Dare 2 Share
Pastor Jeff Williams
07-08-07
I think I’m going to throw up!
This past April, we took twenty-nine students to a youth evangelism conference in Chicago called “Dare 2 Share.” Started by Pastor Greg Stier after the Columbine school tragedy, Dare 2 Share seeks to train students to “defend their faith without offending their friends.” Honestly, it was one of the best conferences I have attended. I was impressed with the strong commitment to theological training. I was delighted to see three thousand teenagers singing their hearts out to the Lord. Most of all, I loved the “hands-on” practical exercises that concluded each session. My favorite assignment was designed to take the students way out of their comfort zones and help them apply what they had been learning all weekend.
On Saturday afternoon, we left the arena and drove twenty minutes north to our assigned neighborhood. We arrived and the students piled out of the vans and quickly gathered around me to hear their task. We divided them into groups of threes and fours and sent them off to knock on doors, collect can goods for a local homeless shelter, and look for opportunities to share what they had learned at the conference. I asked a series of questions to see how the group was feeling. I said, “How many of you are really excited about this?” Two raised their hands. Then I followed up with this question, “How many of you are a little scared?” The majority of the group raised their hands. Then the last question, “How many of you feel like you are going to throw up?” Three students, looking a bit pale and wobbly, slowly raised their hands.” That would be the group I follow.
I made a secret deal with this group. I told them if they just did one side of one street I would let them quit. They agreed and walked slowly to the first house. After trying to decide who would actually knock on the door, the door bell was pushed and they waited. For a second I wished I had brought barf bags with me. Much to their surprise, no one came to the door. One of the students turned around and whispered, “YES!” to me. It was on to the next door - no one home. And the next - no answer. This same students yelled to me that she really like this street. Finally on the fourth house, a lady answered the door, gave them a few cans and was really nice to them. They quickly finished that side of the street and waited for me and another team. I planned on keeping my word and asked the other team to take over. As everyone walked away, one of the students who was so scared at the beginning said, “I think we can probably do this street too.” I tried to contain my smile and agreed. They did do that side of the street and, on their last house, took the opportunity to share the Gospel with the lady who answered the door.
It was a great experience for our students. They knocked on hundreds of doors, collected dozens of bags of canned goods, and had multiple opportunities to share their faith. The evangelistic temperature in our ministry has been white-hot since the conference and many students have reached out to their family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, bosses, and even teachers with the good news of Jesus Christ. We have a student ministry full of students that are not afraid to Dare 2 Share.
A Command to Share
Hudson Taylor wrote these powerful words nearly a century ago:
“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”
Interestingly, we are never commanded to read our Bibles, pray, or even go to church. But, as Jesus was getting ready to ascend into Heaven, He gave this clear command to his disciples and those who come after them:
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)
We are told to “go and make disciples of al the nations.”
If we truly know the joy of living in forgiveness,
if we understand that lost people matter to God,
if we are burdened with the knowledge that people without a relationship with Jesus will be forever separated from Him in a place the Bible calls hell,
if we truly believe we have the answer to life’s problems and the cure for spiritual deadness -
doesn’t it follow that we should be ready, willing, and able to share this GREAT NEWS with anyone who will listen?
My favorite definition of evangelism is “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”
This morning I want to present a model of evangelism that we learned at Dare 2 Share and are presently teaching the students.
Philip - a Little Background
Turn with me to our passage for this morning in Acts 8. As the early church started growing at an astounding rate, it became apparent that many of the widows were being neglected. There were only twelve apostles and the number of needy members continued to rise. There was a meeting and it was decided that seven men would be chosen that were “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). These men would take over the responsibility of the daily distribution of food to the widows while the apostles concentrated their efforts on “prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
Seven men were chosen and one of those men was Philip. This was not the Apostle Philip but a layman who had been one of the larger crowd that followed Jesus. He was a deacon - a waiter of tables. He served the needs of the growing flock just as our deacon board so ably does in this church.
One of the deacons chosen that day was Stephen who was described as “a man full of God’s grace and power” (Acts 6:8). He was preaching powerfully and performed many signs and wonders. Stephan was seized and taken before the ruling council and gave one of the most convincing and strongest sermons in the book of Acts (see Acts 7:1-53). As a result, the mob stoned him with a Pharisee named Saul there giving his approval.
After Stephan’s death, a great persecution broke out against the church and all but the apostles were scattered.
Philip ends up WHERE?!
Look at Acts 8:5 with me:
“Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowd heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:5-8)
Philip travels to Samaria to share the good news of Jesus.
SAMARIA? WHAT’S HE DOING IN SAMARIA?
Exactly what Jesus commanded - he “proclaimed the Christ there.”
Jews hated Samaritians and considered them “half-breeds.” Some six hundred years before Christ, the Assyrians had conquered northern Israel and deported all but the poorest Jews. These Jews intermarried with the Assyrians creating a race known as the Samaritians.
This tells us something about Philip, doesn’t it? He crossed racial and ethnic boundaries in order to tell them how to have a relationship with God. This is a bold move. And...
it pays off!
People understood the Gospel story and place their trust in Jesus. Not just a few, but many people. Some are healed physically and others are healed spiritually. It’s what every preacher prays for - revival has come to Samaria!
That’s where we begin today. Philip is enjoying great success in this town. Things are clicking. His sermons are being raved about. His ability to heal is making him famous.
And then an angel shows up and that’s when things start getting really interesting.
An Angel with a message
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road - the desert road- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. (v. 26)
I’ve never actually seen an angel, except the one I married nearly fifteen years ago! In Old Testament times, angels were one of the ways God communicated His will to people. Skip down to verse 29 for a second. Notice, “the Spirit told him...” In this passage we see the Old Testament medium of angels and the New Testament medium of the Spirit coming together to clearly guide Philip.
The angel’s message must have seemed confusing. Philip is told to go south to the desert road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. There were actually two roads that connected these two areas. Philip is told to take the “one less traveled” to put it mildly. He is literally directed to stand in the middle of the desert. In the Greek it is implied that where he is going is really HOT! Dangerously hot!
Notice what Philip doesn’t do. He doesn’t check his Blackberry and tell God that he has more pressing matters. He doesn’t ask God why. In fact, God doesn’t tell him why! He doesn’t pout and worry that the revival will fall apart with him.
Look at the first four words of verse 27. In fact, read them with me:
“So he started out...”
He just did what God told him to do. No questions asked. What are some words we can use to describe Philip?
Obedient. Available. Humble. [Congregational response]
The story is told of a young man who attended a Wednesday night Bible study on God speaking to Samuel. (see I Samuel 3). As he got into his car he wondered aloud if God still really does speak to people today. Then he said a dangerous prayer, “If you do speak to me, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
On the way home, as he passed a grocery store, he heard a voice in his head tell him to buy a gallon of milk. He bought the milk and started home when the he heard the voice again. It said turn down that street and stop. He thought he was going crazy but turned and stopped. He felt lead to take the milk to a small row house. The house was dark and it appeared that all the occupants were asleep. He sheepishly knocked on the door and said, “I don’t know why but I felt like I should bring you some milk.” The man who answered the door ran down the hall shouting in Spanish. A women carrying a young baby came to the door with tears streaming down her face. She explained in broken English, “We had no money to buy milk for our baby, so I prayed and asked God to send an angel with some milk? Are you an angel?” [as told by Tom Lovorn]
Point to Ponder:
Are you like Philip? Can God count on you to do what He asks? Even if it is hard? Are you available to drop everything and go stand in a desert if He asks you to?
Let’s read David’s words together: “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.” (Psalm 86:11-12)
Out of Africa
Let’s continue in verse 27:
“So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candice, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way back home was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.” (Acts 8: 27-28)
Philip is standing in the middle of no where, sweating and praying, when all of a sudden on the horizon there is movement. It becomes apparent that a fairly large entourage is headed his way. He was about to discover why God had brought him to this lonely stretch of road.
A high ranking official in the Ethiopian government is about to pass by. He is the queen’s personal financial advisor and probably a eunuch. Men with access to the queen were often neutered, for lack of a better term, to ensure their submissiveness. He served queen Candice. This was not her actually name but her title, like the Pharaohs of Egypt. The king of Ethiopia was considered a god so he didn’t do much. The queen was the ruler of the land and this man was in her inner circle.
There was more to him that his job though. He was a “God-fearer.” Ethiopians were familiar with Israel’s one true God because of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon hundreds of years earlier. He was returning from a trip to Jerusalem - a twelve hundred mile round trip! What he saw in Jerusalem must have shocked and disappointed him.
Jerusalem was a mess. The temple was a place to go through the religious motions. Empty, repetitious rituals were the norm and Jerusalem seemed lost amidst a sea of uncertainty. Surely he would have heard talk of the young Jewish rabbi/carpenter that was crucified and many claimed to have seen risen from the dead. As he stood outside the temple, he could not go in because he was a foreigner and eunuch, he must have wondered why he even bothered to make the trip.
On his way out of town, he stopped and bought a scroll of the book of Isaiah. This would have been a very expensive purchase but he had the money at his disposal. He begins the long journey home by reading the scroll, hoping to find the answers to what he is looking for.
God is at work in his heart. He is drawing him to Himself. There is something sovereignly mysterious going on here. He thought he would find the answers in Jerusalem. He was probably praying that God would somehow help him understand. What he didn’t know was that his answer was standing in the road ahead.
One afternoon, I was working in my office when I felt very strongly I was suppose to go to the school. I was busy and tried to shake it off but I couldn’t so I jumped on the scooter and headed over to PTHS. When I got there, I didn’t know what to do. I went and stood in front of the rec center. I felt a bit like a goof, but prayed that whatever God wanted me to do I would do. The bell rang and students started pouring out of the school and toward their cars. I said hello to many of these students but felt like I was to stand my ground. Then I saw her. It was one of our students and her eyes were as wide as saucers. She asked me what I was doing there. I answered honestly and told her I didn’t have a clue. I will never forget what she said next:
“I was just sitting in my last class praying that somehow you would be standing outside the rec center this afternoon so I could talk to you.”
The hair stood up on my arms and I said a quick thank you to God for helping me to be obedient and answering this struggling student’s prayer.
Point to Ponder
Are you like the Ethiopian official? Are you seeking after answers?
Know this - if you are seeking it is living proof that God is at work in your life.
Humans do not seek God on their own. We only seek after Him when He is in the process of drawing us to His side. Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44)
I love the way Eugene Peterson paraphrase Jeremiah 29:13:
“When you get seriously about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” (Jeremiah 29:13, The Message)
A Bold Move
Let’s keep going...
“The Spirit told Philip, ’Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I, he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” (Acts 8:2-31)
Again we see the quick-trigger obedience of Philip. We are told he ran to the chariot. He had a holy anticipation that God was doing something amazing and he wanted to make sure to get in on it. What’s not so apparent in these verses is that this was a very bold move.
This chariot probably had guards around it, much like the secret service of today. God tells Phil to run beside the chariot. I’m sure these guards must have taken notice this and reached for their swords. A Jewish man standing in the middle of the desert does not just walk up to an important official’s chariot unannounced. Unless, God is orchestrated this whole event.
Think about it from the official’s point of view. He is reading Isaiah and has some questions. Out of the blue, this guy, who is obviously Jewish from his accent and dress, comes running up asking if he understands what he’s reading. He had been reading out loud, which was the custom of the day. The official could have him executed but considers that this guy could be the answer to his prayers. Humbly, he invites Philip to join him on the chariot.
There are a couple of important points to make here. First, the official was reading the Bible but was confused and didn’t understand. How many of you have had the same thing happen to you?
The Bible is a long read and, in many places, very difficult to understand. There is nothing wrong with asking someone if they understand what they are reading.
And there is nothing wrong with admitting that you do not understand what you are reading. The Ethiopian official was intelligent, educated, and a world traveler. It would have been easy for his pride to get in the way and hinder his search for answers. But, he admits he is stumped and asks for help. Isn’t that a sign of a good student?
This is exactly why it is important to be involved in a small group. It gives you a forum to ask questions and to explore what you are reading on a deeper level.
Recently, I talked to a very new Christian who was struggling with her small group. She said she had so many questions that she felt like she was “holding the group back.” When this person told her small group leader that she wanted to quit so the group could go back to full speed, she was told that she would not allowed to quit. Her questions were good for the “old timers” because it caused them to think through what they believed. The older you get, the less questions you ask. She is still a member of this group and she is still asking GREAT questions that is leading to her spiritual growth.
It’s been said that butterflies wander all over the garden, but bees dig deep into the flower and come away satisfied.
Point to Ponder
Are you humble enough to admit that you sometimes get confused by the Bible? Are you currently in a small group? Do you seek out older, wiser, Christians to ask questions to help you grow? Are you a butterfly or a bee?
Let’s read this verse together: “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11)
Perfect Timing!
Now things are getting interesting.
“The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’
The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”(Acts 8:32-35)
Talk about perfect timing! The official had read fifty two chapters of Isaiah on his journey so far and he starts chapter fifty-three right has he encounters Philip!
This passage confused the rabbis. Some held that Isaiah was talking about himself, others said that he was talking about the nation of Israel, and still others theorized he was talking about the coming Messiah. There was just one problem with that theory. The Messiah the Jews were waiting on was a coming, conquering King that would shatter the Roman occupation and establish His Kingdom. There wasn’t much room for a Messiah who would suffer humiliation and be offered like a sacrificial lamb.
Now Philip begins to understand. It is all coming together. God directed him to the desert at the same time he directed the Ethiopian official to take the desert road. This is a total God moment and he wouldn’t miss out on this for the world.
A little boy visited Sunday school and returned home to tell his parents that the teacher must of been Jesus’ grandma. When asked why he replied, “Because that’s all that lady talks about!”
Philip starts “with that very passage of Scripture” and shares the Gospel (good news) of Jesus. That’s all Philip wanted to talk about. Philip probably pointed out the verses that proceeded these as well.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities;upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)
Philip explained, as he had done in Samaria, that Jesus was the perfect sacrificial lamb that Isaiah prophesied about nearly seven hundred years before the cross. Jesus was offered on the cross, in our place, to pay the penalty for our sins. Because of His death on the cross we can have access to God through trusting in His finished work. Because of His resurrection, we can have the hope and joy of heaven.
Point to Ponder
If someone asked you to explain the way to heaven, could you? Could you start anywhere in the Bible and “head straight for the cross?
Paul writes to young Timothy: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:2)
A Eunuch is Made Whole
Are you ready for the “rest of the story?”
“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look here is some water why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. (Acts 8:36-40)
Philip explained the gospel and answered the eunuch’s questions and somewhere on the desert road leading to Gaza, the Ethiopian official surrendered his life to Christ. How do we know that? Because in the New Testament, baptism is always a response of faith after conversion. The official sees something pretty rare in the middle of the desert - water. Isn’t it interesting that he just happened to be going down that road, and Philip just happened to be standing there, he just happened to be reading Isaiah 53, and there just happens to be an oasis! Amazing!
Verse 37 is not in most of your translations, although it might be in the footnotes. Most commentators believe this verse was added later on by an editor. Even if that is true, it does sound very much like what the Ethiopian official might have said. Philip tells him that he will baptize him if he believes with “all his heart.”
The reply is one of saving faith:
“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Upon this confession, Philip baptizes him and then something really weird happens. Philip disappears. Poof! Beam me up Scotty! Some commentators try to say that this was just a figure of speech but the word for “suddenly took” is the same word for which we get “snatched up” or “raptured” in I Thessalonians 4:17.
It really didn’t matter. The eunuch had found Jesus and it says he “went on his way rejoicing.” Church tradition tells us that the first Christian church in Africa was in...Ethiopia! And our friend, the eunuch, might have even ended up being the bishop of that church!
Philip shows up in Azotus and continues doing what he had been doing - telling people about Jesus.
Point to Ponder
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? If you are a Christian, have you be baptized?
Read this with me: “If you if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Let’s Apply it!
I want to end this morning with three action steps that will help you seek to be like Philip and share the good news of Jesus Christ. These are part of Dare 2 Share’s “Go Wide Strategy” that we are implementing in the student ministry.
1. PRAY!
A. Consistent prayer creates consistent opportunities.
When we pray, we become much more aware of opportunities around us. Because of Philip’s constant awareness of God’s leading, he got to experience having a part in the Ethiopian’s salvation story. Prayer helped him to remember that it was not about him and gave him the boldness to be obedient to God’s call.
B. God doesn’t need your ability but your availability
You do not have to have the gift of evangelism to be effective in this area. Remember, Philip was a layman. He wasn’t a pastor. He wasn’t Billy Graham. He was just a normal guy who was not afraid to cross racial, ethnic, and religious boundaries to get the word out about Jesus. Philip didn’t want to see people go to hell. His heart burned with the love of Christ for lost people.
Does yours?
The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome:
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1)
The word “prayer” in that verse literally means “to beg.” When’s the last time you literally cried out and begged for someone’s salvation? When’s the last time you stood in the gap between them and hell and begged the Father to invade their lives?
Bill Hybels writes, “We have never locked eyes with someone who does not matter to God.”
Do you care that your neighbor, father, daughter, coworker, teammate, or boss is headed for a Christ-less eternity?
Action Step: Begin praying every day for the next 30 days that God would help you to
- hear His voice directing you and that you would be obedient to whatever He tells you to do
- for opportunities to share your faith with others.
- for just one person who is lost and needs Jesus. Pray every morning that God would move mightily in their lives and that they would sense their need for salvation.
Who is your one person?
2. Pursue!
A. Pursuing takes physical and spiritual boldness
Philip literally took his life in his hands when he ran up to that chariot. The guards could have cut him down just like that. It was a bold move. When the eunuch asked him the question about the passage in Isaiah, he exhibited some spiritual boldness. He saw the opportunity and he took it. Sometimes, as Bill Hybels puts it, you just have to “walk across the room.”
Once you decide to put a priority on prayer, opportunities will arise. The question then becomes will you be bold and Dare 2 Share? Are you willing to “bring God up?” There is a right way and a wrong way to “bring God up.” When someone says, “My it sure is hot in here!” I would encourage you not to say, “You know you’re right. It’s hot in hell too!”
Greg Stier points out that every conversation has what he calls a “fork in the road.” These are natural points within a conversation that can be used to bring God up.
One of our students who attended the Dare 2 Share conference returned to work with a mission. Her boss is a Muslim and had asked questions about her Christianity in the past. She took a deep breath, saw the opportunity, and started challenging him to consider the claims of Christ. She tried to answer his questions, even coming to me for research material, and continues to this day a dialogue with this man. God gave her the opportunity and she took it. Now that’s what I call bold!
B. Pursuing must be done with the right Spirit.
Notice how Philip approached the official. He came alongside the chariot and listened. O that we would understand this! As we develop relationships with not-yet-believers, it is vitally important that we come alongside their lives. It’s okay to knock on doors every once in a while but evangelism works best in relationship. They are not our ”gospel projects,” they are our friends. We must listen to them, be humble, and answer their questions not to win a prize but because we really do care about them.
Action Step
As you pray for the next 30 day, will you
- pray for the boldness to pursue a relationship with one non-Christian.
- pray for opportunities to “bring God up.”
- pray for opportunities to keep the conversation going.
3. Persuade!
1. Persuading is possible!
At the beginning of our service, we met eleven new members. Every one of them at some point was persuaded that Jesus was the only way to God. God used Aaron Teaford and others to persuade this arrogant atheist that God had a purpose and plan for his life.
An ex-slave-trader who was also an alcoholic before he was persuaded of the truth of the Gospel, expressed the truth that God changes minds and lives in powerful ways:
“Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.” (John Newton)
Jesus still changes lives. God saves. It is His job. But, he gives us the honor of sharing the good news that God saves. Don’t give up on that person you have been praying for and sharing with. God is at work.
2. It’s hard to persuade when you don’t know how.
This brings us back to our beginning proposition that many people want to share their faith but just don’t know how to do it.
Peter writes:
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...” (I Peter 3:15)
I love the words gentleness and respect. Recently I learned how orange growers know whether their fruit is ready to pick. They call it a “gentle tug.” If the orange is ready, a gentle tug will cause it to fall effortlessly into the farmers hands. If the gentle tug doesn’t work, the farmer doesn’t pull harder, he just waits a few more days and tries again.
And Paul tells us that it is the Word that brings salvation:
“...faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
I’m going to ask six of our students to come up and have them explain the entire salvation story from the Bible in under three minutes.
God created us to be with Him (Genesis 1,2)
Our sins separated us from God (Genesis 3)
Sins can not be atoned for by good deeds. (Genesis 4-Malachi 4)
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew-Luke)
Everyone who trusts in Him alone, will have eternal life. (John-Jude)
Life eternal means we will be with Jesus in heaven forever. (Revelation)
It also means that we become part of a advancing Kingdom and our gifts and talents are important to that faith community.
[Congregation repeats]
Once you become familiar with this, it is easy to to put it into a paragraph within a conversation.
Action Step:
As you pray for the next thirty days for direction and pursue a relationship with a non-Christ Follower, will you -
- Remind yourself that no matter how impossible it seems, God can change that person’s heart (I’m a great example)
-- memorize the GOSPEL message (go to www.dare2share,org for a full explanation)
- pray for opportunities to share the greatest story ever told.
Gospel means “good news.” Good news is only really good in the face of terrible news.
Woman, Children, and Unsaved First!
John Harper was a 39 years old Scottish preacher who had been invited to preach at Moody Church in Chicago. The year was 1912 and the ship he chose was...the Titanic!
We all know the story, thanks to James Cameron, but do you know the story of John Harper? As the boat was sinking, and the life boats were being lowered, it was reported that John Harper was there directing, “Woman, children, and unsaved first!”
When he ended up in the frigid waters of the Atlantic, it was reported that he swam from person to person asking them if they knew Jesus as their Savior. How do we know that? Because several years later, at a meeting of Titanic survivors, a gentleman told the group he had been saved twice that night. He had been rescued from the waters. But, he also told the story of John Harper. John swam up to him and pleaded with him to trust Christ. As he went under, his last words were, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” This man reported, “Alone in the night with two miles of ocean under me I believed, I am John Harper’s last convert.”
Does anybody hear her?
We live in a culture that is drowning in hopelessness and despair. The ship is sinking and I fear many times we are arguing over how to arrange the deck chairs while lost souls slip away into darkness. We know the LIFE PRESERVER! We must get out of our holy huddles, engage the culture, seek out the lost and hopeless, love them intentionally, extravagantly, and purposefully, and Dare 2 Share with them the fact there is hope and healing at the foot of the cross.
We are going to end today by watching a video by the group Casting Crowns called, “Does anybody hear her?” As you watch, think about that one person you will be praying for the next thirty days.
Does Anybody Hear Her?
by Casting Crowns
She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon’s ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She’s another two years older
And she’s three more steps behind
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she’s going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that’s tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away
If judgement looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can’t see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her
For God So Loved the World!
What is 750,000 miles long? It could wrap itself around the earth 30 times and it grows an additional 20 miles longer with each passing day?
It is the line of people on earth who do not know Jesus.
Jesus said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
God has commanded us share this good news. The world is starving for it. As we leave this morning, I have one question for you...
Will You Dare 2 Share?
