I remember one of the first times I personally led someone to faith in Jesus Christ. I was working at a local YMCA, and on occasion troubled teens would be assigned community service there at the "Y." I worked as a "maintenance technician" (janitor, custodian, toilet scrubber, trash emptier, etc.), so many times those fulfilling community service requirements were assigned to me. His name was Jesse and he was 14 years old. He had been suspended from school several times, the last time for bringing a weapon on campus. He had also been in and out of trouble with the law, hence his community service assignment. This young man was obviously searching for something that he had not found in the ways of the world.
Jesse spent a week with me. I tried to be a Godly influence before him as we worked side by side each day. On his last day, as we were working in the boiler room, I presented the Gospel to him. In our conversation, I said, "Jesse, I want you to know that God loves you. If you don't think anyone else in this world loves you, I want you to know that Jesus does..." As I spoke those words, this tough, hardened, cold, directionless young teenager began to weep. And there in that old boiler room at the Pickens County YMCA in 1994, young Jesse wept his way to Jesus.
I have never forgotten that witnessing encounter. As christians, we have the Truth that can set people free from their sin and bondage. I don't want to keep that news to myself. I don't want BRVBC to keep that news to herself. We are in direct disobedience to our Lord if we do. We have a command to go, a message to share, and a power to enable us. People all around us are dying and going out into a Christ-less eternity while we have the news that can give them life- abundant and eternal. Why would we keep that to ourselves?
Charles Peace, a notorious criminal in England, was executed on February 25, 1879. Just before his execution, an Anglican minister halfheartedly read to him from The Consolation of Religion: "Those who die without Christ experience hell, which is the pain of forever dying without the release which death itself can bring."
Charles Peace stopped the minister and said, "Sir, if I believed what you and the church of God say that you believe, even if England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would walk over it, if need be, on hands and knees and think it worthwhile living, just to save one soul from an eternal hell like that!"1
May you, me and the church as a whole, be so burdened today for just one soul, that we would simply walk across the street on freshly laid pavement to tell them about Jesus.
Until Next Time,
Bro. Pastor
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1. Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries (Bethany House, 1991), 32.
We have such a marvelous story tell ... it's hard to believe we tend to keep it a secret. Sharing the Good News is hard the first time, but like everything else we endeavor .. the more we do it, the easier it gets! Thanks for the reminder, Preacher Stuart!
ReplyDeleteDear Brother, We have not met. A neighbor passed this blog onto me. But you are spot on to begin this blog with a post of the saving power of Jesus. And any time, every time, the Holy Spirit gives us opportunity to share and pray, is an opportunity to speak life into another. Looking forward to the next post. Kathleen (neighbor of Sadie)
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