Summer series “It’s Time…”
Story Time:
The youth kid, turned coach, “God didn’t take away from you” story
AKA “Coach Smith”
Ephesians 2: 1-7 (New Living Translation)
2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
Ok, before you rush the stage with pitchforks and torches… before you hear these words and then stop listening because you are creating a story in your own mind… before you pull this one statement off the internet and quote this one little piece without putting the entire thing in context…
Before you start judging… hear me out.
When encountering people who have no relationship with Jesus, or who have a negative concept of who Jesus Christ is… the bible isn’t always the best place to start to introduce them to Jesus Christ…
Yeah, I know. I said it… but hear me out.
The bible is the living word of God, do not mistake that fact. There is nothing in this world of more importance…
But, FATHER’s on FATHERS DAY… Have you ever tried to put a large screw into a fragile piece of wood. What happens? It splits and breaks… what do you have to do first? You drill a pilot hole…
Premise:
OUR TESTIMONY IS THE GATEWAY INTO SHARING THE BIBLE. Too often we mix those things up and we tend to weaponize the Bible as some sort of “brow beating” device to try to pull people into the kingdom of God.
It’s time… to tell your story
(Opening with the difference between a testimony and scripture to someone who doesn’t know Jesus Christ.)
A testimony sets up a personal relationship with Jesus.
Example: Dating my wife (learning about Jesus) vs intimate details about my wife that I learned AFTER the dating phase (knowing Jesus in a powerful way).
The three ways she held my arm story
Roller Coaster: all I could do was flex
In the hospital: I felt was safety and well being in the face of bad news.
At Felicity’s birth: all I could do was comfort
Acts 1:8 – But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When you testify, the Holy Spirit guides your words
I can still recall the first time the HS fell upon me…
-example: prayer at church camp
Our testimonies are less about who we were and what we did, and more about Who Christ is and what He has done for us.
Paul had a testimony, and he used it to talk to both Jew and Gentile (Religious and non-religious)
Paul gave his testimony in Acts 22, Galatians, and 1 Corinthians 15:
Acts 22 – Shares with “Believers”
Paul shares his testimony with a crowd in Jerusalem who accuse him of disrespecting God’s law and dishonoring the temple. His testimony is divided into three parts, including his life before meeting Christ, when he was born and trained in Judaism by Gamaliel. Paul also describes his conversion experience, when he encountered a bright light from heaven, fell to the ground, and heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” .
Galatians – Shares with “non-believers”
Paul’s testimony in Galatians is concise and direct, stating, “The one who set me apart from my mother’s womb and who called me through his grace was pleased to reveal his son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles”.
1 Corinthians 15
Paul’s testimony in 1 Corinthians 15 is about the Resurrection, when he states, “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time”.
Paul also shares his testimony in other instances, such as when he and Silas are imprisoned in Macedonia after being beaten and chained for preaching. The jailer listens to Paul and Silas’ testimony of Jesus Christ after an earthquake shakes the prison and loosens their chains.
Jesus didn’t have a testimony, he was God
Jesus used parables as a key part of his teaching style to communicate the truth of the Gospel. Parables are short, often perplexing stories that use everyday elements to illustrate a deeper message.
Jesus used parables as a tool to teach about himself and how people should live their lives.
The Good Samaritan
A man goes beyond his comfort zone to help someone in need, demonstrating what it means to love a neighbor.
The Parable of the Sower
One of Jesus’ most important parables, It is a growth parable. A man went out to sow grain. The man represents God and the seed is His message. Just as a planted seed starts to grow, the word of God starts to deepen and grow within a person.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of God, which started small with him and his disciples, will grow and spread across the world.
Faith: Even a small amount of faith can lead to great things.
Humble beginnings: Great things can come from humble beginnings.
God’s word: God’s word, though small in appearance, has incredible transformative power.
Kingdom of God: The Kingdom of God can start small but grow to provide refuge and sustenance to many, and ultimately impact individuals and nations. The kingdom is not to be evaluated by its humble origins, but will grow to such an extent that no one can miss it.
Service: Continue to serve God humbly in even the smallest ways.
The Parable of the Pearl
The parable is about a merchant who sells everything he has to buy a single pearl of great price. The parable’s meaning is that eternal life in heaven is worth more than anything on Earth, and that those who believe in the kingdom of heaven should give up the pleasures of Earth for eternal life with God.
The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
The man in the story sold everything that he owned so that he would have enough money to buy the field and get to the hidden treasure. That treasure was worth everything to him! Jesus is teaching us that being with God and being in His Kingdom is worth everything that we have! God is the real treasure!
The Lost Sheep
A shepherd leaves his flock of 99 sheep to find the one that is lost, and appears in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Jesus used parables for a variety of reasons, including:
· To challenge conventional wisdom
· To demonstrate servant leadership
· To call on his followers to love radically
· To engage people with different points of view
· To test whether people understood the gospel
· To fulfill prophecy
· As a tool of judgment
· To disciple those who believed in him
We too share these reasonings. When we share our testimonies we bring show an unbelieving worlds that…
We Can Be a Light
Matthew 5:16 (New Living Translation)
16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
· Where you’ve been
· What you’ve seen
· Your struggles
· Your past
God has commanded us to be a light for Him, no matter the circumstance or the story. By sharing our testimonies, we reveal the Light of Jesus to those living in darkness. Coupled with actions that show God’s mercy and love, we can minister hope to the lost.
Impacting Other Believers
Hebrews 10:23-25 (New Living Translation)
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
The author of Hebrews is instructing the early Christians to regularly gather and lift up each other, encouraging one another to love and good works.
This instruction also applies to us.
Sharing our testimonies with other Christians is a huge way to impact other believers. Even the smallest encouragement can brighten someone’s day in a way we might never realize.
Every Testimony Matters
Revelation 12:11 (New Living Translation)
11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by their testimony.
And they did not love their lives so much
that they were afraid to die.
God has given each of us a story that He can work through every day, whether we see the results or not. We can glorify the Lord, be light to those in darkness, and impact fellow believers simply by sharing how God has given us hope in this life and the next.
Long story short, your testimony matters!
We never need to lessen or doubt the importance of our salvation experience or view it as small or insignificant.
Each of us has encountered the awesomeness of God’s unconditional love and His love is no small thing.
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