Scripture Text: Luke 21:10-19 (ASV)
Luke 21:13-15 (ASV)
10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11 and there shall be great earthquakes, and in divers places famines and pestilences; and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all these things, they shall lay their hands on you, and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, [b]bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 It shall turn out unto you for a testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate beforehand how to answer: 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to withstand or to gainsay. 16 But ye shall be [c]delivered up even by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends; and some of you [d]shall they cause to be put to death. 17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. 18 And not a hair of your head shall perish. 19 In your [e]patience ye shall win your [f]souls.
The Title of Today’s Message is: I Believe I’ll Testify
Introduction
We are focusing this summer on our Apostolic DNA, understanding the inheritance we have been given from our heavenly father and the mandate it carries to do something good with the spark of divinity He has placed within us. As DNA is inherited from our parents in the natural, so too can we declare that we inherit our blueprint from our spiritual father since Genesis 1 reminds us that we were made in the image and likeness of God. This means that we were created to be like God and to resemble the Spirit of God in our moral, spiritual, and intellectual nature. Although we were born in sin and shapen in iniquity, God programmed us to overcome the evil one, to conquer the enemy and his tactics, and to prove to the world that the Blood of Jesus still redeems and still works. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1:7 that it is in Jesus that “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” What I have described to you so far shows that God built in a hedge of protection when He created us, knowing that this world would try its best to alter the path we are to walk on in our mission to please the Father. God knew from the beginning of time that Satan’s one desire was to steal, kill, and destroy the destiny of the Child of God. God knew that, though He programmed us with His image and likeness and that we inherited His spiritual DNA, there would be environmental factors and tendencies that we would have to both endure and overcome to stop the plan of Satan from getting us off track. In other words, God knew that our DNA was subject to mutations.
If you would indulge me for just a minute, I would like to take you through a 60-second biology lesson on DNA mutations. A mutation is any change in the DNA sequence of a cell. This means that mutations cause the original design of the DNA to be compromised, and this compromise usually takes place because of mistakes during the cell division process or when your DNA is exposed to damaging agents within the environment. Mutations in nature can lead to diseases and other harmful effects on the human body. What is interesting is that God shared with me that DNA mutations do not just occur in the natural. If we are not careful, we will get so bogged down by the cares of this world that we forget what we were programmed to be on this Earth. We can get so sidetracked with what is not going our way on Earth that we forget that our Apostolic DNA programmed us never truly to fit into this world. Pastor E. Mable Wilson once said, "When you are in step with the world, you are out of step with God.”
Connection to the Introduction
Our Apostolic DNA programs us to remember:
John 15:19– if you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world; therefore the world hates you.
Romans 12:2– do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
1 John 2:15– Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him.
1 John 3:13– Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you
Philippians 3:20-21– But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body
Colossians 3:2– Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth
I want to focus on this last scripture in Colossians for a moment before we run to the sermon text this morning because we must never forget that we can see the truth in the spirit in the midst of the facts in the natural. I praise God for those who genuinely commit themselves to prayer for me as your Pastor. I pray that we never stop earnestly praying for each other because the effectual and fervent prayers of the righteous will avail much. And there is one prayer I know is being prayed continuously on my behalf because I feel the shifting in my spirit each day. That prayer is this– that the Lord would grant me “sight beyond sight.” I thank God for that prayer this morning because if all we are able to see is what we see in the natural, there will be times when we will be depressed. I wish someone in here would be honest with me for just a few seconds and admit that there are times when what you see in the natural makes you want to run in the opposite direction of where God is taking you. There are times when things don’t seem to be adding up to the victory that you are desperately in search of. There are times when the world seems as if it has a better plan for you than the plan you have been programmed to follow. But I want you to take a moment to speak life into your neighbor for a minute because when God has given you sight beyond sight… that is allowing you to see with your natural eye but override it with what you see in the spirit… we come to understand that there are some things God has in store for us that makes us enduring on this Earth worth it. Come on and get your praise partner’s attention for just a moment and say, “Praise partner– I believe I’ll testify– that my faith will make me whole!”
Sometimes you just have to take a moment to remember who you are when the world is trying to convince you otherwise. And I have learned down through the years that the best way to remember who you are is to be in the midst of those who understand that they are overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony. So despite what the world may try to tell me, I believe the Word of the Lord.
- I believe that blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you will listen and obey the voice of God.
- I believe that you shall be blessed in the city and blessed in the field.
- I believe that the fruit of your body, the fruit of your ground, the fruit of your possessions, and any increase you receive will be blessed
- I believe your basket and your storehouse shall be blessed and running over
- I believe that you are blessed when you come into a place and blessed when you leave a place. I believe the place you left is more blessed because you were there
- I believe that every enemy that rises up before you shall be smitten right in front of your face and that any devil that tries to overtake you will come to you one way but will flee seven ways
- I believe everything you set your hand to will prosper
- I believe that all the people of the earth will see that you are a child of God and will be afraid to mess with you
- I believe the Lord will open His good treasure and that heaven shall give rain to your land in this season to bless all the work of your hand
- I believe you shall lend to many nations and never have to borrow
- I believe you are the head and not the tail; above and not beneath
I wish I could get just ten people to shout back at me this morning, “My testimony is that I believe God!”
Contextual Evidence
I want to run to the text now and spend just a few moments there because I need us to reconcile the fact that this world does not want us to testify of God's goodness, especially in the midst of tests and trials. Dr. Luke shares with us in this chapter all of the types of things that the world will offer in order to distract us from witnessing the glory of God. Luke declares that nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And you don’t have to look much farther than our own backyard to see that is true. We see what is happening between Russia and Ukraine, Hamas and Israel, but while doing that, we can’t turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to our own country that finds itself in perpetual race wars decades after the end of segregation and centuries after the abolishment of slavery, and even as late as yesterday assassination attempts on presidential candidates. Luke goes on to say that there shall be great earthquakes and, in diverse places, famines and pestilences, and there shall be terrors and great signs from heaven. God knows we have witnessed devastating storms that prove this to be accurate, and some of these storms, even if we don’t experience them on Earth, can be felt within our spirits as we battle what it takes to navigate through this world. The scripture goes on to say that there will be times when these things will attempt to lay claim to you and will attempt to persecute you for His name’s sake.
But with the help of the sound room, can I get for you just to put Luke 21:13 in the ASV on the screen for me so that we can read it all together….
IT SHALL TURN OUT UNTO YOU FOR A TESTIMONY
I think this is good enough to connect with three people in the house and tell them, “I Believe I’ll Testify!” This is why the church had the foundation of testimony service and why I believe we should not stray too far from that foundation because if I am going to speak on something that is happening in my life, I must understand that I serve the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords that has the whole world in His hands. So, yes, I may be going through something, but you can’t make me doubt Him. Yes, the prayer may not have gotten answered the way I expected, but God’s ways are higher than mine. Yes, I didn’t realize that I was inviting myself to be tested sometimes when I said “Yes” to the Lord, but before I take it away, I will add more to it!
- Nation rises against nation, but I testify that God is still in control.
- Kingdom rises against kingdom, but I testify that God has not lost any power, and His kingdom still rules and superules!
- Earthquakes and hurricanes and storms fill the land, but I testify that God is still the author and the finisher of my faith
- The enemy comes in like a flood, but I testify that the Spirit of the Lord still lifts a standard against him.
- The world tries to persecute you, but it will turn out unto you for a testimony
Therefore, settle in your hearts that you don’t have to outwit or over-talk those who would try to persecute and despitefully use you… the bible says, “Not to mediate beforehand how to answer, for He will give you a mouth and wisdom that will cause your adversaries to be unable to withstand the power of God!”
One more scripture for me sound room before I begin to bring this message to a close, and I pray that when you see this on the screen, you will begin just to give God the praise for the Apostolic DNA within you that causes you to choose to testify– Luke 21:18 in the ASV says this–
AND NOT A HAIR OF YOUR HEAD SHALL PERISH!
Conclusion
We are at the conclusion of our message now, but if you will give me just a few more minutes, I now want to make room for a few testimonies in the house of God. I thank God for the five of you who agreed at the beginning of the message to talk about the goodness of Jesus. There is an old hymn that says, “When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He has done for me, my soul cries out “Hallelujah,” I think God for saving me!” We used to sing this song during Sunday evening service until the room was flooded with thanksgiving unto the Lord. And every now and then, we need to find the old path and walk therein and understand that there are certain praises that God requires of us that will cause us to give Him thanks for the memory even if we are not where we want to be in the present. Maybe I am talking to a bunch of people in the house who have everything that they need and everything that they want and have dotted every I and crossed every T., but for those in the house that still need the help of the Lord, I’ve learned that one of the best ways to get His attention sometimes is to begin to thank Him for what He has already done.
Five Testimonies
- I believe I’ll testify because future generations are depending upon me to be like Joshua and tell them what the stones I’m carrying, which serve as a memorial of God's power, mean to me.
- I believe I’ll testify because I never want to be in the place where I don’t tell God thank you for all He has done.
- I believe I’ll testify because I must declare the glory of God among the nations and his marvelous works among all the people
- I believe I’ll testify because the Holy Ghost within me has a desire to testify and tell of the goodness of the Father
- I believe I’ll testify because great is thy faithfulness, oh God my father, there is no shadow of turning with thee, thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not, as thou hast been thou forever wilt be! Great is thy faithfulness, great is thy faithfulness, morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed thy hand hath provided, great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!
- And I believe I’ll testify because just as He was faithful to Lois, and Eunice, and Timothy, He was also faithful to Katie, and E. Mable, and Paul, Sr. and me, and Paul, III., and I can declare that from generation to generation, mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword: His truth is marching on!
- Can you close out the message with me by finding your neighbor and shouting, “Neighbor– Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!” Come on one more time, shout “neighbor– Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! His truth is marching on!”
Now is anyone in the house today willing to testify to the goodness of God by giving him the best praise you’ve got for the next 30 seconds?
