Biblical Example: The blind man in John 9

Theme Verse:  I John 1:3a
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.

Traits

• Clear communicator
• Good listener
• Vulnerable about your personal life, ups and downs
• Overwhelmed by the account of how God reached you
• See links between your experience and that of other people

Cautions

The Blind Man's Testimonial Approach

Though we know less about him than we do about Peter or Paul, we can be sure about this: the blind man healed by Jesus in John 9 had seen something happen in his life that was worth talking about!

He'd been blind since birth, and regularly sat begging from people passing by.  But his routine quickly changed when Jesus came along and gave him the gift of sight.  No sooner was he able to see than he was thrust in front of a hostile audience and asked to explain what had happened. 

It's interesting that the man refused to enter into theological debate with them (John 9:25), though Paul probably would have been happy to oblige them with a few compelling arguments.  And he steered away from direct confrontation, whereas Peter might have given them a shot of truth.  Those responses didn't fit who he was. 

Instead, he spoke from his experience and confidently said, "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"  That's a difficult declaration to argue with, isn't it?  It's pretty hard to escape the implications of such a testimony, even from a fledgling Christian. 

Notice that in verse 3 Jesus said this man had been born blind "so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."  That's an example of what I've been saying: that we are custom-tailored for a particular approach.  God had been preparing this man all of his life for these events and his telling them in a way that would point people toward Christ. 

And there are a lot of people who live and work around you who need to hear a similar testimony about how God is working in a believer's life.  They might not respond very well to a challenge or an argument, but a personal account of someone's coming to faith would influence them powerfully. 

Could that story be yours?  Do you, like the man who had been blind, feel comfortable telling others how God led you to Himself?  Even if you haven't done that yet, does the idea excite you?  Stories like yours can be powerful tools. 

It's important to point out that effective testimonies don't have to be dramatic.  Don't exclude yourself from this approach because you have a garden-variety testimony.  Maybe you went to church and were religious all your life before you realized that those things didn't make you a Christian.  But the story of how you moved from religion into a relationship with Christ will be more relevant to most of your acquaintances than a sensational story of someone coming to Christ out of a life of witchcraft and drugs. 

As a matter of fact, the difficulty of personally relating to the dramatic testimony may give your friends an excuse.  "People like that need religion!" they might say.  But your everyday story will relate to their everyday life and show them that they, too, need the grace and Lordship of God that you've found. 

And if you do have a more dramatic story, ask God to lead you concerning how much detail to give and to whom to tell it, so that they'll hear the aspects of your experience they can connect with, and be drawn to seek what you've found in Christ. 

This information is adapted from the book and Participant's Guide, "Becoming A Contagious Christian", by Lee Strobel, Mark Mittelberg and Bill Hybels