Readings for today: Acts 24-26
“And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12)
I love the Apostle Paul. He is a man singularly devoted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a man possessed by his love for his Lord. He gives up everything in order to know Christ and to make Him known. He lays aside his earthly ambitions. He lays aside his desire for a family. He lays aside his budding professional career. All so that he might take the message of Christ to the nations. When he begins this journey, he has no idea where it will take him. No idea that towards the end of his life he will be testifying in front of kings and queens and rulers and authorities. There were no guarantees he would make it this far. No guarantees he would even survive the journeys he’s been on. No guarantees he would be listened to along the way. He simply did what he was called to do which was testify to what he had seen and experienced in the presence of the Risen Christ.
Testimony. We hear this word and we think courtroom. We think of witnesses on the stand. We think of them telling a jury or a judge what they have seen. Their role is not to decide the case. Their role is not even to ask questions. Their role is simply to share their experience. As Christians, we give the word another meaning. Testimony is what happens when we stand before our brothers and sisters - often in a worship service - and share what Christ has done for us. Now too often these stories become all about us. But the more powerful testimonies are ones that make Christ known to those who are listening. They focus on Him and His saving work in the life of an individual. They focus on His mercy and grace and the changes He has wrought.
Every Christian has a testimony. Every Christian has a story of how they came to faith. Every testimony is literally a miracle of grace whether you were saved as a young child or you were delivered in the twilight of life after years of rough living. When was the last time you shared your testimony with someone? Have you ever thought about how to do that? How to explain to someone what Jesus has done for you? As the passage from the Gospel of Luke makes plain, you never know when you will be called upon to share your story. You never know when an unbeliever might ask you why you live the way you do. Why you serve the way you do. Why you give the way you do. They might ask you personally. They might ask you over social media. They might ask you to share publicly. And we do not need to be afraid or anxious in those moments because God promises to give us the words to say.
I think about the various places and people with whom I have shared my faith over the years. I think of the early days in dorms on the CU campus or on Pearl Street when I would testify to Christ. I think of the hospital where I worked after college and the many times I was able to share my testimony with fellow employees, those who worked for me, and even those in authority above me. I think of the many times I was able to share my testimony at New Jersey State Prison with the guards and non-Christian inmates. I spent an entire year testifying to a Muslim imam as we both tried to convert one another! ;-) I think of the testimonies I’ve been able to share with the people in the churches I’ve served. I think of the testimonies I’ve shared around the world in places like Ethiopia, China, and South Korea. Always about Christ. Always about His saving work in my life. Always about what He’s done for me. The focus always and exclusively on Him.
There have been times when I have been nervous. There have been times when I’ve been afraid. There have been times when I’ve worried over how I would be received. There have been times when I’ve failed to speak. But each and every time I’ve stepped forth in obedience to Christ’s call, the Holy Spirit has more than provided the words I needed to say. Friends, I challenge you to share Christ with those around you who do not know Him this Christmas season. Testify to all He has done for you. Testify to His unconditional love. Testify to His tender mercies. Testify to His amazing grace. Our world is desperate for redemption and it can only be found in Jesus, amen?