Isiah 51:16 ‘I have put my words in your mouth.’
John* got to know a young Tamil student who was from a Pentecostal church located close to the city of Chennai in India. John visited the church where he was invited to join the outreach team on their next mission. They travelled all night by train, heading south to a town where a three-evening, evangelistic outreach was to happen. Such events are no longer allowed, but this story occurred at a time when they were still permitted.
The event was to take place in a large open space. In Tamil villages, the biggest public space is often located directly in front of a Hindu temple, which certainly creates an atmosphere of spiritual tension.
The team arrived around lunchtime so there was some free time to settle in. As John walked around the village, he saw posters advertising the outreach event. They were written in Tamil which he couldn’t read, but they seemed to feature the name of a speaker. He wondered to himself who it might be. About an hour before the event was scheduled to begin, John approached one of the outreach team members and asked, ‘Who is the evangelist for these three days?’
The team member replied with a smile, ‘Oh brother, you are the evangelist!’
John was stunned. He wasn’t, (and is still not), a ‘crusade’ evangelist, and this was a very large event. Suddenly, John had discovered that he was expected to deliver an evangelistic message with only an hour’s notice! He was also to be the main speaker for the following two evenings.
John doesn’t recall exactly what he said. However, on the second evening, when he and his interpreter gave the altar call, exactly five hundred people came forward. Each one recorded their name and address on follow-up sheets.
One of the young outreach team members volunteered to live in the village to disciple the new believers. However, due to the sheer number of people, more than one team member ended up staying.
Five hundred people responded to a message delivered by a man who was not a public speaker, and who didn’t even know he was expected to speak. If this story reveals anything, it is this: what God accomplished was not dependent on the natural ability of the person working on His behalf. It likely had far more to do with the persistent prayer, preparation, and passion of the Tamil team members who had ‘sown in faith’ long before the meetings began.
*Name changed for security reasons.
God often uses the weak things of the world to show His strength. Have you ever wanted to serve God in the nations but didn’t know where to start? Perhaps you’re uncertain about where to go or how to serve in a place where you don’t know the language or understand the culture.
Whatever stage you are at in life, we would love to chat with you to help you discern and make the next step. No obligation, just a friendly listening ear from one of our members.
