This sermon emphasizes the importance of the testimony of Jesus becoming our testimony, highlighting the role of the Holy Spirit in transforming truth into personal experience. It discusses the need to overcome self and allow Christ to replace it within us, leading to a life where the testimony of Jesus operates in and through us. The sermon encourages believers to trust in God's provisions, deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ, understanding that the Christian journey may involve suffering but ultimately leads to victory.

Will you please turn to 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. Verse 10. Just a parenthesis. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10. The parenthesis. For our testimony to you. has been believed. For our testimony to you has been believed. Second Corinthians. Chapter 1. Verse 12. For our boasting is this. The testimony of our conscience. That in simplicity and sincerity before God. Not in fleshly wisdom. But in God's grace. We have had our conversation in the world. And more abundantly. And finally. Revelation chapter 12. Verse 11. And they have overcome him. That is overcome the accuser. By reason of the blood of the Lamb. And by reason of the word of their testimony. And have not loved their life. Even unto death. Let's have a word of prayer. Dear Lord. As we gather in thy presence. Our hearts do bow low. Before thee. Who are we? That thou art mindful of us. We who are but dust and ashes. And yet. Thou does reveal thyself through thy son. To us and in us. Thou want to bring us. Into thy full purpose. That we may be profitable to thee. Oh dear Lord. We are here this morning. Open ourselves to thee. And pray that thou will open the heavens. And reveal thy beloved son. Once again. To us. Take away anything and everything. That hinders. Thy work. Fill us. Oh Lord. With thyself. That we may be. Wise. And faithful. Servants of thy. We want to give thee all the praise and the glory. Because thou alone. Are worthy. We ask in thy precious name. Yesterday morning. We ended our time together. On the note. Of the testimony of Jesus. We know that. There is. A conflict. A spiritual warfare. Going on in the universe. And it is. Centered upon. This matter of the testimony. Of Jesus. It is the will of God. To sum up all things in his beloved son. Our Lord Jesus. And to do that. He came into this world. The word became flesh. And tabernacle. Among men. Full of grace. And truth. And while he was on Earth. He conquered. All the works of the enemy. He was tempted. By the devil. With all the temptations. That we can even think of. And yet in every case. We find he. Overcame. And finally on Calvary's cross. Even though in human eyes. It might seem that. This was the sign of defeat. And yet when our Lord Jesus. Before his death. He shouted. It is finished. It is done. Scenes. Have been removed. Adam. The sinful man. Has been brought to death. The world. Is overcome. And Satan. Is driven out. Of the world. We hear see a man. The God man. He overcame. And then he ascended up. To the throne. Sending his Holy Spirit. Into the world. Into us. That we. Who believe in him. May also. Overcome. How do we overcome? The accuser. How do we overcome the world? How do we overcome see? How do we overcome? Even. Ourselves. The sinful self. It is not by ourselves. We cannot overcome. The devil is wiser than we are. The world is stronger than we are. See is more powerful. We cannot overcome. Ourselves. But thank God. We overcome because he. Has overcome. So dear brothers and sisters. Who are the overcomers? Especially the overcomers. Towards the end of this age. As we find. Symbolized by the man child. They overcame. By the blood of the Lamb. They overcame. By the word of their testimony. And they loved not their life. Even unto death. So in other words. The overcomers are those. Who have the testimony of Jesus. And they overcome because. Of the testimony of Jesus. And that's where we ended. Last morning. Now this morning. We would like to continue on. We read in the scripture. The apostle Paul. He told the. Thessalonian believers. That. Our testimony. Among you. Has been received. So here we find this term. Our. Testimony. And again, we find. In second Corinthians. Chapter one. The apostle Paul. Mentioned to the Corinthian believers. That the testimony of our conscience. Is this. By the sincerity and simplicity. We live. Not. By the flesh. Wisdom. But by God's grace and finally you'll find in Revelation. By the word. Of their testimony. So here we find a term. It is not the testimony of Jesus. It is our. Testimony. The testimony of our conscience. And it is by the word of our testimony. That we. Overcome. But brothers and sisters. If we know ourselves. Do you think there is anything in us? That can overcome. I think it is. The natural human way. Before we were saved. We try to overcome. The scenes. Those habits. That we knew. We're not right. And what did we do? We try our best. We try to control ourselves. We try to educate ourselves. We try to accumulate marriage. In order to be saved. But no matter how we try. I think we all knew we ended with failures. But our will was so strong. We refuse to give up. We try we fail. We try and we fail. We fail and we try. And as long as. We try to depend ourselves to overcome. We never overcame. But one day by the grace of God. He showed us. We cannot do it. We gave up. And we look to our Lord Jesus. The overcomer. He has borne our sins. In his body. You know, it is like the children of Israel when they were in the wilderness. They murmured. And God says serpents. Fiery serpents into their midst. And those who were bitten by the servants they died. But God made a provision. Here. He asked Moses to build a brass. Serpent. And lifted up that breast serpent. And whoever was bitten by the fiery serpent. When you look at that. Brazen serpent. You're here. So dear brothers and sisters. We find that. We. Were bitten by fiery serpent. We were dying. But thank God. His only begotten son took upon himself the flesh of a man. But remember. The brazen serpent looked like a serpent. But there was no poison yet. And this is what our Lord Jesus is. He came in the flesh. Like a man and is a man and yet he was born of the spirit. There was no sin in him. And thank God because of that. He who has no sin. Was made seen for us that we might be the righteousness of God. Look at him and you're saved. Now, isn't that? What we have experienced when we believe in the Lord Jesus. Now after we are saved. There seemed to be a change in our heart instead of living seen. We began to hate it. By the grace of God. We began to know what is right. What is wrong in the sight of God? Just like the Apostle Paul in Romans 7. How he said. I know what is right. And I want to do the right. But to will is in me but to do it is not in me. I do what I do not want to do. But I cannot do what I want to do and I believe brothers and sisters. This happened to every one of us, but we struggle. We still have trust in ourselves. We think that if we try and try try hard and harder, we will overcome. But strangely the harder you try. The lower you fall. Not until one day. Just like the Apostle Paul. He cry out old Russian man that I am who can deliver me. From this body of death. Now brothers and sisters. Have you come to that point yet? Now, if you haven't come to that point, I can predict. You will fail and fail and fail again. But if you have already come to the point. You begin to see old wretched man. I cannot do it anymore. I'm a Christian. I should leave a Christian life. I should do the right thing. I shouldn't do the wrong thing in the sight of God. God knows my heart. I want it very much and a try and try and try. But brothers and sisters is useless because the old man. Was under the law. Of sin and of death. So it is better that you give up quicker and earlier. Now strangely. They seem never happened to anybody because we have such confidence in ourselves, but thank God. By his grace. We cry out old wretched man that I am who can deliver me. From this body of death. And immediately following in Romans 725. Thank God. Through Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus Christ. That we overcame. Overcome this body. Of death. Brothers and sisters. This principle apply. To every face. Of our life. The only reason why we can overcome. It is because. He has overcome if we trust him instead of ourselves. We will overcome. So brothers and sisters. When we hear the term our testimony. In a sense that surprises. Where is our testimony if you consider yourselves. Consider your lives. Consider what had happened to you. If you know yourself in a small way. As a matter of fact, nobody knows himself or herself. But with a little knowledge we have of ourselves. Is there anything that you can boast of? The Apostle Paul said. Even with all the spiritual experiences. He had. All the revelations. All the sufferings he had. He said there is only one thing I can boast of. My infirmity. My weakness because God's grace. Is sufficient. For me. His power is manifested in my weakness. So I boast of my weakness. That the power of God may be manifested in me. So when you think of our testimony. So far as we ourselves are concerned. We have no testimony and the testimony that we bear ourselves. Cannot be accepted. You know, it is the general rule. If anyone should testify of himself. He will not be accepted. Even our Lord Jesus you remember. In John chapter 5. He himself said. If I bear witness of myself. Then my testimony is the truth. But I have someone. Who is testified for me? But strangely in chapter 8 of John. He said. Even though I testify of myself. My testimony is true. Why because he's different from all mankind. We do not know where we come from. We do not know where we will go in. But he knows. He came from the father. And he will be returning to the father. Because he is the all-knowledgeable all-wise God. So whatever he says of himself is true. But that can apply only to him. Not to you. Not to me. So brothers and sisters, what does that our testimony we overcome the accuser. By reason of the word of our testimony. It seems as if there is something more the testimony of Jesus. Has to become our testimony. Unless it becomes our testimony. It does not work. So far as the testimony of Jesus is concerned. It is eternal. It is victorious. It is applicable to every occasion. To everything. He is the victor of Calvary. He is the conqueror of all things. He has overcome the enemy. There is no doubt about it. But to know the testimony of Jesus. Just mentally. Just as a doctrine. Just as a teaching. Will not work in your life. Nothing wrong with the testimony of Jesus. It stands forever. When our Lord Jesus cried out, it is finished on Calvary's cross. It is finished. But what has been finished. Is still living and real as it was 2,000 years ago. The truth is eternal. What our Lord Jesus has done. Is eternal. His victory. Is eternal. And final. There is nothing. Wrong with it. But dear brothers and sisters. Unless the testimony of Jesus. Becomes our testimony. It becomes yours. It becomes mine. Then he will not operate. In our life. So I think probably that is the reason. Why we find that it is so real in Christ Jesus. And yet it is not real in our life. To put it another way. The testimony of Jesus has to be our testimony. And that is. What is meant by they have the testimony of Jesus. So dear brothers and sisters. The issue is here. Do we have the testimony of Jesus? By having it doesn't mean that. You heard about it. You knew you knew about it. You knew the teaching. The doctrine. But all these things are bad. Unless the testimony of Jesus becomes. Your testimony. My testimony. That it is not real. In our life. So I think our. Real question lies here. How can the testimony of Jesus? Become. My testimony. Our brother lens last night has already mentioned it. The secret. Of transferring a truth. To an experience. A teaching. To a reality. Is only done. By the Holy Spirit, you know, when we were first saved oftentimes. Our concept. Of being saved. Is to have our sins. Forgiven. Or. To be delivered from hell. And into heaven. That's all we think about salvation. I remember a story. One brother said. If only my two feet will be within the door of heaven. I'm satisfied. He seemed to be a very easily satisfied person. But you may be satisfied. God is not satisfied. For when he has called us. He has called us according. To his glory and virtue. In other words, our calling is not a small calling. Our calling is not just to satisfy. Our little desire. Our calling is according to what God is. Because that's what glory is. To sing is shameful. To go to hell is shameful. To go to heaven is glory. But that is. Just a little bit glory. God's desire is to glorify us. And by being glorify us is by transforming us. And conforming to the image of our Lord Jesus. Then God is manifested. Then his glory. Will shine forth. And he called us by his virtue. That is to say by his character when we were saved. Out of death into life. Out of hell into heaven. It satisfies us. But it does not satisfy. God's character. His character is so noble. Is so high. So heavenly. That according to his character. He calls us. He will not stop until. His glory is manifested and his character. Is shown. So that's the reason why when we were saved. Many things God has done. He does. Not only our sins were removed. Not only he has given his life to us. Our dead spirit was quickened into life. And the life of God. Which is Christ. Comes and dwell in our new spirit. And then you'll find the Holy Spirit. Come. And dwells. In our new spirit too. Now, why did he do that? We have already be given life. It is the life of Christ. Isn't that enough? Thank God. We have the life of Christ in us. But the life in us is to grow and to live. What is the meaning of life? If he does not? Live, you know, I remember many years ago. I went to Peru. And I visited a couple. Missionary. And they live in the jungles. Half a year, they live on a little boat. Traveling on Amazon River. Visiting different villages. And half a year, they slept in their truck. Going through the high mountains in Peru. And visiting and helping. Evangelizing the people. But even though they were missionaries. And were faithfully serving the Lord. In Peru. They did not know. That eternal life. Begins now. So when they preach to the natives. They told them, if you believe in the Lord Jesus, you will have eternal life. You will have the passport to heaven. And you can use it after you die. And you will be accepted into heaven. That's their gospel to them. But thank God, a brother, a Chinese. Was invited by the people in Peru. To become an advisor and the director of a sugar company. And when this couple missionary heard about. That there was a Christian family. In the area. So they came and visited them. And while in their fellowshipping. The brother from China. Discovered that this couple. Did not know that eternal life. Is to live for today. So in their fellowshipping together, God opened the eyes of the missionaries. They began to see. That eternal life begins now. It is supposed to live. In this world. So they told. Our brother said. Now I have to re-preach the gospel. And for this reason. Our brother invited me to go and visit them. So I spent three weeks with them. On the boat and in the truck. Visiting all these. Believers. It was quite a superior. Brothers and sisters. Why does God give us eternal life? It is to live. And it is this life. That alone can live a Christian life. But this life in us must grow. From babyhood. To young man. From young man to fathers. Now, how will this life of Christ in us grow? Who will be taking care of this? That's where the Holy Spirit comes in. You know. Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus. Not only has a new spirit. But even that new spirit. You have life. And with that life. You have the Holy Spirit. In you. If you do not have the Holy Spirit in you. You are not the Lord. But thank God we do. Now, unfortunately in Christianity, you know, among some people. They think that when you are saved. You don't have the Holy Spirit. You have to go through a second blessing. In order to get the Holy Spirit. But this is not scriptural. According to the Word of God. When we believe in the Holy Spirit in the Lord. The Holy Spirit. Who dwells in us. Will bear witness with our spirit. That we are children of God. And we cry out of a father. Otherwise, how can we cry out of a father? It is the Holy Spirit within us. Who is. In charge as it were. In management. Of the life. New life. In us. So he is there. Not to speak of himself. He's there to glorify Christ. He is there. To see to it. That the life of Christ in us. May grow. Maybe matured. And may. Overcome. That is the work. Of the Holy Spirit. Brothers and sisters. People today. Do not appreciate. The Holy Spirit. It is true. This people seek. For the baptism. So-called baptism of the Holy Spirit. They are seeking for power. They are seeking for gift. But unfortunately, they neglect. The person. Of the Holy Spirit. The person of the Holy Spirit. He is God. And he is in each. And every one of us. And it is his responsibility. It is his errand. To see that the life of Christ. Lives. That the life of Christ is given the opportunity to live out. The life of Christ in us may grow within us. So that by his working. In us. The testimony of Jesus. Become. Our testimony. In other words. He is the only one who can transfer. From what is objective truth. Into subjective. Experience. He brings what Christ has done 2000 years ago. And make it living. And real. And operated. In us today. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. That's the reason why the Bible tells us. We need to obey. The Holy Spirit. The instrument. That the Holy Spirit will use. In doing that. Transference. In doing the transformation. Is the cross. So that's the reason why you'll find in the Word of God. The call to us is. Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Daily. And follow me. He who loves his soul, I shall lose it. He who loses his soul life. For the sake of Christ and for the gospel. Shall save it. To eternity. Brothers and sisters. This is the only way. We can see how. The testimony of Jesus. Can become. Our testimony. Unfortunately. Today. God's people. On the one hand are ignorant. Of the indwelt Holy Spirit. They do not know that the Holy Spirit. The third person. Of the Godhead. Is there. In you. They do not realize. That it is his job. And he is the only one who is able to do it. To make. The truth. Into reality. Innocence. So far as our experience goes. I believe every one of us. Has some experience. Of the indwelt Holy Spirit. Because he is spirit. You cannot see him. You cannot touch him by physical means. Nor can you teach touching even with intellectual means. He's beyond that. Now, how do you know the Holy Spirit to us in you? How do you know that the Holy Spirit is working in you? We know it. From within. So Christian life is not an outward way of life. Christian life is a inner way of life. I often feel that the problem with Christianity today. Is as soon as we are saved. We are led astray. We are led to the awkward things. We are led to commandments. To rules and regulations. We are told if we do this or do that not do this not do that then we are. A good Christian. Instead of what the Holy Spirit has already given. And already started in our life. You know after you are saved. What happened suppose you're someone who love. To exaggerate suppose you're someone. Who he who was used to lies. Not black lies, but white lies. And when you exaggerate it when you told a white lie and people seem to believe in you. You were happy but after you are saved before someone even can tell you. You should not exaggerate. You should not lie not even white lie. You should be true. Yes is yes. No is no. Before anyone told you that. Because of your former habit. When you are talking with people. Then you begin to exaggerate again. And maybe you will tell a white lie to cheat people. But while you were doing that what happened those who are listening may not stop you. But there is one within you try to stop you the Holy Spirit. Put a check within you. As if you're driving very fast too fast. And then a break comes. The Holy Spirit said that's enough don't go on. If you go on you see. It's not Christ. What do you do? Well, you cannot stop. You may continue on for a while. But afterwards what happened? You start a feeling good elated. You feel downcast. You feel being accused. You feel uncomfortable. And when you come to the Lord to pray you cannot pray something. What's wrong until you confess you repent you claim the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. Then the way is free for your communing with the Lord. Now, do you have such experience or in other ways suppose? You lost something you do not know where you put them. And you try to find them here and there you couldn't find them. Then you stop. And pray. And somehow the Holy Spirit will show you where the lost thing do you have that experience? Or do you hear something something of the truth? For instance myself after I believe in the Lord Jesus. I heard about baptism. Now, I was baptized when I was an infant. So always consider myself as already baptized. But after I was saved. I was told that according to the Word of God. I should be baptized by immersion. Because that's the only way of baptism and that alone can show what baptism means. Also when I was a babe, I did not believe is the faith of my parents, but it is believe and be baptized. So when I heard this thing, I rebelled against it for years. I fought against it. I tried to reason about it. I said I cannot be baptized again because when I was sprinkled as a little baby, I was sprinkled to the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit. And can I cannot idly use God's name. But it didn't satisfy me. I feel within myself uneasy all the time not until by the grace of God. He conquered me and I was baptized. But I can tell you what happened after I was baptized. It is the beginning of the opening. Of heaven a small thing as it were, but to me is do you have these kind of experiences or even in a matter of? Some habit. Or even you met half your dress or even in the metal for something that you treasure. Nobody will tell you anything. But the Holy Spirit is so faithful. He will show you and this is the inner way of life. It does not come from outside. It comes from within. And the reason for that is. It is to displace. Self in your soul. And to replace Christ. In your soul. This is the salvation of the soul. As we find in the Word of God. Christ is the only one who overcomes. Nobody else. It is the Christ in you and you need that overcomes. We do not overcome if we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our conscience. If we allow the Holy Spirit. To touch our intuition. That is direct knowledge. Enlightenment. Revelation. Within us. Light shine within us. If we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in communion with the Lord. Then you find the Christ life. Will grow in us. And the self-life. Will be replaced. And then the testimony of Jesus. Become your testimony. So the overcomers. They overcome. The accuser. By reading of the word. Of their testimony. You know. In the book of Acts chapter 19. There was an incident. When Paul was in Ephesus. There were seven sons. Of the Jewish high priest. They tried to do exhausting. Exercising. To drive out. Demons. And because they saw how Paul. In the name of the Lord Jesus. Cast out demons. And it worked. So they tried to adopt what Paul did. And there was one. Possessed by demons. And these seven sons of scuba. They came. And they said. In the name of Jesus Christ. That Paul preach. I cast you out. The formula. Seems to be right. But it didn't work. You said you'll find the demon. The one who are demon possessed. He came over them. And he. Conquered overcome two of them. And they have to fled wounded naked. Why because the demon say. Christ, I know. Paul, I'm acquainted with. But who are you? Now brothers and sisters, do you see that? The testimony of Jesus is all-powerful. He will make you overcome. But if it is only. A formula. It doesn't work. The demon knows better. It has to be. Your testimony. We have to confess. That in the process. Of transferring from the testimony of Jesus. To the testimony. Of you and me. It is a long process. It is not an easy one. If you expect your Christian life. As a. Sitting on. The chair and be carried into heaven. Then you're wrong. The Word of God. Warns us again again. That this is a narrow way. Many found find the Broadway. But it leads to destruction. But there is a narrow way. You find it. But it leads. To life. Eternal. Brothers and sisters. Do not expect. An easy life. We Christians. On this foreign. Earth. Under the dominion. Of the enemy of God. Can you expect? An easy life. We should have the mind to suffer. As our Lord Jesus while he was on Earth. He suffered. Much before he was glorified. He suffered. And we cannot go any other way. We cannot be chocolate soldiers. Just like city stuff said. Melt is so quickly. The proposal Paul said. We must be. Like a soldier. Of the Lord. To fight a good fight. Of faith. It is faith. That gave us victory. And faith is not something in us. Faith. Cast is anchor. Upon Christ. Because he has done it all. Therefore. We can trust you. He leads the way. And we follow. So brothers and sisters. Especially. Young people. I will encourage you. Do not look for an easy way out. We are appointed. To deny ourselves. Take up. Our cross. And follow. Wherever. The lamb goes. We go. And these. Are to overcome but don't be afraid. Why because. God has already given us all provisions. For such a way. If you remember. Second Peter. You will find in second Peter. We are told. In verse. Three. And for. As he is by divine power. Has given to us all things. Which relate to life and godliness. Through the knowledge of him. That has called us by glory and virtue. Through which. He has given to us. The greatest and precious promises. That through these. You may become partakers. Of the divine nature. Having escaped. The corruption that is in the world. So at last. So we find that. God has made every provision. If he has provided. Then all we need to do. Is to trust in him. Trust. And obey. There is no. Other way. Dear Lord. We do realize. That there is no other way. But the way that thou has. Open for us. Oh dear Lord. We pray that we may be those. Who have. The courage. To go thy way. The way of the cross. The way of the land. And to follow thee. Lord. This is not only for our salvation. This is more. For your glory. We ask thy precious name.