Before we go into the word
for tonight, I think probably I would like
to read one passage to serve maybe as
an explanation to some.
Actually, I don't think we need an explanation,
but maybe for the sake of a few
who may wonder what we have just done.
So let me just read one passage for
you.
The book of Acts chapter 2.
Acts chapter 2, verse 42.
And they persevered, that is, the Christians, in
the early days.
And they persevered in the teaching and fellowship
of the apostles, in breaking of bread and
prayer.
And fear was upon every soul, and great
wonders and signs took place through the apostles'
means.
And all the believers were together and had
all things common, and sold their possessions and
substance, and distributed them to all according as
anyone might have need.
And every day, being constantly in the temple
with one accord, and breaking bread in the
house, they received their food with gladness and
simplicity of heart, praising God, and having favor
with all the people.
And the Lord added to the church daily
those that were to be saved.
The breaking of bread.
Breaking bread in the house.
Some translation says, from house to house.
And every day.
I cannot forget, it's about 150 years
ago, a group of believers in Europe.
They were translating the Bible.
And as they were translating the Bible, as
you know, it took lots of mental exercise.
They had to search many manuscripts.
They had to try to find out the
best word, the counterpart of the Greek or
Hebrew.
You had to search your brain to the
limit.
And as this group of believers were doing
this work of translating the Bible, they were
afraid, lest they will be so fully occupied
with the letters of the word, that somehow,
their hearts might grow cold.
It is not only true that when we
are occupied with so-called earthly things, that
we may feel ourselves being led away, as
it were, from the Lord.
Even in so-called spiritual world, this can
happen.
And because of that, this group of believers,
they decided they would break the bread every
day.
Just to remember the Lord.
To remember what He has done.
And thank God, that keep kept up from
doing the Lord's work and bound their hearts
away from the Lord.
So brothers and sisters, while we are gathering
here this time, we have the same fear.
Lest other things, even spiritual things, may somehow
steal our hearts from the Lord Himself.
We want to center upon Him.
Not upon anything else.
However precious, however correct, they may be.
We do not want to make it a
fixed thing.
But we hope that every evening when we
come together, the Lord's table will be prepared.
And if brothers and sisters feel in your
heart we should remember the Lord, we'll do
it.
Our only desire is we want to center
ourselves.
There is nothing, nothing more precious than that.
The Lord.
Lord, Thou art the center of everything.
Thou art the center of our gathering here
together.
We do not want anything to take away
Thy place in us and among us.
We pray that Thou will examine us.
Thou will protect us.
Thou will draw us that we may run
after Thee.
O Lord, not even the ministry of Thy
Word should take Thee away from us.
But Lord, we pray that whatever we do,
Thou mayst be added to us.
And we may be added to Thee, Lord.
O Lord, how we praise and we thank
Thee.
Thou hast begun Thy good work in us.
Thou hast redeemed us.
Thou hast drawn us.
We are here tonight by Thine appointment because
Thou hast drawn us, Lord.
Thou art the only reason for us to
be here.
Oh, how we praise and thank Thee.
Now, Lord, anoint.
Anoint our ears.
Anoint every one of us.
Make Thy Word living, operative in our lives.
Do not allow Thy Word to fall on
the wayside.
But Lord, may Thy Word fall upon good
ground that will patiently bear fruit unto Thy
glory.
O Lord, we just wait upon Thee together.
Speak, Lord.
Speak.
Thy servants wait upon Thee in Thy precious
name.
Let's read from Hebrews chapter 1.
Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1 and 2.
God having spoken in many parts and in
many ways formally to the fathers in the
prophets at the end of these days has
spoken to us in the person of the
Son whom He has established heir of all
things by whom also He made the worlds.
Revelation chapter 1, verses 1 through 3.
Revelation chapter 1, verses 1.
Revelation of Jesus Christ whom God gave to
Him to show to His born man what
must shortly take place.
And He signified it sending by His angel
to His born man John who testified the
Word of God and the testimony of Jesus
Christ all things that he saw.
Blessed is he that reads and they that
hear the words of the prophecy and keep
the things written in it for the time
is near.
Revelation chapter 19, verse 10.
The last sentence.
Revelation chapter 19, verse 10.
The last sentence.
For the spirit of prophecy is the testimony
of Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, we are living at
the close of the end days.
In the Bible you'll find terms such as
the last hour, the end of these days,
the last days, the end time, and they
actually all refer to one thing.
As a matter of fact, the last days,
the end time, the end of the days
refer to the days of Messiah.
Because to the Old Testament saints they are
looking forward to the coming of the Messiah.
And to them that is the end days.
Of course they do not know that there
will be two comings of Christ.
His first coming, he will come as a
lamb.
And his second coming will be as the
lion.
The Old Testament prophets do not have such
understanding.
Because between the two comings of Christ is
the time of the church.
Which is a mystery hidden in God.
So the Old Testament prophets have no way
to know the two comings of Christ.
They only know Christ shall come.
And that is the end days.
So when you read the Bible you have
to see that the end days does not
refer just to our days.
Actually the end days began when Christ came
to this world for the first time about
2,000 years ago.
Now if about 2,000 years ago it
was the end days then how much more
closer we are to the end.
If the believers in the first century are
waiting for the return of Christ and they
are right in waiting for his return then
how much more we should be expecting the
coming of the Lord in our lifetime.
Brothers and sisters we are not here waiting
for death.
We are here waiting for rapture.
Because we are living at the close of
the end days I think we are living
in a very very important day.
We cannot afford to be careless.
Things are coming to an end.
By an end certainly it means much more
than the end of this world.
It should mean the realization the fulfillment of
God's purpose through the ages.
What is God's purpose on this earth?
What is it that God really wants?
And what it is that he's really after?
Now we know that God is the faith.
Yesterday, today and forever.
His purpose yesterday is the purpose today and
will be the purpose for tomorrow.
He never changes.
His purpose is one and the same.
Put it in another way.
His burden for yesterday is the burden of
today and will be the burden for tomorrow.
It is the same.
The only difference is as the time is
approaching the end how much more urgent and
how much more fuller God's burden will be
revealed and will be and also it will
be challenged even much more than ever before.
What is the burden of the Lord for
today?
It is no different than the burden of
the Lord yesterday.
And yet the intensity is different.
And I think there is an urgency today
among God's people to know what God's burden
really is.
What is his mind?
What is his purpose?
What is it that he really wants to
have for?
Thank God in recent years there is a
great revival of the interest on prophecy.
We should be interested in prophecy.
But dear brothers and sisters what is prophecy?
Probably we think of prophecy more in terms
of foretelling the future.
It is true.
Prophecy includes the foretelling of future.
What will happen to this world?
What events are being predicted beforehand?
But prophecy in the sense of foretelling the
future is the small part of prophecy.
The greater part of prophecy is not in
foretelling the future.
The greater part of prophecy is in foretelling
the mind, the will, the purpose, the burden
of the Lord.
Even in the Old Testament time even the
Old Testament prophets we often think of the
Old Testament prophets as those who foretell the
future.
They do.
But even with the Old Testament prophets they
are foretelling the purpose, the mind of God.
And in foretelling God's mind they foretell something.
The basis the basic meaning of prophecy is
to foretell the mind.
What is the mind?
People today are very interested in prophecy.
Therefore they are very interested in the book
of Revelation.
I think 50 years ago many Christians who
read the Bible skipped the book of Revelation.
But now I think Christians are beginning to
read the book of Revelation.
As you find in the very beginning of
the book blessed is he who reads it.
Even the reading of it there is blessing
to it.
But you have to more than read it
who hear who hear the word of prophecy
and do it.
But anyway you find people are interested in
Revelation.
Because they think Revelation is a book of
prophecy that tells us what will happen in
the future.
And everybody is interested in the future.
But dear brothers and sisters if you read
the book of Revelation only with that in
mind you misread the book of Revelation.
You touch the letter of the book of
Revelation but you miss the spirit of prophecy.
Why?
Because the spirit of prophecy is the testimony
of Jesus.
It is true.
You have prophecies on many things.
Prophecies that will touch the world.
The future of the world.
Prophecies that will touch the future of the
Jews.
The Jewish nation.
Prophecies that will even touch the future of
the church.
That's true.
But these are letters.
And these are all that you see.
The spirit of prophecy.
The spirit of prophecy is deeper than these
things.
Thank God for the letters.
Because without the letters how can you go
to the spirit?
A spirit without the letter is very dangerous.
But the letter is here.
The spirit.
What is the spirit of prophecy?
The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of
Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters God is interested only
in one thing.
God's burden for yesterday for today and for
tomorrow is only one.
The purpose of God is only one.
And that is the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Brothers and sisters do we know the testimony
of Jesus Christ?
Is our life linked with the testimony of
Jesus Christ?
How much are we related to the testimony
of Jesus Christ?
That will decide how much our lives are
to be counted.
So God willing we will fellowship together these
days on this one thing.
The testimony.
What is a testimony?
If you look up the dictionary you will
find a testimony is a declaration or affirmation
of a fact or truth as is given
in the court.
That's a testimony.
A testimony is the evidence that is to
support a fact.
A testimony is a living experience of fact
or truth.
That's a testimony.
A testimony is a declaration.
It is a public declaration.
But how can you make that declaration?
Unless it is based upon certain fact or
certain truth that you have seen or heard
or witnessed.
And as you are making that declaration you
are testifying to a fact to a truth.
That is the meaning of the word testimony.
You know the word testimony is used more
often in the Old Testament than in the
New Testament.
And in the Old Testament you'll find there
are two areas where the word testimony or
testimonies are used most.
The one place is in Psalm 119.
And the other place is in the five
books of Moses especially the book of Exodus.
Now in these two places you'll find the
word testimony or testimonies are used many many
times.
Now brothers and sisters if we want to
know what is the meaning of testimony probably
we have to go to these places.
So we'll do a little study tonight.
Now tonight we just laid a foundation.
So I hope you will not get weary
about it because I think a foundation is
needed before we can go on.
We'll return to Psalm 119.
I don't know if you have ever read
that psalm.
Probably you have read the rest of psalms
but you skipped 119 because it is too
long.
We will not be able to read the
whole psalm tonight.
I would like to help you to read
the whole psalm if you have never read
it.
But I hope we will go through all
the places where the word testimony or testimonies
are mentioned in Psalm 119.
And I hope that will raise arousing you
a kind of curiosity and you go to
read the whole psalm.
Psalm 119, verse 2.
Testimonies are something that you can observe and
testimonies are only found by those who seek
the Lord with their whole heart.
Verse 14.
I have rejoiced in the way of thy
testimony as much as in all wealth.
Testimonies have a way.
It is not just words.
But there is a way.
The way of testimony.
And the psalmist said, I have rejoiced in
the way of testimony as much as in
all wealth.
Now you know how to rejoice in wealth.
But do you know how to rejoice in
the way of the testimonies?
Verse 22.
Or if we do not observe His testimonies
there will be reproach and contempt upon us.
But if we observe God's testimonies He will
roll away our reproach and contempt.
36.
The psalmist asked God to incline His heart
to the testimonies of God and not to
gain.
I skip verse 31.
Go back.
I cleave unto thy testimonies, Jehovah.
Let me not be ashamed.
Cleave to the testimonies of God.
Verse 45.
Verse 46.
God's testimonies are to be spoken before kings.
And you need not be afraid.
Ashamed of that.
Verse 59.
You walk in the testimonies of God.
Verse 79.
Testimonies are something to be known.
It characterizes certain kind of people.
Verse 88.
It is something that is spoken by God.
Verse 95.
The testimonies of God are our protection.
Verse 99.
If you meditate on the testimonies of God
then you will have more understanding than your
teachers.
111.
It's a heritage.
A possession.
119.
129.
Wonderful are the testimonies of God.
138.
These are the qualities that go with the
testimonies of God.
Righteousness and faithfulness.
146.
I call upon thee, save me and I
will keep thy testimony.
The son is called unto the Lord.
To keep it.
Why?
Because he wants to keep the testimony.
152.
The testimonies of God are founded in the
old days.
And will continue forever.
167.
168.
Now these are the places in Psalm 119
where the word testimony or testimonies are being
used.
Now if you count them it will come
probably to 22 times.
The psalmist used the word testimony or testimonies
22 times in Psalm 119.
And how does he use this word?
You'll find he uses this word in conjunction
with some other words.
Thy law.
Thy precept.
Thy statute.
Thy ordinance.
Thy judgment.
And so on.
Thy word.
Psalm 119 you'll find various words are being
used.
And they are used in such a way
that as a whole they refer to the
same thing.
Even though they are different emphases.
So anyway you'll find the way that the
psalmist uses the word testimony is more or
less in conjunction with God's word.
God's law.
God's statute.
God's ordinance.
God's judgment.
Now why?
Because God's words are something that are spoken
by God.
God declares something.
God declares something about himself.
God's law.
God's statute.
They all do the same work.
They declare God in certain ways.
And what is testimony?
Testimony is God declaring.
So that is the way you'll find it
is used in Psalm 119.
Now if you go to Moses' five books
and especially the book of Exodus you'll find
the word testimony is being used many times
there too.
The first mention in the Bible of the
word testimony is in Exodus chapter 16 verses
33 and 34.
Now let's read it.
Exodus chapter 16 verses 33 and 34.
And Moses said to Aaron, Take a pot
and put in it an omer full of
manna and deposit it before Jehovah to be
kept for your generation.
As Jehovah had commanded Moses so Aaron deposited
it before the testimony to be kept.
Here you'll find Moses said to Aaron Put
an omer of manna in a golden pot
and deposit it before the Lord.
And what did Aaron do?
He put an omer of manna in a
golden pot and deposited it before the testimony.
So here you'll find the testimony to deposit
before the Lord is to deposit before the
testimony.
That's the reason why.
I don't know if in your Bible you'll
find the word testimony is in capital letters.
Because here you'll find to deposit before the
Lord is to deposit before the testimony.
Now of course the testimony there as we
understand now probably refers to the ark of
the testimony.
But anyway you'll find there the ark wasn't
built yet.
And yet there was the testimony already.
Because the Lord was in the midst of
his people.
How very important is testimony.
You'll find in Psalm 119 it seems to
be equal to the word to the law
of God.
But now you'll find testimony seems to refer
to the Lord himself.
In the ark of the testimony you'll find
two tables of the law are deposited there.
Not only the two tables of the law
but also the golden pot of manna.
And also Aaron's rod that's buried.
Now all these three things were all deposited
before the testimony.
And that is they are all placed in
the ark.
The two tables of law is called the
two tables of the testimony.
Why?
Because the law declares expresses to us who
God is and what he is like.
To a certain degree.
Not fully.
To a certain degree.
And that is what a testimony is.
A testimony is God declaring himself to his
people.
And it is for this reason you'll find
the two tables of law is called the
tables of the testimony.
I remember our dear brother Watchman he put
it this way.
He said when it is in God it
is testimony.
When it comes to us it is the
law.
In God's hand it is testimony.
In our hand it is law.
In God's hand he declares who he is
and what he is.
In our hand it tells us what is
our responsibility and our duty.
That becomes law.
Brothers and sisters because of that testimony is
a tremendous thing.
The two tables of law are called the
tables of the testimony.
And not only the two tables of law
but all the statutes and the precepts the
so-called mosaic law the whole of the
mosaic law is called the testimony.
As you'll find in 2 Kings Jehoiada he
gave the testimony to King Josiah.
And it refers to the whole of mosaic
law.
The whole law of mosaic is called the
testimony.
Why is the ark called the ark of
the testimony?
Not only because the law is deposited in
the ark but the ark itself is the
manifestation of the glory.
The tabernacle is called the tabernacle of the
testimony.
Why?
Because it houses the testimony.
Not only houses it but it is supposed
to manifest magnify the testimony.
In the Old Testament time the children of
Israel can be called a people of the
testimony.
And actually in Psalms you'll find such expressions.
Psalm 122 The whole tribe the twelve tribes
of Israel are a testimony of God to
the world.
Because God has spoken to them.
God has deposited himself as it were in
the midst of the children of Israel.
They were the guardian the vessel the instrument
of the testimony of God.
Tremendous.
To have the testimony of God was the
highest privilege of the children of Israel.
But because the testimony of God was in
their midst it wasn't an easy thing.
When their lives were not in line in
queue with the testimony of God you know
what happened.
When they sing again the testimony of God
the disciplinary hand of the Lord was heavy
upon them.
It was not just a mechanical thing.
Even in the Old Testament it was something
spiritual and of tremendous.
Now what is it?
A testimony has in it at least three
factors.
Number one a testimony is a fact a
truth or to put it more exactly a
reality.
That is the first factor of a testimony.
If there is no fact there if it
is not real if there is no truth
in it then you have no testimony.
If you try to testify you bear false
witness.
It is not true.
And you know that's perjury.
A testimony must be based upon a fact
a truth a reality.
Number two this fact or truth must be
revealed that is must be seen and heard.
Suppose there is a fact there but you
haven't seen it nor have you heard it.
Can you testify to the fact?
You cannot.
Even though the fact is there but it
has nothing to do with you.
You are foreign to it.
In order to be related to that fact
you have to see it you have to
hear it you have to witness it.
So the second factor of a testimony is
that fact must be revealed seen and heard
by you.
Then number three to be your testimony you
have to report it.
You have to report the fact that you
have seen and heard.
You know today people are afraid to bear
witness.
They don't want to be involved.
So even when something happens say a car
accident happens and you happen to be there
and you see the whole thing you know
the truth and yet you slip away.
What?
You do not want to get involved.
If you take that kind of attitude it
will not constitute a testimony.
So number three you'll find that you have
to report the truth as you see it.
And with these three factors you'll come into
the meaning of the word.
Brothers and sisters as we come to the
New Testament you'll find that the testimony has
come to us in a fuller, richer way.
And this is expressed in the term the
testimony of Jesus.
What is the reality?
What is the truth?
What is the fact?
The ultimate.
The supreme.
The eternal.
Christ is the reality.
He said, I am the truth.
You know we tend to think of truth
as referring to certain teachings which are true
teachings.
Not to say that there are so many
false teachings today.
There are so many teachings that are not
based upon the word of God.
Make up by man.
Undependable.
Just for the itching ears.
But brothers and sisters even truth even teachings
that is based upon the word of God
they are only the letters.
But not the spirit.
And the letter kills.
You remember what the law said?
Ye shall know the truth and the truth
shall set you free.
But dear brothers and sisters if you go
back into your own experience you'll find the
more truth so called you know the more
you are bound.
When you are first saved you are very
free.
You are free to move as the spirit
leads you.
But gradually you begin to know more truth.
You think that you are glowing and actually
you are being changed.
And you'll find the links are being added.
The more truth the more teaching you receive
the more bound you become.
What is truth?
Why do all these so called truth teachings
bind you?
Why?
Because the letter kills.
Nothing wrong with the letters.
Now today some people want to get rid
of the letters.
Brothers and sisters be careful.
If you get rid of the letters you'll
get rid of the spirit too.
But the letters if you know the truth
the truth will set you free.
And brothers and sisters one day what you
have learned what you have been instructed what
you have hold as truth and probably you
are even willing to fight for it and
become very unchristian one day the
Lord opens it and when the Lord opens
up a teaching a truth that is based
upon the Word when it is open to
you suddenly you are free.
Now who frees you?
The Son of Man.
The Spirit of the Word.
The Living Word.
Christ Himself.
It is His life.
It is Himself.
It is not something about Him but something
about Him has become something which is He.
And when that comes to you it sets
you free.
Brothers and sisters what is a fact?
We say a fact is something that is
already accomplished.
That's a fact.
We often say the finished work of Christ
on the cross is a fact.
Certainly it is a fact.
What can be more factual than the finished
work of Christ on the cross?
It is done.
You cannot make it more factual.
If you try to make it more factual
it begins to unfact it if I may
use that word.
And in your experience you know that.
You know that.
If you try to add something to the
finished work of Christ it becomes unreal.
It doesn't work anymore.
You take it away.
We say the finished work of Christ on
the cross is the fact.
The fact.
Do you hold on to this fact?
Thank God that you do.
But how much does it work?
If you are brought up in a Christian
home you may believe in the finished work
of Christ as a fact from your childhood.
But are you sane?
Does the blood of the Lord Jesus wash
away your sin?
Do you have that peace in your conscience?
Does it open up a new and living
way for you to approach the throne of
grace?
It is a fact.
But a fact in history.
The Holy Spirit has to bring that fact
to you in such a living way that
it is Christ to you.
When it is Christ to you it immediately
more than just a history of the past.
He is the fact in front of you.
What is reality?
The ultimate.
Brothers and sisters, nothing is real if it
is not Christ.
This world is not real.
It passes away.
One day it is here.
The next day it is finished.
It's not real.
In this universe there is only one thing
that is real and that is Christ.
God is real.
Christ is the reality.
He is the truth.
The fact.
But he has to be revealed.
If he is not revealed if we do
not see and we do not hear by
the Spirit of God even though the truth
is there the fact is there the reality
is there Brothers and sisters, we have no
doubt.
And that's the reason why in the first
chapter of the book of Revelation it says
Revelation of Jesus Christ and then immediately says
the testimony.
The testimony of Jesus Christ is based upon
Jesus Christ.
But it is Jesus Christ revealed.
Jesus Christ is the truth.
Jesus Christ is the fact.
Jesus Christ is the reality.
But Jesus Christ has to be revealed.
The revelation of Jesus.
Do not think that the revelation of Jesus
Christ means the seven seals the seven trumpets
the seven vows yes you will find all
these in the book of Revelation.
But these are the letters.
What is the spirit of these seven seals,
seven trumpets and seven vows?
Revelation of Jesus Christ.
God is revealing His Son to us.
Christ is revealing Himself to us by His
Spirit.
And the revelation of Jesus Christ.
He is so revealed that we see Him.
We hear Him.
We know Him.
And brothers and sisters that constitutes otherwise no
matter how real how eternal is the fact
is the truth.
On earth in us there is no.
And then of course thirdly if God has
revealed His Son in us is it not
our privilege and responsibility to report Him.
And you know that is exactly what the
Apostle John not only in the book of
Revelation but you'll find in first epistle of
John he said that's what he is doing.
What we have seen and heard concerning life
the word of life, what has been manifested,
we report it to you that you may
have fellowship with us as we have fellowship
with God and brothers and sisters if the
law shall reveal Jesus Christ to you do
not keep it share it, report it for
the sake of fellowship.
Now this is fellowship.
You know brothers and sisters this afternoon we
thank God we have a time of sharing
together of fellowship.
But what is fellowship?
Fellowship is reporting what you have seen and
heard.
Because you have seen Him, you have heard
Him and when you report Him to your
brothers and sisters the Holy Spirit can touch
them and make them see and make them
not that your reporting will do the work
but as you report the Holy Spirit can
do the work.
And that is fellowship.
Fellowship.
Oh what are we to fellowship with?
We fellowship Jesus Christ that's all.
We fellowship the revelation of Jesus Christ.
And in fellowship it enriches the church and
it gives us joy full and this is
the meaning of the testimony.
We will not go into it tonight but
let us go a little bit more on
it.
What is the testimony?
I think the testimony of Jesus as we
see in the New Testament includes three aspects.
Number one the testimony of Jesus is that
which the Father bears witness to His love.
That is the testimony of Jesus.
You remember our Lord Jesus said no one
knows the Son but the Father and to
whom the Father is pleased.
Our Lord Jesus is such a reality.
Our Lord Jesus is such a fact.
You would think that if He is so
real and so factual everybody ought to know.
Everybody ought to see.
Everybody ought to hear.
But no.
The mystery is here.
Because He is so real so factual that
nobody can see it or hear it or
know it.
That's a mystery.
No one knows the Son.
No one knows.
Even after He has come to this world
and has presented Himself before people, nobody knows
Him.
And the Lord said no one knows the
Son but the Father.
And to whom the Father is pleased to
reveal what the Father testified of the Son.
The Lord said I have another who bears
witness for me.
When He was talking that He was talking
about John the Baptist.
John the Baptist bore witness for the Lord.
But the Lord said I have someone far
better.
I have another one bearing witness for me.
And His witness is true.
He refers in the Gospels you'll find three
times.
The heaven is open.
And the Father.
When our Lord Jesus went to the river
Jordan to be baptized of John to fulfill
all righteousness.
As He came out from the water the
heavens opened.
And there was a voice coming down.
This is my beloved Father in whom He
is mighty.
When our Lord Jesus was on the Mount
of Transfiguration He was transfigured.
His face shone like the sun.
His clothes became white.
And Moses and Elijah appeared.
And they were talking about His exit.
And suddenly Peter woke up.
And he said it is good.
A bright cloud and a voice from heaven
said this is my beloved Father in whom
I am well pleased.
He appeared and they said no.
But Jesus answered.
That is the testimony.
Once again our Lord was in Jerusalem for
the last time.
And it seemed as if He was going
to take the world.
Not only there was such welcome as He
entered into the city.
Even the Greeks the Gentiles wanted to see
Him.
They came to Philip and said we want
to see our Master.
Verily, verily I say unto you unless a
grain of wheat fall into the ground and
die it abides alone.
But if it die it shall bear much
fruit.
And He was speaking.
He was thinking.
When He was at the height of His
fame and popularity He was thinking.
And He turned His eyes to heaven and
prayed Father deliver me from this hour.
But it is for this hour that glorify
Thyself.
And a voice came from heaven saying I
have glorified You.
That is the testimony.
Unless God testifies His Son to you you
never will know Him.
When Peter confessed the Lord Jesus as the
Christ, the Son of the Living God.
The Lord Jesus Peter you are blessed because
this is not something shown you by flesh
but by heavenly Father.
Brothers and sisters the testimony of Jesus Christ
is a tremendous thing.
It is something that is beyond our human
possibility.
It is something that depends utterly upon the
revelation of the Father.
Unless the Father reveals the Son to us
we are nothing.
We have nothing of the testimony of Jesus.
But when the Father testifies and we hear
it and we see it.
Brothers and sisters that becomes the testimony and
you know is a tremendous thing.
Peter was tested.
One day our Lord Jesus was saying hard
words.
Do not seek for the food that perishes.
I am the bread that comes from heaven.
Seek the food that is imperishable.
And all the Jews that follow Him said
who can hear this?
Nobody can understand it.
My blood is drink.
My body flesh is food.
He who drinks my blood and eats my
flesh he shall have life and eternal life.
Many of His disciples neglected it.
And our Lord Jesus turned to His twelve
and said do you want to go to
Him?
And Peter said where can we go?
You have.
We know you are it.
We have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
God has revealed you to us.
You have the word of truth, the life.
Where can we go?
There is nowhere to go.
And brothers and sisters the testimony of Jesus
is something that will hold us.
The reason why many people today falter.
The reason why people do not persevere.
One reason is they do not have the
testimony.
They may have the law.
They may have the letter.
But they don't have the testimony.
When the testimony of Jesus Christ is given
you cannot get away.
There is nowhere to go.
You are caught.
What is the testimony of Jesus?
The testimony of Jesus is that which our
Lord Jesus Himself says.
Or if you read the gospel according to
John in a special way you will find
many times the Lord is telling us all.
You can read the whole gospel of John
with that viewpoint.
For instance, Nathanael.
Philip brought Nathanael to the Lord.
Philip told Nathanael we have met a Messiah.
He is Jesus of Nazareth.
And Nathanael being a true Israelite he said
it cannot be.
There is nothing good come out of Nazareth.
Nazareth never produces a prophet.
But Philip said you come and see.
So when Nathanael came to the presence of
the Lord the Lord immediately said Nathanael I
saw you under the fig tree.
And immediately Nathanael said my Lord.
Because Nathanael was a true Israelite.
The fig tree is a type of the
nation of Israel.
Nathanael was meditating under the fig tree dreaming
of the glorious day when the Messiah should
come.
Then the nation of Israel would become the
head of the nation.
He was dreaming of that.
And the Lord so when the Lord said
I saw you under the fig tree he
immediately said my Lord my God.
You are the Messiah.
But what did the Lord say?
The Lord said I am going to show
you greater things.
You shall see the angels of God coming
up and down on the sun.
Our Lord Jesus is the letter that Jacob
saw that connects the earth with heaven.
That connects man with God.
And the angels are the ministering spirit.
They are ministering the grace of God upon
man.
And it is in Christ.
That's the testimony.
One day the Lord was talking with Nicodemus
about new birth.
And he just couldn't understand it.
The Rabbi of Israel couldn't understand it.
Now who are we to understand that?
And yet the Lord said he said how
can it be?
How can it be?
And the Lord said as Moses lifted the
serpent so shall the son of man be
lifted up and all who speak him.
The Lord said I speak what I know.
I bear witness to what I have seen.
He is the faithful witness.
And he testified to us as to who
he is.
One day he was brought before the high
priest.
They used all kinds of false accusations upon
him.
And the Lord would not answer.
I wonder if the best way to deal
with false accusation is to keep quiet.
I think that's very difficult.
But probably it is true.
Because the more you try to explain the
more misunderstanding will be created.
I don't know.
But anyway our Lord did not say anything.
He did not say anything.
Then the high priest said I adjure you
by God.
Tell us whether you are the son of
God.
And immediately the Lord testified and said you
said it.
You said it.
You shall see the son of man coming
down in glory in the clouds.
And you know because he testified of what
he is before the high priest he was
condemned on that account.
And then he was brought before Pilate.
And again all kinds of accusations.
And finally Pilate said are you the king
of the Jews?
And the Lord confessed before Pilate and said
you said it.
I am.
And you know that the crime that he
was to do.
Oh we wish how foolish our Lord Jesus
was at the moment.
Why should he confess before Pilate that he
was the king?
Pilate will not understand it.
He tried to explain and said but my
kingdom is not of this world.
But he was condemned on that account.
Why should the Lord confess before the high
priest that he is the son of God?
They won't believe it anyway.
If he doesn't say it he is still
it.
But he does not need to be there
to die.
But brothers and sisters when you come to
the point of testimony either you say it
or you lose it.
The testimony is a tremendous thing.
The testimony of Jesus Christ is a tremendous
thing.
Brothers and sisters I do hope as we
go on we will see how tremendous is
this testimony of what the Lord testified.
And then the third aspect is what the
Holy Spirit you remember in John the Lord
said when the Holy Spirit the spirit of
truth shall come he will bear witness of
me.
He will tell you all the things concerning
me because you will take what is from
me.
Brothers and sisters what the Holy Spirit is
testifying to you concerning Christ Jesus is the
truth that will bring you into the testimony
only when the Holy Spirit begins to testify.
If the Holy Spirit does not testify it
is still a letter not reality.
But when the Holy Spirit begins to quiver
so dear brothers and sisters what is the
burden of the Lord?
What is it that the Lord is looking
for among his people?
In one word the testimony that is what
he is looking for.
But dear brothers and sisters do we hesitate
if our life is related.
I think this will be the ultimate.
The inner, the glory that you
work at.
Our Father we do pray that you may
make us faithful witness of your Son.
Our Father we do fear how you delight
in your Son.
Our Father our desire is to glorify him
and to have him lifted up in our
lives.
We just pray that we may bear the
reproach of Christ that we may be faithful
witnesses.
We just pray this in the name of
our Lord Jesus.
Who thou art.
All we can say is make
Christ real so that we may hear him
and see him.
Speak of him to report him to our
brothers and sisters.
Together we may share his focus his revelation.
All we thank thee.
Lord we want to tell thee my life
is worth it.
Enjoy the night song.