The Ought to of Testimony

Passage: Luke 12:1-12

Key Text: Luke 12:12

Introduction - So important is this teaching concerning testimony that Matthew, Mark and Luke give particular attention to it in their respective Gospels. Matthew reminds all disciples that they will be brought before governors and kings for Christ's sake, " ... as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles" (10:18); and Luke adds " ... the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (12:12) If we link those two thoughts together, we have The Ought of Testimony. In its context, The Ought of Testimony is:

I. An Appointed Ministry-" ... the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (12:12). It is clear from the context that The Ought of Testimony is an appointed ministry for:

1) The Learners of Christ “... He began to say to His disciples first of all ... " (12:1). " An innumerable multitude of people " or myriads of people, as the Greek has it, were following the Lord Jesus at that time (12:1). These were nominal followers, spectators, who waited upon His ministry to enjoy what was popular and to contest what was unpalatable. This has been true throughout the centuries. Any evangelist, pastor or teacher knows that there are two classes of people who follow him: first, those who do so for popularity's sake; and second, those who mean business. Note that our Savior turned from the great multitude and addressed His words to His disciples-His learners.

Tell me, are you one of the multitudes of religious sermon tasters, or are you a genuine disciple? Are you merely a listener, or are you a learner? Have you brought yourself under the discipline of Christ's sovereign teaching?

In every rabbinical school a student would be disqualified immediately if he failed to practice what he had been taught. This procedure was also

adopted in the schools of the philosophers. The Savior had this kind of disciple in mind when he said, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from

Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29). The yoke here is a symbol of Christ's terms of discipleship. When we link our lives with Him we accept His disciplines and therefore, become learners in the school of obedience.

Illustrate - ... Carl Lawrence tells of having worked on a television program on the life of Helen Keller. Miss Keller, of course, was blind, deaf, and unable to speak. "But before our three-week rehearsal was over, I knew Helen Keller and loved her. Why? I had read everything she had ever written. I hungered to be near her, to watch her facial expressions as she 'listened' to the actresses playing her life story." As Mr. Lawrence was a "learner" in the presence of Helen Keller, so must we be in the presence of Christ. Carl Lawrence, Anchor Devotional (Wheaton, 1983), p. 160, adapted.

2) The Lovers of Christ-" ... I say to you, My friends ... " (12:4). A true disciple's life was not only to be characterized by discipline, but also by devotion. Scholars tell us that the disciples of certain teachers, in Christ's day, would go to all lengths of sacrifice in order to show their love for their masters. They were forever speaking of their masters and spreading their fame far and wide.

Do we love Jesus to this degree? Do we speak of Him far and wide? Are we unashamed to mention His name in any company? Our readiness and eagerness to testify to our Lord and Savior are a test of our love for Him and His gospel.

II. An Accountable Ministry-" ... the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (12:12). Our key word ought to speak not only of the sense of duty, but also the sense of accountability. This is borne out by the context, where Jesus warned His disciples: " ... Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known" (12:1-2).

What was true in New Testament times is equally characteristic of the present hour. There are innumerable religious people who merely play church; on investigation, they give no evidence of being true learners or lovers of the Lord Jesus. Such hypocrisy affects life within the church until its witness is paralyzed and nullified. For the genuine Christian, there can be no playacting, for the Savior teaches that our ministry as testifiers is accountable to God. Notice carefully that:

1) Our Testimony will be Revealed in the Presence of God-"For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops" (12:2-3). Our Lord was speaking here about the duty of confessing Him. The dispensational aspect of this portion of the Word of God must in no way affect its devotional and practical application to our lives. We may give fellow Christians the impression that we are testifying, but one day the truth will be revealed. That which we have spoken under cover of darkness will be heard in the light, and that which we have spoken in whispered tones will be proclaimed upon the housetops. A coming day of exposure will reveal all. Addressing Christians in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul says: "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. ... Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts; and then each one's praise will come from God" (1 Cor. 4:1-2, 5).

Illustrate - "I sat crying on the floor of my apartment, devastated by the news of a lab report. Unmarried and alone, I was pregnant. I considered myself a Christian at the time, but I couldn't give up my old friends and my old habits. I was drifting between two worlds; I was in the grip of sin but was also witnessing to others and working with the youth group in my church. But being pregnant ripped through the hypocrisy of my double life. I confessed my sins to the church and through the support of Christians found a deep relationship with God." It is possible to lead a double life for a time, but eventually all things will be made known. Charles Colson, Loving God (Grand Rapids, 1983), p. 138, adapted.

2) Our Testimony will be Rewarded in the Presence of God-"... I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven" (12:8-10). It is not without significance that Jesus spoke of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit within the context of testifying. He tells us that those who are unashamed to confess Him before men will be confessed before the angels of God in heaven. There reward will be that of being presented before the glory of the Father with exceeding joy. On the other hand, those who deny the Son here upon earth will have committed the greatest sin, which is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Such will be denied before the Father who is in heaven.

It is quite clear from these verses that the unpardonable sin is ultimate resistance against the Holy Spirit. While the believer can never commit the unpardonable sin by resisting the Holy Spirit in this sense, he certainly can quench and grieve the Holy Spirit by failing to confess the Savior by life and by lip. Let us see to it that we do not lose our reward in that day when we stand before the Father and the angels of heaven.

III. An Attacked Ministry-" ... the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (12:12). The devil is only too aware of the moral ramifications of that word ought, and so he does everything to silence our testimony. Jesus warned that Christians would encounter hostility from:

1) A Demonic World-" ... do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do" (12:4). John tells us that " ... the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one" (1 John 5:19); and James informs us that " friendship with the world is enmity with God " (Jas. 4:4). Then there are those words that Jesus spoke to His disciples, on the eve of His passion: "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-19).

It is clear from these statements that the world is not merely unchristian, or even non-Christian, but rather anti-Christian. When we testify, we collide head-on with a demonic world. Thank God, however, there are the elect in the world whom we are to win. In the wisdom of God, we are not told who they are, but we can be assured that the effect of our witness will draw them to a commitment to Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is our supreme task, and to fail in our testimony is to disobey the Great Commission. At the same time, we must remember that the system of the world is diabolically controlled, and the powers of darkness will use every means, not only to nullify the effect of our witness, but even to kill God's children, as opportunity affords itself.

2) An Ungodly World. " ... when they bring you to ... magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer ... "(12:11). As we near the end time, those in authority are going to be more and more ungodly and insensitive to the cause of Christ; history has demonstrated this throughout the centuries. Governments and even so-called Christian countries have poured derision and scorn upon the church of Jesus Christ. It was so at the birth of the church. We read of Herod with his derisive cruelty (see Acts 12:1-4); Gallio with his derisive apathy (see Acts 18:12-17); Felix with his derisive laxity (see Acts 24:25); Festus with his derisive vagary (see Acts 25:13-21); Agrippa with his derisive irony (see Acts 26). So don't be surprised when you are brought before magistrates and powers and find yourself standing alone, but for the presence of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit in your hour of trial.

Illustrate – We must be cautioned never to take our religious freedom for granted. For many years Gideons International has had the privilege of distributing Bibles in schools all across America. But in 1984, in at least one county in North Carolina, school officials decided the practice was a violation of the First Amendment's prohibition against government establishment of religion. We must not depend upon government to act wisely in matters of the church. "The Alliance Witness," Religious Caravan, April 1l, 1984, p.I5,adapted.

Illustrate - An influential Chinese, who held high office in the educational life of China, accepted Christ. He had magnificent prospects before him-position, influence, opportunity, all were his. The study of the New Testament brought to him the conviction that Christ was the Savior of men, and his Savior. After a period of struggle, and of counting the cost, he determined upon his confession before men. His dearest friend pleaded with him earnestly, agonizingly. He pleaded in vain. Then he urged him to secret discipleship. "Bow to the tablet of Confucius; it is only an empty form, and you can believe what you like in your heart!" It was a struggle, but he replied: "A few days ago One came to dwell within my heart; He has changed all life for me forever. I dare not bow to any other, lest He depart." "The Regeneration of China," 1 000 New Illustrations (Grand Rapids, 1957), p. 236.

But saddest of all is the fact that our testimony is attacked by the hostility of:

3) An Apostate Church-" ... when they bring you to the synagogues ...” (12:11). The synagogue of Christ's day is typical of corrupt Christendom today. It was the leaders of these religious centers whose voices were heard above the blood-thirsty crowd, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!" (Luke 23:21). Shocking as it may sound, were we to come to the point of martyrdom in our time, the most vocal opponents of the evangelical witness would be the leaders of the corrupt church. John predicted this day when he said, "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest .... He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son" (1 John 2:18-19, 22). So let us not be surprised, therefore, if we find hostility within certain circles of the religious world. In the light of this opposition, however, our Savior exhorted His disciples to do two things:

a) Fear God-" ... do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But ... Fear Him who

... has power to cast into hell ... " (12:4-5).

Jesus was telling His followers that the lesser fear must be exorcised by the inculcation of the greater fear. There is a sense in which we have every right, humanly speaking, to fear the devil, but if we truly fear God then we need fear no one else (see 1 John 4:4; Rom. 8:31).

b) Trust God-" Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows"(12:6-7). Just as the sparrow is never overlooked by a beneficent Creator, so the most insignificant person on earth, who trusts his heavenly Father, is never forgotten. Oh, the watch care, love and concern for God! Jesus adds that even the very hairs of our head are numbered (12:7). In other words, He knows us so intimately that we can trust Him with unflinching faith. Though our ministry of testimony is attacked, let us fear and trust God, for all will be well.

IV. An Anointed Ministry-" ... the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (12:12). Before the Savior released His disciples for worldwide evangelism, He told them to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high (see Luke 24:49). This was because no effective witness can be borne without the Spirit's anointing. The New Testament makes it abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost for:

1) Normal Witnessing-" ... you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Only when the Holy Spirit fills and anoints are we impelled to witness in our Jerusalems, [udeas, Samarias, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. It is the Holy Spirit who makes witnessing irresistible and enables us to bear witness to our wonderful Savior. In this sense He teaches us what we ought to say

2) Special Witnessing-" ... when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates ... the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (12:11-12). Now this happened immediately after Pentecost. Peter and the other disciples were forbidden to preach the gospel, and their response was, " ... we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20; see 5:29).

Likewise, you and I will be brought into situations where, humanly speaking, we would find it almost impossible to think coherently, let alone speak accurately. In such moments of emergency, the promise is " ... the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say" (12:12).

In other words, in a wonderful way, the Holy Spirit anticipates the words we have to say. This is what Jesus means when He tells us to "take no thought." In normal circumstances, we premeditate what we have to say-whether in giving a testimony or preaching-but there are occasions when such premeditation is out of the question. In these circumstances we have every right to claim the special anointing of the Spirit to anticipate the questions we may be asked, in order that our answers may be accurate and convincing.

Illustrate - During World War II a man went to visit a friend who had lived in an old, run-down building. Since his last visit, the building had been totally remodeled and modernized. It was an all-electric building, but a kerosene stove was in evidence; oil lamps hung from the ceiling. The obvious explanation during the war years was there was no electricity. The building had no power. In much the same way we can have the necessary equipment, but unless we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, we lack power for witnessing.

But notice again the Holy Spirit articulates the words we have to say, "for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you" (Matt. 10:20). If we are totally yielded to the indwelling Spirit, He coordinates our thinking and speaking so that we articulate words which are divinely given, and therefore full of authority and relevancy.

Illustrate – Many years ago the throne of Russia was once occupied by two boy princes. They sat side by side and gave their decisions on the gravest questions; their judgments were so wise and just, that men marveled those princes so young and inexperienced could know so much of statecraft, or speak with such discretion on questions so difficult. But the secret was that close behind the throne where they sat, hidden by a thin veil, was the Princess Sophia. She heard the cases brought to them and gave the decisions which they pronounced. Those boys referred everything to her and waited until she whispered to them the wise answer, they delivered .... So we are to refer every matter to the Holy Spirit and wait for His decision. Then what He bids us to do we are to do. What he bids us say we are to say. Walter B. Knight, 3000 Illustrations for Christian Service (Grand Rapids, 1952), p. 350, adapted.

Such testimony has made the enemies of the church stand back in amazement, when martyrs of the cross have answered for their faith in Christ.

Conclusion -There is no situation in life which cannot be categorized under the headings of normal or special witnessing. For this purpose the Holy Spirit has been given so that through His anointing we may be able to bear testimony to our wonderful Lord. To fail in this duty, therefore, is not only disobedience, but also ungrateful neglect of the provision that our risen Savior has made available in the Holy Spirit. While witnessing is a duty, it is also a delight-especially when we know the anointing of the Spirit. Let us see that we do not fail our Lord. So shall we be able to render a good account of ourselves at the judgment seat of Christ.

Outline taken from Stephen Olford’s Message Series