Christian Atheist: Witnessing Series

This sermon is based off of a few ideas in Craig Groeschel’s book “The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living as if He Doesn’t Exist.” Zondervan, 2010. ISBN: 9780310332220

CHRISTIAN ATHEIST: WITNESSING

1 PETER 3:15

IN THE WORK CUBICLE (p)

It’s a normal day at the office. You got to work 5 minutes late like usual. You find your normal parking place open and you whip your car into the spot and grab all that you need from the passenger seat. You are soon in the elevator heading to your floor. The elevator is packed with all the other people who are also running 5 minutes late. The elevator stops and a rush of people get out on their way to the ‘rat race.’ Your floor is next. You hop out of the elevator and meander through people hustling and bustling and you arrive at your desk in your 6x6 cubicle. Everything like a normal day at the office… except you notice people gathered at the cubicle next to yours.

You peek your head around and your non-Christian co-worker is surrounded by other co-workers consoling her. It finally happened. Her dad must have passed away. He had been ill for about six months. She looks at you and nods her dead affirming your suspicion. You both had talked about this often over the past six months because you went through this last year with your mother. You both had a common bond with the sickness of a parent. You now have both lost a parent.

After a few minutes, the other co-workers clear out for their normal day of work. It is now just you and her. She slides her chair over to your cubicle and you just sit silent for a moment together. She looks at you and begins with a question… “How did you get through this? There seems to be no hope. My dad is just gone. I have no hope. I don’t know what to do.” Guess it’s NOT a normal day at the office.

What do you do?

What do you say?

Options of what you could do or say in that moment swirl in your head. You could stop and pray with her... right there in the middle of the cubicles. You suddenly got a tinge of fear of what others would think about that. You could share how your mother was a believer in Christ and so when death came to her, you had great comfort. You thought better of that because you are afraid she would reject any religious talk. You could share show Jesus offers grace, mercy, and comfort to those who mourn through God’s Word and the presence of the Holy Spirit. You definitely got afraid because that would seem like shoving religion down your co-worker’s throat. In the end, you say, “Gosh, I don’t know. Just put one foot in front of the other. Time heals all wounds. What does not kill us makes us stronger.”

You go back to your cubicle. Fear gripped your heart and won and you did not share your faith.

EASTER FAMILY TIME (p)

It is Easter time and a gathering opportunity for your whole family. Your family made a commitment to all get together this year at Easter to make sure you celebrated something this year as a family. Grandma chose Easter and chose to rent a few beach houses for everyone to share. You are far and wide spread apart all over the country, but each and every brother and sister and wife and husband and kid and grandkid is present. Every aunt and uncle is present with every cousin in tow. You all arrive on Thursday at the beach and Friday and Saturday are filled with egg hunts and family dinners and dangerous yard darts and water gun fights. Everyone has a beach blast bingo that will not soon be forgotten. Even crazy Aunt Sue manages not to interrupt any family times with harrowing tales of her 1970s exploits with LSD. Ah… family.

It is Saturday night. Everyone is getting their clothes ready for church and borrowing socks and comparing outfits. All except Uncle Bill. Everyone knows he won’t go. He never goes. You talk with Aunt Sue and she says the whole family has given up asking him about churchy things. When was the last time you asked him? 10 years ago. You ask your mother. 15 years ago. You ask grandma. 25 years ago. It seems no one had spoken to Uncle Bill about spiritual things in over a decade. He’s a good guy, just not a church going guy… you know. Another cousin said, oh yeah, he’s a Christian he just never reads his Bible or goes to church or prays. Huh? It was all strange.

What do you do?