Is A Shared Testimony Ever Wasted?

Is A Shared Testimony Ever Wasted?

Text: Acts 26

One of the misconceptions your human reasoning will make sure you adopt in your thinking when it comes to sharing your salvation testimony is that it will probably be a waste of time or it won’t make in difference. If a believer’s personal testimony was that insignificant, why would God leave us down here with one? The very fact that that thought has entered your mind reveals the opposite is true.

What we will see today is that the worth of our testimony is not based upon the results we see every time we share it, but rather the truth about sin, Jesus and eternity has been revealed to a lost soul.

1) Every Salvation Testimony Has A Past

Let’s first take a glance at Paul’s past.

Notice verses 4-5

Acts 22:3 “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.”

Acts 23:6 “But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.”

Philippians 3:5 “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;”

Notice verses 10-11

When it comes to our past (especially what we are not proud of) what we inclined to do with it? HIDE IT AND FORGET.

What good would a testimony be without knowing someone’s past?

If God thought the rememberance of your past was destructive and useless, why would God allow for you to never forget it?

One of the wonderful blessing about being born-again is that Jesus frees you from continuing to run from your past!!!

The power of God’s grace has not only transformed you and changed your eternity, but it as equipped you to repurpose the story of your past for the purpose of lifting up God’s grace.

2) Every Salvation Testimony Has A Transformation

Notice verses 12-16

Please don’t miss how good God’s grace really is here!!!

“…as I journeyed to Damascus…”

As we see here, Paul’s testimony describes the nature of God’s grace; to pursue all sinners in every corner of the globe.

The nature of grace is to meet you while you are in pursuit of your own self and even sinful interests.

Not only is grace undeserved, the pursuit of grace is undeserved.

Notice verses 17-19

Paul reveals how powerful the grace of God was on the trajectory of his life’s purpose; Those whom he persecuted are those whom he is reaching now with the Gospel.

Paul stated, “I was not disobedient.”

This kenotes that he had the freedom to be disobedient.

Simply because he was obedient (i.e. responded with a trusting faith in Jesus) Jesus transformed him!!!

Paul’s NOW life’s purpose is a description of what the believer’s is TODAY (vv.18-19)

Notice how Paul describes the STRENGTH God gives him (vv22-23)

The very reason Paul was able to stand before Agrippa and others, is simply because of God’s providence.

QUESTION — Where do you think all of those past opportunity’s who have had to share the gospel came from???

3) Every Salvation Testimony Faces Rejection

First of all — Notice Festus’ rejection (v24).

In one sense, this was a great compliment to Paul (Jesus was described this way in — John 10:20 “And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?”

How strange that Festus did not think Paul was mad when he was persecuting the church! (Acts 26:11) Nobody called D.L. Moody crazy when he was energetically selling shoes and making money, but when he started winning souls, people gave him the nickname “Crazy Moody.” This was not the first time Paul had been called “crazy” (2 Cor. 5:13), and he was only following in the footsteps of his Master (Mark 3:20–21; John 10:20). Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 506.

Festus had not interrupted because he really thought Paul was mad. Had that been the case, he would have treated Paul gently and ordered some of his guards to escort him to a place of rest and safety. Furthermore, what official would send a raving madman to be tried before the emperor? No, the governor was only giving evidence of conviction in his heart. Paul’s words had found their mark, and Festus was trying to escape. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 506.

Secondly — King Agrippa

His reply in Acts 26:28 can be stated, “Do you think that in such a short time, with such few words, you can persuade me to become a Christian?” Perhaps he spoke with a smirk on his face and a sneer in his voice. But he certainly spoke his own death warrant (John 3:18–21, 36). Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 507.

Festus and Agrippa knew that their prisoner had a compassionate concern for them, and they could not easily escape his challenge. The best thing to do was to end the hearing, so the king stood up; and this told everybody that the audience was over. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 507.

Conclusion

What a wonderful thing is the opportunity to trust Jesus Christ and be saved! What a terrible thing is wasting that opportunity and perhaps never having another. Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 507.