I love this story, because at the very heart of it, we find two men whose lives are changed by the Messiah, and they can’t hold it in. Andrew meets Jesus and cannot help but go find his brother to tell him of the wonderful things he has seen. Philip has an encounter with the Son of God, and the next thing we find him doing is searching out his friend, Nathaniel.
Peter and Nathaniel both became part of the twelve disciples. Jesus would teach these men for three years before His death and resurrection. After Jesus rose again, His Disciples spread the Gospel all over the world. Peter led the way. He was the most vocal, and most influential of all the disciples. On the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), Peter preached the first Christian sermon, and 3,000 people were saved. Peter goes on to become the predominant leader of the early Christian church. It is hard to imagine Christianity without the influence of Peter. Yet, Peter would not have known Christ if his brother Andrew had not had a passion for Jesus and taken Peter to Jesus.
I am sure that neither Andrew of Philip knew the impact that their witness would have. All they knew was that they had encountered this man named Jesus who changed their life. And they had to let those who were closest to them know. In the same way, you have family and friends who don’t have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Only God knows what would happen if your brother, sister, mom, dad, or best friend found Jesus. Maybe God would change the world through their witness.
It was July 1, 1885 when Edward Kimble felt the tugging of the Spirit to share his faith with a young shoe salesman he knew. At first Kimble vacillated, unsure if he should talk to the man. But he finally mustered his courage and went into the shoe store. There Kimble found the salesman stocking shoes, and he began to share his faith with him. As a result, the young shoe salesman received Jesus Christ that day. That shoe salesman’s name was Dwight L. Moody, and he became the greatest evangelist of his generation.
But the story doesn’t end there. Several years later a pastor and well-known author by the name of Frederick B. Meyer heard Moody preach. Meyer was so deeply stirred by Moody’s preaching that he himself embarked on a far-reaching evangelistic ministry. Once when Meyer was preaching, a college student named Wilbur Chapman accepted Christ as a result of his presentation of the gospel. Chapman later employed a baseball player to help him prepare to conduct an evangelistic crusade. That ballplayer, who later became a powerful evangelist himself, was Billy Sunday.
In 1924 a group of businessmen invited Billy Sunday to hold an evangelistic campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina, which resulted in many people coming to Christ. Out of that revival meeting a group of men formed a men’s prayer group to pray for the world. They prayed for Charlotte to have another great revival. God sent another evangelist named Mordecai Hamm. Hamm went to Charlotte in 1934 to hold a crusade. Hamm’s crusade went well, even though it did not have many converts. On one of the last nights under the big tent one tall, lanky young man walked up the aisle to receive Christ. That man’s name was Billy Graham.
Talk about a chain of events! And it all started with an ordinary Christian named Edward Kimble, who reached D.L. Moody, who reached Wilbur Chapman, who reached Billy Sunday, who reached Mordecai Ham, who reached Billy Graham. Look at what God has done over these many years because of the faithfulness of one person.
Who is God laying on your heart? Take a moment to pray and ask God what friend or family member He wants you to share with. Take a moment to write the name of that person on a piece of paper. Now, start praying for that person, and looking for ways to share your faith in Jesus Christ. You never know how God will use you when you witness for Him.
