It’s Not the Title, It’s the Testimony

By: Pastor Marvin Moss

Published: July 22, 2010

The time has come for the church, church folk, the children of God, Christians to realize that it’s not the title, it’s the testimony. It’s the story that we tell with the way we live our lives. It’s the story that we tell by the way we execute the word of God. It’s in the execution that one recognizes another as a child of God or a child of the devil.

It’s what people see you do that makes all of the difference in the world. When you’re trying to get a job, it’s good to have the degree relative to the position you’re applying for, but you still have to undergo a battery of tests. Then there are interviews, more tests, and more interviews. That degree, diploma, and certificate are good but you still have to prove that what you’re saying is true.

They may call you Doctor, but are you board certified?
They may call you Attorney, but have you passed the bar?
They may call you Reverend, but is there anything about your life that would testify to the fact that you’re anything other than a Reverend?

It’s not the title, it’s the testimony.

How are you living? What kind of report would your family give about you? Is there a good report on you outside of the church as well as in the church?
It’s not the title, it’s the testimony.

Peter. Bold, big mouthed, boisterous Peter, has just allowed himself to be used by God to perform a miracle. You know the story, Peter and john were heading to the temple one afternoon to take part in the afternoon prayer. As they approached the temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the temple gate so he could beg from the people going into the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.

Peter looked at the man intently and said, “Look at us! I don’t have any money for you. But I’ll give you what I do have, in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Up until this point, Peter and John were just like everybody else. They were two people who could meet the beggar’s need or what the beggar thought his need was. All too often, we think that it’s us meeting the needs of those whom God has trusted us with. This is where the ego comes into play; where we begin to wear our feelings on our sleeves. This is where we want to take credit for everything that only God can do.

God uses us as instruments to fulfill His purpose. We are called and the call has more to do with God’s divine purpose. It’s not about you! We’ve all been called to be leaders. We’re to lead the lost to the lamb. We’re to lead the left out to the One who can let them in.

God calls us to lead not by title but by testimony. How can you tell somebody else about the goodness of God if you’ve never experienced it for yourself? You might be able to tell them what you’ve seen happen to somebody else. You might be to tell them what somebody else has told you. But oh, there’s nothing like a firsthand account. Isaiah said in the year king Uzziah died, “I saw the lord.”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, walked through the fiery furnace with an angel of the Lord. Somebody has been walking with Him all week. Somebody called on Him the midnight hour. And when they called on the name of Jesus, He answered them.

He turned their midnight into morning.
He turned their sorrow into a shout,
He turned their problem into praise.
He turned their worry into worship.
He gave them a testimony.

It’s not your title, but it’s your testimony.

Scripture Of The Day: " ...And why look at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power and godliness? For it is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of all our ancestors who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this..." - Acts 3:12-13v (NLT)

Pastor Marvin Moss is senior pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Pastor Moss is extremely active within the Atlanta community, and serves on the Board of Trustees at Gammon Theological Seminary.

For more information about Pastor Moss, log onto http://www.cascadeumc.org.