You Are The World’s Leading Expert

By Ken James

December 2008

If you are like me, you don’t consider yourself to be an “expert” at doing, saying, or writing anything.  There’s always someone out there who knows more than I do about the matter, and would do a far better job than I in the communication or performance of the expected task.  I must say, however, that I have met some folks along the way who thought that they were experts in just about everything – but that is another story, and not pertinent to what I want to share with you in this article.

There is something about which I can safely say that I am the world’s leading expert.  Further, I can, with as much assurance, say that you are also the world’s leading expert in the same area.  My area of expertise is my personal testimony of salvation.  Likewise, your area of expertise is your personal testimony of your salvation experience.  That is to say that every person who has received Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior is the world’s leading expert concerning that divine transaction.  No one in the universe knows more about it than the person who experienced it.  Others may be able to more clearly articulate the scriptural and theological principles of salvation, but they cannot speak with any authority relative to what happened to you when you surrendered your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  You, and you alone, are uniquely equipped to assume the role of the world’s leading expert and speak with authority concerning that life-changing event.

As God’s people we are held accountable for what He has given to us.  The first consideration of accountability should be our testimony.  When we become God’s child, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are given, in our testimony, that which God intends for us to share. In the early church of the New Testament it was the testimonies of the believers that turned a world upside down for the cause of Christ.  I believe that it can still happen today, if God’s people will practice good stewardship of sharing their personal testimonies with the folks that are in their world.

Last month I gave an example of a personal testimony that failed to communicate with the hearer (“Holding Trials and Slaying Sheep”, Baptist Digest, November 2008, pg.3).  Too many “churchy” words were used in sharing with a person who had nothing in her past experience that equipped her to understand that which was being communicated.  It is important that we learn to share our testimony in a way that folks are sure to understand about the experience that changed our eternal destiny. The following is a “sample” testimony that can be personalized according to your experience.

There was a time when my life lacked any direction and everything I attempted to be or do seemed to hit a dead end…..things seemed hopeless!

I discovered that the Bible said that my problem was a thing called “sin”.  I further learned that sin was my failure to entrust my life to God.  It meant that I was “playing god” with my life.  I also discovered that this sin has a consequence of being separated from God forever. It is called “spiritual death”.  The best thing I discovered, though, is that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, came to earth, took my sin upon Himself, and paid the penalty which was death on the cross. He arose from the dead, and now offers to us eternal life and abundant life on this earth if we will accept His free gift of salvation.

I told God how sorry I was for my sin and turned away from it…this is called repentance.  I asked Jesus Christ to forgive me and come take charge of my life.  Since that time I have a peace and an assurance that I never thought was possible..

If you know Him, you are the expert. Now go and tell it with authority.

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