Billy Graham was one of the most influential and well-known Christians. He counseled 12 American presidents. He was on the cover of national and international magazines. He regularly topped lists of the most admired people in America or the world. One magazine once ranked him second only to God for achievements in religion.
Some say Billy Graham preached the gospel in person to more people than any other person in history – over 200 million people in 180 countries! According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, more than 2.5 million people have stepped forward at his crusades to accept Jesus as their Savior.
Here is what we read in Romans 10:14-15:
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
For many of us, we look at this verse, and we see the word “preach” and we breathe a sigh of relief, because we say, “Paul is just talking to pastors here.” But not so fast. Yes, “preaching” here can be associated with what we do at church. But, this is not what Paul primarily has in mind when he is talking about preaching. The verb that he uses for preaching here is what a herald does, someone who has been given a message and told to proclaim it. Paul is talking about everyone here, not just the person standing in the front of the church. He is talking about you!
We might not all be Billy Graham, but we can all be messengers who bring good news.
Here are six things that matter when it comes to becoming good messengers.
1. Love matters.
For us to become good messengers, we must be compelled by love. Do you love the people outside of the church or is your love only reserved for those who look and think like you? To put it more strongly, have you developed an aversion to nonbelievers, going to great lengths to avoid the exact people that Jesus came to save? Have you been so turned off by someone’s sin that you can’t see that this is someone who Jesus came to seek and save? There is no way that we can be the good news of Jesus if we’re not compelled by love. Love matters! Love is where it all starts!
2. Prayer matters.
If you want to share your faith with others, the first person you talk to is not your co-worker or your neighbor or your roommate. The first person you talk to is God. Becoming good messengers begins with prayer.
As Christians, we know that prayer is important. But how often is prayer our last resort? We say, “I’ve tried everything else that I can think of. I’ve argued. I’ve nagged. I’ve manipulated. And since none of that worked, I guess the only thing left to do now is pray!”
If you look back at history, the difference between Christians who made a huge impact for the Kingdom and those who did not can often be traced to the fact that they were people who understood the power of prayer, that prayer is where it all begins.
And for many of us today, the reason that we are Christian is that someone was praying for us. Do you regularly pray for people who are far from God? Prayer matters!
3. Proximity matters.
The most incredible evangelists among us will be utterly ineffective in reaching people for Christ unless they get near people who are living far from God. We must be mindful of this because the sad fact is that the average Christian grows more and more isolated from the people we are called to reach.
For many of us, the longer that we are Christians, the harder we must work to be near nonbelievers. In this sense, the youngest Christians among us are the ones who are best positioned to reach nonbelievers. If that is you, if you have just recently become a Christian in the last year or two, let me encourage you to keep investing in your friendships with nonbelievers. Keep praying for them. And for those of us who have been Christians for a while now, get out of the saltshaker and into the world!
If proximity matters, then there are two places where we can have the most impact for Christ – where we live and where we work. Some of you have been praying, “God, if you would just send me, I will share the good news with everyone.” Maybe God is saying, “Open your eyes and look around you. I have already sent you exactly where I want you to serve.” This week, take a co-worker out to lunch. Invite a neighbor over for dinner. Ask them if there is anything that you can pray for them about. Let me challenge you to see your neighborhood and your work through the eyes of Jesus.
4. Your story matters.
One of the greatest testimonies for the reality of the gospel is your story. There is something incredibly powerful about sharing how you came to Jesus and how your life changed because of Jesus.
There is a great example of this when Jesus heals a blind man. This man had no theological training, no evangelism training, but he does one thing – he testifies about what Jesus did in his life. This is what he says in John 9:25 in response to the Pharisees’ questions about Jesus:
Whether he [Jesus] is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see! (John 9:25)
“I was a drug addict, but Jesus set me free.” “I used to be addicted to porn, but Jesus healed me.” “I used to live life for myself, for money, for my satisfaction, but Jesus is using me to love others.” “My marriage used to be in shambles, but Jesus has brought new life into our marriage.”
So, what’s your story? How did you come to Jesus? How has your life changed because of Jesus? It’s okay to say your life isn’t perfect, that you have bad days or unanswered questions. If you have never shared your story with anyone and you feel a little nervous about doing it, start by sharing your story at your next small group gathering or with some close friends. As God gives you courage, share your story at work. Share your story at your school. Share your story with your neighbors. Your story matters!
5. Invitation matters.
Nine out of ten people who start going to church do so because they were invited by a friend or a relative. There is a great story in John chapter 4 about Jesus’ interaction with a woman at the well. After encountering Jesus, this woman at the well goes back to her town and invites everyone to Jesus saying, “Come and see!” And because of her invitation, we are told that many people in her town were saved. “Come and see!” Those are three powerful words. Let me challenge you to invite a friend to church. Invite a neighbor to your home for a meal. Invite a co-worker to your small group. Invitation absolutely matters!
6. Faithfulness matters.
As we step out to share our faith with others, we will experience opposition. We will experience rejection. And we may feel like nothing is happening. Maybe you feel like that right now. Maybe you have been praying for a family member or a friend for years, and you feel discouraged because it doesn’t seem like anything is happening.
Maybe you have been stepping out at work or your neighborhood to share your faith with others, and you feel like nothing is happening. If that’s you today, let me encourage you to keep going! Don’t give up! Just because we can’t see something with our eyes doesn’t mean that God is not doing something in a person’s heart. God calls us to sow generously, liberally, and faithfully. Faithfulness matters! Billy Graham, a few years before he died, said this:
My mind tells me I ought to get out there and go, but I just can’t do it. But I’ll preach until there is no breath left in my body. I was called by God, and until God tells me to retire, I cannot. Whatever strength I have, whatever time God lets me have, is going to be dedicated to doing the work of an evangelist, as long as I live. - Billy Graham
Love matters. Prayer matters. Proximity matters. Your story matters. Invitation matters. And faithfulness matters! Let us do the work of an evangelist together!
My team and I are launching a new campus in Grandview and we need some good messengers. Check out our Grandview Campus page to learn more about how you can help reach people in central Columbus.
