The Importance of Personal Testimony
- Focus on the power and significance of sharing one’s personal testimony.
- “The people of God need encouragement. They need reminded that there’s a reason we do what we do.”
- The story of the woman at the well (John 4:39) as an example of the impact of a simple testimony.
- “Many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.”
- The woman’s testimony: “He told me all that ever I did.”
- Despite her societal issues (five husbands, living in sin), her testimony led many to believe in Jesus.
- Personal testimonies of “old timers” and “heroes” as sources of encouragement.
- Remembering their faithfulness and the Holy Ghost in their lives.
- “I get encouraged remembering those that have come before me, remembering the path that they held and the faithfulness that they had for God.”
- Even those with low credibility can have a powerful testimony.
- The woman at the well was an outcast, yet her words persuaded many.
- “Here was a woman that certainly had no credibility in society… And yet we find that when she come running into the city that day, she said, I’ve met the man.”
Overcoming Fear and Sharing Your Story
- Addressing the fear of saying the wrong thing when witnessing or sharing the Gospel.
- “I’m afraid that when I witness or when I share with somebody that I’m going to say the wrong thing.”
- Emphasizing that your personal testimony is something you know better than anyone else.
- “If you don’t know anything else, you know one thing, and that’s your testimony.”
- The Holy Ghost bears witness to a true, born-again testimony.
- “When you share that, the Holy Ghost ought to bear witness with it because it’s true.”
- You are the authority on your own experience of salvation.
- “That makes you the authority on the subject. You ought to be willing and ready all the time to tell somebody what Jesus did for you.”
Examples of Transformative Testimonies
- The story of Legion (Mark 5:1-20) as an example of a dramatic transformation.
- Legion, once a wild man, was healed by Jesus and told to share his story.
- “You go back into that city and he said, you tell them all the good things that I’ve done for you.”
- Legion’s potential testimony: “I was filled with his demons and he cast them all out of me. I was a madman and he saved me from myself.”
- The Apostle Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa (Acts 26).
- Paul shared his experience on the road to Damascus, not theological doctrines.
- “What he told Gringa Agrippa about was what happened to him when he got born again.”
- Paul’s testimony almost persuaded Agrippa to become a Christian.
- “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian”
Practical Application and Encouragement
- Encouragement to share your testimony in everyday situations.
- “Tell them what you know about. Tell him about where you came from and where you’re headed.”
- The importance of exercising and sharing your testimony regularly.
- “The more you tell the story, the better you get at it… Because I know it’s true. And it is the one thing that I know for certain as pertains to God.”
- The story of the blind man healed by Jesus (John 9) as an example of the power of simple testimony.
- The blind man’s testimony: “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”
- If you’re unsure about your testimony, it’s time to get sure.
- “If you can’t tell them about that day, if you can’t share with them what happened, maybe you really need a testimony. Maybe you’ve never experienced being born again.”
- Even a “small” testimony is valuable.
- “My testimony is as good as yours is. Because I was blind, but now I see.”
- Focus on sharing what you know, not solving the world’s problems.
- “I don’t know why that happened to you… But let me tell you what I do know. What I do know has some power in it.”
- Invitation to get right with God and receive a testimony.
- “Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
