I Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
As you know, our son Daniel is a freshman in college and over the past few weeks he has experienced his first full-fledged college exams…sometimes two or three in the same day. Through this experience Daniel has discovered how difficult it often is to prepare for tests at this academic level. And, if you’ve ever taken a college course then you may remember that the thing that makes taking a college test particularly troublesome is knowing HOW to prepare…HOW to study. You see, all college professors don’t necessarily embrace the same philosophy when it comes to testing. I mean, some tell their students to get ready for exams by studying the TEXT BOOK…especially if they wrote it. Others tell their students that to prepare for tests they should ignore the text book and concentrate on taking good notes in class because if they want to do well on their tests, they simply must learn the content of his or her LECTURES. And then, some professors group their students into STUDY TEAMS of four or five classmates and say that pooling their efforts is the best way to learn what they need to know to be ready when test time comes. But, there are some teachers who really like to give their students a tough time and they say,
Do it all! Come to the class and take great notes and study them. Purchase the text book I have written and learn it inside and out. Join a study group and work hard with others. If you do all this….then you just MAY be able to learn enough to be prepared for my exams.
Well, as I’ve studied to prepare for this morning’s message I’ve come to see that training to be a competent Christian witness…learning to share your faith is similar to being a student preparing to take an exam because to witness effectively…to get a passing grade when it comes to personal evangelism…we need to study. We need to learn some things. And this morning I want to help you prepare for this particular test by telling you some of the things all evangelists must learn.
1. First of all we must learn to listen to PEOPLE.
This is a very important lesson to grasp because in order to gain an opportunity to share our testimony in the first place we must learn to be sensitive to the needs of the people around us. You see, in meeting needs people see that we care about them. They realize that our motive in witnessing is based on our sincere concern for their welfare. So, all of us who want to become effective evangelists need to train ourselves to become conscious of where our non-Christian friends are in life. We need to be tuned in to their hurts and fears. Remember, people don’t CARE how much we KNOW about JESUS…until they KNOW how much we CARE about them. All effective evangelists must learn to listen to people.
2. But we must also learn to listen to the HOLY SPIRIT.
We need to train ourselves to hear God’s still small voice telling us when an opportunity to share our faith is at hand. Acts chapter 8 reports of an exciting time in the life of the early church. Christians were sharing their faith in villages all around Jerusalem and as a result people were coming to the Lord in droves. Well, in the midst of all this excitement God dispatched an angel to tell Philip to Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. And Acts 8:27 says, Philip arose and went. Now, I think it would have been easy for Philip to be so caught up in the excitement and electricity of the revival that was going on all around him that he wasn’t sensitive to God’s leading in a new direction. But this didn’t happen because Philip was alert and ready…he had walked with God long enough to recognize His voice guiding him to someone who was hungry for the good news of the Gospel.
Bill Hybels tells about a time in his own life when he learned this lesson. The fitness center where he was a member had just hired a recent immigrant from India. The man spoke only broken English and was a bit quirky. On top of that he was a Muslim. For these reasons most of the other club members made it clear through their actions that they didn’t want anything to do with this man. But Hybels sensed that this immigrant was lonely so he befriended him and gradually they developed a rapport. One afternoon he gave the man a Bible and the next time they met his new friend gave him a copy of the Koran. A few weeks later, after being away on a speaking tour Hybels was in the locker room, dressing for a run, when the man came up to him with an anxious look on his face. He said, Mr. Bill, while you were gone something terrible happened. My wife has left me, and now I’m all alone. I just don’t know what I’m going to do! Hybels says that as the man was talking he sensed the Holy Spirit telling him to reach out and embrace him. He admits his hesitancy to do that for two reasons: First of all he felt it would look odd to hug another man in the middle of a locker room while dressed in his boxer shorts. And also this man was a Muslim which meant he was actively worshiping the competition. But Hybels was obedient to God’s leading and when he put his arms around the man he immediately broke down and cried, soaking Hybels’ shoulder with his tears. I don’t know what has happened since…but I know that this Muslim man experienced the love of the true God through a Christian who was sensitive not only to his needs, but also to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
People like Hybels, who are skilled in sharing their faith, posses this sensitivity to God’s guiding voice. And you know, this is an important lesson for us to learn not only so that we will not miss an opportunity to share our faith but also because the presence and activity of God’s Spirit is essential to any evangelistic endeavor. You see, no one becomes a Christian without God’s Spirit inviting them to do so. As Jesus said in John 6:44, No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him. I don’t know about you but it is comforting to me to know that the power of my witness doesn’t rest on my eloquence because evangelism is something God does; I am only one of the instruments He uses. God’s initiative always precedes someone’s response. So, when an opportunity arises in which we can share our faith we must remember that God is always there first. Evangelism cannot be reduced to mere communication skills and content. It’s truly a spiritual activity founded upon the supernatural power of God. Jesus makes this very clear. In John 15:5 He said: Apart from Me you can do nothing.
So, to be an effective witness we must learn to listen to people and to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit, and then we need to know two other things.
3. We must learn our particular witnessing STYLE.
You see each and every Christian should be able to testify to God’s work in their lives, answer questions about the faith, and point people toward God but some people are especially effective at doing this in certain ways because of their personalities. In fact, in the book Mark Mittleberg co-authored with Bill Hybels (How to Become a Contagious Christian) he has listed six evangelistic styles that are found in the New Testament. As I explain them, see which one resonates with you:
A. First of all there is the CONFRONTATIONAL style.
The Apostle Peter is a great example of this particular witnessing technique and he demonstrated it best in his sermon at Pentecost delivered to both the Jewish religious leaders and to Jews visiting Jerusalem from all over the world. Acts 2 records that Peter boldly said to them, Listen carefully to what I say…Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through Him. This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge and you with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him. God has made this Jesus, Whom you crucified Lord and Christ. Pierced to the heart, the crowd asked Peter, What shall we do? And Peter replied, Repent and be baptized. Save yourselves from this corrupt nation.
Do you notice how Peter exhorted and challenged? He confidently charged in and hit the crowd with a frontal assault so effective that three thousand people trusted Christ that day. And even today some people will be reached only when they are confronted courageously and straightforwardly with their sin and their need to repent. These people will only come to Christ if they are knocked over the head with the truth by someone like Peter and fortunately God has equipped certain believers even today with the combination of personality, gifts, and desires that make it natural for them to confront others.
B. And then a second mode of witnessing is the INTELLECTUAL style.
In the New Testament the Apostle Paul used this technique very effectively. Do you remember when he was in Athens? Acts 17 tells us that Paul reasoned with the Jews and God-fearing Greeks there, explaining and proving Christ’s resurrection. (Acts 17:3 ). He also conversed with the intelligentsia and debated with the philosophers of this city. In his famous sermon on Mars Hill, he ingeniously used the Athenians’s altar to an unknown god as an introduction to his presentation of the one, true God. Now, Peter’s style would never work in Athens because instead of reasoning with the people he would have said something like, What’s wrong with you people? Tear down that altar to an unknown god! Repent and worship the true God, right now! But this confrontational approach would never have worked with the intellectuals. They needed a more persuasive, academic approach-like Paul’s.
C. And then in John 9 we read of a new believer who practiced the TESTIMONIAL style of witnessing.
I am referring to the man born blind who was healed by Jesus. You may remember that the religious leaders were very upset that our Lord had done this on the Sabbath. In their investigation of Jesus’ crime these religious hard heads finally cornered the healed blind man and asked him what he thought of his Healer. His answer was pure and simple, One thing I know. I was blind and now I see. When this simple testimony to the power of Jesus led to more questions he said, Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing. Draw your own conclusions. I’ve drawn mine! Note that the testimonial style neither confronts nor intellectualizes. It simply tells the story of what Jesus has done in a person’s life. The basic message is: Jesus changed my life…He can change yours too.
D. A fourth witnessing technique is called the INTERPERSONAL style and it was used by the Apostle Matthew.
When he became a Christian he came up with the idea of throwing a party strategically designed to get his unsaved tax collector friends to rub shoulders with Jesus and the disciples. And there are some people, like Matthew, who are just gifted at building relationships with people in this way. His party with a purpose is the philosophy behind events like church picnics and our annual Super Bowl outreach party or our Harvest party because it gives evangelists like Matthew a chance to build relationships with the lost.
E. A fifth style of witnessing is referred to as the INVITATIONAL style.
And when I think of this one I remember that Samaritan woman at the well because when she realized that Jesus was the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah she excitedly left her water pots at the well and ran into the city begging people to come and hear Jesus for themselves. They did and John’s gospel tells us that many of the Samaritans believed and became Jesus’ followers. Well, this Samaritan woman was an invitational evangelist. She knew she wasn’t prepared to articulate the message in a powerful way so she invited her friends and acquaintances to come and hear Someone Who could explain it more effectively.
You know, some Christians condemn themselves because they’re not confrontational or intellectual. They don’t have a dramatic testimony to share and they’re not particularly relational. So…they feel they have nothing to offer as an evangelist. Perhaps God wants them to do just what the woman at te well did. Invite people to come and hear what God can do in their lives if they will let Him. Many people who come to faith in Christ do so because someone invited them to a Bible study or a Billy Graham crusade or something like it, where they could hear the Gospel proclaimed.
F. And then, the final mode of witnessing is called the SERVANT style.
…and it was practiced by one of the most endearing people in Scripture, a woman named Dorcas. Acts 9 records that she tremendously impacted her city by doing deeds of kindness, making garments for the poor and forgotten and distributing them in the name of Christ. She may never have knocked on a door; it’s unlikely she ever preached a sermon. Yet through her acts of service she pointed the people of Joppa to the God Who could transform human hearts and fill them with His love. Dorcas was what is known as a service evangelist. She used her unique serving gifts as tangible expressions of the Gospel message. Maybe you feel drawn to it as well because you have a tender spirit and a helpful heart. And if you do, then learn to use this witnessing technique because there are many unbelievers out there who are open to becoming Christians but the one thing they lack is someone like you to soften their hearts through your acts of service.
So, we must learn our style-what ever it is-and then, in order for our style to bear any fruit there is one more thing we need to do.
4. We must learn or master our personal TESTIMONY.
In other words we must be able to tell the story of how we came to embrace a faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and how that decision has impacted our lives so that when we get a chance to share it and I Peter 3:15 infers that we will all have just such a chance…we will know what to say. There are many reasons why a Christian ought to learn to used his own experiences in witnessing.
First of all people identify with a personal testimony. This is why advertising agencies never tire of using them. This is why biographies are usually more interesting than essays. This is why the average person remembers the illustrations in a message longer than the message itself. Also, a testimony has great power. You are the world’s authority when it comes to your experience with Jesus Christ, so prepare to share it with others. And, to do this well we must DEVELOP our testimony. We must put it together in an organized fashion and practice repeating it. I’m not saying that we need to memorize it word for word but we do need to put enough thought into it so that we can define the most significant events of our journey in our relationship with Jesus.
I think the best outline to follow in sharing your testimony is three basic points, each of which answers a question:
- What was your life like before you became a Christian?
- How did you come to know Christ?
- What has your life been like since you received Christ?
Now, if you grew up in a Christian home and therefore became a Christian at an early age you may not have much to say about what your life was like before you became a Christian. But all of us have something to say about how knowing Christ impacts our work, our marriage, our parenting, and the way we deal with the inevitable problems of life. All of us have a powerful testimony to share. So make yourself ready to do just that..and as you prepare, ask the Lord to give you wisdom and guidance. When you get an opportunity to give your testimony, be yourself and don’t use Christian jargon that might be unclear to unbelievers. I’m referring to words like saved, convicted, converted, or born again. As I told you last week, sometimes even the word, sin, does not communicate to a non-Christian. So use real words…terminology that is genuine and down-to-earth. I would also encourage you to write your testimony down and practice it on friends or family. Know it cold so that when you are given the chance you are ready…prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in you. This morning I’ve asked two Redlanders to share their testimonies..so that you can have a concrete example of how yours might sound.
The testimony of Raj Kethavath
1. Life before I knew Christ.
I was raised in a Christian home. I would go to church weekly and do all the regular church things. As I grew older I started to question what was written in the Bible and other issues, such as evolution, as if I were an atheist. But there was never an answer to the questions I proposed. It was either you believe and act this way or you are not a Christian. I was still involved in the church and became an active member involved in church socials and other activities. The more involved I became, the more I noticed that people measure their Christianity with some unknown rule book. The more I heard about someone saying they’re so good because they do this and that, the more hypocrisy I saw among the those who claimed to be more holy than that rest. These were the same people who would denounce other congregations because of they’re fundamental beliefs.
One day, in my mid teens, I gave up on church. I told my mother I was not going to attend anymore and that was the end of it. I couldn’t understand why God would punish my family and give us so many hardships when my father gave up prosperous opportunities just to follow Christ. Why here my family was struggling to pay the bills and all the church members who said one thing and did the other were able to flourish in their home and financial situations. I was completely disgusted by the church and Christ and anyone that had anything to do with it. After all, all those involved in the church were no better than my family or me. I have always respected everyone for having his or her own opinion as far as religion goes, but from that day on I didn’t want to be bothered by it.
As the years went by I had many friends try to get me involved with the church and Christ again. I turned them all away because I didn’t care to hear about their new found religion. To even further my distance from Christ, I considered returning to my father’s roots of Hinduism. There was nothing that was going to turn me back to Christ after everything that he made my family suffer through. Not even getting married to Emily was going to do it. I told her that I would attend church on the special occasion days, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. But that was the extent of which my involvement with Christians would be. I was happy with the person I was. I was a good decent person.
2. How I came to know Christ and become a Christian
Throughout our relationship and marriage, Emily always tried to get me involved in going to church and becoming a Christian Man. I would entertain her request and attend the churches that she wanted to learn more about. I found them all to be like the church I knew before. Only if you do this and that will you be saved or this is the correct and moral thing to do, if you don’t do it this way you’re not a Christian. It seemed like every where we went everybody had a outline that spelled how to get into heaven and only if I became like them would I be allowed into heaven and there was no way in the world that I wanted to be like any of the people I met in the church. After all the first time someone mentioned to Emily and I that we were an interracial couple was at one of these churches that we attended. If these God loving people couldn’t see past our race or color why would I want to see they’re religious views, after all color and race was never an issue to us before. I even attended Redland with Emily prior to becoming a Christian and this was the first church that I thought to myself if I had to, I guess I could attend this one. But at that stage in my life I was so opposed to the church, that although I enjoyed Mark’s sermon, I still didn’t want to be involved.
Then it happened. The day that I was saved, actually more like the week, I was finally able to understand what Christ and all his glory was truly about. That he was sent here to save someone like me. It was the week of September 19, 2000 when I came to this realization. On September 19th, I was in prison, arrested and facing a felony charge of possession with intent to distribute narcotic that could put me in jail for a period of up to 24. The commissioner had set my bail at $50,000 and I knew there was no way I would be able to afford that. I thought I lost everything. I was going to be in prison for 24 yrs so I might as well give up. I thought I would never see my dear, sweet, wonderful wife or my family again. And I that I was definitely going to get deported so all the people I love, I would never see again.
As all this was going through my head, trying to find a way out of this situation, there was another person in the holding cell with me and he asked me do you believe in God? I was thinking to myself you got to be kidding me, right? I’m looking at a $50,000 bond and up to 24 yrs in prison and your asking me if I believe in God? I don’t have time for this, I got to find a way out of here. I said, of course I do, who doesn’t, but it was my arrogance speaking more than anything, I was just hoping to shut the guy up so I could get back to my thinking. Fortunately for me, it didn’t work. We continued to talk, not about God mind you, just about everything that was going on at the moment. As time went on I still had no hope to get out of prison, but I just wanted to see my family one more time and give Emily a hug and tell her that I love her. By this time it was about 4 am in the morning, me and the other inmate -the same guy who asked if I believed in God- were still in a holding cell together. I was lying wide-awake, getting ready to see the judge in the morning in hopes of getting my bond reduced. He, the messenger from God as I like to refer to him as, asked me if I ever thought of praying. He said, God can work miracles in the courtroom. At that time I decided I would pray and ask God for help, after all what else did I have going my way? It was probably around 4:30 in the morning and there was a combination of moonlight and street lamp shining in through the small cell window. I don’t know what I said in my prayer, but I know I asked for His forgiveness and for him to save me from all my troubles. Anything he could do to let me see Emily just one more time, that’s all I asked for. Peace was finally upon me and I was able to get some sleep that night. As I went into the courtroom that morning, not knowing what to expect, I talked to this man sent from God and I felt as if there was an angel there to watch over me. The judge lowered my bond $50,000 to $20,000 and I knew in my heart that this was a clear indication that God had heard my cry just hours before. I told that man, the messenger, who was only arrested for failing to appear for a $50 traffic violation, that I would start going to church.
3. What my life has been like since I’ve become a Christian.
When I got home the next night, I knew Emily was going to leave me. I begged her to stay and said that I wanted to go to church. She knew that something miraculous had taken place in me while in prison and she was able to forgive me just as God has. The following Sunday Emily and I became members of Redland and I started to make God the focal point of my life. Over the past year since following Christ and being a member of his family, my life has been great. I was finally able to understand the meaning of the passages written in the Bible. I came to know what it meant when He said he came to preach good news to the poor.to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.recovery of sight for the blind.[and] release the oppressed. That he said all that with me in mind. Once I was blessed with the spirit of life everything seemed so clear to me as to why things happened the way they did.
I feel as if I’m smarter now after being blessed by the Spirit of Christ. He has given me more than I could ever ask for. The past year of my life has been filled with many miracles as well as worries and fears. For I still have the ongoing issue of my criminal case and Emily’s and my futures are uncertain. But there have been many times throughout the year that God has given us a reason to rejoice. When Emily and I were looking for a place to live in New York, we had a hard time locating one that we could afford as well one that had any room for all our stuff. Then, two days before we were to move out, we were able to rent a one bedroom in Brooklyn over the telephone. We didn’t see the apartment and didn’t know what condition it was in but we were desperate. When we arrived in New York City and saw the place, it was better than any of the apartments we had seen before in nicer neighborhoods. But that’s not all God has done for us, we had financial difficulties and he has provided for us all the while. A more recent account was after I got laid off, Emily received a refund check from school and we were able to cover this last month’s rent. But the biggest gift God has given us came with my trial on August 22nd. Over the past year Emily and I had been praying together that the judge would have compassion on me and realize that I was a different person. My attorney advised us that we were dealing with one of the toughest judges in the worst counties who issues the toughest sentences and that if I were found guilty we could expect the judge to revoke my bond. If that happened I would immediately be taken into custody and would remain there until sentencing. On August 24th I was found guilty of the felony I was charged with. This was hard, but God did answer our prayers in the courtroom that day, because after the verdict the judge showed compassion on me and did not revoke my bond. My attorney again stressed how unusual this was for this judge. But it was it was obvious to us that God had heard our prayers by having the judge show compassion.
Our trials are still not over. I say our because I am not alone in this, Emily is the one that would suffer more than I would, I thank God everyday for sending her to me. I know that if it were not for her I wouldn’t be able to express the love that God has shown me. This Wednesday on October 24, 2001 I will go before the judge for my sentencing. We are praying that the judge will show the same compassion as before and give me probation so that Emily and I can be together and grow under God’s blessing. I still have fears, doubts and worries I do not know what the outcome will be. Even if I am fortunate enough to get probation, there are still immigration issues that we will have to deal with. I could get deported immediately after sentencing and my fears of not being able to give Emily one last hug could come true. I know this is the Devil trying to take advantage of our situation and trying to discourage us. Many people that I have spoken to regarding my situation have had different opinions. Some have said for me to flee since I’m going to get deported anyway. Others have told me that there is no hope and that I should just prepare myself for the worst. But it has been those few that are close to God that tell me not to give up hope. When I feel this way, I take a moment to talk to God in prayer and tell him of all my worries, doubts, concerns, fears and anger. At other times I read some of my favorite scriptures and a presence comes over me that gives me reassuring calm. For I know that in whatever I do, I must have faith in God.if [I] say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and [do] not doubt in [my] heart but believe that what [I] say will happen, it will be done for [me]. Therefore..whatever [I] ask for in prayer, believe that [I] have received it, and it will be [mine]. I have forgiven those that have sinned against me, for if God and Emily can forgive me; there is no reason why I cannot forgive others. For this reason I have placed my burdens upon God and have been able to be productive and fruitful over the past year and hopefully many years to come.
If only I had learned the wonders of God before, I may have placed more faith in Him to provide for me through my times of need. All I know is that I need him now more than ever and it seems as if he is standing next to me everywhere I go. Whatever sentence I get this Wednesday, I know that God will be with me and give me the strength to endure. My wish and hope is that no one else make the same mistakes that I have and will learn to trust God to provide for them during those times of heartache and turmoil. I know that when the day comes that I get deported, God will give me another calling to help those in other nations see the glory of his grace. I have to give all glory to the grace of God for he has given me the gift of eternal life that no one, not even the Devil, can take away.
The Testimony of Ken Rivera
My testimony starts where I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale down in South Florida, where I attended a small, public school called Nob Hill Elementary. My family and I were Catholics at the time, and we attended a church called All-Saints, which I’ll get back to in a minute.
When I was about half way through 4th grade, I started to feel like I wasn’t learning anything. I became bored with school, and I didn’t see the point of going. There were several factors involved, but I know now that the greatest factor was the Holy Spirit starting to work in me. I started telling my parents how I felt, and it wasn’t long before they switched me to a private, Christian school called Ambassador Christian Academy. It was very close to our house, although I had never even noticed it.
Not long after this, I started realizing that I was feeling the same way about our church. The more I became involved, the less I felt like I was doing anything meaningful. I had a lot of unanswered questions, and I felt as if everyone was just putting on some kind of an act. I was even one of those alter boys in the white robes for some time. Actually, that allowed me to see some things behind the scenes that caused me to lose my respect for church altogether. I felt like I was pretty much a good person, but I know that I was also starting to feel like being good was working against me. Perhaps I needed to be a little more selfish if I was going to be successful and popular. I didn’t know what it was at the time, but something was definitely missing.
I felt that if it worked with school, it would work with church; so I told my parents that I did not want to go to church anymore. My goal was actually to get out of getting up early on Sunday altogether. Fortunately, my parents knew better; and we thought that we would try out the church that was associated with my new school. It was called Westgate Baptist Church, and my family and I started attending regularly.
This only went on for a short time before we were visited by the pastor and the school principal. About the only time I think an actual visit to your house from the school principal was a good thing. They shared the plan of salvation with us, and laid everything out in a way that made everything so clear and simple for all of us. I guess we had a lot of questions about differences between the beliefs we had become used to and the beliefs we heard at Westgate.
A key difference is that I was actually looking at what the Bible said for myself, instead of only having someone else tell me what they generally thought was right. That said a lot. That night, my father, mother, brother and I accepted Christ into our hearts. I was about ten years old. We would soon join the church and be baptized together as well.
As hopefully everyone here can relate to, I felt the difference immediately. My little ten-year-old burdens were lifted. I felt like God was actually listening when I prayed, and that I actually meant what I was praying. I felt like being good had a much greater purpose, and it actually had nothing to do with myself. There was also the added bonus of a new social life full of these nice people saying they are now my brothers and sisters.
Today, as I continue to grow, I still face trials; but the difference is how I am able to handle them. I am no longer depending on myself to get through them. Sometimes I react the wrong way and do try to depend on myself instead of God; but I find that the times when I’ve been good about reading His Word and praying, I will have the right reaction, my attitude is better, and I have a peace that I could not possibly begin to put into words for you today. All I know is that it is the only kind of true peace that can exist in today’s stressful world.
A verse that has always spoken to me about growing is Joshua 1:8 . It says, This Book of the Law shall not depart from out of your mouth, but you will meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do all that is written therein. For then you shall make your way prosperous; and then you shall have good success.
I found that looking up toward God would lead me to my wife, Mallory – yet another gift that I didn’t do anything to deserve. We have both based our lives and our relationship on God, so we now have the most firm foundation possible to build our family upon. We have seen the fruits of this through our sons – most of the time. Many of you saw Andy get baptized a few weeks ago, and that is truly another feeling I can not put into words. If nothing else, I am here to give testimony to the fact that God’s way works.
Well, what about you? Do you know your testimony as these two men do? Are you ready for the test? Are you prepared to answer people who ask how you have the hope that is in you? As I said earlier, this text from 1 Peter infers that we will be asked and can you imagine the impact on Montgomery County if all of us here at Redland, were READY to answer? As we sing our hymn of invitation you may want to bow your head and tell God that you will study and prepare yourself-you will GET ready. In fact I would encourage you to go a step farther and ask God to guide a seeker into your life, someone with whom you can share your testimony.
Some of you may be seekers yourselves and God has used these testimonies to tug at your heart. He is inviting you into relationship with Him this morning. If that applies to you then open the door of your heart. Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin and to come into your life as Savior and Lord and then come and share that decision with us. If you are a Christian and feel God guiding you to join our church, we invite you to come forward as well. We’d love to have you as a part of the Redland family. But as we stand and sing, won’t you come?