Paul Powell once told a story about a friend of his who was assigned to work in an evangelistic endeavor in northern Mississippi. One day he walked up to the porch of a man chewing tobacco and engaged in conversation.
When the time seemed appropriate, he said to him, “Are you a Christian?” The man replied, “No, the Christians live down the road about a mile.” He said, “Well, you don’t really understand what I’m talking about. Sir, are you lost?” “Lost?” he said, “why no, I’ve lived here all my life; and I know right where I am.”
“No, no,” said my friend. “Are you ready for the judgment?” The old man said, “Well, when is it gonna be?” The friend said, “Well, I don’t rightly know. It might be today or it might be tomorrow.” The old man said, “For Heaven’s sake, don’t tell my wife. She’ll want to go both days!”
Dr. Powell’s suggested application when sharing this humorous story was: “In witnessing, it’s important to explain things so people can understand you.” I have a slightly different application to suggest: “This man’s wife was willing to go both times if she had the opportunity.”
I know of another individual who was willing to go two times. His name was Philip; and he was one of the first seven Deacons in the early church. We read about him and his exploits in the eighth chapter of the New Testament Book of Acts.
As the chapter opens, persecution in Jerusalem has resulted in the dispersion of believers to outlying areas. Philip is led to make his way north to Samaria, where he is given the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He responds to the direction of God’s Spirit, shares the good news, and sees many people believe and be baptized.
Almost immediately thereafter, he is directed to go south on the road to Gaza, where he encounters an Ethiopian eunuch returning from Jerusalem, and pondering the meaning of Isaiah’s prophecies. Given yet another opportunity to share Christ, he does so once again, and sees this man too believe and be baptized.
Twice Philip was given the command to go, twice he was given the opportunity to share Christ, and twice he was faithful to do so. As a result, twice he was able to see others have their lives changed.
While not everyone who follows Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be called upon to go to multiple places to share Christ, all who follow Him can be expected at some point to be called upon to go somewhere and share with someone, even if that is only across the street or across town rather than across the world.
I hope all of my readers who follow Christ will commit along with me to be willing to go and share whenever and wherever we are directed by God. After all, had someone else not been willing to do so, we ourselves might never have come to know Christ in the first place!
JOKE SOURCE: Paul Powell, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Retirement (Dallas: Texas Baptist Leadership Center, 2000), p. 51.
Cf.: https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/kjv/acts/8.htm.
When the time seemed appropriate, he said to him, “Are you a Christian?” The man replied, “No, the Christians live down the road about a mile.” He said, “Well, you don’t really understand what I’m talking about. Sir, are you lost?” “Lost?” he said, “why no, I’ve lived here all my life; and I know right where I am.”
“No, no,” said my friend. “Are you ready for the judgment?” The old man said, “Well, when is it gonna be?” The friend said, “Well, I don’t rightly know. It might be today or it might be tomorrow.” The old man said, “For Heaven’s sake, don’t tell my wife. She’ll want to go both days!”
Dr. Powell’s suggested application when sharing this humorous story was: “In witnessing, it’s important to explain things so people can understand you.” I have a slightly different application to suggest: “This man’s wife was willing to go both times if she had the opportunity.”
I know of another individual who was willing to go two times. His name was Philip; and he was one of the first seven Deacons in the early church. We read about him and his exploits in the eighth chapter of the New Testament Book of Acts.
As the chapter opens, persecution in Jerusalem has resulted in the dispersion of believers to outlying areas. Philip is led to make his way north to Samaria, where he is given the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He responds to the direction of God’s Spirit, shares the good news, and sees many people believe and be baptized.
Almost immediately thereafter, he is directed to go south on the road to Gaza, where he encounters an Ethiopian eunuch returning from Jerusalem, and pondering the meaning of Isaiah’s prophecies. Given yet another opportunity to share Christ, he does so once again, and sees this man too believe and be baptized.
Twice Philip was given the command to go, twice he was given the opportunity to share Christ, and twice he was faithful to do so. As a result, twice he was able to see others have their lives changed.
While not everyone who follows Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be called upon to go to multiple places to share Christ, all who follow Him can be expected at some point to be called upon to go somewhere and share with someone, even if that is only across the street or across town rather than across the world.
I hope all of my readers who follow Christ will commit along with me to be willing to go and share whenever and wherever we are directed by God. After all, had someone else not been willing to do so, we ourselves might never have come to know Christ in the first place!
JOKE SOURCE: Paul Powell, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Retirement (Dallas: Texas Baptist Leadership Center, 2000), p. 51.
Cf.: https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php?id=146507.
SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/kjv/acts/8.htm.