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The Power of Your Testimony

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If you are a Christian, your testimony—the story of how God stepped in and changed you through His Son—is a direct reflection of the undisputable, life-changing power of the Gospel. It’s one of the most effective tools in our evangelism toolbox. Before you got saved, there was an “old you” who was caught up in sin and didn’t know or have a relationship with the Lord. But now you have been changed by the goodness and mercy of the Lord. You can glorify God and magnify His message by telling others about how He changed you.

Sharing your testimony is much like being called to take the witness stand in court. Witnesses are bound by law and an oath to tell the truth about what they know and what they’ve seen. What would happen if the witness took the stand, was asked for his or her testimony, but never opened his or her mouth? I’m not sure the judge would be pleased with that type of response!

The same scenario happens every day in the “court of public opinion” (a.k.a. your everyday world). There comes a time when you will have to do more than wear your favorite Christian T-shirt or a cross necklace, or carry your Bible around at work or school. Sooner or later, you will have to open your mouth and speak. You have to testify. You have to tell what Jesus has done in your life. First Peter 2:9 lovingly explains:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Write It Down

Let me encourage you to do an exercise that I believe will help you to tell your story. Take out a piece of paper, or you can do so in the study question section at the end of this chapter, and divide it into three sections and label them. These represent three distinctive times of your life:

Section A is your life before you became a Christian.

Section B explains how you became a Christian.

Section C describes your life since meeting Jesus.

Now begin to write out your testimony in each category. (You might need three separate pages, and that’s okay.) Section A should be easy because everyone seems to remember how they used to be before they met Jesus! Section B may be a bit more challenging, as not everyone has had a “Damascus Road” experience like Paul did in Acts 9. But every believer should be able to explain when and how they got saved. Section C will detail how God changed you—the areas of your life that God completely rearranged for His glory, and the fruit or evidence of this transformation.

The apostle Paul gave us a great example of this very exercise in Acts 22. In Acts 22:3–4, we find Paul’s “Section A,” which is his life before he met Jesus. He wrote, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.”

Nice guy, right? Persecuting Christians to their death. And you thought your first section was rough! You might have done some bad things before you gave your life to Jesus, but I doubt killing Christians for pleasure was one of them!

Paul’s “Section B,” where he explained how he got saved, is found in verses 6 and 7. Here is his testimony:

“About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’”

As I said before, perhaps your experience wasn’t this dramatic. Not everyone literally “sees the light,” audibly hears the voice of the Lord, and is blinded for a time like Paul was. But you need to be able to explain the miraculous moment when you finally became a believer in Jesus Christ and surrendered your life over to Him. Then Paul continued his remarkable story in verses 12 through 16, explaining that a devout and highly-respected man named Ananias came to see him. “He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. Then he said:

‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’”

Who was your Ananias in your own salvation story?

Who explained the Gospel to you, or invited you to church or Bible study? Where were you when you first heard the Gospel? Or what was the catalyst—the sermon, event, or prayer—in which God touched your heart? Was it at a youth camp, a Christian retreat, or beside your bed one night as you were crying out to the Lord? Did it happen while you were listening to a sermon on the radio, television, or Internet? Who gave you your first Bible? When and where did you get baptized, and by whom? Whatever your unique story may be, spend some time writing down your Section B, using these questions as your guide.

The remainder of Acts 22 is “Section C” of Paul’s life. Jesus appeared to him a second time and told him in verse 21, “Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.” And for the remainder of Paul’s life, he was faithful to this calling. His “Section C” was filled with many hardships and challenges, but also with great miracles and teaching. Paul became one of the greatest ministers of the Gospel, leading many to salvation and starting influential churches throughout the ancient world.

As you write down your “Section C,” ask yourself:

– Who am I now in Christ?

– How is this in contrast to who I was before?

– How has God changed me?

– How is He glorified in me?

– What fruit is displayed in my life? (See Colossians 1:10 and Galatians 5:22–26.)

– How is the work of the Gospel evidenced in my life?

Why is this a good exercise?

Mainly because I have found that the people who actually write out their story become more confident in telling it to others. Plus, it is always good to recall all that God has done in your life, giving Him all praise and glory. The story of a changed person is a powerful thing. If you would like to see the most powerful tool of evangelism besides the Gospel itself, just look in the mirror. You may appear to be an ordinary person, but you have power inside of you. You are living proof of the Good News of Jesus Christ. You have been irreversibly and radically changed by Jesus. It’s difficult to dispute the evidence of a transformed life.

 

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church, which has three campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area—Porter Ranch, Woodland Hills, and Agua Dulce. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

The Night Jesus Was Born

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The night Jesus was born, God gave us three extraordinary gifts. God’s first gift to us was love—a profound, intense, divine love. The almighty Creator of the universe set aside His magnificent power and glory and took on a human form to bring salvation to the world. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NLT). Jesus washed away our sins with His perfect love that we may forever be with Him. In His all-knowing wisdom, God chose to love us even though we did nothing to deserve His favor or love.

The night Jesus was born, God gave us peace—supernatural, never-ending peace. That night in Bethlehem, shepherds watched over their flock of sheep, “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those with whom God is pleased’” (Luke 2:13-14). Jesus, who is called the Prince of Peace, took the punishment we deserved for our sins, to make it possible for us to have unity and peace with God. “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” (Romans 5:1). The inner calm that results from confidence in one’s personal relationship with Jesus is peace that only He can give.

The night Jesus was born, God gave us joy—inexpressible, overwhelming, genuine joy. An angel announced to the shepherds, “‘…Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people’” (Luke 2:10). The joy the angel spoke of is a true fulfillment that only comes from trust and satisfaction in the Lord. In Psalm 16:11 David wrote, “You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” True joy is eternal because it is based on our personal relationship with Jesus that is itself an unending source of joy. Joy is a sense of comfort and confidence experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the God. Paul wrote in Romans 15:13, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Amidst the hectic flurry of activities during this Christmas season, I challenge you to take time to pause and meditate on these amazing gifts that God gave us on the night Jesus was born. How can we show our gratitude to God? The best way to thank God is to use these gifts to bless others. We should extend our love, kindness, generosity, and compassion to as many people as we can so that they may experience God’s love through our actions. Loving others is evidence of a true believer in Christ. “‘So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples’” (John 13:34-35).

Remember that love, peace, and joy cannot be found inside busy malls or within a pile of expensive presents, but from our generous Father in Heaven through His Son Jesus Christ. Christmas is perhaps one of the single greatest opportunities to speak about Jesus during an entire year, giving us an open door to explain the reason for the season! This Christmas, consider inviting your family, friends and neighbors to fellowship with you at home or at church. And tell them the amazing story about the gifts God gave us on the night Jesus was born!

 

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Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available on Amazon) and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church, which has three campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area—Porter Ranch, Woodland Hills, and Agua Dulce. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

When There’s Too Much to Say

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From time to time, I will take a break from social media, knowing there are many important issues to discuss every week. Honestly, there are times when it’s too much—too many topics on which to voice opinions and concerns. As a pastor, I always have to pray and ask God whether or not I ought to comment on every political, social, and tragic story that hits the news. There are times I want to, but there are times when it is simply not wise. Will my voice help and encourage? Will it unify? Will it point people to the Lord?

I know that there are people in our church and community who want to know where God is in difficult times or what Jesus would say if He were still here in the flesh. What should we say as believers in Jesus Christ in the midst of an endless news cycle? What should we do as Christians in seasons of divisiveness or uncertainty or sorrow? Should we say anything at all?

I am constantly reminded just to pray and to do what I can in my little world. In Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus called His followers to be the salt and light, and that means we are to share His light, His joy, His love, and His truth right where we are. Today, in your own home or neighborhood or workplace, you can make a difference and set the tone. Where there is divisive talk, you can choose to speak words of encouragement and unity. Where there is hopelessness, you can share the hope of God’s plan for the entire world. Where there are petty squabbles, you can refocus the conversation to what is truly important in this life. Where there is endless bad news, you can share the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Someone recently said to me, “I want to be the man I am supposed to be.”  I said in return, “No, you need to be the man God wants you to be.” As believers, we need to continually seek the will and heart of God in all our decision making, words, and actions. Examining His Word on matters of justice, morality, and difficulty—or when we are worried or afraid—gives us peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). First Chronicles 16:11 encourages us to, “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!”

Second Timothy 2:23-24 warns,

“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”

You know, some people just love to argue. As for me, I’m sick of it. Tired of it. No need for it. Reject it. I want to be a vessel in the hands of God, so I can clearly lift up Jesus that the world might believe (John 12:32).  Our politicians and media are in a race to see who can divide us and how quickly.  I have determined NOT to be caught up in the fray—to continue to see and view all people through the lens of love and grace, which is the same lens by which God views me.

You have a choice…we all do…to either go with the flow by helping other people divide us, or to make sure that within your circle you bring life-giving words (Proverbs 18:21). Look to every person and see them as God sees them: as a human being, created in God’s image and in need of saving grace.

 

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” and the senior pastor of Shepherd Church, which has three campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area—Porter Ranch, Woodland Hills, and Agua Dulce. You can connect with Dudley at dev.fishhookcms.com/ and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

Diversity in the Church: Christ’s Love for All

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One way that Christians can demonstrate their love for Christ is by how they love people—all kinds of people.  Not just those who look like us or speak our language, but also those who come from different social and cultural backgrounds.  According to Ed Stetzer, a Christian pastor and researcher, diverse churches remain rare.  He wrote, “Everybody wants diversity, but many don’t want to be around people who are different.”

The early Christian churches were diverse on multiple levels, which fulfilled the words of the prophet Isaiah that Jesus Christ quoted in Mark 11:17, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’” The Apostle Paul personally experienced the abundant diversity in the church of Antioch, where for the first time Jewish and Gentile Christians worshipped God together as equals (Acts 11:19-26).

It is good to remember that underneath our varied cultural heritage, personal preferences, political views, and economic backgrounds, we all share the oneness of being children of God.  As Christians we are charged to connect to all peoples of all cultures.  As believers, we have been united with Christ through salvation.  All of those who are one with Jesus Christ are one with each other.  Paul writes in Galatians 3:28, “In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

World travel, increased immigration, and modern technology have brought us closer to peoples from all over the world.  As believers, we need to get rid of the fear and anxiety that separate us from one another.  Through faith in Jesus Christ we are no longer “strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of the household of God…” (Ephesians 2:19). Where there is diverse membership, the church benefits from the perspectives and gifts each racial, cultural, and socio-economic group offers.  A church that represents all the colors of the rainbow gets to enjoy the beauty of that rainbow.

Our church should be a gathering of people radiantly living the command from Jesus when He said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  (John 13:34-35)

Christ’s love extended to all kinds of people—the rich, the poor, the sick, Gentiles, Samaritans, the lovable, and the unlovable.  Christ’s love must motivate and compel us to extend the same love to others. As His disciples, we are to follow His example.  Our walk and our attitude should resemble our Master’s walk.

Revelation 7:9 provides a forecast of the diversity that will be present in Heaven: “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” I look forward to that great and wonderful day. But in the meantime, let us prepare our hearts by encouraging and celebrating diversity today!

Pastor Dudley Rutherford is the senior pastor of Shepherd Church, which has been called “the most diverse congregation” in L.A. by the city’s mayor and has three campuses in the Greater Los Angeles area. He is the author of “Compelled: The Irresistible Call to Share Your Faith” (available everywhere books are sold online). You can connect with Dudley on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

What is the Value of One Soul?

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What is one soul worth to God? To truly understand the answer to this question helps us push past our fear of sharing our faith with others.  If we could begin to see every person we come across as an invaluable soul with an eternal destiny, it would change everything. Billy Graham once wrote,

“The soul longs for God. Down deep inside every person’s heart is a cry for something, but he doesn’t quite know what it is. Man is a worshiping creature. He instinctively knows that there is something out there somewhere, and he longs to know that something or someone. Your soul longs for vital contact with God. Your soul is valuable because it is eternal—it is forever.”

The lost are of inestimable worth to God. This becomes astonishingly clear as we read through Luke 15, where Jesus shared the parables of the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Lost Son. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law disdained the fact that Jesus welcomed tax collectors and sinners. Knowing this, Jesus told three stories to help them understand God’s heart for people whom the Pharisees didn’t think were worthy. In each story, Jesus told of the great lengths to which each person went in order to find that which was lost.

Sheep

Surely Jesus’ audience could relate to the value of sheep. Domestic sheep were of great importance in biblical times. “Herds of sheep formed the greater part of the wealth of the Patriarchs. The chief animal of sacrifice, and valued for both milk and wool. Sheepskins were made into rough coats. The horns were used as vessels for carrying liquids, particularly oil.”

So Jesus asked the Pharisees and teachers of the law to ponder owning a hundred sheep and asked what a shepherd would do if one sheep went missing.

“Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’”

Coins

Then He asked them to consider a woman who owned ten silver coins and lost one. Jesus probably was referring to silver coins called “drachma.” They were worth the equivalent of a denarius, about a day’s wages for the common laborer. That was a lot of money back then! Jesus asked,

“Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’”

After these first two parables, Jesus revealed something powerful: “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Why would all of heaven be exuberantly happy over a repentant sinner? Because lost souls matter to God!

A Prodigal Son

To drive home this point, Jesus told them a third parable of a prodigal son who asked his father for his inheritance early. You remember the story, right? The young man left home and squandered his wealth on foolish pleasures. Humiliated and starving, he was literally living in a pigsty—and the pigs were eating better than he was! So he came to his senses and decided to return home and beg his father for forgiveness. He intended to ask his father if he could become one of his father’s hired servants.

But the Bible says the dad was filled with compassion, ran to his son—which in that time and culture would have been an act of major humility—and hugged and kissed him.

The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

Rejoice. Rejoice. Celebrate. Over and over again in these parables we see the great mercy of our God toward sinners—and His unbridled joy when they repent. The lost are so very valuable to Jesus, and they should be to us as believers in Christ as well.

Five Qualities of a Soul Winner

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If there’s someone in your life with whom you’ve been wanting to share your faith, you might be held back by the thought that you need to be a Bible scholar, charismatic, extroverted, or extraordinarily brave or articulate. God doesn’t necessarily want you to be any of those things. Instead, He looks for these five qualities in a person so that, through them, God can bring the Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ to others:

1. Availability

Did you know that God is more interested in your availability than your ability? Yes, He can use your talents and education for His Kingdom—but first and foremost, you need to be available. In Acts 8:26–27, God clearly spoke to Philip who was a believer in Jesus. He told Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch . . .” A few verses later, the Holy Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot . . .” where the eunuch was sitting. When God said, “Go,” His command didn’t come with prerequisites. “Go” meant . . . go! God wanted to use Philip just as he was. I’ll be the first to highly recommend biblical education to any Christian, but if you feel unqualified to share your faith because of a lack of Bible training—don’t worry! Even if you don’t know hundreds of Scriptures by heart, one thing you do know is what God has done for you.

2. Urgency

As soon as God told him to go to the chariot, the Bible says Philip ran. He didn’t give it some thought, check his calendar, or weigh his options. No, Philip moved as fast as he could to do what God had told him to do. There was a sense of urgency. Soul winners respond the same way today. When the Holy Spirit says, “Go talk to that person over there about Me,” they move, and they move quickly. No hesitation. No distractions. Whenever God prompts you to share Christ with someone, be ready and respond promptly. The window of opportunity may be but a brief moment. You never know when it will present itself again.

3. Sensitivity

What was the first thing Philip did when he arrived at the chariot? The Bible says he “heard the man reading” (Acts 8:30). That means he was listening. Before he began sharing anything about Jesus to the Ethiopian, Philip took the time to listen and hear what his need was. This type of sensitivity is often lacking within the Body of Christ today. Marriages are crying for help, but no one is listening. People are hurting and lonely, but no one hears their cries. Being an effective soul winner means not only listening to those around you, but also hearing what is sometimes not spoken. (This is very difficult to do if you are the one doing all the talking.) Be sensitive to those around you. Listen to their needs and be ready to share the answer. That answer—Jesus—is alive inside of you!

4. Helpfulness

If you are mean to someone, you are decreasing your effectiveness to share the Gospel with that person. On the other hand, helpfulness and kindness can go a long way. When Philip heard the Ethiopian eunuch reading the Old Testament, he offered his assistance. He asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He didn’t get in the man’s face and say, “Are you saved? If you were run over by an eighteen-wheel chariot today, would you go straight to hell?” There is a difference between being helpful and obnoxious!

When you genuinely have a heart to help someone, it speaks volumes. It can be as simple as taking dinner to a single mother because she works long hours. Or mowing your elderly neighbor’s lawn. Or tutoring a student. These helpful acts are very much part of the evangelistic process because kindness has an interesting way of opening doors, softening hearts, and building trust.

5. Honesty

Eventually there comes a time in the soul-winning process when you’re going to have to open your mouth and talk about Jesus. When Philip had finished explaining the Scriptures, the eunuch asked him to explain what he had just finished reading. “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus” (Acts 8:35).

The groundwork had been laid. Everything had been orchestrated by the Holy Spirit for this one, pivotal moment. Philip recognized his opportunity and was ready to complete his mission. So, he shared the Gospel with his new friend. When we are honest about who Jesus is, what the Gospel means, and what God has done in our life, the results are miraculous.

The Bible says that after Philip shared the Gospel, the Ethiopian eunuch believed and at once sought the nearest pool of water to be baptized. Afterward, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit took Philip away from there (the original “Beam me up, Scottie!”), and the Ethiopian eunuch left rejoicing. Why was the eunuch so joyful? Because he was a sinner who had welcomed the message of salvation and was now forgiven and born again. You can see miracles in the lives of others, too, if you will ask the Lord to give you availability, urgency, sensitivity, helpfulness, and honesty for His glory!