This morning, we’re continuing our new message series entitled, “Share It” where we’re learning different ways to share the good news about Jesus; the gospel.
Whether or not someone chooses to put their faith in Jesus and be saved is up to them. Whether or not they ever have the opportunity to make that decision is up to us. After all:
Romans 10:13-17 (NLT)
13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
16 But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
We have some good news to share with those around us!
Last week, we learned about an evangelism tool known as the Romans Road. With just a few verses from Romans, we can share the simple message that:
All of us are born into sin.
The penalty for sin is death.
Jesus was not born into sin and never chose to sin.
Jesus gave His sinless life as a payment for our sin.
Everyone who calls out in faith to Jesus to save them are saved and forgiven of all their sin.
This week, we’re learning about another evangelism tool that God has given every one of His followers; our testimony! In fact, the longer that we journey with Jesus through life, the more testimonies that we likely have.
A testimony is just a story of what God did for us or through us personally in the past. If we stop and think about it, the bulk of what the Bible consists of are testimonies. It is historical accounts of what God did for and through His people.
Though there are times when it is appropriate, sharing scripture verses and starting with the truth that we’re all sinners can be confrontational and offensive and argued with.
If that’s what the Holy Spirit is leading us to do, then He has already prepared the hearer to receive it. If not, it might not be the right tool for the job.
God’s word is a sword. When used correctly, it can demolish the work of the enemy and bring salvation, deliverance, and healing to the lost.
When used incorrectly, it can injure, kill, and even further divide the lost from God instead of reconciling them to Him.
It could be like harvesting tomatoes with a chain saw and bucket when the gentleness and personal touch of a hand and a basket are what are really needed.
Our testimonies are typically encouraging, non-confrontational, personal, relatable, and difficult to argue with.
They are also easier to understand and apply to other’s lives than philosophical or ideological teachings from the scripture.
Our testimonies are far more significant and powerful than we may realize!
Revelation 12:7-12
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
11 They triumphed over him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short.”
Satan knows that his time is short. He has been kicked out of Heaven along with the angels that chose to follow his rebellion now called demons. He knows that his ultimate defeat is coming soon and so he leads the world astray from God.
We overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, that is, the perfect and spotless Lamb of God, Jesus, and the word of our testimony.
Satan is leading the world astray, but we turn the world back to God through our testimony.
It should not be surprising to us, then, that it can be so difficult for us to share our testimony. There is such overwhelming opposition within us to be bold enough to share our faith because when we do, Satan loses!
What God has done before, He will faithfully do again! What God has done for us, He will faithfully do for others!
Our testimonies are prophetic in nature.
God is eternal; the same yesterday, today, and forever and He does not show favoritism. What God has done at one time for someone, He will do again for other.
Recording and recalling and sharing testimonies of what God has done for us is a prophetic act. It gives us the faith to believe in God for these same morals and for even greater things!
In fact, the angel sharing revelation with John said:
Revelation 19:10 (AMP)
The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Satan doesn’t want us sharing the good news about Jesus to others! No, he’d rather us be singing the praises of his kingdom; gossip and slander, whining and complaining, fear and anxiety, doom and gloom.
This is why it is so easy to share bad news about things that are happening and so difficult to share the gospel.
Let’s change that trend, though! Let’s start squelching gossip, turning complaints into praise, fear into faith, and gloom into hope!
What do those around us have to lose by calling out to Jesus?
They’re going to doctors, what is there to lose by asking Jesus to heal them?
Their gain could be complete healing!
They’re going through a 12-step program, what is there to lose by also asking Jesus to deliver them?
Their gain could be complete deliverance?
They’re going to counseling, what is there to lose by asking Jesus to intervene?
Their gain could be peace, hope, purpose, and more!
They’re already broke, what is there to lose by asking Jesus to provide?
Jesus just might meet and exceed that need!
Better yet, what if we pray WITH them and see what God does in response? Remember, Jesus said:
Mark 11:23-24 (AMPC)
23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.
24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].
What helps us to trust that God will hear and grant our prayers? What increases our faith and confidence in God? TESTIMONIES!
Yes, not only can we lead the lost to salvation through our testimonies, but we can also build our own faith and confidence in God by hearing the testimonies of others!
Psalm 77:1-14
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
3 I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
7 “Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”
10 Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
11 I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
12 I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
13 Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
When it seems like God is being slow to answer prayer or to fulfill His promises, like Asaph, we can remember past miracles, think about the former days, meditate on God’s goodness and faithfulness and compassion. It’s not so that we can reminisce about the ‘good old days’, it’s so that we can experience and encounter God’s miracle working power again and in even greater ways!
Sometimes we cast aside our testimony when it is the very tool that we need.
For example, an addiction. Jesus delivered us from it for a week, but then we stumble and and fall back into it. We think that we’ve lost our freedom and no longer have a testimony of God’s ability to deliver us from it.
NO!!!
We need that testimony then more than ever! God delivered us from that addiction for Andy week! Standing on that testimony can give us the faith that we need to be delivered again! Maybe then we’ll remain free for 2 weeks and then a month and then a year and then decades of freedom!
Don’t throw away your testimony! Keep it fresh in your mind and on your lips because what God has done before, He will do again right now!
When our minds are full of God’s promises and faithfulness, when our hearts are full of His goodness, when our souls are full of His hope, we will naturally pour them out of our lives as testimonies.
It’s not only for our good and benefit, but also so that sharing these testimonies with the lost around us comes more easily and naturally.
They share with us the troubles that they are facing and we can share how either us ourselves or someone else faced the same thing and what God did to resolve it or carry us through it. Or maybe we share a promise that applies to their situation found in God’s word.
We have all of the tools that we need to testify! In fact, all of us have far more personal testimonies than we may realize!
Perhaps as a good starting point, we can begin asking God to remind us of the miracles that He worked for us in the past. Then, as we recall them, we can write them down. As we do this, we are building up testimonies to encourage ourselves and to build up our own faith. We then also have testimonies to use to share the good news about Jesus with others!
We overcome by the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony, so let’s start building and sharing those testimonies! Let’s start pushing back the kingdom of darkness with the light of Christ within us! Let’s seek and save the lost by sharing the gospel of Jesus through testimonies!