Silence Is Golden - Really?

This is one of the strangest sermons that I ever did but it is very effective.  I got up as usual to speak but said absolutely nothing.  That's right - nothing.  I looked around and smiled.  I checked the time.  I opened my mouth as if to speak but then changed my mind.  I scratched my head.  I shrugged my shoulders.  I kept this up until the congregation and I were beginning to feel somewhat awkward.  There was this strange sense of uneasiness as members began to whisper to one another asking, "What is going on?"  After what seemed like forever but was actually a minute or so, I spoke.

"Whew, I'm glad that's over," I said.  "I know you all were wondering what I was doing, right?  Well I wanted you all to hear silence as I said nothing.  You were anxiously awaiting to hear something but what did I say?  Nothing.  You were wanting to hear me speak and tell you about this wonderful man named Jesus.  But I said nothing.  You were wanting to hear about His life and His ministry and I said nothing.  You were wanting to hear about how He was crucified on a cross where He shed His blood to cleanse us all from our sins.  But I said nothing.  You were wanting to hear about His love, mercy, forgiveness and His marvelous grace.  But I said nothing.  Shame on me for remaining quiet.  How could I have remained quiet when I had the perfect opportunity to tell others about Christ and what He has done for me?  Shame on me.  Granted, this was just a way to illustrate how we as Christians sometimes fail to speak up for Christ when we have the perfect opportunity; when we know we should; and more importantly, when we know that someone is wanting to hear about our Savior.  But how many times does what I just did here, happen in real life?  How many times have we heard people cursing using Jesus' own name and we don't ask them to not speak about our Savior in such a way?  Is silence golden?  How many times is someone obviously hurting or in distress and we don't offer to comfort them with a simple prayer?  Is silence golden?  How many times do we see others living a life of sin and we fail to talk to them about Christ?  Is silence golden?  There's a whole world out there that needs to know Christ and how can they know Him without experiencing Him?  And that's where we come in.  Today, we are His mouth, hands and feet.  My daily prayer is that the lost somehow experience Jesus and what better way for that to happen than for me to share with them what's He's done for me? 
I have no idea who coined the phrase "Silence Is Golden," but it surely is not when a person's soul is at stake. So let's all speak up for Jesus and spread the light of His gospel to a dark and sinful world.  So on the count of three, let's all raise our voices in praise to Jesus our Lord and Savior.  One, two, three.....................