Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Ask People

About two years ago I met Charli Wilson at Hardees. As I remember it was at the drive-thru window. I don’t eat there often but sometimes I will grab breakfast. It is not far from the church building. Not long after that first hello I talked to her inside the restaurant during another morning breakfast. I invited her to worship. I believe we were having a special emphasis Sunday.

Soon after getting to know Charli  I met Levi Brewster. He works at McDonalds and yes, I admit it, I go there for breakfast even more than Hardees. As coincidence would have it, I discovered Levi and Charli were dating. At least once a week one of them was handing me food at the drive-thru. About a year and a half ago Levi and Charli attended worship at Willow avenue for the first time. It was a very busy Sunday and I barely got to speak to them before they left. Since they were both Tech students I was hoping to introduce them to some people their age. But I didn’t have the chance. Although expressing some interest after their first visit to Willow, they did not come back for about a year.

But as time went on I kept running into them all over town. Eventually through our talks and a little encouragement they decided to start attending Willow again. Since Hunter and Mindy Harp had started a special Sunday night study for the college age group, Levi and Charli had an opportunity to spend time with people their age and fellowship and study and build friendships. They have been studying for a few weeks now and have become regulars on Sunday night and Wednesday night. As of now their work schedule keeps them from worshiping on Sunday morning.

And then it happened. I got a phone call. What was supposed to be a premarital counseling appointment turned into something better.  Charli called me and asked if I would meet her at the building to baptize her.  Surrounded by her new college age friends and Levi she obeyed the gospel. Levi then requested to be baptized as well. They had both been thinking about this decision for quite some time, and were convinced from the teaching of the Bible to become Christians. What a wonderful day!

This all happened because they were asked. They were asked to come to worship. They were asked to study. They were asked to dinners after services.  They were asked to be a part of a group of friends who love the Lord and one another. Above all, this happened because they were asked by God to be a part of His eternal kingdom through the blood of Jesus Christ even before the foundation of the world.

Ask people. Stop hesitating. Enough with the good intentions. No more blaming your lack of evangelism on your fear of rejection. Nothing, absolutely nothing will happen if you do not ask.  Be His hands, His feet, and His mouth, and give glory to God in the church and it will grow. Have faith in God. He will give to those who ask.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7

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