Two Among Ten Thousand

Background to passage: Paul’s letter from prison to the Philippians he immediately speaks about their partnership in the gospel. He knows that they are worried about him personally, and trusts that they are worried about the spread of the gospel, let that sink in. So, he tells them that his imprisonment has worked for the advancement of the gospel. Specifically he gives two ways: 1) the imperial guard and “all the rest” know that Paul is in jail for preaching Christ. If that knowledge serves to advance the gospel, it certainly means that it was shared, probably in multiple ways. 2) Secondly, since Paul is in prison, not preaching on the street, teaching in the synagogue, or reasoning with the philosophers, more people are stepping up (something else to think about for a minute). Some were doing it will ill motives and some with love and truth, but Paul’s rejoicing is that the gospel is preached.

Philippians 1:12–18 ESV

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,

Opening illustration: greased pig on a frozen pond

Main thought: I want to give you a couple of handles for evangelism

1) Three Circles

Explanation: Every so often there are presentations that can be memorized that help us share the essential truths of scripture. Some are better than others, and like most things, they are getting better with time. I want to teach you a quick method to share.

15-second testimony: “There once was a time in my life that I was…then I learned of the love and forgiveness of Jesus…then I surrendered my life to Jesus…and now I have…have you had an experience like that?”

Three circles: God’s design -> Sin -> Brokenness -> Gospel -> Repent and believe -> Pursue and recover -> Return to share with others

Illustration: name some of the places I’ve used it - in the food distribution line as I pray for people, at Karvelas where I can use crayons on the tables, on prayer ministries through neighborhoods. Tell about the stickers for your phone or you car. Tell about the App: Life on Mission

Application: This is just one among 10,000. Sometimes it helps to have a memorized, or semi-memorized plan. Sometimes parts work in various scenarios. For some of you who don’t know the right words, this is a start.

2) Three Chairs

Explanation: The second among 10,000 is three chairs. Have them set up on the stage with some coffee. Have three people come and sit and pretend to be talking, laughing, getting to know one another. Then have them exit and come back. Explain that it might be a coworker or neighbor.

Talk about ministry when opportunity presents itself. Talk about intentionality alongside genuine love and care. Long-term process

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Illustration: Rosaria Butterfield’s testimony of years of dinner: Raised and educated in liberal Roman Catholic settings, Rosaria loved books and philosophy. In her late twenties, allured by feminist philosophy and LGBTQ+ politics, she adopted a lesbian identity. Rosaria earned her PH.D. from The Ohio State University (1992), then served in the English department and women's studies program from 1992 to 2002, earning tenure in 1999. Her primary academic field was critical theory, specializing in queer theory. Her historical field was 19th-century literature, informed by Freud, Hegel, Marx, and Darwin, with a special interest in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. She advised LGBTQ+ student groups, co-authored Syracuse University’s domestic partnership policy for same-sex couples, and actively lobbied for LGBTQ+ legal advancements alongside her lesbian partner.

As a professor of English and women's studies, on the track to becoming a tenured radical, I cared about morality, justice, and compassion. Fervent for the worldviews of Freud, Hegel, Marx, and Darwin, I strove to stand with the disempowered. I valued morality. And I probably could have stomached Jesus and his band of warriors if it weren't for how other cultural forces buttressed the Christian Right. Pat Robertson's quip from the 1992 Republican National Convention pushed me over the edge: "Feminism," he sneered, "encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians." Indeed. The surround sound of Christian dogma comingling with Republican politics demanded my attention.

Enter Ken Smith from the Syracuse Reformed Presbyterian Church after kindly responding with a letter questioning some underlying assumptions behind an article in a local paper attacking “the unholy trinity of Jesus, the Republican party, and patriarchy.”

Something else happened. Ken and his wife, Floy, and I became friends. They entered my world. They met my friends. We did book exchanges. We talked openly about sexuality and politics. They did not act as if such conversations were polluting them. They did not treat me like a blank slate. When we ate together, Ken prayed in a way I had never heard before. His prayers were intimate. Vulnerable. He repented of his sin in front of me. He thanked God for all things. Ken's God was holy and firm, yet full of mercy. And because Ken and Floy did not invite me to church, I knew it was safe to be friends.

Application: Always good to take stock in the people that God has put in your life. You are a witness. God has given you the ministry of reconciliation. We must be obedient to share. The greatest treasure should compel us to share. The urgency of eternity should burden us to share. The hope, peace, joy, and freedom offered to others should give us joy to share.

Closing illustration: A third way among ten thousand might be a letter, like the one to my father.

A fourth way might be pouring into the lives of your children

A fifth way might be through electronic or social media

A sixth way might be through some sort of community service or non-profit

Everyone of you is placed where you are right now - your home, your community, your church, your workplace, your family…but we must not let time go without a witness until there is no longer time in the life of another, or of our own. Always be ready to give an answer for the hope of Christ inside of you, whether someone is asking or you are searching for those whom God has prepared.