Win the World for Christ?

I have a world globe in my office. I found myself staring at it this week, reminded again that every country and every city which is marked on it represents countless souls, all of whom our church has been charged to reach with the gospel. Jesus’ command in His Great Commission leaves no question as to the task before us. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). As a follower of Jesus, and as one who has been charged with equipping and leading our church for this task (Ephesians 4:11-12), I must admit that I am overwhelmed by this charge and quite often discouraged by my lack of effectiveness in accomplishing the task. Most days I can fully appreciate the expression of one minister who explained his feelings regarding his legacy in this way:

In the first five years of my ministry, I had a sign on my desk that read, “WIN THE WORLD FOR CHRIST!” In my second five years of ministry, I put up a new sign that read, “WIN ONE OR TWO FOR CHRIST!” Since that time, I have this sign on my desk: “TRY NOT TO LOSE TOO MANY!”

How can I possibly win the world for Christ when I am struggling daily to follow Him myself? How can our church make disciples of all nations when we are woefully adept at making disciples in our own community? It often seems that even our best and most sincere efforts of following Jesus’ Great Commission fall terribly short of its intended goal. When thoughts such as this might very well lead us to throw in the towel in “fighting the good fight” (1 Timothy 4:7), I enjoy reacquainting myself with a story about one seemingly insignificant man’s influence in leading the world to Christ.

Edward Kimball was not a pastor nor an evangelist. In fact, he was a dry goods salesman who agreed to teach a teenage boys’ Sunday School class. Yet, he was determined to win that class of teenage boys to Christ. A teenager named Dwight Moody tended to fall asleep on Sundays, but Kimball, undeterred, set out to reach him at work. His heart was pounding as he entered the store where the young man worked. “I put my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over, I placed my foot upon a shoebox. I asked him to come to Christ.” But Kimball left thinking he had botched the job. Moody, however, left the store that day a new person and eventually became the most prominent evangelist in America.

On June 17, 1873, Moody arrived in Liverpool, England, for a series of crusades. The meetings went poorly at first, but then the dam burst and blessings began flowing. Moody visited a Baptist chapel pastored by a scholarly man named F. B. Meyer, who at first disdained the American’s unlettered preaching. But Meyer was soon transfixed and transformed by Moody’s message.

At Moody’s invitation, Meyer toured America. At Northfield Bible Conference, he challenged the crowds saying, “If you are not willing to give up everything for Christ, are you willing to be made willing?” That remark changed the life of a struggling young minister named J. Wilber Chapman.

Chapman proceeded to become a powerful traveling evangelist in the early 1900s, and he recruited a converted baseball player named Billy Sunday. Under Chapman’s eye, Sunday became one of the most spectacular evangelists in American history. His campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina, produced a group of converts who continued praying for another such visitation of the Spirit. In 1934 they invited evangelist Mordecai Ham to conduct a citywide crusade. On October 8th Ham, discouraged, wrote a prayer to God on the stationery of his Charlotte hotel: “Lord, give us a Pentecost here. … Pour out thy Spirit tomorrow. … ”

His prayer was answered beyond his dreams when a Central High School student named Billy Graham gave his heart to Jesus.

How many millions have heard the gospel and given their lives to Christ from the combined efforts of these great men of God? Only in eternity will we know their impact for the gospel! Yet, that chain of gospel impact began with one man who nervously shared his faith with a young student. Obeying in spite of his fears, Edward Kimball would be used by God to make disciples of all nations! Just like the nameless little boy in Matthew’s Gospel that brought five barley loaves and two fish to Jesus, we can give what little we have to God and allow Him to multiply it for His glory (John 6:5-14). And one day, when we stand before the throne of God in Heaven, we will lay down all of our crowns and successes at the feet of the One who alone is capable of using even us for the wonders of His glory!

So, while our efforts might seem rather meager to the task, as we faithfully give them to the Lord, He makes them multiply!

Jason