It’s Your Testimony

We are on our third lesson in this series I call “For Everyone.”

The subject is for everyone, all of us should be doing it and probably are on some level.

Remember we are considering those 8 to 15 people that God has divinely and strategically placed in our life.

The Greeks would call that group our what? — Audience answers. Oikos

In our oikos we are investing prayer and time in these people for opportunities to bring Christ to their life.

As we engage in conversations with our oikos there will come a time when we will be called upon to give our witness concerning Christ.

I remember my friend Joe — Develop

Scriptures teach us that we need to be prepared and that is what we are considering today, because after all its your testimony.

Paul said in Colossians 4:6

Colossians 4:6 NASB 2020

6 Your speech must always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

Are you ready for the message God has for us today?

Cool let’s dig in!

Are We Ready?

Peter would agree with Paul that we must as disciples always be prepared — 1 Peter 3:15

1 Peter 3:15 NASB 2020

15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect;

Peter tells us “always” — that means at all times, on every occasion

“Being ready” — completely prepared or is a condition for immediate action, use, or progress

“to anyone” — that is a special word with tremendous meaning it literally means anyone!

How do we prepare? — Ephesians 4:12

Ephesians 4:12 NASB 2020

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ;

Remember that is the purpose for Sundays!

We come together to prepare each other because the rest of the week depends on it!

We Are Witnesses!

I have learned from years experience that cramming God’s word down someone’s throat does not work — develop the way I was taught

That is never what God intended from us.

We are intended to be His witnesses, by sharing our testimony.

I heard someone say recently — “You are either a good witness or a bad witness, but a witness nonetheless.”

I would imagine that we all want to be good witnesses, right?

Peter would tell us that as Christ’s witnesses we should be prepared.

The more I understand the word of God, The more I learn about the teachings, life, and person of Jesus, the better prepared I’ll be.

Oikos brings new life to the personal discipline of studying the Scriptures.

We start learning with a purpose to describe the full council of God in our relational worlds.

It is about our testimony to the saving Grace of God.

Remember the testimony of the Blind man — John 9:25

John 9:25 NASB 2020

25 He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

That was the extent of his testimony concerning Jesus.

You don’t need to be a Biblical Scholar, or theologian.

You have a story of your experience with Christ and what He has done for you.

On the back of your bulletin inserted I have provided several lines for you to begin preparing and writing your testimony

Why we prepare

Timing is everything. I find it so interesting that in times of prosperity and joy people of the world are no where to be found, totally uninterested.

The moment crisis strikes they become interested.

The impact becomes profound because they are taken totally by surprise — 2 Corinthians 12:8-9

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 NASB 2020

8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

While people in the church may only brag about God in times of healing, Paul bragged about God in the midst of something that God remained silent about, despite the Apostle’s continued prayer for deliverance.

You may not know this but you are the center or your oikos.

You are like a star, you are constantly being watched — develop

For the people in your oikos you shine brightly in their world.

You are the source of light for them and there will be times where in their desperation they will come to you.

This was why Paul wrote to Corinth — 2 Corinthians 3:2-6

2 Corinthians 3:2–6 NASB 2020

2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all people, 3 revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence we have toward God through Christ. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Thus we need to prepare to share!

I remember a time when I wasn’t prepared to shard — Biology class

The lesson I learned from that terrible experience — NEVER AGAIN!

God used this experience to prepare me for someone in my oikos that he wanted me to talk to, my physicist friend at work

Now we are back to the Great Commission — Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 28:19–20 NKJV

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Since the day Jesus said these words the mission has never changed!

Conclusion

It is a necessity that we prepare.

We need to leverage our work together, this is where worship, fellowship, and Bible knowledge fall.

When we think oikos syncretic Sunday becomes a necessity because Monday thru Saturday depend upon it!

Tom Mercer, “You can attend discipleship classes every night of the week but, until you actually “Go” and engage somebody, you can’t all yourself a disciple.”

That stung when I read it!

Your oikos is where the engagement happens naturally and organically.

We invest time, prayer, and we prepare for when the moment to be a witness arises.

This is why we must live a balanced life.

That what we claim to believe is seen in the way we live our life.

So you must now ask yourself; “Is it true that my life is in balance with what I believe?”

I guarantee you your oikos is watching!

Begin today by preparing your testimony.

Then reflect upon how live your life and insure that you are living in balance.

So what are you going to do based upon what God has said today?