Reckless Evangelism!
October 21st, 2006
Reckless evangelism! As you go, scatter the seed wherever you are and with whomever you can. The other day I arrived home, after taking the evangelism team out, and the phone rang. When I answered the man asked for Doug and Beth Macentire. I told him that he must have the wrong number and that no one by that name lived here. He said he was sorry and was about to hang up but before he did I quickly said: “Hey, I know you didn’t mean to call me, but since we’re on the phone could I ask you a few questions about spiritual things?”
This wrong number caller said: “Sure, I guess so”
Me: “Have you ever told a lie?”
Ron Umber: “Well, yeah, everyone tells lies.”
Me: “What do you call a person who tells lies?”
Ron Umber: “I guess a liar.”
Me: “Have you ever stolen anything?”
Ron Umber: “Yeah, but just little stuff.”
Me: “What do you call a person who steals things, regardless of their value?”
Ron Umber: “A thief”
Me: “You’ve just admitted to me that you have broken two of the Ten Commandments: `Thou shalt not steal’ and Thou shalt not lie’. So far we’ve seen that you are a lying thief and there’s still eight more commandments to go. If God were to judge you on the basis of the Ten Commandments do you think you would be innocent or guilty?”
Ron Umber: “I guess we’ve seen that I’d be pretty guilty.”
Me: “Do you know where the guilty go when they die?”
Ron Umber: “Well, the Bible talks about hell.”
Me: “Do you know how you can avoid the hell that you deserve?”
Ron Umber: “No,?.. How?”
Me: “Have you heard the story about Jesus in the New Testament?”
Ron Umber: “Well yeah, he was a good man.”
Me: “Yes! He not only was a good man, He was God in human flesh who died and paid the price that you should have had to pay. Then He rose again giving us proof of His identity?.. Look, you’re a lying thief that’s guilty of breaking God’s commands. You deserve the penalty of hell, and it doesn’t matter how religious you might be, you still need someone to satisfy the wrath of God on your behalf. That “someone” is Jesus Christ. JESUS PAID THE PENALTY FOR YOU. Now it’s up to you to receive that free gift.”
Ron Umber: “I would consider myself a pretty religious guy but I’ve never heard this stuff before??. Just a minute I want my wife to hear what you’re saying.”
This man proceeded to put me on loud speaker and I was able to speak to the whole family for about 20 minutes. It was absolutely incredible as I got to fully share the gospel and then hear them promise to read the New Testament and investigate what I had told them. We ended the conversation agreeing that God had a reason and had pre-planned this exciting wrong number phone conversation.
-Micah Tuttle
