Our Call To Witness God's Truth

 My focus this week centers around the three readings for the Third week of Advent: 

Isaiah 61:1-4& 8-11

Thessalonians 5:12-24

John 1:6-8 & 19-28

The theme for my thoughts is heard in the Thessalonians reading.

12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; ¹³esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. ¹⁵See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise the words of prophets, ²¹but test everything; hold fast to what is good; ²²abstain from every form of evil. 23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.(1Thessalonians 5)

We are hearing the historical call to witness to the truth of God. 

John The Baptist is our example for how it was done then.

²⁶John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷the one who is coming after me;

The thing I am wondering is how do we witness the truth John was trying to get people to understand?

One of the thing I did with confirmation students was to watch movies.  I used these movies to engage their young minds to think about what it means to live our lives in faith.

 

One of the movies I always used was the movie -- O God -- it was about how difficult it is to tell people God was real. 

The movies was released in 1977.  Way before I became a Pastor. However the message of O God had a unequivocal impression on me.

It was funny, profound and an excellent story about how very difficult it is to a witness to God’s truth; especially in a world that has already decided — believes —about God.

The main character in the move is a young man named Jerry played by John Denver.  Jerry is an un-believer.  He is a family man with one son; living in a middle class neighborhood in Los Angelus California.

Jerry is the manager of the produce department in a large grocery store.

One day he receives a note saying: “God grants you an interview” and then give the address where they will meet.  Thinking it is one of his buddies jokes, he tears it up and throws it the the garbage.

As he settles into bed that night he find the letter under his pillow.  He again tears it in two and throws it in the waste basket.

The next morning, while preparing the produce to put on display, he finds the letter in a head of romaine lettuce.  At this point Jerry decides that maybe he should go to the address and challenge his buddies humor.

 

And the story of his relationship with God begins.

After a rocky start, Jerry realizes that there is something to this God he has ignored; and begins, quite unsuccessfully, to witness to God’s truth.

God wants Jerry to tell the people that “they are doing things all wrong.”

His wife thinks he is having a nervous breakdown.

His boss finally fires him when his story hits the nightly news, newspapers and T.V talk show.

His quiet middle class home is invaded by religious groups and news reporters.

Finally he is confronted by a panel of so-called irate Biblical “experts.” Who ask him to prove that he has met God.

They give him a folder with ten questions they know are impossible for anyone but God to answer.  And then lock him in hotel room with no way to cheat.

God tells him all the answers.

I invite you to watch the movie for yourself.

To be continued tomorrow.