scare people off.
o let them get to know me, first. Know I’m human… likeable (I hope!)
o launch straight in with ‘are you washed in the blood’
you’ve lost them! let wisdom control your enthusiasm!
o actually- even mentioning ‘Jesus’ too early can make them think you’re off your trolley (in OUR culture)
BUT- I never avoid anything spiritual, or ‘what I do, or did on Sunday’
- but bring it in gently. Naturally. It’s part of you! Not ashamed?!
- it’s okay to talk about these things, today. God… even church
- (they just see them as boring, innocuous!?)
Then: how I’ve been helped. No one can contradict you STORY. TESTIMONY (what Paul does here ‘I have appeared to you’)
- story, testimony… not theology!
But note: sooner or later, for them and you… it must boil down to
- Jesus
- and whether he is Lord or not. “Who are you, Lord?” “I am Jesus”
You can talk about God. (But so does everyone). You can talk about church. You can say ‘I am a Christian’…. and to many it will mean nothing
- they will just think
- 1) You’re a do-gooder.. nice person 2) You’ve ‘prayed the prayer’ (as though that’s the end of it!)
But in the end they and WE need to understand it’s about Jesus being LORD, and us trying to FOLLOW Him
- Say “I’m trying to follow Jesus… be a disciple of His”- and it’s a real show/conversation stopper
What does “Lord, mean”
- sir. Master. Boss. God. YHWH “I AM Jesus” (note- it makes a point of saying it was Aramaic, so very like YHWH Jesus”
Bring it ‘round to Him: What he means to you. How HE has helped you find God. How you’ve found Him THE WAY.
2. “I have appeared to you” (v16)
Interesting, here. Did Paul see Jesus?
- not as far as I can tell from any of his 4 accounts (3 Acts, 1 Gal)
- he saw a blinding LIGHT and HEARD Him speak.
- we often say ‘the Lord told me… appeared to me”
o but we need to EXPLAIN it for them (I didn’t hear a voice)
The point he’s making is – Jesus revealed Himself to HIM
You know- our testimonies are so often:
- I was really miserable…. I found Jesus… now I’m really happy
o sometimes true… but often = ‘spin!”
Actually… so often… and for Paul, here… it’s not so much ‘I found Jesus’ – but Jesus found me!
- “I have appeared to YOU”
- God went and hunted him out… down.
- IT felt like that for me. True: I received Him… but he ‘appeared to me’
o Cf Tracey Bishop. Couldn’t breathe! “It’s time, Tracey”
o some of you- have come through recently: but I’ve seen God at work in your lives for MONTHS! I’ve been confident because- God was there first!
I do believe in God’s sovereign choice and workings!
• cf we’ve reached out recently, God has responded
The other thing is “I WAS miserable, NOW I’m not”:
Nowhere does Paul imply he was really miserable before he found Jesus! You don’t have to be to find faith!
- had a LOT going for him. Secure in legalism and zeal!
o it is not true that people can’t be happy without Jesus
if you say it is- they know you’re isolated/lying!
o God has made a wonderful world… full of many good things… and causes His good gifts of joy, happiness etc to be lavished on both believer and unbeliever alike
but unbelievers don’t recognise the
• source
• need for a saviour. SO it all ends when their life does!
Also- Paul does not imply that his problems stopped when he became a believer
- did they, do you think?
o read 2 Cor! 2CO 1:8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death
o 2 Cor 4:8 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
o don’t have time for 2 Cor 11;23. floggings, prison, stonings etc!
and here he is
1) Arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21).
2. Tried before Felix, imprisoned for 2 years (Acts 24).
3. Tried before Festus, appealed to Caesar (Acts 25).
4. Agrippa visits Festus; Paul speaks to him (Acts 26
So different from our testimonies, eh?
So- you don’t HAVE to have been miserable. Jesus is for the non-miserable, too! Happy folks need Him!
- if you’ve just grown up in a home to love and know Him. GREAT!
o I know you wish, sometimes ‘if only I could have been a real sinner!’
but you’ve had the best heritage possible!
Also: this being a Christian IS tough. It’s NOT ‘easier’ once you find faith. There’s real opposition- like Paul experienced.
- don’t deny it
- do be aware that unbelievers DON’T understand it. Don’t go into it. (Paul doesn’t here). “Satan tried to stop me getting to the service”
3. “I will rescue you” (v17)
But – God is with us! And the testimony of how Christians make it through and are rescued from despair… giving up… is incredible!
Our time isn’t up until our time is up!
- I know of many people who have been DELIVERED from one trouble/illness after another. Testimonies from Craig M
o and then, suddenly, it’s their time. Sharon in Ibiza. Trish B?
“I will rescue you” (‘He will come and save you’) from CD
Note: “I will rescue you” didn’t mean “I’ll find you every parking space you’ll want… and save you from getting your little pinkies trapped”
- But rather: “I have the final say! Nobody can touch you until I say so.” “No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck you from my hand”
This is God’s promise to us. I WILL rescue you. In MY way & time
- what is required from us is that we trust Him, stand firm and not deny Him. Even when our faith seems SO low.
- in time we’ll see His deliverance. Ultimately we’ll be taken to Him
This trust, perseverance… even when our faith is down… is just what our friends can’t understand
- and is the greatest testimony to Jesus’ power
- not that we never face trials or issues. But how we come THROUGH them, and God delivers us OUT of them
4. “I am sending you” (v17)
God does great things in our lives
- so that we can then help others.
- He blesses us so we can BE a blessing
It’s the saddest thing to have received much from the Lord
- and keep it to self. Only want ‘more of the same’
- One of the probs I have with the Toronto stuff
o THERE’S a TIME TO GO
- also: those to whom much has been given, much will be expected
o God expects us to ‘go’. Out there. And serve
eventually –if we don’t GO- the blessing dries up and we just spend more and more time hunting blessing and looking at our naval
o I know some will be VERY upset about Nicky Gumbel being only for Xians if you can take a guest!
(no friends? Sing? Join the choir!)
inviting people is as easy as falling off a log!
o but THEY have such a need compared to ours. It’s so wrong to be thinking of self at a time like this
“I am sending you”
- to work! To teach! To care. Into the business world. As a parent
- to make the most of every opportunity. To pray… all the time… that God will give you the right opening to share your testimony… about Jesus
-
I am Jesus… I have appeared to you… I will deliver you
- now GO. I have a purpose for your life, and the gifts I have given you are to be used for ME.
In Christ alone
I the Lord of sea and sky
I lift my eyes up
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