Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So, the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.
Psalm 78:4
We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.
While studying I read an account about a man who had surrendered his life to Christ. “He was very excited to have become a Christian. Shortly afterward, he shared his good news with some of his co-workers. One of them responded happily: That’s really great, I’m a Christian too!
The new Christian looked at his co-worker and shook his head. Really? Wow, I had no idea you were a Christian. Why didn’t you ever tell me? You are actually the reason it took me so long to become a Christian! In the past, I had figured if a non-Christian could be as good, honest, kind, and principled as you were, there was really no need for me to become a Christian.”
As we go about our way to witness for Christ in an effort to reach the lost do, we make assumptions as to what that lost person looks like? Do we decide who wants to be saved and who does not? Do we look at the homeless or poor and decide that they are where they want to be and move on. we see someone in the park or sitting on a bench downtown reading a bible. So, we assumed they were Christian and kept going. We are looking for those who need salvation after all. If they were like me, they would not be in that condition. Oh, how quickly we forget where we came from. We may see someone well-dressed sitting in a park or on a bench reading the bible and decide oh that’s a Christian probably a preacher or a deacon. So, we move on. I mean come they were reading the bible surely they don’t need us to witness to them, not realizing they are not christened. But rather they like the Ethiopians needed someone to guide them to understand what they were reading. God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was a minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” He answered, “How can I without some help?” and invited Philip into the chariot with him. 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. The passage he was reading was this:
As a sheep led to slaughter, and quiet as a lamb being sheared, He was silent, saying nothing. He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial. But who now can count his kin since he’s been taken from the earth?
The eunuch said, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?” Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him. As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, “Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized?” We ought to say something. Acts 8:26-40
Think about that story. Think about how many people we pass by assuming they don’t want to hear what we have to say. We ought to say something. Maybe we assume that they are already saved because we saw them at our church or one, we visited. Confirming to ourselves that He did not send us to those who or safe in His house but to those who are lost. We ought to say something. Although someone may have visited many churches they may have never been approached or been spoken to about needing Christ's salvation or what it even was. We ought to say something. Even if they were they may not have understood or been ready to respond. They may simply have entered into the building perhaps welcomed by an usher seated and left to observe the service. They listened to the choir sing, the deacons pray, the pastor preach were encouraged to say halleluiah and amen. Perhaps the doors of the church were opened. With a brief description of what that was. Maybe request that anyone who would like to be saved come and recite the sinner’s prayer and sign up to be baptized. We ought to say something. Maybe someone simply said come again and showed them out the door. We ought to say something. I know many will say Someone would be missed like that in my Church. I just don’t see how that would happen we would notice them and guide them to salvation. This sounds good and I would hope that my Church could achieve such perfect results. But even the best fishermen know that when they cast their nets. Some of the fish that swim into it will find their way out. This does not always mean they were all undesired or unsavable. It simply means that we were not able to reach them at that time. We ought to say something. Perhaps they are a Christian Some might say we wasted our time on someone who did not need us. I disagree it is never a waste of time to meet another servant of Christ. Perhaps they have a word of encouragement for me or I for them or we have one for each other. So, it is never a waste of time to say something.
Larry A. Hyatt
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