SERMON ABOUT TESTIMONIES

Introduction

READ Acts 26:9-23

If you’re a Christian, then you have been given the single most important mission and task there is.

You’ve been commissioned as a representative of Jesus - an ambassador of God’s Kingdom. And he has called you and me to go out into a world that’s dying… a world that is drowning in hatred and violence and prejudice and lust and suffering and greed… he’s called us to enter into this world and deliver the most significant message these people will ever hear.

God loves them and wants to redeem and transform them.

This is at the core of what it means to be redeemed ourselves - that we long for the redemption of all creation, including all people. When we experience the goodness, grace, love, and power of God, we hope that everyone else will too.

This is what’s behind every evangelistic sermon… every gospel presentation… every vacation Bible school… and every testimony. These are ways for us to proclaim the good news of Jesus.

That Christ has come to rescue us from our sins and from the guilt and eternal consequences of those sins. He’s come to redeem us and bring us into God’s family.

At the end of Matthew’s gospel - as well as in several other New Testament passages - it’s clear that this is a calling and commissioning that each of us have received.

And yet, when most of us think of “sharing the Gospel”, we’re more than a little intimidated.

We wonder...

What if I say the wrong thing?

What if they ask me something that I don’t know or understand?

What if they get angry? Or upset? Or frustrated?

What if I forget the right Bible verses?

We can easily turn this great privilege of being God’s ambassadors into a terror that leaves us paralyzed. But maybe that’s because we’ve been approaching it in the wrong way.

We’ve looked at sharing the Gospel as if it’s similar to being a door-to-door salesman.

Let me just say that I am not a salesman. I don’t have that gift. I’m not overbearing… I don’t keep on until I get the answer I want. If you tell me “No thanks” once, I’m probably not going to come back unless I know you really well.

That’s just not my personality. So if you’re like me - and you view sharing the Gospel as a sales routine - then you’re probably going to look at this task we’ve been given and think, “There’s no way I can do this.”

But sharing the gospel isn’t a sales pitch.

It’s not a commercial for a shamwow or a slapchop.

You don’t have to be a professional evangelist or preacher to share God’s kingdom with people. There may be a time and place for a more systematic “pitch.” We do occasionally see this approach taken in the New Testament. For example, when Paul speaks to the Athenian philosophers in Acts 17, he seems to offer more of a lecture. But that’s because that was what you did at Mar’s Hill where Paul found himself. It would be like going onto a college campus and giving a talk on the Gospel.

But Paul’s presentation of the gospels is often far simpler. Twice in the book of Acts, we hear him share the story of how God rescued him from a life of hatred and violence. And he brings up his testimony numerous times throughout his letters.

In short, Paul understood the power of a testimony.

You might think of it like this, what sounds easier to you… trying to sell someone something or telling someone a story about something that happened in your life?

Think about it, we tell people stories all the time.

Maybe we see a really good movie or television show - or we read a really good book - and we tell our friends and family about it. We describe it and talk about why we enjoyed it so much. Do you ever feel intimidated with something like that?

Or think of the times that you’ve shared about some experience you had - maybe about something funny that happened to you while you were at work or a weird encounter you had at the grocery store.

This is the way Paul shares the gospel with King Agrippa in Acts 26. This entire discussion Paul has is a story. It’s the story of how Paul was redeemed through Jesus.

That’s it. Paul simply tells the story he knows best - because it’s his story.

It’s his testimony.

Now, sometimes I think we underestimate the power of our testimonies. And that’s especially the case if we feel as though we don’t have some dramatic testimony where we were radically saved from a life of drug and alcohol addiction, etc. But that’s simply not the case.

Your testimony is the most powerful evangelistic tool you have.

Think about testimonies more generally...

People act on the word of testimonies from others they trust. And it’s not just that they watch movies or television shows that they’ve heard are good.

People apply for and take jobs because of the testimonies of those working for the same company.

People go on blind dates - and some even eventually marry - because of the testimony of a friend.

People go to universities because of the testimonies of alumnae.

People move places… buy homes in particular neighborhoods… attend churches… and more all based on testimonies.

We make monumental decisions based on testimonies. And if you’ve built a strong relationship with someone - if they trust you and know your character is genuine - then your testimony of God’s work in your life is going to be exponentially more effective than a professional Gospel sales pitch.

Testimony is powerful.

That’s why Paul used it in his ministry. And it’s why we should too.

But how do we tell a testimony? By looking at Paul’s approach, we can learn a thing or two that might help us in our own efforts to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Begin with a Problem

Look at how Paul begins this testimony in verses 9-11.

In these verses, Paul has nothing positive to say about himself. He recognizes that he had some issues...

He was hostile.

He locked people up in prison.

He voted to have people killed.

He punished people.

He tried to get them to blaspheme.

He was “furiously enraged”.

And he chased after them from city to city, letting his rage control his life.

You see, Paul had a problem. His hatred and rage were leading him down a path that could only end badly. And Paul sets this whole story up by describing just how deep his problems were.

One of the first things we need to understand about telling our story is that it’s not our story. We aren’t the hero who saves the day and fixes everything.

We’re the ones with the issues and problems. We’re the ones who need saving.

So like Paul, we should begin with a problem.

Our problem could be an addiction to sin… it could be a grief that threatened to overwhelm us… it could be a sickness that we didn’t know how we would deal with… it could be a sense of hopelessness or despair… it could be any number of problems that we, as humans face.

But that’s where our testimony begins… it begins with a problem that we can’t fix on our own.

And that may be a drug addiction like in one of those dramatic salvation experiences we hear about… but it also might be a feeling of intense loneliness.

That’s where Paul begins in Acts 26. And that’s where our story begins… but then something happens.

Look at what Paul says in verses 12-13...

“While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me...”

In other words, right as Paul was in the midst of his problems… he has a life changing encounter with the creator of the universe.

Highlight the Encounter

And this is the second part of any good testimony. We have an encounter with the living God.

Christ confronts us in our problems and he offers another way.

Listen to the words he tells Paul:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 26

I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you;

17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,

18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’

Jesus gives Paul a promise. That if Paul will be faithful to follow him, he will protect him and even use Paul to advance his kingdom.

Paul’s hatred and anger… his biggest problem… is turned on its head. And now, Paul is going to be Christ’s greatest change agent.

And if you keep reading, you’ll see that Paul says he did what Jesus called him to do. He preached this good news he’d been commissioned to preach - and God preserved him through every trial. In other words, Jesus’ promise on the road to Damascus had been kept.

Christ rescued Paul and kept his word.

And our testimonies will reveal the same thing about God.

After we’ve told the story of our problem, we then tell how Christ confronted us with the truth of the resurrection and the gospel. And its implications

So, maybe we tell how we were going through a season of loneliness… and Christ confronted us in a sermon, or in prayer, or in Bible reading and revealed that he promised to never leave us or forsake us.

Or maybe we tell about losing a loved one and the overwhelming grief we experienced… but then God spoke to us in that still, small voice and made his presence known in the grief.

Or maybe we talk about an addiction to sin we’d been struggling with… and how Christ’s spirit empowered us to overcome temptation and walk victoriously.

Our encounter with Christ will differ depending on the problem we were facing. Christ may offer conviction or comfort or wisdom or any number of other things… but when we encounter him, we will see our problem in a new light and will experience some kind of resolution to it.

But our testimony isn’t quite finished… Look at what Paul does in verses 22-23

Turn it Toward the Cross

As Paul comes to the end of his testimony, he shifts the focus completely to Jesus.

“...the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of his resurrection from the dead he would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

Paul confronts King Agrippa with the facts of the gospel.

Jesus has suffered for us and risen from the dead. He offers the light of understanding and God’s presence to all who will come. And King Agrippa is left with a decision to make...

Will he seek the light Christ offers? Or will he turn away and continue trying to deal with his problems alone?

Now, the ball is in Agrippa’s court.

And the same is true for us when we share the gospel. We cannot convict people of sin. We cannot convince them of the truth of the gospel.

But we can share a testimony… we can tell others about the work Christ has done in our lives through his death, resurrection, ascension, and enthronement.

We can point people to the cross through our stories.

Sharing the gospel with others really can be as simple as telling them about how the gospel has changed your life.

A Final Word

But before we close, there is one thing I’d like to point out about Paul’s testimony. Look at how it ends...

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 26

24 While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus *said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.”

25 But Paul *said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.

26 “For the king aknows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.

27 “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.”

28 Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.”

29 And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”

King Agrippa isn’t convinced of the gospel. But this story opens up a conversation between Agrippa and Paul. It lets Paul discuss things a little more deeply.

And if you read verses 30-32, it’s clear that Agrippa was impressed with Paul.

Something about Paul’s story wormed its way into Agrippa’s mind. And who knows… maybe later in his life, King Agrippa realized that the same transformation Paul had undergone was available to him as well.

When we share our testimonies, we aren’t simply making a sales pitch or asking for them to make a decision on the spot. We’re beginning a conversation about the gospel and God and the possibilities of his Kingdom.

It’s a conversation that can easily lead to more discussions… to further stories… to prayers… to Bible studies… and eventually to salvation.

But it may not - and probably won’t - happen all at once.

Instead, it happens one testimony at a time.

May we be more bold in our storytelling - that the whole world would come to know God’s kingdom by the transformation that’s happened in each one of our lives.