SAVED TO TESTIFY

Last month we spoke of Pursuing Jesus and discover what HE wants to do through our lives...

One of the last things we talked about was Pursuing Commission...

I think we get scared thinking that the Lord wants to use us to PROCLAIM JESUS and what HE can do in LIVES to others...

We think - how can God use me...

The simplicity of sharing our faith - not even our church, but our faith - is sharing what Jesus did for you...

(Go down to the audience and ask three people -

Outside of saving your soul, what else has Jesus done for you?)

IN addition to things the Lord has done for you - everyone of us saved has a testimony.

WHAT IS A TESTIMONY?

A testimony is OVERWHELMING people with the story of how YOU OVERCAME something in this world that held you in spiritual defeat because YOU surrendered to Jesus making HIM OVERALL.

(we talked about this a couple of years ago when we started our theme for 2021)

God has given EVERYONE OF US who have been saved by HIs blood and the grace with which He forgives - A TESTIMONY!

Our testimony DEFEATS the devil in our lives, in other lives and in the world. Why do you think the enemy works so hard to keep the people of God silent by making them think they cannot share their story, or that it is of no avail, or their lives don’t measure up enough, or that they are unable — it is one of the reasons Jesus left us with the Holy Spirit - so we could be empowered to share our TESTIMONY.

Revelation 12:11 NLT

11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

The devil is defeated by two things - together -

The blood of Jesus

The testimony of the Saints

It is time we stop allowing the devil to defeat us, and that we begin defeating the devil!

Turn with me to Acts 22:1-22

Acts 22:1–22 NLT

1 “Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.” 2 When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater. 3 Then Paul said, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. 4 And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. 5 The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished. 6 “As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 “ ‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ 9 The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me. 10 “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’ 11 “I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions. 12 A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus. 13 He came and stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And that very moment I could see him! 14 “Then he told me, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. 15 For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. 16 What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’ 17 “After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance. 18 I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won’t accept your testimony about me.’ 19 “ ‘But Lord,’ I argued, ‘they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.’ 21 “But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!’ ” 22 The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, “Away with such a fellow! He isn’t fit to live!”

This is Paul sharing his testimony ---

You might be saying - they sought to kill him after he shared it,

To which I reply - correct! He knew they were going to reject it, but nonetheless they needed to hear it...

Not everyone will receive what we say, but we still need to say it...

This crowd rejected Paul because his testimony proved their hearts were wicked…

We never know when someone’s heart is revealed that the Spirit of God will work to draw them to salvation…

Our role is to be ready to TESTIFY whenever, wherever and to whomever!!!

1. Tell People Who You Were Before Christ

Paul here is actually giving a defense of his life and what occurred in it, but in reality he identifies with the people and how he was just like them...

HE speaks of being Jewish, trained a Pharisee and student of the law, and how he came against the church and even stood watch over the coats of those who stoned Stephen to death (first martyr)

THe reality is Paul’s life before Christ set him at enmity with the cross.

This is exactly where lost people are right now - enemies of Jesus by their choosing and actions.

Romans 8:7 NLT

7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.

This is why we need to be changed.

Where were you before Jesus?

living in adultery like the woman at the well

stuck in religious piety without knowing Christ (some religions and even cults) Paul was ---

greedy and a cheater of others for money like Zacheus

sexually immoral like many of the women we find in the Bible

(Ask someone in the room what was their reality and life before meeting Jesus?)

We were all somewhere before Jesus - some acceptable to society and some despised by it --- the great thing is Jesus did not care about our background or hold it against anyone when He walked the earth --- just look at disciples like Judas - a rebel and rioter and Matthew a tax collector and cheat...

Jesus does not care now....

People need to hear that Jesus can accept them right where they are at!

Just like he accepted Paul (Saul) who was killing his church!

2. Tell Them How You Came to Christ

Paul shares the circumstances of what happened to him on the road to Damascus… and how he was led into the city and the Lord sent someone to share with him and pray with him...

There are things and circumstances surrounding why you came to Jesus!

For many a trial or hardship, or illness or struggle in your life, for others it was just because someone came and shared hope and truth to you...

OR it could be both!!!

What led up to you finding the Lord as your Saviour??

This is YOUR STORY!!!!

Who can argue with your story? Who can take away your experience???

Even in our world filled with people’s own truth - who can take away your truth? Especially when it encountered REAL TRUTH!

(Ask someone - How did you come to know Christ?)

3. Describe the Difference Jesus Made in Your Life

Paul then tells how his life was different after Jesus - how now he went about sharing Jesus with others and proclaiming him to the Gentiles

(the Jews he was speaking with did not like that, even though they rejected Jesus)

The main thing is that Paul’s life was different and it was good - he was forgiven, fulfilled and fulfilling PURPOSE...

How did your life become different? What changed after you discovered Christ? How did your life improve after Jesus?) - Ask people...

What JEsus has done in your life - no one can take away or argue!

CONCLUSION

READ THIS TESTIMONY: From my devotional commentary by Nicky Gumble a Pastor in the UK who has a discipleship ministry called ALPHA

My new friend from Scotland, Dez, told me, ‘I was a doorman; a bouncer. I was quite a violent guy. I took a lot of drugs. I was a cocaine addict. My life revolved around fighting, taking drugs, partying and living in that cycle.’ He said, ‘One night I had taken a massive overdose. I felt like I was having a heart attack. My heart was jumping out of my chest. And I cried out in what I didn’t know then was a prayer: to live. And I woke up the next day and I never touched coke again.’ After that, Dez kept meeting Christians. One in particular was Fiona, who really lived out her faith. He asked her out a few times, but she said ‘No’. Mainly because he wasn’t a Christian. She gave him a Bible and he started reading: ‘I started tearing through it trying to find something and I ended up finding Jesus. Suddenly, my whole life made sense.’ He called Fiona and asked her to take him to church. There he heard about [Alpha](https://www.alpha.org/). ‘On [Alpha](https://www.alpha.org/), I met Jesus and it changed my life. I was this drug-fuelled, violent person and now I love people and love God. I just want to share my story.’ Dez has just finished his studies in Theology and is working for [Alpha](https://www.alpha.org/) Scotland. And, he married Fiona. He is now a happy husband and a loving father. Dez sums up his complete transformation: ‘Jesus turned the questions I had about whether God exists into a belief that God cares about me. I have changed from a violent, loveless drug addict to a man who is happily married and full of love. I’m now running Alphas for all types of people, from gangs to grannies, and I’m seeing their lives changed.’

IT is as simple as saying:

Where you were before Jesus

What brought you to Jesus

What your life has been like since Jesus

Every Christian has a testimony ---- its time to TESTIFY!