THE NATURE OF DEEP AND LASTING IMPACT

Billy Graham is clearly one of the most influential Christians in the last one hundred years. He has conducted huge stadi- um crusades around the world. Untold millions have heard his simple presentation of the Gospel and many have responded by coming to Christ. In recent years, his health has restricted his public appearances considerably and his sermons have been considerably shortened. But the content has not changed one iota. Anyone going to a Billy Graham crusade can bank on one thing—a straightforward presentation of the Gospel of Jesus, followed by an opportunity to repent of sin and accept Him as Lord and Savior.

I went to his evangelistic crusade at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, held in June of 2005. As when I first heard him in person at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in 1972, he was faithful to His message. I have followed Billy Graham for more than thirty years with great admiration and respect. He has been a picture of consistency in his presentation of the truth of Jesus. After decades of high-profile ministry, there are two questions in peoples’ minds when he takes to the podium. “Is this the last crusade?” and “Who will follow in his footsteps?”

The question of, “Who will be the next Billy Graham?” says volumes about how we view influence. We may not verbalize it, but some think that the main way multitudes will be saved is through stadium-style events. However, when viewed as a per- centage of the whole, very little evangelism actually happens in large stadium events. That’s not to say that it is not a genu- ine ministry; it’s a wonderful example of God partnering with a person to bring forth His purposes, but it’s not the norm. In all likelihood, more people get saved at neighborhood barbe- cues and in the lunchroom at work than in the one big stadium event…and certainly more get discipled through simpler, small- er everyday encounters. Christianity was not designed to be a particularly high-profile affair orchestrated by a tiny conclave of leaders. There may never be another Billy Graham, but neither will there be another you, and both you and Billy have a calling

from God to be a person of influence.

In setting the wheels in motion for His Millennial Kingdom, Jesus knew He must set some sort of standard by which our impact would be measured and our greatness rewarded. What He taught is profound in its balance of simplicity and difficulty: serving with meekness. This is something everyone can do. Je- sus’ Kingdom operates and increases in this way. His Kingdom will be advanced by those with a radical commitment to serv- ing. Yes, the First Commandment is to love Him with all of our hearts, but the Second Commandment is to love our neighbors with the same forgiving, selfless love with which we love our- selves. Serving is the measuring stick for making a lasting im- pact! We don’t have to choose between making an impact in this life or impacting our quality of life in the next. We can do both, and, in fact, we are instructed to.

IMPACT IN THIS AGE

In the early 1980’s, a certain gentleman planted a church in Cin- cinnati. In the early years, he drove a school bus by day while meeting with people in the evenings to share his vision for a church. He realized early on that he was no Billy Graham. He also knew Billy Graham wasn’t called to specifically reach Cin- cinnati; he was. One day, while sitting in line at a Taco Bell drive- thru, this gentleman felt the Lord speak to him. “If you take the people no one wants, I will give you thousands of them.”

With around fifty people in his struggling church, he felt God challenge him to serve the poor of Cincinnati and thus influence people by kindness. It wasn’t preaching in a stadium he was being asked to do, but continued faithfulness in simple and small acts of service to others. Out of a heartfelt desire to make a lasting impact on the city of Cincinnati, he sought for practical ways to express the love of God. Twenty years later, his church is home to six thousand people. On the front of the church building, in large lettering is this inscription:

Small things done with great love will change the world.

Не нашли, что искали? Воспользуйтесь поиском: