The Power of Testimony Part 2


As we have already discovered, the most effective witnessing tool you possess for Christ is your own testimony.  Do you know why that's true?  It's because it happened to you!  Nobody can successfully argue against that fact.  Your salvation in Christ is a powerful event that has resulted in a personal relationship with the God of creation and redemption.  There is no effective argument that can overcome that reality!

In Acts 26 as Paul stood before King Agrippa to offer an explanation for his Christian walk, he laid out for us a pattern for how to give a personal testimony.  It's simple, straightforward, and will work for every one of us if we take notice of five simple truths.  As we saw in our last article, an effective testimony begins with an Introduction (vs 1-3).  That first impression is important because it either discourages or invites someone into your story.  Paul made an effective introduction.  You can too!

This is followed by establishing an Identification (vs 4-11) with our audience.  Without some background our listeners will likely lack the information necessary for understanding where we are coming from in our personal narrative.  This makes our connection very strained and oftentimes limits the power to eventually get to that third element of Paul's pattern for us; Impact (vs 12-18).  This is when we share what actually happened to us when we actually trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.  If our listeners have been fully informed with the background information then they have what is necessary to visualize how Christ can impact their own lives too!

Today I want to share the final two aspects of a testimony as the Apostle Paul gives them.  Once we have impacted our listeners with the essence of our salvation we need to do something very important.  We need to support that impactful message of the gospel with an Illustration of its lasting effects in our lives.  After all, we all know that many people who seek Christ don't always come away with a genuine life-changing experience.  Everyone seems to know of someone who supposedly became a Christian who later went in a completely different direction.  However, one of the greatest answers to the natural scepticism of an unbeliever is to illustrate with your life the reality of how Jesus Christ has changed you from the inside out! (vs 19-23).  This communicates to your listener that your salvation was both real and transformative!

 Then there is one final part of your testimony that you must not ignore or forget and that is simply to provide an Invitation to respond to the gospel message (vs. 24-29).  Sometimes you will hear this being referred to as drawing the net but however you refer to this element, it is a key part of giving an effective testimony for Christ.  You never know what the Lord is doing in the heart of a person hearing the gospel so remember to ask a person listening to your story if they would like to trust Christ right then.  It may be that this bit of encouragement is all they need to trust Christ for themselves.

Finally, remember that no one knows what Jesus has done for you better than you!  Mark these five I's of your testimony from Acts 26 and then try sharing your story with someone today!

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