Stewardship - Testimony

Today, we're wrapping up our sermon series on stewardship. So for the last 3 weeks we this is what we've been talking about is is God has made us stewards the first week we talked about our time the second week our Talent last week. We talked about her money use homepod pastors talk about it. You know how pastors like to do the alliteration where we use the same first letter to make things sound good today to usually do time Talent treasure, but I couldn't bring myself to doing that because to me you're treasure according to not just to me but Matthew 6:21 for where your treasure is there. Your heart will also be So treasure is not just your money treasure is is everything that is dear to you and most of us hold our time and our our talent and our and our money dear to us. So as we go through stewardship. It's it's really about our treasure. It's really about where the heart is. So today today were talking about.

our testimony

Today we're talking about her testimony. Like I said, it's not going to be polished and never really is. So today we're talking about her testimony and this is what I would argue as the one thing that God has entrusted to us for stewardship. The one thing that is the most important.

So before I begin, it's important that we understand. What a Stewart is. I know I've talked about it each week, but it's that word that gets thrown around church so much, but it's really never it's really never Define. It's really never explain so stored as someone who has been granted the authority to carefully and responsibly manage the resources on behalf of another the golden Stewart is to gain the greatest output or return them. Today is context it is how we live in relation to the resources that God has given to us. The ra central theme to everything each week that I have that I have I have stressed is that none of this treasure? None of this? The God has given us is actually ours. It's just something that God has entrusted to us to manage with the intent of honoring and glorifying him and and furthering his kingdom as much as possible. The most people I know like to watch TV shows that I can watch. Those those Court those drama Court TV shows. We're always begins with you know, these events aren't real any relation to have to somebody else's is just coincidence. Although they're really ripped out of the headlines almost every single week. But it's all we all like to watch the drama but we all don't want to be as we don't like to be a part of the drama when it's real life. Right when it's actually Court when you're in court for yourselves. It's not so much entertainment. It's it's real life in it. It takes on a whole new meaning no longer. Is it is it just something that we get into? It's it's now it's Encompass it to us today our lives. Sewing in our US court system. We have this the statute of being innocent until proven guilty least. That's the way it's supposed to be right. So to be proven guilty there different standards of proof, right? It starts with some evidence and it moves too reasonable indications to Reasonable Suspicion the reasonable to believe too probable cause which some of us have heard of two some credible evidence preponderance of the evidence to clear and convincing evidence. To finally Beyond A Reasonable Doubt, which is what our justice system when a criminal case is supposed to hinge upon. Flat proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt is usually based upon the evidence that is presented in court. So there's two categories of evidence. There is indirect evidence, which is like a fingerprint at a crime scene or there is direct evidence. And that direct evidence can come in come in a couple of different forms, but the one that the one that'll get you the one that if you're the one on trial the one that will get you in court is that eyewitness testimony that testimony of saying yes, I saw that person commits the crime and I am positive that credible eyewitness testimony that that's the evidence that'll get you.

So today we wrap up our stewardship. We're going to talk about testimony. It's really not that drastically different.

a testimony is a written or spoken statement usually in response to an interrogation, but it can also be first hannathon if an occasion of a fact or could be an outward sign.

Today is I a I go and I talked about our testimonies. I know each one of us. I know I know we we heard testimonies in our Christian walk in and some of us have heard those testimonies that have really stuck with us though. This is powerful in those dramatic testimonies some of us grew up in the church and Whitten and don't have that that you know that that Rock Bottom testimony to to this is this is just glorified person that God has created us and others have been just drunk through the trenches and when we get at testimony people are just amazed at what God has brought us through What I always find interesting is no matter which side of that fence you're on you wish you had the other one if you weren't drunk through the trenches and that you just live that just that life where drugs had you were where you were stealing where you where you are. You are just not the person you wanted to be in and got me that just incredible transformation in your life you wish you were the person that grew up in church. If you were the person that grew up in church you wish you had a dramatic testimony that could bring people to Christ. So today I want you to focus on your testimony on what you have.

So I asked you what is your testimony? I know some of you have heard mine. So I'm going to give you a super condensed version of of my testimony when I was young three or four years old. My grandma used to take me to church. She used to take me in Calera member it just just a little I remember the honestly, I remember the green carpets. That's about it. That's about all I remember. But I remember the Green carpet say Grace Presbyterian Church as we walked walked into the Sunday School area and then and then my mom after after my mom's divorce she she found a church and we went to church on a regular basis from about 5 to about seven years old became part of a church family. I remember actually going to people's houses for Bible study. But then the church that we attend did my mom that my step dad Mark in the church that we attended they they kind of ran us out of the church because he was over there of a different denominational background. It's only kind of ran outside of the church and I was 7 years old and that kept us out of church for darn near twenty years. That's that kind of church hurt that we will change you and how you view people how you view Christians how you view church is right. So about 20 years later. I had a daughter and I was witnessing in that 20 years. I hung out in pool halls. I join the Army I like if I die. I got entrenched in in a violent lifestyle. I'm going to save you the details cuz it's not really important, but then I had a daughter and I watched her. I watched her at the age of 1 and 1/2 start following in my footsteps with with angering. language that's for me to go to church and actually actually find people to be in her life. I want it I wanted positive role models in her life. I was going to become one, but I wanted other one the people to raise my children for me and I get to church and all the way to church. I am not be coming to church person. I am not going to be that guy that's in church more than once a week. I will you'll be lucky if you see me there once a week. That was my plan. Right and I got saved and I mean God got a hold of me right away. He started working on my heart. He started to change me, but I was I was I was holding on to my to my flesh. I like I like my life. So I was I was holding on hard with in life just started falling apart. Life started falling apart and I ended up in North Carolina. And I mean I was probably I was barely hanging on my face. To be honest with you. I was barely hanging on to my fate. I made some more poor decisions in North Carolina. And finally, I just realized that God I can't do this anymore. I cannot do this. I can not live this lifestyle that you lay out in your word. I can't do it by myself. So I finally decided to give it to God. I finally decided to give my life to lay the car speed and say Lord. I'm giving it to you. And that is when the real transformation happened that is when that's when things started to change for me. Started going to college to study the Bible and lo and behold I am now a pastor standing in front of you. And anybody that knew me in those times would have laughed if this is where you told told them I was going to end up.

Left my testimony quick, right? It's it's it's my boiled down version, but that when we refer to the testimony in church, that's my testimony. And if you've only known me for over a year, that's all you know about my background is what I just told you. You don't know who I was but if if I were I don't know if I were if you knew me if you knew what I just told you, but you knew on Friday night that I was out of the bar drinking fighting cursing. I mean I was at a lock in with a bunch of you, so don't get me wrong. But if you knew that I was on a Friday night fight at the bar throwing them back live in the exact same lifestyle that I used to live. Would you want to be sitting in the pews with me standing in front of you?

A word that line up at the hypocritical Christian that we've all heard of and we've all known.

I'm going to read Romans 12 1 through 2.

He says I appeal to you therefore Brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern. What is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect?

Paul tells the Romans to present their bodies as a Living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.

My testimony that I just gave you it's not only the words that I said, but my testimony is my living the sacrifice of my life. My testimony we don't just get to get away with just just painted lip service.

My testimony is what I do day in and day out. My testimony is it is is when you look at me my job when I'm supposed to be doing is living my life for him.

We all treated as if it's if it is if it's just this this story we get to tell someone in this story that when we tell them our testimony that they're just going to be like, oh I want God to I went to Jesus to but then we go and we live our lives as if we lived Our Lives before and there's no transformation. We're no different than who we were

It doesn't count if you just say it.

Paul tells us to live our lives to present Our Lives as a Living Sacrifice.

My testimony is that I am different from this world. My testimony is that I am no longer the man that I used to be.

I'm asking you what is your testimony?

Do you have that 30 minute or 30 minute 30 second to 2 minute elevator pitch that pastors tell you to have that Isabel drop of a hat. You can tell somebody what God has done in your life. It's not a bad thing to have. Being able to to tell someone to change that and who you were and who you are now because of the power of Christ is not a bad thing, but then what do they see after that? What do they see before that?

Are you exactly the same person that you were before? Did my question is if that's the case, do you really have a testimony?

What is your testimony? Not just the words that you say not just the pitch that you've created. What is your testimony?

Who is testimony? Is it? I know the last couple of weeks I've asked you who's time is it I'd ask you who's Colin is that I've asked whose money is it so if you've been paying attention, then you're probably know the answer to this one. Are the last 20 years entertainment industry has taken a weird turn for me weird. Like I can now say over 20 years old and it started I'm going to guess about 20 years ago to where we started one of these TV shows were watching reality TV. and we had these reality TV shows where we get to see into the lives of the rich and the wealthy, but it's more its it seems to not be so much the rich and the wealthy, but the kids of the rich and the wealthy And we get to watch these TV shows of these these kids who who who have these rich and powerful and influential parents and they themselves they themselves are or just kind of piggy back in and riding the coattails of Mommy and Daddy. I would watch them. Just we watch them take the money and just blow it on whatever they want. We watch them get in trouble and and use the influence of Mommy and Daddy to get them out of their trouble. We watch them. We watch them squander away education to places like Harvard and Yale, we watch them take everything they have and we watch them just Just give it away. I don't appreciate if they didn't earn it. They got nothing to do with it. They just get to being titled. They get to be spoiled rich kids they get to be bougie.

They get to just they get to just live these lives of wealth and prosperity and they have done nothing. I mean they have done nothing to deserve it. They just waste it.

1st Corinthians 1 26 through 31 For consider your calling Brothers. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards. Not many were powerful not many were of noble birth.

I went too far but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise God chose? What is weak in the world to shame the strong? God chose what is low and despised in the world even things that are not to bring to nothing or not to bring to nothing things that are so that no human being might boast in the presence of God and because of him you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God righteousness and sanctification and Redemption. So that as it is written let the one who boasts boast boast in the Lord.

This is where most Christians get things twisted up. This is this is where most of us that when we do get to tell people are toast emoni. This is where we start getting it kind of kind of wrong.

Somebody asks you what your testimony is usually get to tell him about all the changes all the things that that happened to your life. I've heard testimony after testimony after testimony and they usually revolve around what they're doing for God.

The problem is is that we're taking credit for something that we did not do. We're taking credit from the deliverance from the drugs from the alcohol from the violence from everything that we used to live our lives. We are taking credit for it. By the way that we tell our testimonies. We are taking credit for things that we didn't do.

May sometimes we pay lip service and say God delivered us, but then we turned around and Act like it's all us.

In verse 26, he said for consider your calling Brothers. Not many of you were wise according to worldly standards. Not many were powerful not many were of noble birth. Forgot chose what is foolish in the world God chose? What is low and despised in the world? Should have no human need being might boast in the presence of God and because of him you are in Christ Jesus because of him you are in Christ Jesus. Our father is the wealthiest most influential in the universe. Our father has riches beyond all measures.

Our father can change an influence in God is supposed to be using us to change an influencer. See the problem is is that Christians now are acting like the spoiled entitled little rich kids. Christians now are taking the wealth that our father has given us he's taking what what is supposed to be ours the power of the Holy Spirit the change in our lives and we're just washing it away. We're just wasting it. We're wasting it on the things of our past. We're wasting it on what we couldn't get out of our Lives before that. We're trying to get out now.

We act entitled. We act entitled to be served in the church. We act entitled to be served outside of the church. We act entitled of everything that we have.

Here's the difference between the biblical message in the in American Christian message message. We don't deserve what we have. We don't deserve the love of God.

We were born in sin. We do not deserve.

What God has graced us with we don't really deserve the Redemption. We don't deserve the Forgiveness. We don't deserve the power of the Holy Spirit residing inside of us. We don't deserve this. That's the cool part is that we don't deserve it. But yet God has given it to us.

God chose you. The scripture says you weren't wise no powerful nor of noble birth.

He chose what was foolish lowly and despised.

Why did he do this?

Why did he choose us? First? 29 says it's no human being my Bose in the presence of God and because of him you are in Christ Jesus who because to us wisdom from God righteousness and sanctification and Redemption so that as it is written let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.

When we when we get to tell someone Our Testimony when we get to when we get to tell them about the amazing difference God has made in our lives.

When when he has transformed us from who we are or who we were. Who we are now, we are doing that to boast in the Lord.

When we live out our testimony in front of those around us, we are supposed to be doing that to boast in the Lord. Not so others can see how holy we are are how righteous we are or how much we do for the church or how much money we give her how much time we give to the give to the church or how talented we are. It's not for us. We are stewards of what he has given us. Therefore. It is not ours this includes our testimony. This includes the Our Star Story of Salvation are forgiven us in our Grace.

When we get to tell people who we were and who we are now we get to tell them. So that we can boast in the Lord.

So now I ask you. What are you going to do with your testimony?

So the Toyota Camry Toyota Camry best selling car in America can't believe that but it is $1,000. Has somewhere in the range of 2 to 300 horsepower. Surprisingly higher than I expected to be between 0 to 60. If you go from 0-60 and 5.8 seconds. They're comfortable cars cars. They're roomy to get good gas mileage of super practical super practical car in and out. So the other day though, I was driving through Fayetteville through a parking lot if I broke my neck because there was a Ferrari sitting right there in the parking lot. Now you don't you don't you don't get to see Ferraris in Fayetteville all that often and it was a newer Ferrari. It's not it wasn't just him clapped-out Ferrari that I knew or Ferrari car. So I had to look it up a new Ferrari cost between $250,000 and $1000000.

free car

but they range from 600 horsepower to a thousand horsepower from the showroom floor. They can go from 0 to 60 between 2.5 and 3.4 Seconds Saloon literally twice as powerful twice as strong and 10 to 20 times the price. Their suspension and they're breaking their design for the track. They are designed to get on a track. And take those Corners its Corners like it's on Rails like you're on a roller coaster minutes sticks. They are designed to stop their designed to handle. The technology that are in Ferrari is now is designed to make the driver a better driver. They're incredible incredible pieces of Machinery like works of art

a Ferrari in Fayetteville makes absolutely no sense to me. There's no track. There's traffic. I don't Eve in Fayetteville at the beginning of you know worked. I'm at the end. There's way more traffic than there should be. They're not comfortable cars, right? Like I don't think I've ever sent one. I have not but I've seen people sit in them. They don't look comfortable. They're meant for racing their mat for performance. I don't make sense Toyota Camry makes sense in Fayetteville. I'm spending time in traffic in a car that gets good gas mileage is comfortable life. It's practical.

Matthew 5 13 through 16 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and Trampled Under people's feet.

You are the light of the world a city set on a hill cannot be hidden nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a stand. And it gives light to all in the house in the same way. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. Set This Moment In Time Jesus is giving The Sermon on the Mount a greatest sermons of all time. He's just finished the Beatitudes and he moves on to you are salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste house shelf its saltiness be restored. It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and Trampled Under people's feet. Zone ancient times were two uses for salt and and theologians kind of go back and forth with the reality is both uses it really well. The first use is a salt is used for seasoning seasoning of food. For the second uses the preservation of food. So we don't know which is Matt, but they both work either you provide flavor where they live with truth and wisdom or to prevent corruption and Decay is a preservative. So our lives are these living testimonies Our Lives supposed to be were supposed to be the salt of the earth either prevent prevent this Decay and Corruption around us or just sprinkle truth and wisdom everywhere we go. You continue with your light of the world a city set on a hill cannot be hidden Nordic people light a lamp and put it under a basket but understanding it gives light to all of the house in the same way. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven.

She continues and he talks about being the light of the world and showing and letting your light shine. You don't light a lamp and I put the basket on top of it, right?

That makes absolutely no sense. Not only can you not see the light but it's probably a really good way to burn your house down.

This is a city on a hill cannot be hidden. If you've ever have you ever been pulling over that over that bend and you and you come upon this city landscape, right and a lights are just I mean, it's the whole night sky, you can see this glowing orb 4 miles before you before you press the hill to be able to see the city when the light is shining you can see it from an incredible distance.

Jesus is telling us to be the salt. analyte

What's the point of the light if you're going to hide it? What's the point of having a thousand horsepower? Million-dollar Ferrari if you're going to park it in the garage?

We're not supposed to take the power of Christ in the Holy Spirit Which is far more powerful than a thousand horsepower Ferrari. We are not supposed to take that and hide it we're not supposed to take that and do nothing with it. We're not supposed to take that and sitting in traffic with it. No instead. What we want to do is we want to take our old lives. We want to take the Toyota Camry that's practical and comfortable and we want to shut our mouths when it comes to telling people about Jesus. We want to shut our mouths when it's when it's time to actually open up and show people to change in our lives.

It comfortable to not say anything when you're pushing against the grain it's comfortable to not tell people about Jesus when you know, there might be a little bit of ridicule or when somebody might make fun of you when somebody might might shun you it easy and comfortable to turn away.

But Jesus calls us to be the salt in the lights. He calls us to be a living testimony. for him

quit wasting and hiding quit wasting the time that God has given you quit wasting the talent that he's a blessed you with quit wasting the money that that he allows you to suspend the most importantly quit wasting the testimony. If it's you were supposed to have the Living Sacrifice that you're supposed to give to him.

Listen, I don't want to plead with you for your time at this church. I don't want to plead with you for your money. I don't want to plead for your talents.

If Jesus is gotten a hold of you you should be beating down the door and beating down the gates to be able to serve him everywhere you go.

You should be beating people's defenses down to tell them about Jesus and the difference you've made in your life.

You should be polishing that Ferrari getting ready to take it out on a track and just laying it down. Not sitting not taken with Jesus is giving you not taking everything that he's provided you with and sitting in is sitting in traffic.

It's not my job to plead with you and convince you and could Joel you and and and and manipulate you into serving your God. The giving to him to being the steward of what he is actually giving you.

Your testimony is not yours to do with as you please.

Your testimony is God's. He has blessed you with the Forgiveness the grace and the power of the holy spirit inside of you.

You are the Salt and Light.

If this time it's time for you to step up and do what God has fully commanded you to do.

It is time for you to stop wasting and being entitled spoiled Christian that we have gotten so comfortable with and then America.

The influence that he's given us the power that he's given us the grace in the Forgiveness. It's time to actually pretend like we're appreciative of that. It's time to step up and and be grateful to him.

for what we have

Drop the fear get away from it the fear of embarrassment the fear of Shame the fear of ridicule.

Embrace our living testimonies Embrace what our lives are meant to be.

Yours I want you to do. This afternoon. Are y'all listening? I'm going to tell you you like you got to do this. The afternoon, I want you to share your testimony with someone. Uncle Julio's do you go out to eat? I want you to share your testimony with someone your verbal testimony with someone. I want you to share what God has done in your life.

But then I want you to follow up with your living testimony. I want you to share what God has done in your life. And I want you to follow up with being a follower of Christ and showing them what a Christian is supposed to look like showing them with the light of Jesus can do in their Dark Life showing them the preservation and the truth and the wisdom of the saltiness that we're supposed to be. Is afternoon I want you to share your testimony and then be the Christian that you're telling them you are.

The tall order and then I want you to do it tomorrow and then I want you to do it Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and every single day for the rest of your life.

Look, I'm not saying you're going to be perfect. I'm not saying you're not going to screw up. I am saying when you screw up you go to him and ask him for forgiveness. The first time the second time the third * 70 * 7 * ask him for forgiveness.

Being that constant relationship with your father in Heaven. You are not going to be perfect. You are not going to get this completely right? But that doesn't mean that we don't try.

That doesn't mean that you sit there and you hide it and you don't tell anyone about Jesus until you think you've got it, right?

So this afternoon I'm going to say it again this afternoon. I want you to share your testimony.

If you don't have someone that you don't know to share it with and I want you to share it with a family member. I want you to share it with your spouse. I want you to share it with your children. I want you to share it with your parents because when you share your testimony what Jesus has done in your life, then you have to live it out with each of those people and those people are some of the people that we we we struggle the most with living out our living testimony.

Time for you to step up.

Time for you to appreciate what God has given you and quit being entitled spoiled kid that that most of us act on a regular basis. Please bow your heads. God says in 2nd Corinthians 3:2 through 6. You yourselves are our letter of recommendation written on our hearts to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from 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 such as the confidence that we have through Christ or God not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything is coming from us, but our sophisticates efficiencies from God who has made us sufficient to be Ministers of the New Covenant not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.