My Testimony

-Tonight we start a series called “My Testimony” And in this series, we are going to look at the “what” and “Why” our testimony is so important to each one of us.

-We will also look at how God’s Word leads us to see our testimony, and one specific example of the power of someones testimony to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

-First start with defining “What” a Testimony is.

-Definition of Testimony:

-According to the googles: A formal written or spoken statement, especially give in a court of Law-legal proceedings

-An open acknowledgement

-A public profession of religious experience!-

SLIDE

-Simply put- A profession of what JESUS has done in our lives through FAITH.

-SLIDE EVIDENCE or PROOF provided by the existence or appearance of something.

-How does this look in our lives??

SLIDE Others can SEE the CHANGE in us!……Evidence & Proof!!

-SLIDE—Our testimony is one of the greatest resources when witnessing to others!

-We aim for others to hear through our accounts:

-Hope and Forgiveness of Sins

-Freedom found in Christ.

So why do we share our testimony, what is the motivation??

Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

-We share our testimony, because God has commanded us to make disciples, and to teach others about Him! and our testimony is the intimate/ our own experience of the Gospel changing someone!

Isaiah 43:10 ““You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.”

SLIDE: If you have been CHOSEN by God, then you are His WITNESSES!

Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

SLIDE: We share our testimony because we want JESUS to RETURN!!

-Lets look at a Biblical example of ones testimony:

In The Gospel of Luke 8, We see a miraculous story….a story of man demon possessed.

This wasn’t just any possession, this man was so possessed with so many demons that when Jesus asked his name (speaking to the demon inside the man) he wanted to be called “legion.” (about 5,000)

So we see this man in a place called Gerasenes, who has been walking around the graveyard naked, possessed by around 5K demons. He had been shackled and bound, but kept breaking out.

He begs for Jesus, by name to not torment them, and asked permission to enter into swine (pigs/very unclean in those days) Jesus gives them permission.

The demons go into the pigs, and drown themselves.

Naturally people go out to see the commotion, and these people had no idea who Jesus was.

this man has been healed of these demons, and naturally was found at Jesus’ feet. yet the towns people were scared (not knowing who Jesus was) and asked Jesus to leave.

So Jesus gives this man a command in VS 39

SLIDE: Matthew 8:39

“Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him.

Again in the book of ACTS, we see a similar thing

SLIDE: Acts 4:33 “And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.”

-This is important to note:

SLIDE: EVERY salvation is a RESURRECTION story!

SLIDE; Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Slide: Ephesians 2:4–5 “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

SHARE REEL NOTES:

Voddie Baucham “ Many will listen to these ‘inflated” or amazing testimonies....and say well I just don’t have a testimony…..

All I have is:

-God wrapped himself in flesh

-Died on a cross and nailed my sins to that cross too

-Was Placed in a grave

-He rose again on the 3rd day

-Ascended to Heaven to the right hand of God the Father

-Is currently making intersession (prayers to the Father in our place) for me until my salvation is complete and He takes me home.

Thats ALL I got!!

-WE ALL HAVE AN AMAZING TESTIMONY STORY!!

SHARE MY QUICK TESTIMONY

PRAY!!