Have you ever thought of that principal? If one person tells one person about the saving grace of Jesus, and then that person goes and tells another person, how fast would the kingdom of God grow?
“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”) John 1:40-41
“The next day Jesus decided to go to galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown. Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” John 1:43-45
One person, Andrew, found his brother Simon who we know as Peter, and he told Peter about Jesus. One day Peter would tell thousands about the love of Jesus! One person, Philip, found Nathanael, and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about!” Nathanael in turn started following Jesus. It seems such an easy prinicipal. So why do I fall short of that mark so often in my life?
As I traveled through Ethiopia a couple of weeks ago, I did experience this telling over and over again. Twenty four people came to accept Jesus the Christ as their Lord and Savior. I couldn’t speak these people’s language, but I witnessed each of our interpreters speak with passion about the hope Jesus gives. One by one people would pray to receive Jesus. One person told one person who told another. A huge shout out to the deligent workers of IAMNOT4GOTTEN MINISTRIES in Ethiopia. From Samuel to Haman to Fisseha to Belewchew to… The list is long. Each loving the Lord and each loving their people. Our interpreters, John, Kaleb, Faji, Dani, Isaiah, and Eyob, each pouring out their passion for Jesus into these people speaking the language of Amaric. One by one the people would nod and pray to repent of sins and accept the forgiveness of Jesus! Welcome to the family of God Deme,Tigest, Yoseph, Marcos, Sitotow, Nikole, Hamamel,… Those are just the ones I can remember! I cannot forget our precious Gawshaw. He is one of the boys that live in our homes. God was good and we were actually able to witness Gawshaw’s baptism! Gawshaw then in turn tells the other boys in the home about the joy of his salvation! One person tells one person who tells another and exponential growth occurs in the kingdom of God.
Dwight L Moody was used by God to lead hundreds of thousands of people to Christ. An unknown Sunday School teacher named Edward Kimball led Moody to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Kimball had once said of Moody that he had never seen anyone whose mind was as spiritually dark as Dwight’s. After his conversion estimates vary, but Moody is said to have led as many as a million people to confess faith in Christ. Moody would wander the streets of Chicago finding young boys to bring them to his Sunday School Class. He had a passion for saving sous and was determined never to let a day pass without telling someone the gospel of Jesus Christ.*
One person tells one person who then tells another =’s expotential growth
*
Adapted from an earlier Christian History Institute story.
Findlay, James F. “Moody, Dwight Lyman.” Encyclopedia of American Biography, edited by John A. Garraty. Harper and Row, 1975.
Harvey, Bonnie C. D. L. Moody, the American Evangelist. Barbour Books, 1997.
Moody, William D. Life of D. L. Moody by His Son. Revell, 1900.
How simple a concept. One + one = many. It began with Andrew and Philip who began by spending time with the Lord. Why do I make it so difficult? I am going to begin to pray, “Lord, give me one person to tell about Jesus today and may that one person tell another person. Please don’t let the chain be broken. In Jesus name.”