Testimony

So, as you can see on your bulletin today, the title of today's sermon is Testimony. One word, testimony. The Apostle Paul, almost 2,000 years ago, said in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 50, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the what? Kingdom of God. Makes it pretty clear. Then Paul goes on to explain that followers, true followers of Christ, will have to be dead and resurrected out of the grave at the seventh trumpet. Biblical. It's right there in black and white. Or changed in a moment in a twinkling of an eye from physical to spiritual. Some refer to it as the quickening because it's going to happen very quick. We will be changed. So, if we die in the faith, no problem, right? If we are faithful at the blowing of the seventh trumpet and are alive, then we will be changed. No problem, right? So, dead are alive. No problem as long as we are faithful to the end. In fact, Matthew 10, verse 22, says, he who endures to the end, the same shall be saved.

But how does God define faithful?

We all agree that we need to be faithful either dead or alive. We die in the faith or we are faithful to the end. But how does God define faith? Well, I might actually turn, as you would, to say, well, Hebrews 11 is known around the world. Theological world is a faith chapter. And I can look at Abraham, and I can look at Rahab, and I can look at these examples, and I can say, I want to be like them.

Then we would be wrong.

Because God has not called us to be like them, because, brethren, we are them 2,000 years, 3,000 years later. We are them. We are to be the faithful as Abraham was, as all the examples in Hebrews 11. We're to be like Christ, and they will be like Christ. So we don't need to be like them. We need to be like Christ. We need to be what they were thousands of years ago today. It's what he's called us to be. So is there a place in this book, the Bible, that projects us forward to that time in the future, when that seventh trumpet will sound, that helps us to define what is faithful to God upon Christ's return, and that blowing of that anticipated long-awaited seventh trumpet? Seventh trumpet.

Well, there is a place. There is a place in this book, in this futuristic book, that is called the revelation of Jesus Christ. And as you know, a few weeks ago, when I was here, in the month before that, we went into a series as we delved into the book of revelation. We discussed the two witnesses. We discussed the place of safety. We discussed the seven seals. We discussed the trumpets. We discussed all these things. But there's something else as I continue, really, that series here. So let's turn to that prophetic book to see if we stack up. If we meet the requirements. If we fit the mold. And if I can say the phrase, if we got what it takes. Go to Revelation 12, if you will, with me. Revelation 12. Okay, I thought he did. If the young people will gather there in the back with Mr. Lavender, we will have a children's class today that we had been planning. So all those will meet back there where Chris is standing now by the water and by the coffee. And you'll follow Mr. Lavender. And I think you will enjoy your pre-feast class today. So if we can do that while everyone is turning to Revelation 12. Everybody there? We read Revelation 12 last time. I was here as we talked about the woman, the church, the dragon, and various things that took place. But I'd like you to look at what verse 17 says. Revelation 12 and verse 17 said, And the dragon was enraged with the woman, means the church, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who, do what? Keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Do you know what that testimony is? If you had to explain it to someone, could you? Hopefully I will try to make that crystal clear today so that we can understand. I actually want to thank a friend of mine, Tim Franke. I don't think Tim's ever been here, but I actually heard him give a sermon on this subject and so forth. And so I really liked it. So I told him I was going to steal it and turn it around, put it in my words. And he said, well, there's no such thing as stealing the Word of God. So I don't feel so bad about that. But when you look at that scripture, because it's a very important scripture. Revelation 12 verse 17, the commandments keep the commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Everybody all in for that? I mean, it's there. And black and white, it's pretty clear. Let's go over on the same page in my book in Revelation 14 in verse 12. Revelation 14 in verse 12. Here is the patience of the saints. Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

Go with me a few pages over to Revelation 19. Revelation 19 verse 10. We read this a few weeks ago as we looked at the wedding supper that will take place before Christ and his saints returned to destroy the armies of the world. But in Revelation 19 in verse 10 says, I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the, what?

Testimony of Jesus. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. So does that answer it? Exactly. It adds something to it. Like you go back with me to Revelation 11, what we also covered a few weeks ago about the two witnesses. And there in Revelation 11 in verse 7 says, Now when they finish their testimony, you remember the two witnesses on earth proclaiming what? For three and a half years.

When they finish their testimony, they are calling on the world to repent. Right? They are announcing that Jesus Christ is returning. So it says here, When they had finished their testimony, the beast that is sent out of the bottom of his pit will make war against them, overcome them, and will kill them. Now, as we look at those four verses that we just read, there's no doubt for us that we're to keep the commandments of God. Right? We're to keep the Ten Commandments, not nine, ten.

It's laid out in the Bible. Many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many times. Also, especially in 1 and 2 John, where he actually covers that because those are one of the last books written, to make sure that we understand we're to keep the commandments of God. James even calls them in his book, the royal law. Very important. So I don't think that's an issue for any of us.

Otherwise, you probably wouldn't be here today, would you? He said, I can keep nine. I don't have to worry about the other one. You probably wouldn't be here today because that's what so many people that do not keep this day says they're doing it just on a different day. But what is the testimony of Jesus Christ? I touched on just four different areas here, four different scriptures, four different places. The book of Revelation, though, is loaded with the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Which brings me to another question. Are we? Are we? Are you? Loaded with the testimony of Jesus Christ? What do these verses mean? Testimony. Is it to testify like one of these charlatans who'll be on TV tomorrow morning on religious programming? Say, oh, I thank you since Jesus Christ entered my heart. I no longer beat my wife three times a week. I only do it once. And some of these things that you see on TV.

Is that what he's talking about? Come up and testify, Sister Susie. I'm not seeing it. I'm seeing something different in the book of Revelation. The Greek word for testify in Revelation in the New Testament in Greek is martyria. Martyria. It's actually spent M-A-R-T-U-R-I-A. M-A-R-T-U-R-I-A. To me, I think it's a very important word. If I didn't have this up here today, I would write the word because it helped me to understand this testimony so much more in the last two weeks than I'd have understood it in 30 years.

So I hope you can also get from this. And martyria actually means in the Greek evidence given. Evidence given. She may say, well, that makes sense. It's actually a judicial term used in the courts at that time. Martyria. It was used at the time as evidence given by record or by a report or by the testimony of a witness as in a court proceeding.

Makes sense. You'd say, well, okay. Glad you didn't know that. I knew that 20 years ago. But there's more to it than that. I'd like to go back, stay in the book, and let's go to Revelation 1. Revelation 1. Revelation 1, verse 1 and 2.

I think you'll find this interesting. Very important that God put it in here because he's got testimony scattered all through Revelation, and he starts out the book of Revelation. Okay. It says in verse 1, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him. Okay. So here we have God gave this revelation to Jesus Christ, even though my book says the revelation of Jesus Christ, it actually came from God the Father. That's what the book says. So it actually says that God gave this to Christ. Christ gave it to an angel, and then an angel gave it to John.

So there's actually four beings, four entities involved in this book of Revelation. Most people just think, oh, it's Jesus. Or Jesus gave this to John, but that's not what it says here. The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants things which must shortly take place, and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John.

Who bore witness... Here's another judicial term, if you can say that. As a matter of fact, witness, the word witness is from the Greek word Martus, M-A-R-T-U-S, which is the root word for Marturius. And it actually means where we get the word martyr from. Martus, it's a root word for martyr, and it means to give a record. To give a record. But it says, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ and to all things that he saw.

So here, this testimony of Jesus Christ is front row. Here in the book of Revelation, he starts out with that. So whatever this is, since we believe we understand about the commandments, are we sure we know what this testimony is? Because it is separate and not the same. So, let's go down to verse 9. Revelation 1 and verse 9. It says, I John, both your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos.

Why? For the word of God. But there's another end in there. And for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Are you a good witness of Jesus Christ? Better yet, is your life a witness or testimony of Jesus Christ? Perhaps you've been in court before, you've seen court, not you've probably seen it on TV. But what if you were drugged before the courts? Would there be enough evidence that you are a follower of Christ to convict you? Or would they dismiss the case because of lack of evidence? Lack of evidence, what given? Testimony. Martius. Evidence given. Are we showing evidence that we are followers of Jesus Christ? So, has Christ in you changed you? Has Christ in you changed you? You see here, John is saying he is giving testimony of Jesus Christ.

Because John was, it says, a witness. What did he witness? What did he see? He saw changed lives.

He saw his life change from being a fisherman to one who was dedicated to following the instructions he was given by Jesus Christ. He saw how Jesus Christ changed Peter's life, didn't he? And Peter did change from a cursing, foul fisherman who actually told Christ that he would get away from me. I'm not a good man. No, move away from me. And he saw that same man stand up at Pentecost and give such an amazing message. He saw Peter walk by this person and just his shadow healed the people. Christ in him. And John actually got to see thousands of people. Whose lives were changed by Christ being in them. So has Christ in you rather changed you? If not, you and I both may be false witnesses.

And that we run the risk of not having the testimony of Jesus Christ.

You know, Christ came and said, I came that you may have life and live it more abundantly. I love that scripture because it reminds me of how I need to be living every day and I should have life more abundantly. Is there a proof of Christ living in you? Because that's what's supposed to take place at baptism. Is there proof of the life of Christ in you? Because we can see the examples in the Bible of how when the Holy Spirit came into, was given, and God worked with these people. It's His Spirit. And all of a sudden, their lives begin to change.

And no better example of that than Paul, right? I mean, he was out there killing people.

Except with Paul, it had to be a little more radical and blinding him for three days. Right? With most of us, it didn't have to be that radical, but a lot of us had to come out of things. We weren't living a very godly life. A lot of us didn't even know that much about the Bible or God or anything else. And you're wondering, why in the world did He call you? Call me! Call that person! I'm going to touch on that today because it's amazing. But is there proof of the life of Christ in you? Now, there is a thing, and I just got it in the mail about a month ago, and I have it at my desk or something, and it's actually sent by the home office.

It's actually sent by the home office, and it gives us instructions for those of us who work in foreign countries. And it also tells about being in insurance policy for kidnapping, in case one of us is kidnapped. Now, I don't have that much trouble in Jamaica or Caribbean. There's more in South America now that will be working in South America, maybe. But people like John Elliott, Paul Moody, who are in Africa, they confront that. That could very well happen because there's so much of that goes on today with an American because they will hold you for ransom. And this actually showed how they dealt with those details and what would happen and how much money they're willing to pay for your ransom, which I thought was kind of funny in one way. How much is much of my worth. But it's interesting because I thought about that because my mind flashed back to some time in the 70s, I believe it was. Early 70s, I was very young. And there was a very wealthy man at that time named in America, one of the richest men called John Paul Getty. J. Paul Getty? Yes, John Paul Getty. Is that what I'm trying to remember? Because I'm called John Paul Getty. He was very, very wealthy, and his son, who was 18-19 at the time over in Italy or somewhere, was actually kidnapped and held for ransom.

And so they asked for like 10-15 million dollars, which was a lot of money, to which his father said, no, I won't pay that much.

To which he said, they came back and said, okay, we'll take 5 million if I remember the story right. And he said, no, I won't even pay you 5 million for him. But I will pay 2.5 million dollars because that's what I can write off taxes. You can look the story up if you want. I checked it to make sure. What was so interesting is that they wanted to make sure they had him. So as this done in all the kidnappings and so forth, ransom deals, they have what they call proof of life. Proof of life. So they wanted to make sure that they had him. To which the kidnappers actually took the 18-year-old boy and cut his ear off and sent the ear to father. Showing he had him. But today, they're typically to show proof of life, you're holding a newspaper and they take a picture of you, a newspaper of the day, and that's proof that they have you, and so forth. But it's called proof of life.

Brethren, God needs to see from us the proof of life that Christ is in us.

That we have the mind of Christ. He wants to see evidence. He wants to see evidence. Does he see it? Like turn with me to 1 John. 1 John 5. 1 John 5, verse 9, said, If we receive the witness of men, the martyrs, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God which he has testified of his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in what himself? He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of his Son.

God made this book possible so we would see. The example of his Son, we were actually given, what? Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Four accounts. Not one, not two, not three, but actually four accounts. That Jesus Christ walked and talked and lived on this earth and died for all of us. For all of us. Verse 11, And this is the... What? This is the testimony God has given us. This is the testimony that God has given us eternal life. Jesus Christ. And this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life. And he who does not have the Son of God does not have what? Life.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. An interesting eternal life. What he's saying is only something eternal can give eternal life, right? Something physical can't give eternal life.

And you may say, well, you know, I go to church. That doesn't give you eternal life. I'm a good person! I'm baptized! That doesn't give you eternal life.

The testimony of Jesus Christ is about change lives, brother. It's about change lives.

If you're not changed and not changing and continuing to change, you are not a witness of Christ in your life. Have you ever considered that? If you're not a better husband, you're not a better wife, you're not a better parent than you were a year ago, five years ago. It's time to question.

Do I have the testimony of Jesus Christ?

See, the testimony of Jesus Christ is a witness of Christ in you. It's a witness of Jesus Christ in me. That is the testimony. That is the evidence given, right? It's something that people should be able to see. There has to be a change.

You know, I have to fight not to be a lousy witness. Many days, I fight that because I want to say my words instead of the words from this Bible.

You know, in court, you see it in sometimes high-profile cases, that either the prosecuting attorney or the defense attorney, or they'll call a witness that they hope will help their case, and it ends up backfiring on them. Because a witness turns out to be against them, and it turns out to be a false witness in many times, many cases.

How about us? What kind of witness are we? Witness of Christ in us.

See, our testimony should be real. It's visual. It's not esoteric. It's not subjective. It's not obscure. At least, brethren, it should not be. It should be something that's seen. And yes, I do fight that, and I'm sure you probably do too at times. You have the chance to be like Christ, but I also have the chance to be like Chuck. And too many times, I'm like, Chuck, what Chuck wants to do instead of what Christ wants to do.

That example happened to me at the bank, not at the bank, but at the post office. Post office. I had to mail something yesterday. And so, when I got there, well, when Mary came back, she went by the post office earlier, and she said, wow, there's nobody there. So I went there, and by the time I got there, what was there? Ten people in front of me, you know. But I'm, I have a package because Mary's packaged it all up already, so I'm ready to go. Mail it. And as I'm standing there, this woman behind me is trying to fill out some, it looks like tax returns or something from the government. She's got like stuff scattered all over, and she's trying to, you could see she was stressed, worn out, and there with her was this child, this little boy, about that big he must have been maybe a year and a half. And he was just running everywhere, all over the post office. And they have greeting cards over there. And so she's trying to do this and trying to fill out this stuff, and this little boy is just running around being a boy. And he's pulling out cards, and he's throwing them all over the lobby. And she said, come here, and she's trying to run after him, and then these people are standing lying. I could see just how stressful. I mean, you know, she's trying to do this. And my first thought was, why don't you make your child mind? Get him over there and say, no, you're not moving from here.

But then I looked at her, and I looked at the little boy, and he came running over towards me, and then he just like... And then he ran away. And he ran to the other end of the post office, and people are all in there at the time. And I go through, and finally my number is called. I get up there, and it took me two minutes to pay for this package and so forth. And I grabbed my stuff, and I got my receipt, and I started to walk out the door. And actually, the sermon hit me. What am I doing? You know, I don't have any place. I just have to be. It's preparation day for me. I still have to go through my sermon. Still have to do this. So I walked back, and I said... Because she's trying to do this. I said, you want me to look after him for a minute? And she goes, oh, would you? I said, sure. So I walk back, and I go over there, and I say something to him, build a little rapport. And then I pick him up, and I carry him. I thought he might squall when I picked him up. He didn't. I put him on my shoulder, and I walk around the post office, and let him go touch this and feel this and everything else. It took like, what, about 10 minutes. And she got her stuff done, and she came back, and she goes, oh, so thankful. Thank you. Thank you very much. I'm not telling you that to tell you what a good person I am. I'm telling you that to tell you that I wanted to walk out that door.

But we all have something we can do, because I realized Jesus Christ wouldn't walk out that door. And the comment that came to me was where the little kids would crawl up on his lap, and the disciples were going, get, get, get these kids. It's too busy for this. Remember the story? He said, no, let them come unto me.

I need to be more like Christ. I need to do more of that. I'm telling you, I haven't done much of that. I need to be a better witness. I need to have a testimony of Jesus Christ. And maybe that's not your problem, but it's something I need to work on.

God chose, it says, the weak and the base. And why did he do that? What does Scripture say? It says to confound the mighty, right? To confound the mighty! For them to look in and go, God used that! Wait a minute! I remember that old guy!

I still remember my father. I tell myself, my father, he's not alive. My mother will be here on the tome, so I better do it before she gets here.

But some people came by after we had come into the church and learned the way, because my father was very carnal before the church. And I saw that it was evidence. He gave a lot of evidence in his life, because I knew him before and knew him after and saw that. But I remember somebody came by on their way to Florida, and we were in Tennessee, and this was a guy my father hadn't seen for 35 years. Somebody that they ran around when they were in their 20s together. And he said, I'm going to be by. And he said, well, yes, stop by. And he stopped by, and I'm standing there with my father. I must have been 15-16 years old at the time. And they started carrying on this conversation and so forth. And my dad's not the same man that he was then, because this guy actually... And I'm looking, because this guy's like, what? 40 years old. And he looks at my dad and says, you remember we used to run around, and you know, we used to have those old filthy magazines. My dad goes, yeah, he said, you know, I still got some. You want to see them? And then me being a sister, I was like, what? And my dad goes, no, I don't do that anymore. And the guy goes, oh, okay. And from there, I remember listening to the conversation, because I was intrigued. It went hardly anywhere, and within 10 minutes, the guy and his family left. There was nothing, nothing there for them. When Christ is in your life, and when you're led and guided by Him, there isn't a lot for people that don't think that way to have to share with you, or that you have to share with them. Because the evidence is crystal clear, isn't it? That you're changed. And that's what God did. He came that is confound the mighty. And then He said, you are light of the world. Why? He said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify Him. That's what it's about. Him. The good that comes from Him in this piece of dirt. I must say, to me, it's God's version of show and tell. Anybody have that when you were in school? Show and tell? Yeah. Will you have anybody else show and tell? Yes. You remember that when you were a kid, I was in the first or second grade. And I remember you're supposed to bring something from home, and then you're supposed to show it, and then you're tell about it. Well, when I was in the first grade, my thing that I went to, my dad was a boxer, and I went and got boxing gloves. He had three or four different sizes, so I carried those to school. And I wouldn't tell him my dad was this boxer. So I showed these boxing gloves, and they were a lot bigger than I was and so forth. And then I would tell him about how you do this and you do that and what all I knew in the first grade. Then I got in trouble because people started using the boxing gloves to hit the other person, and so they told me never to bring those back to school again. So, but that was what I so remember about show and tell. Brethren, do we understand the show and tell concept? Do we understand where it came from? It came from God. He sent his son, and his son was the evidence. And then his son you could see him. He came from God, and then he would tell about his father. Remember that?

It was so clear. Christ came as he said, I came to reveal the father. If you've seen me, you've seen the father. He was evidence that there was a father because he sent him and saw all the miracles. He said, oh well, I did all these miracles. No, he gave credit to the father. He said, me and my father are one. Christ was a witness of the father. He actually said, my words are not mine. Didn't take credit for anything. He was there for show and tell, the greatest show and tell ever presented before the world. He bore witness of the father, which is incredible, certifiable proof that the father sent him. But how can anyone else walk on water, raise people from the dead, and do all the miracles that he did, except he was evidence that he came from the father?

Do you bear witness of Jesus Christ? Not just words, but clear, undeniable evidence that God is in you. That we are all in, that God is the ruler of our lives, that he is the supreme, sole central authority. Is that what we show?

You see, when that happens, that is the evidence. That is the witness of God in us. That is the testimony.

Are we perfect now? Oh, no. No, not yet. Not yet. That's why in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, the actual Greek translation is, become you perfect. It's a process. And the more Christ is in us, the more perfect we will become. And the more that testimony, that evidence given, is so crystal clear that everyone can see. She is different. She is different. See, you can fake it for a while. You can fake Christianity. It's faked all over the world. But that is why eternal life is a gift. Remember Romans 6, 23, memory verse for almost everybody. Romans 6, 23, for the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. It's through Him. See, we can't earn it. You can't buy it. And we can't fool God because He's omnipresent. He sees us. He knows what we're like inside and out. And He knows whether we're faking it or not. And for Him to give eternal life, it is a gift, the greatest gift He could ever give. Because He wants to make sure if we spend eternity with Him, we know what He's about. And He needs to know what we're about.

So no matter how great an actor you may think you are, you can't fool God. And we see things done, evidence given, right, at different places, at different times. And we may say, oh wow, that's great. Oh, look at that. Look at Him. Look at her. But that's why Christ is so vehement all through the New Testament about, don't make a big deal out of things. Keep it quiet so that your Father in heaven knows, and let Him reward you openly. It's all about this testimony and how important this testimony is. You and I, are we becoming more like God or less? We have the opportunity in another week, and it's the reason for this season, Father Holy Day season. It's a reason for us to go get our batteries recharged, these spiritual batteries. It's an opportunity for us to be in our proper neck of the woods. It's an opportunity for us to really fit in, because in this world we really don't when you follow Christ. It's almost like the Feast of Tabernacles is a booster shot. It gives us that boost to carry us through. It's like it's a spiritual retreat where other people who worship and honor and love God are.

And you know what it feels like when you're there, right? 8 days to detox the world. That's what we get. 8 days to get this stuff out where we're not around people. Just get out of my way.

As I was thinking, I went to the hardware store on Thursday, I guess it was the day the hurricane was to come through, and I saw people. You saw the worst of people.

And it was only over some boats and some and some butane. What's it going to be when there's no food? What's it going to be when we have to rely on God?

8 days to detox the world. 8 days to breathe in spiritual nourishment. And lastly, as I wrap up today, it actually gives us a chance for the dress rehearsal.

If you've ever been involved in a play, you find that there's always a dress rehearsal, even if it's a musician who will, a lot of times, have a sound check. They will check everything out and play it. But here, in acting, there's a dress rehearsal where it's not the real thing yet, but you're able to dress up and act the part. Brethren, Feast of Tabernacles is a dress rehearsal. It's where we get to act the part, and God gets to see if there's evidence there of who we really are and what we're about.

When we get up every day, it's time to eat.

It's probably their favorite part of your class, isn't it? Yes. Well, mine is because I'm about to end, so that's their favorite part. But when we get up every day and view each day as a blessing, because we are changing by the power of God and His Spirit in us, isn't that a wonderful thing? That's what God wants to see. And yes, we're bogged down. We have problems. We have issues. Yeah, but they've always been and they always will be, till our real world gets here, till our King is our President. They're going to be that way. But we have the chance to show, show and tell, and be in the evidence.

We have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Don't we? Do we? Do we have as much as we want? Do we have, like, one of these cases where the attorney lays it out and goes, I have so much evidence it's a slam dunk. Right? Isn't that what God wants from us? The testimony of Jesus Christ, the evidence given that it's a slam dunk, that our change will come in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.

You want that change? Brethren, be that change. Now, have the testimony of Jesus Christ.