Sermon for November 21st (Witness)

In the declaration of independence, we read the following words written by our forefathers, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Nice words. Nice idea. Written on July 4th, 1776. But for many people in America, while the words were nice, they had witnessed personally that the truth was much different.

In Martin Luther King Junior’s “I Have a Dream” speech, given on August 28th, 1963 (almost 200 years later) he said, “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.' The words were there, but our country hadn’t started living out that truth. In 1870, black people were given the right to vote, but it wasn’t until the 1960’s when many segregation laws were ended that allowed children of all races to go to school together. The words say “equality” but there are still times today when the witness is inequality. Sometimes, in the history of our nation, our words and our witness haven’t been in agreement.

We, as Christians, don’t fare much better. In fact, I believe that we fare much worse on a whole. We do not practice what we preach, as the saying goes. We do not witness to what we believe. Instead, so many times, we witness to things we say that we do not believe in. But what are people to believe? What we say or what we do? Our great words of faith or our public witness to the faith?

We don’t use the word witness much today outside of the courtroom. But when you start going back and seeing where the word came from, how it got into the English language, you learn a lot about what witnessing really means. The word we use for “witness” comes from the Greek verb Marteereo. One who witnesses, who marteereo’s is called a marteeros. A marteer—a martyr. The word “witness” comes from the Greek word “martyr”. A person who dies for what they believe in.

Have you ever wondered how the early church got so big? According to the sociologist Rodney Stark in his book, The Rise of Christianity, he takes a conservative guess at there being around 1,000 Christians in the entire world in the year 40 (that’s several years after Jesus’ death and resurrection). Sixty years later, by the year 100, there would have been around 7,500 Christians total. That doesn’t seem like that many. However, by the year 300, many historians estimate there would have been around 7 million Christians and by 350, it is estimated that Christians would have made up over half of the population—around 33 million. By any historical measurement, that is extraordinary growth.

Now there were many factors influencing the growth of Christianity, but one of the most important is written down in one of the chapters in Stark’s book: Christian Martyrs—Christian witnesses. I have heard over and over again that the Christian church grew due to the blood of the martyrs—people who were willing to die for the sake of their faith in Jesus Christ.

From our reading today, Hebrews chapter 12, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Can you imagine who the author is talking to and who he is referring to? Throughout Hebrews 11, the chapter before, he refers to Abel, to Noah, to Abraham, to Sarah, to Moses, but here, he is referring to the witnesses that his readers would have known personally. People who died for the sake of their faith—the first Christian martyrs. He is speaking to people who knew that, at any moment, they might have to stand up for their faith in the face of torture and death. The book of Hebrews shows us that our witness today is just as important as the witness of people in the past.

A Greek writer, Eusebius wrote about one Christian, named Romanus, who became a martyr for his faith and how his witness affected the people around him, “When the judge had informed him that he was to die by flames, with a cheerful countenance and a most ardent mind he received the sentence and was led away. He was then tied to the stake, and when the wood was heaped up about him, and they were kindling the pile, only waiting the word from the expected emperor, he exclaimed, ‘where then is the fire?’ Saying this he was summoned again before the emperor, to be subjected to new tortures and therefore had his tongue cut out, which he bore with the greatest of fortitude, as he proved his actions to all, showing also that the power of God is always present to the aid of those who are obliged to bear any hardship for the sake of religion, to lighten their labours, and to strengthen their ardor.” Stark writes, “To Eusebius, the bravery and steadfastness of the martyrs was proof of Christian virtue. Indeed, many pagans were deeply impressed.”

What’s my point in telling you all of this? To show you that faith means more than you might think. It involves everything: your heart, your mind, your ears, your feet, your mouth and even your actions. Before he ascends into heaven, Jesus tells his disciples, “You will be my witnesses.” When people find out you are a Christian, what is your witness to them? Are they inspired or surprised?

You know those bumper stickers on the backs of trucks that say, “How’s my driving?” And then leave a phone number? What if we all had to wear a bumber sticker, or how about a nametag that said, “I’m a Christian. How am I living?” What if you wrote down your pastor’s cell phone number and encouraged them to call with comments and suggestions.

I know that I mentioned a few weeks back that God sees everything, but today I’d like to point out that it’s not just God who sees. Jesus says, “You will be my witnesses.” We will be, like it or not. Our kids see, our parents and grandparents see, our friends see and, most especially, those who are not Christians see what we do. How we act. Are you happy with your Christian witness to the world? If you had to wear a nametag that said, “I’m a Christian.” Would you feel embarrassed for the witness you were giving? Or would your life lead them to a relationship to Jesus?

I admit that I have very often failed to give a good witness. I remember putting this story in a sermon before, but it’s so awful that I think it’s therapeutic for me to tell it again. One night, Kristy and I were up late working on money and decided to close a credit card account that still had $22.44 cents left in it. But they wouldn’t give us our money back. They’d give us a volleyball. They’d give us a $10 gift certificate to a store we didn’t go to, but they wouldn’t give us our money back. Kristy spoke to them for what had to have been 45 minutes going from supervisor to supervisor until finally I was fed up and wanted to see what I could do. Within five minutes I was yelling at the poor customer service person saying, “Do you know that I’m a pastor and I talk to a lot of people and I’m gonna tell them how awful you guys are!?” A few seconds later I realized what I had just done and handed the phone back to Kristy.

What did I just witness to? Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses.” What kind of God did I just witness to when I said, “I’m a pastor”? I told her that I was sorry, over the phone, but who knows if the damage could ever be undone. Jesus had to die for that sin. But it reminds me that, as a Christian, and as a pastor, my public witness matters. People can’t see my heart, but they can see my actions. Faith is more than what we feel and think and say, it’s also about how we act even in public. It’s about our witness to others.

I want you to look at your life, you daily actions in the light of Christ who calls you to be his witness. Don’t put this on someone else who you think needs to hear it more. Look at yourself and your actions, your lifestyle and your life. Ask yourself the question, “Would somebody believe that I’m a Christian if I never told them that I was?” What is keeping you from living out your faith to witness to the glory of God?

I found an anonymous quote this week that said, “Witnessing is not something we do; it is something we are.” Now, you aren’t going to stop being a sinner. You are still going to mess up and be a hypocrite sometimes. But don’t use that as an excuse for continuing to make a poor witness to Christ. To live as God intended you to live. Maybe you are in a relationship right now with something or with someone that is not pleasing to God? Maybe you are having an affair. Maybe you are addicted to pornography or alcohol. Are you a gossip? Are you a liar? What are you witnessing to? Repent! Return to God! Not just for yourself, but for those you are witnessing to.

It doesn’t matter how broken and ashamed you are right now, God can use you for spreading his kingdom not in spite of your sins but because of them. Jesus says, “You will be my witnesses!” When we give our sins to Jesus, he can find a way to use them for the good of his kingdom. You know people like this. We all do. People you know who have not lived according to God’s commands. Who broke the law or broke hearts or broke themselves. But when they turned from those behaviors, when they confessed and asked forgiveness, when they started down a new path with God, they became a witness to you. They inspired you. They showed you what faith could be. When you repent. When you return to God and lay your sins at his feet. He will say, “I forgive you. You are precious to me. You are mine. You will be my witness.” Amen.