Give the Gift of Your Testimony

Introduction

Story of John Allen Chau - one of most controversial stories in the Christian world in 2018 - Trying to reach a hunter-gatherer tribe on North Sentinel Island off coast of India - most remote tribe on the planet - law prohibits contact because vulnerable to disease and they are hostile to outsiders. Hired services of boaters to take him to isolated island - alone, he approached the tribe with the message of the love of Jesus and was murdered. Firestorm: What was he thinking? Wise or unwise? Secular media: What a fool to endanger this tribe with disease! Christians: unwise.

Regardless of wise or unwise, John Allen Chau was so convinced that every person on the planet, even the most desperately unreached, needs to hear the Gospel, that he was willing to die to share the Gospel. Let that sink in, because some of us will sit around the table with family members this Christmas who are on their way to a Christless eternity and we will remain silent about Jesus because you just don’t talk about Jesus and politics at family gatherings.

Two thousand years ago, on the night of the birth of Jesus in the town of Bethlehem, angels appeared to shepherds as they watched sheep and announced, “Good news of great joy for all people. Peace on earth.”

But, countless people… People you know and love, people in our community, and people around this world have yet to experience the great joy of Christmas. Countless people are not experiencing peace with God. And… approx. 1.6 billion people have never had the opportunity to hear.

What if this Christmas you gave the gift of your testimony? Your story is NOT the Good News, but your story is how the Good News changed you. Your story is a powerful tool that God can use to speak into the life of someone else as you use your story to share the Gospel.

Why should you give the gift of your testimony?

Share your story because countless people will get what they deserve.

Paul - a missionary with a passion to take Gospel to the furthest parts of the earth. () In part, writes Romans to get financial assistance from the church at Rome.

Chap. 1 - Unholy, sinful people will someday stand before a perfect and holy God and get what they deserve.

- Sad reality - God has made Himself known but no one has honored Him or given thanks to Him. Instead, every person has turned from Him and turned to idolatry.

Walk outside - look at majesty of creation - only logical conclusion is that there is a God - but no one seeks after this God - () - Instead everyone makes a god for themselves. Everyone suppresses the truth - a holy God to be worshipped - and instead chooses to worship what was made () In Exodus, a golden calf. In the first century, gods and goddesses, emperors… In the 21st century - our jobs, our kids, our hobbies… We take good things and make them the gods of our lives. Your god is whatever you live for… whatever gets your ultimate allegiance.

Without excuse - (vs. 20) - Every person stands before God condemned because:

All have turned to idolatry.

None is righteous. No one seeks God ()

All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory ()

The wages of sin is eternal death () Every person is under the full wrath of God! (Romans 1:18)

What about the tribe on North Sentinel Island? Don’t they get a pass? They’ve never heard! BUT, they’ve sinned as well. They’ve murdered. They haven’t sought God. describes them just as much as it describes you and me. describes every person to ever live! The picture Paul paints is rather hopeless.

When you tell your story you remind people who are lost that they don’t have to be. You’ve been found, and others can be found.

Share your story because God has provided one way of reconciliation.

Share your story because God has provided one way of reconciliation.

The Christmas story - Everyone stands condemned before God, but God does not desire to condemn anyone. ()

So, as an act of kindess, grace, mercy, love, and justice, God gives us a gift we do not deserve.

… Three words:

Justified - declared righteous even though we are not. In God’s holy courtroom, His Son is condemned so we can be declared something we are not. (But, justified and adopted - )

Redemption - We were slaves to sin. (; The whole world is in the power of the evil one. ) Sin controlled you. But God redeemed you from the chains of sin - He bought you out of slavery when Christ paid the debt for your sin on the cross. ( - you were ransomed by Jesus) You were bought out of slavery and brought into the family of God.

Propitiation - God could not let sin go unpunished. If He is just, He couldn’t sweep it under the rug. A price had to be paid. Justice had to be served. Someone had to be punished. Jesus satisfied God’s demand for justice.

A gift accepted by faith - what makes Christianity different than every other religion. Our favor before God not based on what we do but based on what’s been done for us. It’s all grace!

Grace = undeserved, unmerited favor of God. Let’s be honest, it’s what we all want because we know the shape we’re in. And you know that no matter how hard you try, you can’t earn your way to heaven. How could you? Grace - the heart of the Gospel! A gift for you!

Your story is a story of grace. You are a follower of Jesus this morning because of one reason - the death and resurrection of Jesus has been applied to your life through faith. Your story is a reminder that there is only one way to be made right with God. () People you come in contact with need to know that there is one way to be reconciled to God, and without reconciliation, people get what they deserve: eternal death. ()

Share your story because God has called you to share His story.

- Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Christianity is highly exclusive - there’s only one way in, but at the same time Christianity is highly inclusive - anyone can come in.

How do you get in? Believe that Jesus died and rose again and confess your need for Him.

How do people know how to get in? () They need a preacher - you! They need a preacher who is willing to go - you! Faith comes from hearing. (vs. 17) People cannot respond to the Gospel unless they hear the Gospel.

Amazing! The greatest news ever is a Savior has been born to redeem humanity! God could announce this news in any way - through angels, writing it in the sky, etc. BUT, He has chosen to entrust the greatest news in history to us. He has chosen to spread His news through us telling our story of how Christ has changed us and sharing the Gospel with others. Notice that God’s plan is not:

Build it and they will come. Build the nicest facility with all the amenities and people will be so impressed when they drive by that they have to stop in and learn about God.

Develop the most creative and innovative programs. Have the best communicator, the best music, the best children’s ministry, student ministry, etc, and people will flock to your church. Creativity and innovation are great and helpful, but not God’s plan to reach people.

Give lots of money. Send lots of money to Lottie Moon or pay the staff to do the work of the ministry so we don’t have to. Yes, give! But, give as you do what you know God has called you to do.

God’s plan is you sharing the Gospel by telling your story of how Christ has changed you and telling others how they can begin a relationship with Jesus. You are His plan to reach the world!

What do you do?

Repent - You don’t remember the last time you told your story. You’ve been disobedience to the calling God has placed on your life.

Pray big - Some of you aren’t praying at all - and some of you aren’t praying big enough! Pray that God will open your eyes to see lostness around you. Pray that God will accomplish a work in you that will move you out of your comfort zone and into the center of His will. For some - step of faith to take that first international mission trip. (Russia - changed me!) My big prayer - God make us a sending church… Vocational ministers and missionaries from our church.

Start local and go global - Oikos - you have a circle of influence, and right now God is at work in someone’s life in your circle. Who is it? Which family member needs to hear your story? What about beyond your oikos? How is God calling you to go beyond your family and friends? Why go? Because we believe that Jesus is worthy of the praise of all people!

Obey - God has extended grace to you so that through you He might extend grace to someone else. What does obedience look like for you in 2019? Who will hear your story?