BEARING WITNESS

John 1: 6-8, 19-23

Witnessing about your faith to others is, by most accounts, not something people do easily. Those who are relentlessly intrusive with their faith, pushing their religion, wearing signboards at rallies, waving John 3;16 posters at football games, and those who ring doorbells more than UPS are seen as fanatics by most. Many are persistent people, taking seriously their job of selling Christ, of presenting confrontational evangelism. We meet those people on our doorsteps, in shopping center, at airports, and on the streets. They know they have a job to do, and they do it with high levels of commitment. If I had to guess, however, I’d say that most of you do not relish encountering one of those religious people. By that I mean over-zealous Christians or those in a Christian—like sect are likely to be either shouting and harsh, or persuasive and nice in their desire to win you to their position. It can be a high pressure situation. That’s what many of you have probably experienced as witnessing. You don’t like it and so you move in the opposite way, refusing to open your mouth about your faith. “I’ll just let my life be my witness” you tell yourself. But the kingdoms of the world, if they are to become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ need more than that. I’m here today to challenge you to witness; to open your closed mouths! There is more than one was to get a job done, and there is more than one way to witness.

Before I tell you the approaches to witnessing I’ve seen, let me tell you one reason that I started my preparation for ministry with a souring experience. In my second year of college I began to hear God’s call into ministry in the midst of faith that was present and growing. At that point it was necessary to see a certain presbytery official who was charged with certifying my fitness for ministry. Aside from the battery of psychological tests and questions about my faith, there was some time for general discussion. At one point I replied that I didn’t like to push religion on anybody, because that approach never brought me closer to God. In response to me, the man leaned across the table, red-faced, and said firmly and defensively, “Young man, we are in religions business and we sell Jesus Christ!” Well I almost gave up the idea of ministry right there if that’s what I had to do. I refused to take the obnoxious approach I had seen others take. But here I am, in a Christian pulpit, charged with the task of preaching Christ and inviting—indeed urging—each of you to do the same. There are good ways and bad ways of doing that. That’s what we will see today. Ultimately John’s gospel implores every follower, like John the Baptist himself, to bear witness to Christ: nothing more (as some do by claiming glory for themselves) and nothing less (as others do by never saying a word about their church or Lord.)

The word “witness” is usually saved for a courtroom: a witness is someone who has personally seen or heard something and has been asked to tell about it. Each Christian is asked to do that: to take the witness stand of life, at appropriate times and say, “it may be hard to believe, but my church prayed for my father and he got better;” or say “I don’t know what to tell you but I was in deep trouble with money, with my family, and was losing my friends and Jesus saved me and turned my life around;” or say “I can’t tell you a day when I was born again, but looking back at my life, like the footprints in the sand story, I can certainly see now the times when God was carrying me.” You see? That’s witnessing; not in someone’s face; not with a cold call at a front door; not with an intimidating stand. It is telling others what you’ve seen or experienced. Jesus commissioned his followers to tell others about him, and tell others what they’d seen God doing in the world. Yet the approaches to witnessing I have seen often move from being persuasive to being pushy. Have you experienced those people? Here are some styles I have seen.

One style of witnessing I’ve experienced I call the “bulldozer approach.” This is when a person corners you somewhere and bowls you over with a stream of arguments and memorized Scripture. You are asked to commit your life to Christ then and there, if you don’t, they push you along until you agree to their terms, or you say “no” firmly and mean it while they mark you down as a lost and burning soul. That “bulldozer approach” never won me over. A second way of witnessing that I’ve seen I’ll call the “decoy approach.” It occurs when person pretends to build trust, friendship, or mutual interest in you with the goal of lowering your defenses so they can talk you in to Christianity. If ever, just out of courtesy, I mentioned my name to them, they used it in almost every sentence possible to make me feel like we were friends. The “decoy approach;” it too can make the person being pursued feel deceived, hardly a genuine way that Jesus would use. Another way of witnessing I’ll call the “jealousy approach.” I find it used most by certain youth groups on other youth. These youth make it seem that they especially love and care for those who join their group, therefore you are made to feel jealous or outcast unless you become one of them. We might call it “Christian Connection by Clique” and it too is counterfeit. By contrast, John the Baptist proclaimed his message to anyone within earshot. Jesus showed his love to any who would accept it, including tax collectors, prostitutes, lepers: many who were despised by others. So the love of Christ is something we are also called to share, yet some in churches become part of a selective and isolating group of like-minded people. Is that the way the first church lived in Acts chapter 2? Do people want to be “won to Christ” to just be included in a count of saved souls?

This morning’s gospel text says John was a prophet sent from God to give a testimony: to bear witness to the light. When this gospel was written there were some groups of people who wanted to call John the light; the messiah. To go against that tide, John overemphasized that he was just a messenger and that Jesus is the true light. John is not the Christ; he is not even worthy to be his servant he says. He actually goes overboard to lower himself and raise up Jesus.

We can learn a lesson from John. We, too, are called to witnesses. But witness like I described? No; to paraphrase Paul, “let me show you a more excellent way” to bear witness: nothing more, nothing less. Some here today fall into the “nothing less” category. Witnesses in courtrooms cannot give testimony without using their voices. Neither can you! You have a call to action where before you let your actions do your talking. Some of you may even think that you are ashamed because your beliefs aren’t that sure and your own salvation story not that clear. Then you are perfect for this job! Nothing is more effective in reaching some people than to share that you too have questions and doubts! That can be very reassuring to others who also have questions but are searching for other seekers as well. Not everyone has a dramatic story or steel-strong conviction! You have witnessed to your faith best with your life choices and Christian values, and people have known you are Christian by your love. Look for opportunities to share that you go to church, or that you pray, or that you have faith. Don’t miss opportunities to invite others to your church or to know your Savior.

One couple told a class that I taught that they used to come down the elevator in their condo on their way to church Sunday mornings about the same time as another couple who came down dressed to go play tennis. One week the conversation went like this: “Playing tennis today I see.” “Yep” the couple replied. “Where are you going?” “Church,” they said. After their class here about sharing, the next time they were on the elevator they said, “How was tennis last week!” “Alright,” the couple said, “It gives us exercise and some time together. How was church?” And this time the couple was ready. “We heard fabulous music, had a great Sunday School class, heard a sermon that stayed with us all week, and had a fellowship time where we met two new couples! It was great! Sometime if you’d like to join us, we’d love to take you and sit with you.” The tennis couple, after a month, took them up on their offer. Bear witness, nothing less. You cannot take a seat on a courtroom witness stand and give testimony without speaking; to be a witness for Christ, followers also speak to others.

Others need to be reminded to bear witness, but nothing more. Those people lean in to the spotlight intended for Jesus so it shines on them as well! They like the spotlight. They like others to know their good deeds, their faith, and their church membership. Some preachers can become so enamored with their star power that they become more like celebrities, instead of like John who pointed to the light and made sure no one mistook him for the star.

As we draw nearer to Christmas Day, many of those who do not believe in Christ find little meaning in the reason for the season. Some especially this year, face plummeting portfolios, have less buying power, and struggle to pay bills. In their darkness, there is still a light that shines; for over 2000 years, the darkness has not overcome it. There is a light for these dark days in our nation and our world. There is a light and it is not me, it is not you, it is not a political figure. There is a light, and his name is Jesus, the one who saves, who loves, and who came to earth at Christmas. We are called to tell it from Jordan’s banks to Mount Hermon’s height; from the most prince-like castles and the underpasses that house cold and tired humans; from prison cells to rooms where stockings have been hung by a chimney with care: Jesus loves you, Jesus can save you, and Jesus wants you to, this day, prepare him room in your heart.

Jeffrey A. Sumner December 14, 2008