An Outstanding Testimony of Life and Ministry

by Mitchell Tan
August 15, 2018

PAUL’S OUTSTANDING TESTIMONY

What kind of testimony do we have?  Is it one that brings honor to God?   This is something that we should seriously consider and work towards.   The apostle Paul had such an outstanding testimony.   When he was in prison and was suffering for his faith, at no time, did he stop being a servant of God.  He continued to have an excellent testimony to whomever he came into contact with.  It became evident to the Praetorian guards that his incarceration was because of his witness for the Lord Jesus.   His testimony for the Lord Jesus was exceptional.   It would be good for us to understand how he went about it.

1. A CONSISTENT PATTERN OF LIFE AND MINISTRY

“According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed…”
Phil 1:20

One of the meaning of “according” in Greek is the idea of a pattern.    There was a pattern by which Paul lived out his life and served in the Lord’s ministry.  He matched his high expectation of self with tremendous hope in God.  He knew that expectations would be useless without the grace of God enabling him and helping him to achieve things.  When he patterned his life by matching expectation with hope in God, he would not be ashamed in anything.   There would be that consistency in his life and ministry.

2.  A CORE PRINCIPLE OF LIFE AND MINISTRY

“But with boldness, as always, so now also, Christ will be magnified in my body whether by life or by death…”
Phil 1:20

With the right pattern of life and ministry, Paul sought to carry out this core principle in life.  His focus was on magnifying the Lord Jesus and nothing else.

A. WITH CONFIDENCE 

He was able to magnify the Lord with much confidence.   He had absolute certainty in the Lord Jesus.  He boldly sought to lift up highly the Lord’s name at all times.

B. BY LIFE OR BY DEATH

His life was no longer dear to him.  His main concern was that the Lord’s name be praised whether by his life or his death

3. CENTERING ONE’S LIFE ON CHRIST

“For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain…”
Phil 1:21

His perspective was totally on the Lord Jesus.

A. LIVING IS CHRIST 

His only concern in living each day is essentially Christ centred.    This was his continuous way of living.

B. DYING IS GAIN 

If he were to die, it was essentially gain to him.   He would be with the Lord Jesus forever. What great faith in the Lord Jesus!  What a great testimony of love for Christ!  Let’s learn to live our life so much more for Christ that we too can have a good testimony.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

As we celebrate our 40+5 anniversary, let’s look forward to magnifying the Lord.    Let’s seek to bear testimony of the Lord Jesus through all that we would do this weekend.   May the Lord Jesus be magnified for His grace and blessings on Bethany these last 45 years.   Let’s seek to live for Him and magnify the Lord through our life now and always.

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