Unique Witness

Introduction

Reminder — your vocation can be a reflection of the nature of God and a display of the love of God.

But, the demonstration of our lives needs the declaration of our lips.

Let’s talk about unique witness…by turning to Philemon

Read Philemon (give side note on v. 6)

Philemon is a Christian who’d be converted by Paul (v. 19) who now hosts a church in his house in Colossae (v. 2)

Onesimus is a runaway slave who ran away from Philemon (v. 15-16)

During one of Paul’s imprisonments—we don’t know which—he meets Onesimus and leads him to Christ (v. 10)

He sends back Onesimus to Philemon, not as a runaway who will be branded, but a brother who will be forgiven. (v. 17, 20)

Explanation

Point tonight — Paul’s vocation provided both the audience and (potentially) the analogy to witness for Jesus, and your vocation can too.

The whole reason Paul meets Onesimus is because he is doing what he’s been called to do.

We don’t know how Paul shared the gospel, but what better connection point than chains/slavery? Paul is in chains, Onesimus is presumably in chains, Onesimus definitely was a slave, and now Paul can talk about how we find freedom from the greatest slavery (to sin) through the blood of Jesus.

Jesus does this too

John 4 — woman at the well —> living water

John 6 — post feeding 5,000 —> bread of life

God is putting lost people in your life that other Christians don’t get to be around.

Confession — I struggle with jealousy (of how easy it is for non-ministers to be around lost people)

Visiting the same gas station regularly b/c I don’t live in a dorm, go to classes, etc.

Open your eyes! The fields are white for harvest.

PBT BAM woman — started seamstress business in country closed to missionaries, Buddhist convert to Christianity, grew business to 35 people in 2 years, sit non-Christian on either side and share testimony, led them to faith and taught them to do the same

Late — Pineapple “demonstration” farm for 1,700 people, start day with Bible studies, helped lead people to Christ that missionaries couldn’t meet before

Paul didn’t complain about the suffering in his vocation — he rejoices in the opportunities. Maybe the reason God gave you that frustrating class section is because of a lost person there. Maybe the reason you have that poor-paying part-time job is because God wants you around your lost co-workers.

Your vocation can add flavor to your evangelism.

Nike evangelism is best

Adding flavor (“salt”) is awesome too

Nurse — “The great physician healed me of my greatest sickness.”

Coach — "I was playing the wrong game and chasing the wrong prize but he won me the victory I could never win.”

Sanitation worker — “He washed the stain I could never wash and brought order to the chaos.”

Exhortation

Christians — “Everyone, everywhere starts with someone, somewhere today.” Be active in sharing your faith, now and later, so that you may have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

Non-Christians — Onesimus had surely been thinking about freedom for a long time, but he wasn’t really free until the moment he ran away. His true freedom, though, came when he was freed from bondage to sin and death. In the end, he was reconciled to someone greater than his earthly master — his God in heaven. Like Onesimus, it’s not enough for you to think about freedom — you can’t simply think about coming to Jesus. You’ve gotta act. Why not be baptized?