Sermon – The Power of Testimony

As a follow up to my last blog, here is a sermon I gave on this subject.  I go a little bit deeper than my Blog.

The sermon can be found Here.

Here are the links to Sister Amber’s testimony:

Part 1 and Part 2

Sermon notes:

The Power of Testimony

1. Testimony enhances our spiritual life
2. I love biographies – Wilberforce, Bonhoeffer, Studd
3. Law and Order – power of the testimonial
4. Question – whose testimony has affected you and why?
5. Story is important in the post-Modern culture
6. Rejection of the meta narrative
7. Argumentative ideas are no longer part of our culture – apologetics, tracts

iii.      Story, testimony is what draws people to ideas and interaction with the meta-narrative

1. Paul’s Testimony
2. Acts 9, 22, 26
3. Luke describes Paul’s conversion in Acts 9
4. Acts 22 – Paul has arrived back to Jerusalem and is arrested – he gives his testimony to the people

iii.      Acts 26 – Paul gives testimony to Agrippa (Jewish King) and Festus (Roman Governor)

1. Read Acts 26: 1-32 – Ask for observations

III.              Three Points on the power of Testimony

1. Testimonies must be credible
2. Principle of unprovable facts with two examples
3. Mormons – Testimony of Joseph Smith completely unprovable
4. Resurrection of Jesus – bodily resurrection not spiritual
5. Testimony at my trial

iii.      Karry’s testimony

1. Todd White’s testimony
2. Testimonies must always point to the Trinitarian God
3. Must be careful in testimonies that include the supernatural that the focus is not on the supernatural experience but on the Holy Spirit / Jesus / Father
4. Testimonies have their power in Jesus – not in experience
5. Our Testimonies are not our own
6. 2 Cor. 3:1-6
7. We don’t know who our testimonies are going to affect

iii.      Story of Sr. Amber – Voice of the Martyrs