Thursday, April 20, 2023 Some material taken from More Than A Story Part 2
And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.
Acts 16:13
Demonstrate Your Testimony
Demonstrate your testimony by demonstrating acceptance.
Every day we demonstrate our testimony in the words we say and the things we do. In fact, our actions do speak much louder than our words. We will long be remembered, not by what we say, but by how we treat people. How we treat people says a lot about our testimony as well. It is really our testimony in action.
The scripture above is referencing Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke going to a place of prayer in Philippi. The scripture says that they sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. In our world that does not sound unrealistic. But Paul used to be a Pharisee before he was born again, and a pharisee would never speak to women. Paul is demonstrating a testimony of being born again. When we are born again, if we follow Jesus, He will transform our heart, mind, and actions. We will demonstrate acceptance in a way we never did before. We will love the people we once looked down on and thought unlovable.
Paul sitting and speaking with women shows them and us that it doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, and what you have done or do. The Gospel is available to you! Those with a heart that God did a work in reinforce that fact in the way we treat you, talk to you, and talk about you and those like you.
In society today there is so much unacceptance and discrimination. People purposefully make others feel unaccepted. But as Christians we can be used by God to see the dead receive life and to work through Christ in us to make others feel accepted, no matter who they are. If Jesus Christ accepts all people, no matter who they are, where they are from, what they have done, or what they do, should we not demonstrate this in our testimony? We don’t have the power to do this on our own, but because our resurrected Savior is in us, we can!
One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. Acts 16:14
One of the ladies that heard the men speak that day was a businesswoman named Lydia. She was successful, secure, and likely a very smart entrepreneur in the ancient world. She runs a lucrative business, and her hometown was famous for its purple dyes. She has deep connections to the source of her products. Not only is her financial present secure; but so is her future. She worships God, fears God, and acknowledges that the God of Abraham is the One True God. She likely strives to live a moral life that observes the law. Being religious, moral, and having a respect for God are common means to try and escape brokenness; and she has them in spades. But Neither her financial success nor her morality can help her escape brokenness. She still needs to be born again and to have a relationship with her Savior.
“And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.” Acts 16:15
Lydia was born again, and after she was born again she began her new life by joining Jesus in baptism. Because of Paul’s demonstration of acceptance, and having a language and an attitude like Jesus, Lydia was willing to hear what he was saying. Demonstrating our testimony opens the door to make connections with those who are ready to hear the Gospel.
We are always on display to a world that is ready to call Christians out on anything they can find. We need to remember daily to demonstrate our testimony by living it out intentionally to a broken world all around us.
Demonstrate your testimony by having a language and an attitude that is as inviting as your Savior’s.
