God's Last Words

Walk in Witness

Matthew 1: 18-25 (NRSV)

It is fitting on this last Sunday in Advent that we focus on Witness. The hot topic has been Duck Dynasty, and Phil Robertson’s witness to his faith and trust in God’s Word. So today we honor his strength and desire to be a witness by putting this “Phil Bobble-head” here on the piano as a good example to follow.

A man in Topeka, Kansas, decided to write a book about churches around the country. He started by flying to San Francisco, and started working east from there. 

Going to a very large Church, he began taking photographs and making notes. He spotted a golden telephone on the vestibule wall and was intrigued with a sign that read "$10,000 a minute." 

Finding the pastor, he asked about the phone and the sign. The pastor answered that this golden phone was a direct line to Heaven and if he pays the price he can talk directly to God. The man thanked the pastor and continued on his way.

He visited churches in Seattle, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and around the United States. He found more phones, with the same sign , and the same answer from each pastor. Finally, he arrived in Maryland. Upon entering a church near  Clear Spring, Maryland, he saw the usual golden telephone. But THIS time the sign read "Calls: 35 cents." 

Fascinated, he asked to talk to the pastor, "Pastor, I have been in cities all across the country and in each church I have found this golden telephone and have been told it is a direct line to heaven and that I could talk to God. In the other churches the cost was $10,000 a minute but yours says, 35 cents a call. Why?" 

The pastor, smiling, replied, "Son, you're in Clear Spring now...it's a local call."

Friends, everywhere is a local call to God. And everywhere in the world needs people who know God and witness to His glory, and call tell people how close they are to God.

In trying to witness have you ever found yourself in the “darned if you do, darned if you don’t” dilemma? You know the right thing to do but you know doing it is going to be harder than if you don’t do anything?

Many of us find ourselves in this scenario with friends, co-workers, bosses, and neighbors.

We may know something they need or should know, but know that telling them won’t be a pleasant experience.

There are lots of possibilities that fit this category.  I think it’s why the Apostle Paul talks about things we can do and things we don’t do but should. In theology these things fall in to the sins of “omission,” things we don’t do. Contrast “omission” with the sins of  commission,” or things we actually do.

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way: When his mother had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.

Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.

But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”

When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

As Christians who trust God, who are obedient to His will, and Love Him, we are called also to witness those character traits to others. In doing so we will have to take positions that will not be popular, will go against prevailing social customs, and maybe won’t make a whole lot of sense to our family and friends.

Joseph was caught up in such a dilemma. He could have walked away and had no further interaction with Mary; social custom gave him that right. Joseph could have disgraced Mary very easily. But because he loved and trusted God, was obedient, Joseph chose to be a witness to God’s grace.

We don’t know a whole lot about Joseph but we know this much: trust, obedience, love, and witness, were important behavioral traits in his life that God found useful.

We frequently forget that being a Christian requires us to be involved and not sit on the sidelines like a spectator wondering “what will happen next” as Jim and Tammy Fay Bakker used to say on their infamous television show. That’s when I knew trouble was ahead for them – when they stopped doing and began to watch. They lost their witness.

We too will be called upon to be that voice from the back of room at times that hold ourselves and others accountable for what’s going on.

A woman was doing her last-minute Christmas shopping at a crowded mall. She was tired of fighting the crowds. She was tired of standing in lines. She was tired of fighting her way down long aisles looking for a gift that had sold out days before.

Her arms were full of bulky packages when an elevator door opened. It was full.

The occupants of the elevator slowly moved closer together to allow a small space for her and her load. As the doors closed, she blurted out, “Whoever is responsible for this whole Christmas thing ought to be arrested, strung up, and shot!”

A few others nodded their heads or grunted in agreement. Then, from somewhere in the back of the elevator, came a single voice that said: “Don’t worry. They already crucified him.”

Some of you are saying “I can’t do that,” or “That’s not me.” As Christians we need to think of ways to witness that are consistent with who we are. Wearing buttons, pins, having car bumper stickers, are just part of it. We have to live it. Joseph did.

After Abraham Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves during the Civil War, he was condemned by the London Times as “a sort of moral American pope” destined to be “Lincoln the Last.”

But after Lincoln’s assassination, the paper realized his greatness, saying, “Abraham Lincoln was as little a tyrant as any man who ever lived. He could have been a tyrant if he pleased, but he never uttered so much as an ill-natured speech.”

In the Christian life, there will be times when we must take an unpopular stand — at work, at school, even at church — and stubbornly stick to principle. We will be called all manner of names, but if we’re in God’s will, we will be vindicated, certainly in the next life, but sometimes in this one.

But we need to make sure we are focused on the right witness, the right truth, and the right way to do it.

One day, an old man arrived at the Pearly Gates of Heaven. Saint Paul, who was filling in for St. Peter, asked for the man's name, and the man, who had gotten alzheimers on earth, could not remember his name!

He stood there a while longer, trying hard to remember, but he just couldn't think of it. Finally, Saint Paul started asking questions about the old man's previous life on earth, to help find out who he was. 

First, Saint Paul asked him if he remembered what job he had. "I seem to remember working with wood," the old man said, "I'm pretty sure.. yes, I remember now, I was a carpenter." 

Pleased to be getting somewhere, Saint Paul asked the man another question: "Do you remember if you had any family?" 

The old carpenter stood still and silent in thought for a minute and then finally spoke up. "Yes," he replied, "now I remember that I had a son." 

Saint Paul asked the old man if he remembered anything about his son. The man answered, "Oh yes, I remember that he was an odd son. Some strange glowing figure appeared to me before my son was alive, telling me that I would soon have a son. And I also remember having a little bit of trouble with my son. He would go off on his own for long periods of time without me knowing where he was. Yes, he was one different son." 

Saint Paul stood up from his seat, with his mouth opened, and quickly whispered something to a nearby angel. The angel left for a minute and then came back, escorting Jesus with him. The angel took Jesus to the man. 

Saint Paul asked the old carpenter, "Is this your son?"  The forgetful old man's eyes brightened as he smiled and ran up to Jesus embracing him. "My son!" he said, "It's so good to see you, Pinnochio!"

I know that ending surprised you but sometimes we’re caught off guard by a false witness – something that appears true but isn’t. Satan is the master of things that are almost true.

Friends don’t spend your life being a witness to the wrong son and the wrong things. Walk in the trust, love, obedience to the truth of the witness of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way to the Father.

It’s what Christmas and Advent are all about. We abide, that is embrace and sink ourselves into the love of God. Amen.