God can do a lot with an army of one
In our overpopulated, strangers-in-the-night, don’t-know-my-neighbors, you’re-a-number-not-a-name, impersonal world, it is easy to underestimate the significance of one.
Innumerable are the times a church member has said to me: “Pastor, there are many in our church who are much more important, gifted, and talented than I am. I cannot do much. My contribution to the Kingdom will never amount to anything significant. After all, I am only one.”
How many were chosen by God to build an ark and save the human race from the coming flood? One.
How many were chosen by God to confront Pharaoh and lead the Exodus? One.
How many prophets were called by God to stand before wicked King Ahab and predict a drought? One.
How many were needed to confront adulterous King David and bring him to his knees in full repentance? One.
How many did the Lord need to bear His Son in her womb for redemption to come to our world? One.
How many did the Lord use to get the attention of the land of Palestine and prepare the way for the Messiah? One.
How many sheep got lost and became the object of concern to the shepherd? One.
How many did it take to help the victim who got mugged on the road to Jericho? One.
Many centuries ago, a woman almost did. She thought things were too far gone. The situation was beyond her control. She didn’t think there was anything she could do. It was only a matter of time before all the Jews would be exterminated. Esther’s uncle, Mordecai, realized she held the key to their deliverance and appealed to her conscience. “If you remain silent at this time … you and your father’s house will perish …” (Esther 4:14). Esther was moved to action and was God’s tool to rescue the Jews from a certain holocaust.
One person – one woman –
one voice made the difference!
At the closing of the State Evangelism Conference last month, we reviewed our baptisms for 2007, and I challenged the attenders to return to their churches and baptize one more this year than last year. Since not all of the 2,000 churches of the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) were present, I am now issuing the challenge to every MBC congregation. One more. One more. One more.
This past Sunday I preached in one of our churches, and at the invitation time Sunday morning, five responded, praying to receive Christ as their Savior. When I congratulated one of the teens who had prayed and asked her if she was glad she had trusted Christ, a big smile broke across her face as she said a confident “Yes!” The pastor closed the Sunday evening service saying He had been looking forward to cleaning out the baptistery, filling it with water and baptizing new converts. That time had come. That church will baptize at least one more in 2008.
What if every pastor would win one more in 2008 and see that one baptized? That alone would meet the challenge. What if just one adult teacher in each MBC church would win one more and see them baptized? What if just one youth teacher/worker would win one more? What if just one children’s teacher/worker would win one more child? What if just one deacon would be the one in each church to win one more?
Before you allow yourself to toss this aside thinking, “Aw, that’s for another church, that’s for another pastor, that’s for another teacher/worker, that’s for another deacon, how much of a difference can I make?” Return to your Bible and review the value of one.
– Edward Everett Hale
Put aside all excuses and resolve: “I will be the one to win one more in 2008.” (Gary Taylor is the Missouri Baptist Convention’s director of evangelism.)