Open up your Bibles to Philippians.
So again, it's me up here.
College students, sorry.
You might get a break from me this week
I believe our third week in Philippians.
And Paul is writing from Rome
and he is under, well, he's in prison.
But we, as I said last week,
if you want to go back
and get some of the background of Philippians,
you can go listen to the previous message.
But more than likely he was under some form,
hey, he was under some form of house arrest
or as a Roman citizen had, you know,
somewhat comfortable quarters at the time.
Now, he had much more severe imprisonments later
and in other places.
And, but if you read the end of the book of Acts,
we see that when Paul came to Rome,
he actually was able to preach the gospel unhindered.
And it says he welcomed all who came to his quarters
and spent time with them.
And while he was awaiting trial from Caesar,
which we probably think did not happen,
but he was, he seemed confident
even in the book of Philippians
about being released.
And he talks about even another missionary journey.
And so we're confident that he was released
from this particular imprisonment.
So today, I guess if we had a title for the message,
it would be the advancement of the gospel.
And just by way of introduction,
obviously, let's just read our text together.
We'll be in chapter 1.
And we're going to start in verse 12.
And he says, Paul,
I want you to know, brothers,
that what has happened to me
has really served to advance the gospel
so that it has become known
throughout the whole imperial guard
and to all the rest
that my imprisonment is for Christ.
And most of all,
most of the brothers,
having become confident in the Lord
by my imprisonment,
are much more bold
to speak the word without fear.
Some, indeed,
preach Christ from envy and rivalry,
but others from goodwill.
The latter do it out of love,
knowing that I am put here
for the defense of the gospel.
The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry,
not sincerely,
but thinking to afflict me
in my imprisonment.
What then?
Only that in every way,
whether in pretense or in truth,
Christ is proclaimed
and in that I rejoice.
Yes, I will rejoice.
For I know that through your prayers
and the help of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ,
this will turn out for my deliverance.
So, we'll stop there.
We could get into verse 20,
but I could just camp on verse 20 forever.
So we'll just save it for next week
and tie it in to next week.
But for introduction's sake,
just look at verse 12.
He says,
I want you to know, brothers,
that what has happened to me
has really served
to advance the gospel.
And things hadn't quite turned out
for Paul as he wanted.
He thought that
he actually was going to get
some really great public trial,
hopefully before Caesar,
because he had appealed to Caesar,
which would have been
the whack job Nero,
but he probably
did not actually hear him,
in which case
some other officials
would have heard him.
And he says, though,
that his imprisonment in Rome
hasn't hindered
the advancement of the gospel,
but rather is served
as a progression of the gospel.
And God had chosen
to use his arrest
to spread the news of Christ
to many of the elites in Rome.
So the main focus
of the message today
is that the gospel
will go forth
no matter what,
and it will advance
from every place
where it is preached.
No matter what circumstance,
I guess,
you find yourself in,
we are to be proclaiming Christ
to a lost and dying world
around us.
So,
the Greek word advancement
is a metaphor
for pioneers
who are cutting away
before an army
and to further its march.
So I will,
I spared you
a lot of history last week,
I might not spare you this week.
So,
other than my good friend
Parker Kleindeek,
who I can now talk
about history with,
and someone else
who enjoys it,
most people get bored.
But,
one of the most remarkable
advancements in history,
I believe,
was around 200 B.C.
So imagine being in 200 B.C.,
and I said,
I want you to organize
an army
from several different nations,
most of which
that don't really like each other.
I want you to train them.
I want you to march
a thousand miles
over rugged wilderness.
I want you to cross
or forge large rivers,
defeat any native peoples
that might harass you
along the way,
keep moving,
cross the Alps
in freezing,
cold,
winter weather,
go down into Italy,
and then defeat
10 Roman legions,
roughly 70,000 men,
some of the best trained,
the best trained army
in the ancient world.
Would anybody want that job?
That just sounds awful.
Let it actually happen.
That advancement,
which is what he's talking about here,
the same kind of word,
happened by Hannibal
in his Carthaginian army.
Military historians
at West Point
and every other
in North Georgia,
hopefully,
if not,
then we're going downhill.
We've got to talk about this.
they study
this advancement,
this movement
of Hannibal's army
into Rome.
He had
declared war on them.
They had harassed him
and his people
for centuries.
And around 22 BC,
he came to power.
And he had an army
of about 38,000 infantry,
8,000 cavalry,
and 37 war elephants.
Made up from a lot
of different nations,
but they united together
to fight against Rome,
spoke different languages.
He had to cross
a lot of rivers
to feed a lot of different
barbaric peoples
along the way.
And he marched
through the Alps
in the middle of winter,
which most Romans
thought was impossible.
And he actually cut
through the mountains,
like broke through
the rock,
and made a way
to go down in it.
And so,
he finally
got down
into Italy
where a huge,
one of the largest
Roman armies
ever assembled.
70,000 men
were waiting for him,
about 10 Roman legions,
and he defeated them.
Almost killed them
to the man.
It was one of the worst
military defeats
in Roman history.
But,
people studied
that crazy march,
like how in the world
did he do it
under such circumstances.
And,
but I say that
because
both of those advancements,
both of Carthage
and Rome,
are over.
Period.
They don't,
they're not around
today.
But Paul is using
that same word
that you would talk about
for some sort of
military advancement
to describe
how his advancement,
the advancement
of the gospel,
has not been stopped.
It hasn't been prevented.
It hadn't been thwarted.
And,
remember,
it has gone out
through,
to every nation,
nation to nation,
across oceans,
to many different
people's groups,
from persecutions.
people have tried
to destroy
the word of God.
People have tried
to destroy
the gospel
and his missionaries,
his people.
We're still here.
And,
it's still going forward
even today,
many,
many years later.
So,
God has promised
that no power,
earthly or spiritual,
is going to stop
the advancement
of the gospel.
And,
I love Isaiah 40,
which we studied
a few weeks ago,
where it foretells
of this advancement,
right,
that later,
John the Baptist
spoke of.
But a voice cries
in the wilderness,
prepare the way
of the Lord.
Make straight
in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every valley
will be lifted up
and every mountain
and hill
be made low.
And the uneven ground
become level
and the rough places plain.
And the glory
of the Lord
shall be revealed
and all flesh
shall see it together
for the mouth
of the Lord
has spoken.
And so,
it's coming.
Like he said,
it's here
when John the Baptist
said that
in the person
of Christ.
So,
today,
we're going to talk
about four different ways
that the gospel
affects those
who share it.
How the gospel
affects us.
So,
don't get comfortable.
But number one,
these are
talking about our text,
sharing the gospel
affects your soul.
Sharing the gospel
affects your soul.
Paul recognized
that his imprisonment
released the power
of the gospel,
but even his imprisonment
did not bind
the gospel.
He knew that God
had brought him there,
so he didn't complain.
He kind of just
accepted it
as it was,
accepted the present
circumstances
and allowed God
to use him
where he was.
So,
in 2 Timothy
chapter 2,
this was his last
imprisonment,
by the way,
when he wrote
2 Timothy,
so more than likely
his last imprisonment
before he was executed.
But he wrote
to Timothy
saying,
remember
Jesus Christ,
risen from the dead,
the offspring
of David,
as preached
in my gospel,
for which I am suffering,
bound with chains
as a criminal.
But,
the word of God
is not bound.
Therefore,
I endure everything
for the sake
of the elect,
that they also
may obtain
the salvation
that is in Christ Jesus
with eternal glory.
and I hope
and pray
that
we can somehow
be challenged
by those words,
I endure
everything,
so that they
can actually
hear
the gospel,
so that we
may obtain
salvation.
And even though
he recognizes
that he's chained,
like he's saying,
the gospel
is not chained,
the word of God
is not chained,
it's going forward.
And,
God will allow
us to go through
many,
many hardships
in order
to share
the gospel
with other people.
So,
I would even,
you know,
say,
God will even
allow death
to even happen
to one of his own
children
if it means
bring salvation
to other people.
If you don't think
that God would allow
suffering to come
upon his own
for the sake
of others being
saved,
then we have to
just go back
to the cross
because he allowed
his son
to suffer
the worst
kind of death
so that we
might step
into salvation
and eternal life.
Christ is
committed
to saving
his people
no matter what.
And he went
into the most
dreadful place
so that we
could be saved.
In John 6,
this is telling you
his commitment,
John 6,
verse 37,
he says,
all that the
Father gives me
will come to me.
And whoever
comes to me
I will never
cast out.
For I have
come down
from heaven
not to do
my own will
but the will
of him
who sent me.
And this is
the will
of him
who sent me
that I should
lose nothing
of all that
he has given me
but raise it up
on the last day.
all that
he has come
to save
will be saved.
And we can
be a part of that.
It's a mission
that's going to
happen.
And he's chosen
to use us
as his
instruments,
his messengers.
So,
one of the ways,
again,
that the gospel
affects your own
soul
is that
this is the most
basic,
easy thing,
guys.
we glorify
and we praise
what we love
the most.
Some of you
don't like to
talk about
stuff like this
but you could
talk all day
about something
else.
And what we
talk about,
what we do
with our time,
what we read
about,
how we spend
our money,
it reflects
what we really
love.
And we praise
the things,
again,
that we love
the most
and we have
to express
that out loud
a lot of the
time.
So,
before his
conversion,
C.S. Lewis
wondered why
the Bible
was filled
with the
term praise
a lot.
He said it
sounded like
an old woman
wanting compliments
at first.
But then,
this is where
he wrote,
I think we
delight to
praise what
we enjoy
because the
praise not
merely expresses
but completes
the enjoyment.
And that
is it.
Like,
we can't
just not
talk about
it.
And it
says in
Psalm 34,
I will
bless the
Lord at
all times
and his
praise should
be continually
in my
mouth.
My soul
must boast
in the
Lord.
I
magnify the
Lord with
me and let
us exalt
his name
together.
His name
will be on
our lips
at all
times.
And so,
as a child
of God,
we should
love expressing
that to
other people.
We have
the privilege,
again,
of being
his
messengers.
And,
again,
it's as easy
as remembering
that your
affections in
Christ will
compel you to
talk about
Christ with
other people.
We can't be
silent.
So,
the joy of
Christ has
to kind of
break out
somehow.
God is
putting his
joy into
you and it
has to come
out or else
it will be
kind of like
the Dead
Sea where
everything goes
in but
nothing comes
out.
And so,
that's one
of the most
basic ways.
And if we
don't have
any desire
to talk
about it,
then there's
something wrong
in our
affections.
So,
number two,
just to kind
of move on,
we're going
to cover
some more
of this.
Number two,
sharing the
gospel affects
lost souls.
See this in
verse 13.
He says,
So,
it has
become known
throughout the
whole imperial
guard and to
the rest that
my imprisonment
is for
Christ.
So,
again,
his imprisonment
was kind of
becoming well
known.
People were
finding out
who he was
and why he
was there.
So,
the imperial
guard really
is the
praetorian
guard,
the elite
guard of
the Roman
emperor,
stationed at
the palace
to guard
the emperor
and etc.
and important
other places
in Rome.
Paul knew
the influence
that those
men could
have for
the gospel
and so,
somehow,
the chain
reaction,
right,
it was going
to the
imperial guard.
It was
reaching the
palace itself,
right?
And after
that time,
they began,
many people
in the
household of
Caesar were
coming to
know the
name of
Christ.
And just
think about
it though,
he didn't
say,
like,
Lord,
why am I
chained up
here?
Like,
this is,
I could
do so
much more
if I
was just
released.
It was
more of
like,
you know,
the guards
that are
hanging out
with Paul
and he's,
so what
are you in
for,
bro?
Well,
let me tell
you,
because you
can't go
anywhere and
I'm stuck
with you.
So,
I love
sharing the
gospel with
people on
airplanes because
they're stuck
with you.
They can't
go anywhere.
So,
until eventually
they put their
headphones on or
something,
you're like,
no problem.
But yeah,
but it's as easy
as it was
spreading and
it was affecting
many people in
the city of Rome,
including the
elite Praetorian
guard.
And so,
we should feel
brokenness in our
soul for
the lost.
lost.
We once were
in that place
ourselves.
Many of you,
not that long
ago,
you remember
what it was
like to walk
in darkness.
And God
has chosen,
again,
to use us
to be the
ones to bring
a message to
them that's
going to set
their souls
free.
And I love
hearing about,
and I hope
any of us
do,
about how God
has saved
someone and
changed them
and given
them new
life in
Christ.
And so,
we should be
broken for
their souls.
Thirdly,
excuse me,
this is number
three.
Sharing the
gospel affects
fellow believers.
So,
it affects our
souls,
it affects
lost souls,
and sharing
the gospel
affects fellow
believers.
He says this
in verse 14.
He says that
most of the
brothers,
having become
confident in
the Lord
by my
imprisonment,
are much
more bold
to speak
the word
without fear.
So,
he says that
they're emboldened
by his
imprisonment.
I don't know
what it is,
but I'm sure
there's some
sort of
social or
psychological
term for
this.
But when I
hear stories
like this,
I get,
I'm challenged.
I'm like,
man,
what excuse
do I have
if this
is happening
in places
like prisons
where people
have endured
great persecutions
even today,
like,
what is my
excuse?
I'm challenged
by that.
I'm incited
by that.
But there are
some people
today that are
kind of like,
well,
that just makes
me feel even
worse because
I don't have
any excuse.
And I feel,
and they just
use it to
continue driving
themselves down.
And,
but,
but just
check this
out though,
what God
means for
stuff like
this to be
encouraging to
us.
He means for
it to be
challenging to
us.
So Paul is
saying that my
imprisonment has
furthered these
things.
And so I
love hearing
just,
you know,
wartime
stories from
both here in
the U.S.
and overseas.
Men and
women that are
sharing Christ
in very dangerous
and difficult
situations.
And,
again,
I rejoice
when I hear
of people
coming to
Christ and
being delivered
from sin.
One of my,
one of my best
friends,
he went to
North Georgia
many years ago,
but he and his
wife are in,
in a very
strong,
influential Muslim
country right
now.
And,
and all day
like just
preaching Christ,
making disciples
in that context.
And I,
I'm challenged
by that.
I'm not
discouraged by
that.
I'm not like,
well,
I'm just
worthless
because I'm
not doing
anything.
I'm like,
no,
God means
for this
to challenge
us.
So,
what I want
you to do
this week,
I'm just going
to give you
a challenge.
Meet with
or call
a person
that God
has used
to bring
you to
faith
in Jesus
Christ.
Someone who
shared the
gospel with you,
someone who
was patient
with you,
someone who
took the
time to
show you
the love
of Christ.
They were,
you know,
to you,
they were like
a picture
of the gospel
made visible.
And thank
them for
sharing it
with you.
It could be
your parents,
it could be
a friend,
it could be
someone else
that you know
elsewhere.
But just
thank them
and ask them
why they did
it too.
and see
if that
affects your
soul.
Number
four,
sharing the
gospel
affects
opponents.
Sharing the
gospel
affects
opponents.
See this
in verses
15 through
18.
Some indeed
preach Christ
from envy
and rivalry
but others
from goodwill.
The latter
do it out
of love
knowing that
I am put
here for the
defense of
the gospel.
The former
proclaim Christ
out of rivalry
or selfish
ambition.
not sincerely
but thinking
to afflict
me in my
imprisonment.
What then?
Only that
in every way
whether in
pretense
or in
truth
Christ
is
proclaimed
and in
that
I
rejoice.
Jesus
warned
that one
of the
biggest
opponents
of the
gospel
was not
necessarily
going to
be
outside
forces
but
eventually
it was
going to
be
inside
forces.
And
that's
why
Paul
spent
so much
time
dealing
with
Jewish
sects,
pagan
establishments,
false
teachers
that were
trying to
pollute
the gospel.
And here
he mentions
that hostility
coming from
so-called
leaders
in the
church.
And so
that's one
of the most
discouraging
things is
when other
people they're
supposed to be
like alongside
you,
fighting alongside
you,
become,
they attack
you and
slander
you.
And so,
but in a lot
of ways here,
it seems to be
not necessarily
that their
doctrine or
their theology
was off,
but that
their motives
were off.
They had
bad motives
for what
they were
doing.
It says
in verse
15,
he uses
the word
envy,
which means
to deprive
someone
of what
is rightfully
theirs so
that they
wish they
had it
and you
didn't.
And so,
you see
the word
strife
also,
really.
Strife
means enmity
caused by
jealousy,
wanting
something
another
possesses.
And Paul
is trying
to say
that a lot
of these
people are
preaching
this to
hurt me.
They have
bad motives,
selfish
ambition,
not out of
sincere love
for the
gospel,
but they
wanted to
somehow
dismantle
Paul's
reputation,
discredit
his work,
and they
had some
personal
issue with
him,
and they
even looked
at his
imprisonment
as a sign
that God
was not
pleased with
him.
You see,
he's in
prison right
now.
I'm
challenged
all of you
to some
point,
do a good
in-depth
study of
2 Corinthians,
and you'll
learn a lot
about Paul
that you
might not
have ever
thought about
him before.
But one
of those
things was
he didn't
just look
like a
successful
guy.
He wasn't
physically
impressive,
he wasn't
a great
public
speaker,
he didn't
have a ton
of money
and stuff,
and he
had poor
speaking
abilities,
right?
But God
chose instead
to still
work through
him and
use him,
but many
people just
didn't think
he was worth
it.
So they
were preaching
the same
gospel message
in a way,
but doing it
to inflict
harm on
Paul.
But Paul
had enough
security in
the Lord,
confidence in
the Lord,
to be like,
you know
what?
If they
make fun
of me
and give
me bull,
that's okay,
because as
long as the
gospel is
going forth,
that's all
I really
care about.
And in
that,
I will
rejoice.
So we
need to
ask ourselves,
you know,
as well,
why would
we proclaim
Christ?
Not to
compete with
one another
or other
churches,
and you
should hear
some of the
other pastors
and churches
out here that
we just have
to talk to
sometimes.
A lot of
them are
great ones,
but a lot
of them are,
you can just
tell,
it's like a
competition.
Who's got
the biggest
this and
the biggest
that,
and how
many people
are showing
up,
and how
many
programs,
and it
is disgusting
at times.
So,
some application
for this,
because I'm
running out
of time.
What excuses
do we make
for not
advancing
the gospel?
Number one
is circumstances.
We just say,
well,
we don't have
the time.
If I was
just in a
different stage
of life,
or if I
was in
a different
job,
or I
didn't have
as many
responsibilities
as I
did,
this is
probably the
biggest one
for me
at the
moment,
because I
guess when I
was single,
I could
kind of run
rogue a lot
more,
like all
hours of
the day
and night
doing things.
But we
say things
even like,
you ever
heard this,
I'm just
waiting for
God to
open the
door.
Well,
that's
partially
biblical.
Out of
Colossians
4,
Paul says
he's praying
that God
may open
a door
for them
to share
the word.
But,
what it
usually means,
usually,
you could mean
that in a
good way,
but what it
usually means
I'm waiting
until it's
easy,
until it's
convenient,
until it's
safe,
and then I'm
going to share
the gospel.
Paul writes
in 1 Corinthians
another similar
way of opening
the door,
that it doesn't
always mean
easy or
no resistance.
He said,
I will stay
in Ephesus
until Pentecost
for a wide
door for
effective work
has opened
to me.
Cool,
a door of
ministry
has opened
to him.
He says,
but there
are many
adversaries.
So,
not convenient
door to go
through.
He goes
through that
door to
preach the
gospel,
there's
going to
be a lot
of hostility.
And so,
some of us
need to
quit waiting
for that,
some of us
need to
try to
kick
down doors,
beat down
doors.
It'll open
if God
wants it
to open,
but we
need to
take the
initiative
by faith.
Secondly,
some people
don't advance
the gospel
out of
fear.
Okay?
I'm afraid,
but it really
comes down to
is because
we're not
ever,
at least
for now,
going to be
in prison
for sharing
our faith,
are beaten
up,
more than
likely.
Some people
might have
wanted to
kill me
before,
but I
wouldn't
know that.
But fear
really means
I'm afraid
of what they
will think
about me.
I don't
want to
upset them.
I don't
want them
to stop
being my
friend.
And
underneath
that,
very subtly,
is the
hidden
idolatry
of pride.
You want
to be liked.
You want
to be
accepted
by people.
And
we feel
like we
have to
warm up
to people
for years
at a time
before we
actually share
the gospel
with them
because we
might scare
them away.
Just quit
hiding behind
that excuse.
The real
quick biblical
answer to
that is
fear God,
not man.
So,
thirdly,
I know I'm
out of time,
but oh
well,
not knowledgeable
enough.
Not knowledgeable
enough.
I don't know
enough.
Like what if
they ask me
something I
don't know?
Well,
if you
know the
gospel,
then you
know enough
to share.
If you
have
believed
the
gospel,
there's
no way
you've
forgotten
what you
have
believed
in.
And the
disciples
weren't
big brains,
they weren't
big theology
degrees,
they didn't
have all
that,
they weren't
master
apologists,
they were
ordinary,
common
guys.
They were
quick-tempered,
a lot of
them,
but listen
to what it
says in
Acts 13
about Peter
and John.
It says,
now when
they saw
the boldness
of Peter
and John,
they perceived
that they
were uneducated,
common men,
and they were
astonished,
and they
recognized that
they had been
with Jesus.
So remember,
it's about who
they know.
They had been
with Christ.
That was it.
So the closer
we get to
Christ,
the more we
know about
him,
the more we
will be able
to talk
about him.
So all
that's really
needed is
just a
willing heart.
You don't
have to
know everything.
You have
to be able
to communicate
the gospel.
I know a
lot of people
who aren't
great communicators,
and I know
that a lot
of them are
just afraid
even.
They feel
insufficient.
I know
one guy
named Jonathan,
one of my
best friends.
He's led
people to
Christ before,
and he
is not
anything like
what you
would think
somebody would
be as an
evangelist.
Fourthly,
I don't
really hear
this one
too much,
but I have
heard it.
It's not
my gift.
I don't
have the
spiritual
gift of
evangelism.
I'll just
leave that
to the
professionals
or those
who do.
And it's
only true,
that is only
true in the
sense that
God has
gifted some
people just
a little bit
better of an
ability to
communicate
gospel truth,
to articulate
the gospel
message.
But it
doesn't
excuse anyone
from sharing
the message
in what
capacity God
has given
them.
Understand
that?
And I
mean,
would we
really pass
over someone
in need
of Christ
just because
it's not
your spiritual
gift?
We can't
live that
way.
The gifts
have a place,
but don't
use them as
an excuse.
It would
be like me
or Nathan
saying,
well,
we're too
high and
mighty to
wash dishes,
or we're too
high and
mighty to
help set up
chairs,
or do
anything
else.
It doesn't
make any
sense at
all.
Again,
oddly enough,
God picks
a lot of
people in
Scripture who
don't seem
to be great
communicators
publicly,
Paul included.
So,
another one
you could
probably throw
out there is
my own sin.
I'm not good
enough.
I'm such a
terrible person.
I'm a terrible
follower of
Jesus,
and I'm
bogged down
by my own
sin.
God
can't
share it
with somebody
else.
Well,
if that's
the truth,
if that's
your demeanor
all the
time,
then there's
something
missing in
your belief
and connection
to the
gospel itself.
It should
liberate you.
And sometimes,
even sharing
it with
someone else
reignites
the joy of
it in my
own soul.
So,
don't hide
behind that
either.
Satan would
love to
bog you
down so
that you
don't share
with other
people,
but live in
the freedom
that Christ
has won
for you.
So,
as one
missionary
said,
sympathy is
no substitute
for action.
So,
there are
many people,
I guess we
just want to
feel bad for
them,
we want to
pity them,
our friends,
our family,
but we
need to
begin praying
and being
very intentional
about living
the gospel
in front
of them
and sharing
it with
them,
not one
or the
other.
So,
what about
you?
I mean,
where are
you in
this process?
And,
God will
put people
in your
path,
but you
can also
go out
and find
them.
We need
to hunt
them down,
take initiative,
take that
the right
way,
hunt them
down.
But,
yeah,
there's,
one thing
I wanted
to share
this morning
is,
the only
way I
could
really
relate
to
Paul
is a
lot of
my
hospital
stays
over the
year,
which is,
again,
nothing like
he endured,
but there
was one
time I
missed out
on a
great ministry
opportunity
because I
got sick
and I
had to
go to
the hospital.
I was
super
bummed.
I was
in
Atlanta
at the
cystic
fibrosis
center,
and I
must have
been sitting
there
watching Lord
the rings
or a
baseball game
or something,
but my
doctor came
in and
said,
hey,
there's
another
patient
here who
was just
really afraid
of needles
and getting
an IV
or a
PICC line.
Could you
go talk to
them and
tell them,
you know,
kind of calm
them down?
And I
thought,
you want me
to tell them?
Tom is not
going to
hurt?
So,
that's lying.
So,
anyway,
it was a
girl,
her name
was Jade,
and here's
what's crazy,
she was from
Dahlonega,
and met
her for the
first time.
She was
definitely
just afraid
of being
in the
hospital.
She hadn't
had to be
hospitalized
too much
to that
point.
But I
began just
talking to
her and
getting to
know her,
and
she was
afraid of
dying.
She was
afraid of
what the
disease was
going to
do to
her,
because all
of a sudden
she had
been living
a pretty
normal life,
but then
all of a
sudden things
were just
getting worse,
like with
her cystic
fibrosis.
So,
while I
was there,
I continued
just to,
she's like,
how do you
deal with
it?
How do you
face this?
And I
said,
I can't
face it.
I mean,
but I
have a
hope that
is not
of this
world,
and I
began just
unpacking the
gospel to
her and
trying to
do it in a
very understanding,
compassionate
way.
And by the
end of the
week,
she told me
she wanted to
become a
follower of
Christ,
and told me
that when
she came back
to Delonaga,
she was going
to continue
to follow
Christ.
And I
just told
her,
no promises.
I can't
promise that
Jesus is
going to
make your
life easier,
that he's
going to
heal you
of your
CF,
but no
matter what,
you're going
to follow
him,
right?
And she's
like,
yes.
And she
did.
She came
back and
was a part
of a church
here in
Delonaga.
A few
years later,
she passed
away,
which just
really kind
of caught
me off
guard.
God will
use you.
He'll use
you to
reach other
people.
Just stop.
Snap out of
this like I'm
here at church
and someone
else is telling
me to share
the gospel.
Like,
just stop.
And see
the great
privilege we
have as
messengers
of Christ.
And see
that people
need Christ.
That we
can,
by his
power and
by his
grace,
be the
one to
talk about
our
Savior.
So,
yeah,
let's pray
together and
let's rejoice
that the
gospel is
going to go
forward with
or without
us.
And I
hope that we
will be a
part of it.