Grace and peace, believers. 

Today we begin the first in a three-part discussion on the Christian testimony.

For many twenty-first century Christians, their testimony is arguably the least considered, the least understood, the least used, and the least appreciated aspect of their Christian experience.  This is most evidenced by the lack of testimonies given on Sunday.  Back when the Christian church was strong in America, especially the black churches, a portion of the Sunday service was always dedicated to sharing testimonies. Christians were so eager to give their testimony that, oftentimes, at least a half hour would be spent on that portion of the service alone.

Sadly, this is no longer the case.  Nowadays, folks can't wait for the service to end so that they can go home and fire up the grill, watch the football game, or go fishing.  Most churches I have visited over the past five years won't even hear testimonies.  And in the precious few churches where testimonies were encouraged, less than a handful of the brethren would even bother to give theirs.  Of the few that would, there was bound to be at least one who would take fifteen minutes or more to deliver a totally unedifying account of their workweek, featuring an encounter with an adversarial co-worker or neighbor whom they rebuked with "Get thee behind me Satan!  You not gon' steal my VICK-TRAY!!!" [sigh].

I have heard only a handful of testimonies in the eight years since I accepted the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior, and only a couple were truly edifying or encouraging. Of the less than edifying testimonies, the most notable was an obvious case of plagiarism, as a woman appropriated the Apostle Paul's account of having been taken up to the third heaven.  Only, whereas Paul saw things he wasn't allowed to talk about, this lady was all too happy to tell what she saw: and none of if was biblical.  Another questionable testimony was given by one of my in-laws, a pastor, who says he has never gotten sick since he realized that it was his right as a Christian never to get sick again.  Never mind that the Bible gives ample evidence to refute this belief.

Genuine, edifying testimonies that edify and encourage the body of Christ, confirm the Word of God, and glorify the Lord Jesus are almost a thing of the past.  Many Christians don't even have a testimony, while still others don't even know what a testimony is. This is a tragedy, because our testimony is second only to the Word of God in terms of importance.  In fact, if everything else were taken away from us: our house, our job, our clothes, our car, and our Bible, the only thing we would have left would be our testimony. 

Without question, the Christian's testimony is vitally Important.

The purpose of this teaching is to explain:

What a testimony is
What a testimony does
Types of testimony and their significance
Why so many Christians lack a testimony
Why you need a testimony
How you can get a testimony (or get it back)
How to protect your testimony

WHAT A TESTIMONY IS
 

The Oxford English Dictionary defines testimony as 1. "Evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something" and 2. "A public recounting of a religious conversion or experience."

The word testimony is derived from the Latin testis, which means "a witness." In a court of law, a witness is someone who has seen and/or heard something pertaining to a particular event and is willing to testify, or give his account, of what he has seen or heard. The Christian’s testimony, also called his witness, is his personal account of what the Lord Jesus has done and is doing in His life.
WHAT A TESTIMONY DOES
 
A good testimony establishes the truth. 
In a court of law, the witness’s testimony helps to establish the truth, by validating the testimony of others who claim to have seen the same thing. Likewise, the Christian’s testimony also helps to establish the truth, by confirming the testimony