A Simple Testimony
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Have you ever had a life changing experience?
Something that made you completely shift your perspective on your life or made you life differently.
It could be meeting someone special or maybe even the addition to the family.
It doesn’t even have to be a big thing, it could be a small practice that changed your life. Maybe a change in rhythm or a shift in practice that over time changed your life.
Now is that story impactful? Yes! but can we, anyone who does not know that story of your life understand that impact without the beginning… no.
We need to understand the beginning of the story for it to be powerful.
Think about famous movies if the protagonist was already good enough to conquer evil. That would be the most boring story.
We actually have a narrative tool for writing to help shape what the hero should go through in the story.
it is called the Hero’s Journey
There is a call to adventure, a threshold of transformation
influences on the hero
a death and rebirth, the moment things change quickly.
Then there is a new life that happens and finally the story begins to end.
So what would a story be like if the hero never went on a journey? it would not really be a story.
The reason the hero’s journey is powerful is becuase they become someone else when they end the journey, they become a hero.
Now as we talk about telling a christian testimony we are replacing ourselves as the hero and saying thats Jesus but we are the ones who are changing.
We can still see ourselves in the hero’s journey and acknowledge that Jesus is the one who died and resurrected for our transformation.
But how do we tell testimony? What even is a testimony, maybe you have never heard that word before or rarely hear it.
Lets talk about that as we read John 9, and we are going to go from the beginning of John 9 to the end.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
When it comes to suffering it is not something that is given before birth becuase of sin. Look at how Jesus rejects this conversation immediately but giving a answer. There is no room for discussion in it.
We must take note of how Jesus is quick to shut down this idea that this person was born blind because someone else had sinned. Jesus is not saying that the mans parents are not pure of sin but just that their sin was not the reason for the blindness.
The reason for the blindness is that God’s glory might be displayed in him.
Now Jesus tells them it is to show God’s glory and that while he is still in the world or as he says “as long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me”. But to notice Jesus says we, implying that the Disciple should also be taking part, even if this is the only conversation that even suggests the disciples are around Him in this encounter.
However continue reading, Night is coming when no one can work, while I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Now when I read this I am read as if Jesus is inviting the disciples into healings, something that the disciples do in the book of acts, but they do not do now becuase Jesus is close, and that night portion being his death and before resurrection, the three days. However the light of the world is now accessible to all believers, so Jesus invite his disciples in is quick verse into God’s healing power.
This is the healing, and from this part of the encounter we now enter into the testimony of the man. It’s a small portion, very quickly read that Jesus was there, conversed with the disciples over the man and healed him.
After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
“Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
This is the actual personal encounter between the man born blind and Jesus.
Jesus spits in the mud, stirs it around probably and scoops it up to smear on the mans eyes. “Go” he tells him “Wash in the pool of Siloam” so the man stands up washes up and we don’t know if immediately he saw or if by the time he got home he was seeing.
Either way he was blind and now he sees.
Now I am going to front load this sermon, becuase all that I am going to say is evident in these two verses. The Man just refers back to this event. He even becomes better at recalling this event but at it’s very heart, from John’s eye witness account. that is the story, “I was blind and Jesus made me see”.
You’ll see why this simple testimony is so important, and hopefully I can encourage you that even a simple testimony can change lives.
First Telling
First Telling
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”
Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
“How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
“Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.
Now John the author moves away from following Jesus and starts to follow this un-named man, the blind man or now simply referred to as the man.
The man now in a different location, either near his house or at the temple is causing attention from his neighbours. Is this the man that was blind? Well he looks like he but he clearly sees.
But he insists that he is the man that was born blind; and so comes the question of how.
The Man says that the man called Jesus, which if we look back there must have been some dialogue not included in the gospel where Jesus either tells the Man his name or The man would have heard it as they approached.
When they hear the how they begin to ask more about Jesus.
Where is this man, and it reminds us that he is wanted. Could they be honestly seeking? Or do they know already who Jesus is and want to confront him? We don’t know the answer, I take the side they are really curious. They would have known this man, they talk about in a way that makes it like they are really shocked to see that he is no longer blind.
When we tell testimony we invite people into a further conversation. Notice the man who gives testimony and even as basic as it is when he tells it others start to ask questions.
Testimonies do not always need to be long winded or filled with details becuase the testimony does not recceive the glory and neither do you when telling it
a testimony is to draw people into a further conversation
Testimonies start conversations - They get us asking questions.
But The Man does not know where Jesus is and so we go further into this chapter where he gets brought before the Pharisees.
But the Author John writes this narrative to give us another spokesman for the truth. The Man gives us a account of truth from the way the he understands it, which is a basic understanding, remember what he tells the neighbours, the man called Jesus told me what to do and now I am healed.
But it is the way that the man approaches the conversation, holding to the truth even in opposition that makes his testimony stand.
This is why John moves away from writing about Jesus here and focuses on a un-named man.
So lets keep reading.
Second Telling
Second Telling
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.
Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents.
The Pharisees arrive and if you read the testimony of the man you can see that he has gotten more precise on what he is talking about.
His testimony has gotten shorter and he does not mention Jesus’ name. He does not mention the pool of Siloam.
“He put mud on my eyes and I washed and now I see”
More so he does not say “Jesus made mud” to stay away from the idea that the pharisees would latch onto the idea of breaking the sabbath.
The pharisees become divided, one group arguing against Jesus, he is not from God and the others saying this is quite the sign, no sinner could heal the blind.
so they turn to the man again and ask him about the person that had healed him to which they get a reply.
He is a prophet.
The mans answer splits the difference half speculating if Jesus is from God and how he could not be becuase he breaks the Jewish law.
However if Jesus is a prophet as the man had answered with his limited knowledge we can justify this.
Now we know more then the man that Jesus is God’s son, 100% man and 100% God.
This man is trying to understand how he was healed when all he knows is Jesus’ humanity. Trying then to also rationalize that Jesus did just break the Jewish law and heal someone on the Sabbath.
So a prophet comes out of his mouth, the best defence he can come to. A prophet is sent on a divine commission from God and so if healing the man was apart of the divine commission then Jesus is in no wrong.
The man takes all of his understanding and tells testimony of who Jesus is to him.
Here is a ask for the parents in the room to really understand this next point.
When you drive home after the service today, will you ask your child or teen “Who is Jesus to you”?
Just let them answer and when they are finished then jump in and help if needed.
I want you to do this becuase they probably don’t have the same understanding of Jesus as you, if they are younger too their understand is going to be very basic.
You might even get a one word answer like “God”.
The Man only knows so much, he is taking his background information on his Jewish faith, taking the encounter and trying to understand them together.
So a prophet is who he is to this Man. Remember they asked him, who is he to you? “a prophet”
Testimony is how I know God
I am ready to share testimony of Jesus… Today!
When you tell testimony you are not pulling out theological commentaries and books written by famous authors. There is probably not a biography for your testimony. Nothing is cited or sourced except for scripture.
However everything you say is about how you understand God. How God has acted in your life, and from your point of view.
It’s directly personal to you and when you tell testimony you are talking about who Jesus is to you and how you understand him.
This is both a affirmation and conviction, okay? I’ll comeback to the conviction at the end of the message today but here is the affirmation:
It’s a affirmation becuase I am telling you right now that your testimony is ready to share right now and today. Share it with the world, you don’t need to prepare for it so don’t back down from the opportunity.
Today is the day to share how you know Jesus; you are as prepared as you can be, you can’t go back and get more ready when the opportunity presents itself.
But the scripture continues
3rd Telling
3rd Telling
“Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind.
But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.
That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
So I want to quickly speak about the parents part of this narrative and how they tell the Pharisees that their son or the man can speak for themselves becuase they are simple afraid to speak about Jesus.
Every time I read that specific portion of John 9 I think these words:
“Nobody can tell your testimony but you”
It’s your story with Jesus, your parents can’t tell it, your spouse can’t tell it, your kids can’t tell it like you can tell it.
They might try but it will never be the same as you telling testimony.
So the parents deflect back to the Man.
Pharisees ask him to give glory to God and tell the truth about Jesus, they know he is a sinner.
The man again only speaking about what he knows says,
“Whether he is a sinner of not, I do’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see”!
In your testimony you can admit that you don’t know all the answers. That is alright, there is a difference between defending the faith and sharing your faith. It is very important to have a good understanding of apologetics but when it comes to testimony, focus on what you do know.
Jesus saves, he saved you. What is he doing in your life? What has he done? Who is he to you?
Knowledge of Jesus is vital to discipleship but even the newest of disciples like this man can share a testimony with the least amounts of knowledge.
Even if it’s a simply testimony where you just keep repeating the facts.
I was blind but now I see.
However draw your attention to verse 27
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
This is the best part of the chapter. Do you want to become his disciples too?
Now he says it to jest but should that not be the end of our testimonies?
Where we ask the question “do you want to follow Jesus too”?
The man could have stopped the sentence earlier, he knew the crowd he was talking to and that the comment was not going to go over well.
However he still gives this invitation to the Pharisees, do you too want to be disciples. He implies his stance and invites others to take it on too.
But honest question for you to sit with. When you finish telling a testimony what should happen next…
My honest opinion is always “What now”
A good testimony should give glory to God and invite the listener into action, let that be further discipleship, service, conviction on their own sin.
Ask the what now, for the Man he admits he is a disciple, we will read more on that but he also says, well what now? They heard the story and joke or not he says “how about you? do you want to follow Jesus”.
Testimony needs to end with “What now”
Give God the Glory but invite others to do the same. The man has a opportunity like none other to speak to lots of people about Jesus, to tell testimony about him, to give him the glory and he invites others to consider following him too.
If you tell others about Jesus do not forget the invitation,
Don’t just leave them with a good story, don’t just point up and say it’s all Him, do that but give the invitation to get to him.
Give God the Glory and give people the invitation.
Now they decline, and get mad at him
Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
Now the conversation shifts from testimony to defense and remember his simply testimony he barely knows Jesus and hardly had a conversation with Jesus. However he still gives a answer,
He brings his background understanding of his Jewish faith and combines it with a understanding of the encounter he has with Jesus.
Stating Jesus could not be a sinner becuase of his closeness with God, So at the very least he is a Godly person.
Only a Godly person could take the eyes of a blind person and make them see! So Jesus must be from God becuase nobody, no prophet had ever cured blindness. He must be the best prophet there is.
Again his basic understanding of the encounter with the background of jewish faith pushes him to realize that Jesus is at the very least a Godly prophet and so he wants to be a disciple of Jesus.
He defends all he knows and experienced and the Pharisees see that they have gotten nowhere in this conversation and it has now progressed to a place where they don’t like so they throw him out.
It’s important to be ready to defend your faith. Which leads into furthering your discipleship, learning more and growing more in your faith. You need to be growing and follow jesus every day.
So what does that look like well 35-41
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”
“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
Jesus comes back and finds the man thrown out of the house where this discussion is happening and asks the man do you believe in the son of man?
The man asks, he search and he wants to know more and I was reading this more and it again passes over me on a inital reading, he possible doesn’t even know his is Jesus who healed him. He was blind when that happened remember that? So he is asking where did the prophet go?
Jesus says, I am here. So the man finally worships him.
A blind man who can now see and falls down face first in the dirt to worship his saviour, his healer.
Now our testimonies need to do the same when they are over. That we too fall down in worship when we finish sharing.
See the conviction of sharing testimony is I need to get ready for it.
Either to fall down in worship or prepare in knowledge to hold up my defence of faith.
I need to get ready to share testimony of Jesus… tomorrow
We need to be getting ready to share testimony of Jesus by seeking him more. The blind man never got the chance to know jesus but the instant Jesus reveals himself he is all in. He wants to know the saviour.
One verse that talks about this preparation to share testimony:
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
There is things to learn, how to share better, how to defend the faith stronger, to get closer to Jesus so that your testimony is based even more in his love.
Don’t wing it but prepare.
However like I said earlier don’t just prepare but go for it, be ready and be present. Seek opportunities to share your faith.
Don’t just say “next time” or “When I am ready” If the testimony of Jesus can be share by someone who never saw his face and hardly knew him how much more powerful is your testimony of Jesus.
You haven’t seen him face to face but you know him.
This chapter should challenge you to share about your saviour becuase you are in the same place as the Blind man. Never have seen the saviour face to face, holding still limited knowledge but the difference is the willingness to speak about it.
Then finally when we see him face to face we can bow down in worship.
But for now if we have a relationship with Jesus we exist within verses 13-34. If you look here this whole chapter is a picture of our faith. We were blind in sin but now we have that freedom through Christs death and ressurection and even if we are not with him right now we can share testimony of who he is.
The miracle has happened, If you follow Jesus he has healed you of your sins, but he has not returned yet. So it’s time to share your faith, wherever it is today.
So act today and prepare for tomorrow.
One more verse to fan that flame.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
It’s our calling to tell testimony of who Jesus is. You can use your life to do that, becuase if Jesus has changed your life you can testify.
It’s your commission to
Tell them about who Jesus is to you.
This is my Jesus, that he saves me of my sins
This is my Jesus that he heals me
This is my Jesus that he works today
This is my Jesus that he changes the lives of others.
This is my Jesus, will you say that his week?
Will you be bold and speak about how he is alive and active in your life?
Will you tell testimony of who Jesus is?
Will we be a church where every single person is prepare and confident to share testimony of Jesus. To be ready and excited to share about what Jesus is doing today. Can you see the impact that would have on our community, on the people around us if we share about what Jesus has done in our life’s today?
So let me ask you,
Will you share about who Jesus is to you?
