SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY

SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY

SO, HOW DID YOU BECOME A CHRISTIAN? It s a wonderful question! Whether it crops up in a quiet conversation between friends or is posed as part of an interview in a big service, it s an opportunity to show how Jesus has transformed your life. It s a chance to show Christianity isn t just another religion, it s about a relationship that means everything and a well thoughtthrough answer can point people to Christ in exciting ways. The trouble is, many of us find it a difficult question to answer. We struggle to give our testimony well. Some of us stumble to find words that engage. Others of us can t seem to stop talking, so passionate are we to pass on every aspect of our coming to Christ. Others are paralysed by nerves, not wanting to mess things up or say something daft. But, with prayerful groundwork, we can all give our testimony. We simply need to be prepared. And where better to learn how to do so than the pages of Scripture? 2

PAUL S TESTIMONY Towards the end of his ministry, Paul appeared before Agrippa (the final king in the line of Herod the Great). He was under arrest but that didn t dampen his evangelistic zeal and when Agrippa gave him the opportunity to speak, he responded by telling the story of how he became a Christian. His words are recorded in Acts 26 and we see there that he used a three-part structure: ACTS 26:2-11 BEFORE HE MET JESUS After an initial thank you to Agrippa for the opportunity to speak, he launched into a description of how he used to be: a zealous Jew, living as a Pharisee and fervently opposed to the name of Jesus. He gave an account of his persecution of Christians far and wide, how he arrested them, encouraged them to turn away from their faith and ultimately put them to death. He didn t minimise his past opposition to God nor did he sensationalise his wayward activities he simply told it like it was, giving Agrippa a flavour of what he had been like before he became a follower of Christ. ACTS 26:12-18 HOW HE MET JESUS His second section focused on his conversion, with Paul retelling the story of the flashing light, the voice from heaven, the challenge to change and the call to become an evangelist. The events that took place on the Damascus road were extraordinary but Paul recounted them clearly in a few short sentences. He met Jesus, discovered Jesus was alive and heard that Jesus had a plan for his life one he couldn t ignore. ACTS 26:19-27 SINCE HE MET JESUS He went on to tell Agrippa what his conversion had meant. He described his life since meeting Jesus as obedience to the call. It hadn t been an easy path (Paul had experienced opposition, arrest and death threats) but he was convinced Jesus had risen from the dead (just as the prophets said he would) and that spreading the gospel to the Gentiles was a privilege. In just 26 verses, Paul gave Agrippa (and others present at the hearing) a wonderful glimpse of how he became a Christian and how it changed his life. It wasn t a story that suddenly resulted in mass conversions but it was one which informed, encouraged and challenged. It s a structure we can use to give our testimony too. 3

THINKING ABOUT YOUR TESTIMONY Your testimony may be far less dramatic than Paul s but it is equally as real and might well be just the thing those you know need to hear to help them grasp how trusting Jesus changes lives. You might also be less practised at this than the apostle Paul so, before you begin to write your own testimony, it s worth being reminded of a few principles that apply to us all. WE NEED GOD S HELP Telling others about Jesus is part of God s kingdom-building work, so it s good to talk to him about it. We re going to need to be able to discern what to say (and what not to say!) so it s worth asking for his wisdom to be poured into our lives. We can do both those things, confident that God loves to hear us and longs to share the wisdom we need to serve him (James 1:5). WE NEED GOD S GENTLENESS Giving a testimony is not about showing how great we are or how bad someone else is. It s not about manipulating or pushing someone to convert. Instead, it s one way of making the most of an opportunity to tell people about Jesus, doing so with gentleness and respect, mindful of the fact we have done nothing to deserve God s eternal kindness (1 Peter 3:15). WE NEED GOD S CLARITY There isn t much point in offering a testimony that confuses people. Long words, Christian jargon and complex theological arguments rarely help people see the wonder of Jesus dying for our sins. It s wise to aim to be short, simple and accessible (1 Corinthians 2:1). WE NEED GOD S WORD Our words may encourage and illustrate, but it s God s Word that penetrates deep into a person s heart bringing the change which is so desperately needed (Hebrews 4:12). So whatever we say, it s important to show our words are merely flowing from the wonderful truths in God s Word. So with those principles in mind, you are ready to begin the process of preparing a testimony to share. 4

PREPARING YOUR TESTIMONY 1 Think about the person (or people) who will be listening. What questions or concerns do they have about Christianity? What kind of lives do they live? Your story of conversion doesn t change with the wind but it is appropriate to draw out relevant themes. 2 Think about what life was like before becoming a Christian. How did you come to realise that Jesus is Lord? Were there particular problems, questions, behaviours, ways of thinking that characterised your life? Pick just one or two. These don t have to be dramatic things (though they might be), just things that began to change after getting to know Jesus. Of course, you might not know exactly when you became a Christian, it might have been more of a gradual process for you that started in childhood but there may well have been a time when you didn t quite get Christianity and a later time when you definitely did. 5

3 Think about how you became a Christian. Who helped you become aware of your need for Jesus? What was it about Jesus that seemed appealing? Did any particular Bible verse help your understanding? What finally persuaded you to believe the gospel and ask for forgiveness and the opportunity to join God s family? When did that happen? 4 Think about how things are different now. How have the problems, questions, attitudes or behaviours that you identified earlier changed? What are the benefits of being a Christian? What are you looking forward to as you continue to follow Jesus into the future? What makes you confident being a Christian is worth it, even though it might sometimes be hard? 6

Once you have done your preparation, pick the bits that seem most relevant or important (and the bits that will fit together best to make a coherent story) and write these out using normal, everyday language. Once you have written your testimony, read it out loud to see how it sounds. If it lasts for less than a minute, it is probably too short. If it lasts for more than six minutes, it is probably too long. You might like to try out your testimony on a Christian friend. It will be encouraging for them to hear how you became a Christian and it will give you a chance to check that everything really does flow together well (it s worth remembering that something that makes sense to you won t always make sense to other people). If things need to be clearer, you can spend a little while rephrasing your work and you can think through the answers to any of the follow-up questions your friend might have had. Once your testimony is prepared, you re ready to go. You can use it whenever God gives you the opportunity. You can tweak the content from opportunity to opportunity but wherever you find yourself, you will be confident you are equipped to speak of the wonderful things God has done in your life in ways that are accessible, biblical and relevant. 7

SHARING THE GOSPEL WITH THE LEAST REACHED SINCE 1835 London City Mission exists to serve the Church of London in sharing the love of God and the good news of Jesus Christ with the least reached of London. Our staff go to those those living in poverty, on the margins of society or from other cultures. We show God s love in practical ways, continuously seeking opportunities to share the life-changing gospel message. We work in partnership with churches, to ensure that individuals who make a commitment to follow Christ are embraced by a loving church family. The gospel is at the heart of all we do. BECAUSE LONDON NEEDS JESUS London City Mission, Nasmith House, 175 Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 2AH lcm.org.uk enquiries@lcm.og.uk 020 7407 7585 facebook.com/londoncm twitter.com/londoncm The London City Mission is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England and Wales, No 4284615 Registered Charity No 247186