Again I apologize for not being regular with the posts. My laptop was stolen, and I was privileged to preach for the last 3 weeks. No excuse, right? Anyways, here something for you guys to munch on. I was working on Project 1 Generation the other day, and I thought I would give some of you a taste of what that looks like. This is a rough draft by the way. So here is a day on your testimony.
Webster's dictionary defines a testimony to be a declaration of truth or fact, as that given before a court. A testimony bears the record of a before and after. It will always bear an element of change. So when you repented (to have a change of mind) of your sins and put your trust in Christ, there was a change (if there wasn't read 1 John and evaluate yourself). Christ began a change in you. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
Your testimony is of great importance because you bear the testimony of what Christ has done, is doing, and will do in you. Your testimony is and will be that of God making and fashioning your life so that it can bring Him more honor and glory. Your testimony is comparable to that of a piece of pottery (Jeremiah 18:6). It is a work of majestic art. When you called out to God, He took you from that miry clay. You were without shape and form, and God took you and began to fashion you into a wonderful piece of art.
If you are still breathing, God isn't finished working on you. In fact, if you have ever dealt with pottery, you know that if the vessel you have formed has any impurities or lumps in it, and you put in the oven it will explode. God knows of the fiery temptations that lay ahead of us, so He does what every potter does when they feel an impurity in the vessel, He removes it so that the vessel will be able to withstand the fiery tests that lay ahead of it. So, if there are any impurities, God will remove it to save the vessel.
If a piece of pottery does end up breaking under the heat, it is not a lost cause. The shattered pot is crushed into powder to be reused. So when you stumble, you must come before your creator broken, and just like that powder, He will add water and start over again until He is able to present you as the beautiful work of art that will bring Him much honor and glory.
Every piece of art bears the fingerprint of the one who made it. Everyone may stare in awe over the piece of art, but who is it that receives the glory from that art? Certainly not the artwork, but it is the one who worked the art that receives the glory. The artwork reflects the majesty and ability of the one who created it.
A testimony of what Christ has done in a person's life is one of the most beautiful things that you will ever see or hear. It it the idea of God working and shaping our lives so that we are positioned to give him honor and glory. Every piece of art is a reflection of its creator, so we too are to be reflections of Christ. This is why your testimony is so important. When you were saved, your life became a reflection of the One you gave it to. You are an image bearer. You have become a banner to the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ. When a banner flies, we know that whoever bears that banner is owned by that name or cause, and when people look at our lives, they should be able to tell of whom we belong.
Thought for the day: How can a God who is Holy be represented by people who are not?
Webster's dictionary defines a testimony to be a declaration of truth or fact, as that given before a court. A testimony bears the record of a before and after. It will always bear an element of change. So when you repented (to have a change of mind) of your sins and put your trust in Christ, there was a change (if there wasn't read 1 John and evaluate yourself). Christ began a change in you. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
Your testimony is of great importance because you bear the testimony of what Christ has done, is doing, and will do in you. Your testimony is and will be that of God making and fashioning your life so that it can bring Him more honor and glory. Your testimony is comparable to that of a piece of pottery (Jeremiah 18:6). It is a work of majestic art. When you called out to God, He took you from that miry clay. You were without shape and form, and God took you and began to fashion you into a wonderful piece of art.
If you are still breathing, God isn't finished working on you. In fact, if you have ever dealt with pottery, you know that if the vessel you have formed has any impurities or lumps in it, and you put in the oven it will explode. God knows of the fiery temptations that lay ahead of us, so He does what every potter does when they feel an impurity in the vessel, He removes it so that the vessel will be able to withstand the fiery tests that lay ahead of it. So, if there are any impurities, God will remove it to save the vessel.
If a piece of pottery does end up breaking under the heat, it is not a lost cause. The shattered pot is crushed into powder to be reused. So when you stumble, you must come before your creator broken, and just like that powder, He will add water and start over again until He is able to present you as the beautiful work of art that will bring Him much honor and glory.
Every piece of art bears the fingerprint of the one who made it. Everyone may stare in awe over the piece of art, but who is it that receives the glory from that art? Certainly not the artwork, but it is the one who worked the art that receives the glory. The artwork reflects the majesty and ability of the one who created it.
A testimony of what Christ has done in a person's life is one of the most beautiful things that you will ever see or hear. It it the idea of God working and shaping our lives so that we are positioned to give him honor and glory. Every piece of art is a reflection of its creator, so we too are to be reflections of Christ. This is why your testimony is so important. When you were saved, your life became a reflection of the One you gave it to. You are an image bearer. You have become a banner to the greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ. When a banner flies, we know that whoever bears that banner is owned by that name or cause, and when people look at our lives, they should be able to tell of whom we belong.
Thought for the day: How can a God who is Holy be represented by people who are not?
Labels: evangelism, testimony
