Let Me Say it Again: Don't Wait to Share the Gospel

I suppose if I could convince the average Christian of one thing, it would be that there are people just waiting to hear the Good News, to hear a word of hope, to have someone pray with them-- they are ready with an open door to the Gospel.

I was thinking about my first real evangelism visits in the first church I served.  I have told the story many times. It has many layers, some that keep cropping up that I did not realize at the time!

Basically, I was at a loss for what to do, young pastor, first appointment.  I remembered of course the many times my mentor Howard Willen would take me with him on visits.  And I had a powerful word from God, "Every house to the county line is mine." Of course, He has them all, everywhere, but it seems He was pushing me to get to work where I was.  So I started at the first house as you leave the city limits on the way to my little church, 12 miles away.  The first few houses people weren't home, and one lady went to the Christian Church.  I made it up a hill to a beautiful farm house. I knocked.  A man answered and when I told him who I was, he said he was glad I cam and ushered me in to see his wife.  She was in great grief and distress over the anniversary of her son's death in the army. We had a great time of prayer (I still wasn't sure what I was doing!) But that first day of visiting opened a relationship with this family, their two grown children, a son-in-law and granddaughter, all coming to Christ.

It  happens so many times!  Not always, but often enough, someone has just been waiting to hear about Jesus!  I have learned to not worry about whether I will be received, but rather have come to pray and expect that God is sending me somewhere He has prepared.