INTRO: Effective witnessing saves people from God’s judgment. We witness to some through our compassion and kindness; to others we witness as if we were snatching them from the eternal fire. To hate "even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh" means that we are to hate the sin, but we must witness to and love the sinner. Unbelievers, no matter how successful they seem by worldly standards, are lost and in need of salvation. We should not take witnessing lightly—it is a matter of life and death.
{SIDE NOTE} In trying to find common ground with those to whom we witness, we must be careful not to fall into the quicksand. When reaching out to others, we must be sure that our own footing is safe and secure. Be careful not to become like non-Christians that no one can tell who you are or what you believe. Influence them for Christ—don’t allow them to influence you to sin!
{STORY: The little boy who saved the star fish.}
A little boy lived by the sea shore, and every day he would go to the shore to pick up star fish and put them back in the Ocean. Then one day they had a Hurricane which washed up thousands of star fish. So the little boy went out there and started picking them up one at a time and putting them back in the Ocean. There was a man who was watching him. Finally the man said to the boy, "why do you pick the star fish up? There are so many of them you can’t make a difference". Then the little boy picked up one star fish and looked at the man and said, "to this one I can make a difference, then he picked up another one and said to this one I can make a difference".
YE ARE CHOSEN
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
DAVID MADE A DIFFERENCE
1 Samuel 17:40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
{PUTTING ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD}
Ephesians 6:13-17 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [14] Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; [15] And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; [16] Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. [17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
JONAH MADE A DIFFERENCE
Jonah 3:1-4 And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, [2] Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. [3] So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days’ journey. [4] And Jonah began to enter into the city a day’s journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
PHILLIP MADE A DIFFERENCE [Eunuch]
Acts 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
JESUS MADE A DIFFERENCE
John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
{They have tried to stop what Jesus did and taught, but they could not}
{STORY} Subject: 57 cents
A sobbing little girl stood near a small church from which she had
been turned away because it ’was too crowded.’ "I can’t go to Sunday
School," she sobbed to the pastor as he walked by. Seeing her
shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking
her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the
Sunday School class. The child was so touched that she went to bed that
night thinking of the children who have no place to worship
Jesus. Some two years later, this child lay dead in one of the poor
tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor,
who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school." For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents. Church members made large subscriptions. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years the little girl’s gift had increased to $250,000.00, a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends. When you are in the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look, too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday School building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so
sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a
portrait of her kind pastor.
Dr. Russell H. Conwell, author of the book, "Acres of Diamonds," a
true story.
Goes to show WHAT GOD CAN DO WITH 57 cents.
