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The sermon Sunday was based on John 15:26-27, the latest in our church’s series on the Holy Spirit. In the book of John, Jesus spoke to his disciples, telling them he was leaving and promising to send them the Spirit…their advocate. They were given this promise and testified to the goodness of Jesus and the saving power of his life given for the world.

So often we look at Jesus’ disciples and all that they did and think that the real power of the Holy Spirit is not available today. We think that the prophets of old could move men to faith. We look back on past generations as great generations of faith and think there really is no hope for this generation. But God’s kingdom does not rely on great generations. It does not rely on anything except on testimony.

In unity, the following all proclaim…testify…to God’s goodness.

The heavens<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-14170A" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(A)”> declare<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-14170B" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(B)”> the glory of God;    the skies<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-14170D" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(D)”> proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

The heavens testify to God’s glory.

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. John 15:26

The Holy Spirit testifies to the truth of Jesus.

 He commanded us to preach to the people<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-27302A" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(A)”> and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. Acts 10:42

We are to testify to the truth of Jesus, the One and Only.

There are difficulties to testifying these days. In today’s world we are focused on middle class Americanism. We are all about the American dream, making a good living, and building a life of comfort and ease. But we are created for more.

We are created for our lives to mean something…to be fulfilling and fruitful. 

We all want to come to the end our life having touched other’s lives. We want to be remembered, not for what we owned, but for how we lived. We want a meaningful life. But without a focus on Jesus, our lives are meaningless, unfulfilling, and unfruitful.

A life as a Jesus follower is a life lived in love. When the world responds in hate, we…filled with the Holy Spirit…respond in love. Love truly is the answer. Jesus is the answer.

We are all called. We are called to pave the way in love. That is how we testify. And a life of testimony is a fulfilling life…a fruitful life…a life full of meaning.

**Thank you, John Ketchersid, for a brilliant sermon! **