When one believes and receives Jesus into his life he begins as a new person. The Holy Spirit comes to live inside of him. This is a life-changing event. He may not understand everything that has happened. But he does know that Christ has come into his life and that changes are taking place. These changes are a testimony. They prove that something did happen. He could tell you what his life was like before he met Christ, how he came to know Jesus Christ personally, and how his life has changed since he began this relationship. He has a testimony. He is a witness.

There are two vital parts of a verbal testimony. (1) Knowing what to say to every man (1 Peter 3:15) and (2) knowing how to say it to every man (Colossians 4:6) .

1. A LOOK AT THE APOSTLE PAUL'S TESTIMONY
When Paul stood before King Agrippa in Acts 26 , he told him simply, logically and clearly about his life before salvation, how he met Christ, and what his life was like after conversion. Paul's testimony takes three or four minutes to read out loud in a conversational manner. I am going to ask one person to read verses 1-11 , one person to read verses 12-18 and one person to read verses 19-23 . As they read out loud I would like for you to follow along in your Bible. As we read I also want you to look for the answers to the following three questions (written on the white board).

A. How did Paul capture the interest and attention of Agrippa so that he was willing to listen to him? there are at least six ways Paul did this.

(1) "Paul stretched out his hand" -

(2) "I think myself happy" - He was positive.

(3) "You are expert" - He was complimentary.

(4) "I beg you to hear me patiently" - He begged attention.

(5) "My manner of life" - He told his life story.

(6) "All the Jews know" - He told something they understood.

B. Which personal pronoun (I, me, my) did Paul use most frequently in his testimony? It is the word "I" and is found 21 times in 21 verses (verses 2-22) . Paul is not preaching a sermon. He is simply telling the facts of his story. "I did this. I did this. I did that."

C. What facts does Paul tell about himself in this passage? After his introduction, starting in verse 4 , let's just look at several times he uses the words "I" and "my" and see what he says about himself.

(1) Paul's days before he met Christ

In verse 4 he says,

Acts 26:4

"My ... life ... was spent ... at Jerusalem."

In verse 5 he says,

Acts 26:5

"I lived a Pharisee."

In verse 9,

Acts 26:9

"I thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth"

In verse 10 he says,

Acts 26:10

"Many of the saints I shut up in prison...when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them."

In verse 11 he says,

Acts 26:11

"I punished them often in every city...compelled them to blaspheme...I persecuted them even to foreign cities."

(2) How Paul met Christ

Starting in verse 12 Paul tells of how he met Jesus Christ. First he tells where he was -

Acts 26:12

"as I journeyed to Damascus .... along the road."

Then in verse 13 he tells when this happened,

Acts 26:13

"at midday."

Then he tells what happened,

Acts 26:13

"I saw a light from heaven."

In verse 14,

Acts 26:14

"I heard a voice ... saying in Hebrew ...Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'"

Then in verse 15 Paul said,

Acts 26:15

"Who are you Lord?' And He said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.'"

Then Jesus told him to stand and said that the reason He appeared to Him was to make him a witness and to send him to the Gentiles.

I want you to notice something in this section of Paul's testimony. Paul is sharing the facts of what really happened to him. When he say this light and heard this voice those who were with him heard and saw it too. Paul didn't just imagine this. It's not something that he felt or just seemed to happen. It really happened. Many people today when they share a testimony want to tell some unusual story. When you share your testimony don't exaggerate. Don't tell things that you just thought, felt or seemed to happen. Tell the facts of what really happened.

(3) How Paul's life changed after he met Christ.

In verses 15-23 Paul tells how his life changed. He changed from being a persecutor to a preacher. He told first the Jews and then the Gentiles to "repent" and "turn to God."

2. THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR TESTIMONY
Your testimony is the story of your own personal pilgrimage to God. It is the story of how God drew you to Himself and to the saving faith of Jesus. Your testimony is one of the most effective tools God has given you to share your faith in Jesus Christ. It is effective for several reasons.

A. It is Commanded by Scripture: Psalm 107:2 says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy."

B. It Overcomes Satan: Revelation 12:11 says, "They over-came him (Satan) by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony."

C. It Glorifies Christ: Mark 5:18-19 says, "And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him,Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He's had compassion on you.'"

by Steve Nicholes
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