One at a Time
Through the years, I have met many interesting people on airplanes. Everyone has a story, and a simple conversation with a stranger can be memorable. I have tried to pray as I board a flight that God would put me next to the person He wants me to get acquainted with. Often, it has allowed me to minister in some way.
One week God put someone next to me to minister to me. Across the aisle sat a man, a university professor, headed to a wedding. He was friendly enough, but not really interested in talking about spiritual things. To my right was an Asian woman, headed to a funeral, and intensely interested in discussing Christ.
They could not have been more different. Very different backgrounds; very different destinations; very different people.
Most of my conversation this day would be with the woman seated next to me. And she would do most of the talking. You see, God put her on that plane to minister to me. She was God’s preacher that day, and I was her congregation. No, she was not a preacher in the sense that we imagine. But she was a Mark 16:15 preacher. She was consumed with Christ and the gospel.
Her Testimony
Rarely do I ever meet someone who asks me about how I came to Christ. She did. And she told me the most interesting story of how she came to the Lord Jesus. My new friend was raised in a strict Buddhist home in Korea. She knew nothing of Christ and cared nothing about knowing…until she met a true Christian.
One woman, full of the love of God, made a difference in her life. One woman who refused to stop inviting her to a Bible study, and who exhibited such peace in the midst of difficulty. That was God’s way of bringing her to salvation. The love of Christ broke her heart and led her to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
She explained how she took every idol from her home and how Christ had changed her heart. As she told the story, I sat in awe again of the providence of God and His dealings with an individual. The longer she spoke, the more excited she became. Her face shone with the beauty of the Lord. She was the first person saved from both sides of her family. Now, her husband, her children, her parents, her entire family had come to faith in Christ.
She was on her way to the funeral of her mother-in-law. The simple words, “She is with the Lord,” said it all. God had shown up in this family. Indeed, this simple woman on her way to a funeral had more joy than the man across the aisle on his way to a wedding. Only Jesus can do that.
The Greatest Impact
Suddenly, she began explaining her burden for the world. Not just her family. The whole world! She spoke of 7 billion people and cultures that must be introduced to Christ. Finally she said, “I have concluded that the greatest impact I can make in the world is to reach people one at a time. I can do that.”
Perhaps you see now why I refer to her as a preacher. She delivered God’s message to me and I will not soon forget it. Her passion for the gospel’s sake was contagious, her faith alive.
As we neared the end of our conversation, she said, “I always pray when I get on a plane that I will have someone to talk to about Jesus.” Yes, I do that too. But am I this excited about it? Is this my passion?
“One at a time.” That is what I will remember. One soul at a time. One witness at a time. I can do that. We all can.
Gospel Conversations
The Christian witness should not be awkward…it should be joyful! A rigid recitation of facts will never effectively introduce unbelievers to “the way, the truth, and the life.” Early on in my witnessing, I was taught to use key Scriptures from the Book of John and the Book of Romans. While this is very helpful, we must never remove the leading of the Holy Spirit from our witness. Every person is different, and every situation is different. The Lord Jesus approached each individual as an individual, and so should we.
Read the conversations of Christ.
They were real conversations! Person to person. Full of compassion and interest. Don’t give a presentation – have a conversation.
Begin where they are.
People can tell if you truly love them. Show sincere interest in the lives and needs of others. Accept people where they are. The Lord is our great example: He loves us where we are but He does not leave us there. Start your conversation with common points of interest. Christ began with fish, a water pot, birth, anything that was at hand to open the person’s heart and mind to the truth.
Begin where you began.
Sometimes those of us who have been saved a while forget what it means to be lost. Go back in your mind to the day before you got saved. Start with the basics. Do not assume they understand religious terms. Avoid complicated arguments and just give the simple message of Christ. Don’t talk about church – talk about Christ!
Begin where you are now.
Talk about the goodness of God in your life today. A good testimony is always present tense because the Lord, the “I AM,” is a present tense God! Share the Lord’s blessings and what it means to you to have Him as your Savior.
In the end, witnessing should not be a presentation of facts; it should be a natural conversation about a Friend. James Stalker, in his classic book, The Example of Jesus Christ, suggests that this method is the one ministry method of Christ that all of us can most imitate…
Religious conversation must be natural – it must well up out of a heart full of religion – or it is worse than useless. Yet it is of priceless value, and no trouble is too great to be spent in acquiring it. I am not sure but we are more in need of those who can talk about religion than those who can preach about it. A sermon is often applied by the hearers to one another, whilst each puts its message away from himself; but conversation goes straight to its mark. If it is supported by an impressive and consistent character, he who can wield it carries a blessing with him wherever he goes; in homes in which he has been a visitor his memory is cherished as that of one who has made religion real; and, though his name may be little heard of on earth, his track through the world is marked by a line of light to the eye of Heaven.
This is something we all can do today. Ask the Lord to give you someone to speak to. Stay alert to His leading. Have a conversation!
*Also, be sure to visit our Witness page for videos, broadcasts, articles, tracts, and tools for sharing the gospel.
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