Telling Your Story. Rainer Kunz

Transcription

1 Telling Your Story Rainer Kunz

2 Did you hear about the experiment conducted in Great Britain back in 2002? People around the world were invited to judge jokes on an Internet site as well as contribute their own. The LaughLab research attracted more than 40,000 jokes and almost two million ratings. And here s the winner - the world s funniest joke: Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy takes out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?" As Christians, sometimes we can be like that poor hunter...desperately in need of step by step instructions. If someone would just tell us the steps, we d be so grateful. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to sharing our faith with others. So that s what this brief lesson is all about. We re going to work on how to share personal stories...in fact, your story, your testimony of what Christ has done for you. And, since we realize most Christians get pretty uncomfortable when it comes to talking with others about their relationship with Christ, this lesson will give you step by step instructions. So, let s get going. What Is A Testimony? A testimony is a true story about what God has done in your life. 3 Reasons for Using A Testimony 1. In today s world, people are accustomed to hearing truth through stories. They are not nearly so inclined to think according to the old schools of thought: either absolutism or relativism. Instead, they process information based on whether or not it is emotionally relevant in their lives and stories connect emotionally. 2. Also, in today s world, the person with an experience is not at the mercy of a person with an argument. A skeptic may disagree with what we say, but he cannot truly deny our experience. A testimony is a powerful thing. When we are yielded to the Holy Spirit, a testimony can be greatly used to influence others. 3. Finally, in today s world, God s expectations are the same as yesterday s world. The Bible is clear about us sharing our faith. Consider, then just one passage:1 Peter 3:15.

3 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 1 Peter 3:15 Without looking ahead, see if you can pick out five crucial steps from 1 Peter 3: Okay, now let s see how you did. According to 1 Peter 3:15: 1. Set apart Christ as your Lord. First make the decision to trust Christ and make him the first love of your life the absolute one and only Lord of your life. 2. Be prepared. That s what we re doing in this lesson. In fact, it would be great if you could become prepared to offer a 30 second version of your testimony, a 3 minute version of your testimony, or a 30 minute version. 3. Give the reason for the hope you have Have a logical, articulate, clear and concise set of reasons why you believe in Jesus and why you gave Him your life. 4. Share with gentleness Do this with gentleness. Instead of what? 5. Share with respect Share with respect. What s respect? What would that look like?

4 Eight Tips For Sharing Your Testimony Testimonies are about what God has done in our lives, not about what we did for God. They are about God's success, not our success. We want our listener to be in awe about God and not about us. 1. Pray...and then pray some more. Speak to God and ask him to speak through you. 2. Follow a simple plan A. your life before Christ B. how you met Christ C. your life after receiving Christ 3. Start with an interesting, thought provoking, and/or powerful sentence. 4. Offer a good conclusion. Try not to let things remain vague or open-ended. 5. Include relevant, thought-provoking personal experiences. Give enough detail to arouse interest. 6. Use some Scripture verses to help you explain the gospel clearly. A. The Gospel of John John 1:12 John 1:1-3; John 1:14; John 1:18 John 3:1-16 Become a Child of God by believing The identity of the One to believe in The process of salvation explained B. The Romans Road Romans 1:17 Romans 3:23 Romans 4:4-8 Romans 5:8 Romans 6:23 Romans 10:9-11 The Hope: being right with God through faith The Problem: we have all sinned The Answer: justified through faith The Reason for the Answer: God s love The Result of the Answer: eternal life The Answered Accepted: believe, trust 7. Avoid negative statements about other individuals or groups. 8. Avoid using Christian jargon like "sanctified" and "redeemed," while you lift up Christ as the only way.

5 Creative ways to share your testimony 1. A Christmas letter or other letter or newsletter 2. In conversation 3. A video or DVD (could use an interview format) 4. To your Bible study or other small group at church 5. On a web site -- your own, your church's or there are some sites that specialize in testimonies Thirty questions to help you unlock the power of a testimony How did God show up for you in a time of need? How has God enabled you to overcome hardship, oppression and adversity for yourself and others? What did God do with your failed dreams or other disappointments? How has God healed you or given you special grace in a time of sickness? How did God arrange recovery from a crisis? How did God respond to your rebellion? How has God changed your perceptions of the church, of life or of Himself? How did God meet you in times of grief and sorrow? How has God revealed His sense of humor, bring light moments in a dark world? What epiphany, paradigm shift, or life lesson has God taught you, and what is the story behind it? How has God given you the strength to overcome life-controlling issues? How have you received direction or redirection from God? Have you ever been in a situation where you needed God to show up -- otherwise you were sunk? What happened? In John 15:5 we learn that apart from Christ we can do nothing. How has that played out in your life? How has God enriched your marriage, family, career, or finances?

6 How did God bring you to Himself? How has God used mentors in your life? How has God brought success out of humble beginnings? How did God enable you to stand firm when you were tempted to sin or to compromise your faith? How did God use a turning point in your life? What has God taught you about living the Christian life, and how did He do it? How have you received direction from God? Have you ever received direction from God in an unusual way? How has God changed your values and your perspective? How have you found God's grace in painful situations? How have you found God's strength in a time of weakness? How has God rescued you from danger? How has God brought peace to you concerning troubling questions about your faith? What has God taught you about problems you couldn't fix? How has God enabled you to deal with lies about you or threats to your reputation? How has God turned disaster around for good for you?