CHANGE BEGINS WITH ONE
In the musical Hair, first produced in 1967, one of the actresses expresses a lament
in the first act as she sings “Easy to Be Hard.” Her problem is that her boyfriend
only seems to care about multitudes of people who are hurting, while overlooking a single
individual with the same needs who is standing right next to him. (Incidentally, Lynn Kellogg,
the actress who originated the part of Sheila in Hair, later became a born-again
believer in Jesus.)
The musical’s authors may not have realized it, but they touched on a fundamental need of people everywhere—to be seen, noticed, affirmed, and validated—to know that someone acknowledges that they are loved. It also points out one of the most vexing conundrums facing believers, which is this: how do we reach the entire world with the gospel while at the same time ministering to those who are closest to us?
There is no doubt that we have a commission to both these worlds—the world beyond us as well as the world of our own experience, which includes the world behind our own doors. Jesus said it this way in Acts 1:8: “And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He also said in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
We can surely agree that “the ends of the earth” and “all the world” are very large tasks. The earth’s population as of this writing is about 8.3 billion people, and it is growing at a rate of approximately 82 million people every year. It is a mathematical impossibility for any one person to reach the world’s multitudes by themselves.
Pioneers of evangelism such as Dwight Moody and Charles Finney used what were then called “new methods” to bring many to Christ. Their work has inspired generations of others who followed them. Mass crusades by Billy Graham, Reinhard Bonnke, and many others have brought millions into the kingdom of God.
In addition, an emphasis on missionary endeavors that began with a few intrepid souls and exploded into a worldwide movement brought the gospel message to places that had been unreached and unimagined. Missions activity also brings help and hope to regions that are suffering from natural disasters, war, and other upheavals. We have supported these efforts for many years by means of our Bridge of Hope outreaches. Our efforts in Sudan have been particularly notable, bringing freedom to many thousands of people who have suffered the horrors of modern-day slavery.
There can be no question that ministers of the gospel have used technological developments to great effect in ministering to the multitudes. From radio to television to social media and live streaming, the gospel has been preached by every available medium. These innovations allow people who had not been reached to hear the gospel and respond to it. Services at any local church can now be seen around the world. These capabilities were unknown and unheard of a generation ago. Who knows what kinds of developments the future will hold?
None of these modern efficiencies were known to the disciples in the first century. Jesus told them to go into all the world, and He obviously expected them to obey that commission. We know that God would never require someone to do something without giving them the means to accomplish it. What did He have in mind?
The primary way God intends for the world to be evangelized is by someone who has had an experience with Him telling someone else about it. This way does not depend on newly developed technology, complicated campaigns, memorized presentations, or marketing strategies. Anyone can be involved, regardless of age, socio-economic background, ethnicity, education, or any other distinction. As helpful and effective as mass evangelism is, and as far-reaching as missions activity has been, none of those things can make up for the effectiveness of one person reaching another with the message of God’s love.
Here are two reasons this is so effective.
First, as I have often said, the man with an experience is never at the mercy of the man with an argument. You may not be regarded as an expert about a lot of things, but you are an expert regarding your own life. You know what has happened to you, and nobody can talk you out of what you know to be true. The transformation that happens by being born again is not the kind of thing that someone else will be able to effectively refute. It is not fantasy or fanaticism—it is reality. The substance abuser who is delivered from the deadly grip of addiction will not be persuaded that they are not free. Someone who is pain free after suffering for years will not be convinced by someone else saying that it is all in their head. Those set at liberty from the bondage of iniquity will not go back into a life of sin, regardless of how much ridicule is heaped upon them by unbelievers. Someone who has known the life altering touch of God’s Spirit will not be shaken from their conviction about the truth by the lies of those who have not had that experience.
Second, those closest to you—your family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors—will be able to recognize your life transformation when they see it. They may not be able to articulate what it is that they are seeing, but they will surely know that something significant has taken place in the life of someone who used to live one way and now lives a completely different way. Sooner or later, one of two things will happen. They will either ask you about the change in your life and behavior, giving you a chance to tell them what happened to you, or God will open a door to speak to them about it at a time and in a manner that they can receive.
This is what Jesus had in mind when He charged His disciples with what we know now as the Great Commission. He gave them a noble goal—go into all the world. The first sermon Peter preached after Christ’s ascension resulted in 3,000 souls being added to the kingdom of God. However, those 3,000 didn’t go home to their respective countries and have mass evangelism rallies. They told their families and their friends about their trip to Jerusalem and what happened to them there. Those who were born again as a result of their witness told those around them. This is the way the gospel spread in the first century, and this is the way it must continue to spread today.
Yes, we will use every means of evangelizing that technology affords. Yes, we will plan great campaigns and rallies. Yes, we will go to the nations with the gospel. But we will never overlook the reality of the needs represented in our own homes, neighborhoods, communities, workplaces, and among our circle of friends.
My wonderful wife, Joni, was contemplating the Great Commission, and was overwhelmed by its scope. How could she possibly fulfill it? God told her to look at it differently. He said, “Go into all your world.” That she could do. Indeed, that is the responsibility we all carry.
Finally, let me remind you of the example set by the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry. He ministered to multitudes, but He did not seek them—they sought Him. He did not need the acclaim or the approval of men. In fact, there were times when He avoided large crowds. However, He repeatedly went out of His way to minister to just one person. Here are just a few examples:
Let us not forget the masses in far off lands laboring in darkness without the light of the gospel. At the same time, let us remember the ones nearest to us who struggle to navigate the same darkness without light. The light they need is the life we have on the inside of each of us who knows Christ as Savior. God is not asking us to share that light with 8.3 billion people. He is requiring us to share it with one person—not only one, but beginning with one. When we do that, we will see God change other lives in the same way He changed ours.
You can change the world—your world and our world—by sharing the love and the life of God with someone already in your circle of influence. I believe God will give you grace to do that more effectively than ever before in the days to come.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer
The musical’s authors may not have realized it, but they touched on a fundamental need of people everywhere—to be seen, noticed, affirmed, and validated—to know that someone acknowledges that they are loved. It also points out one of the most vexing conundrums facing believers, which is this: how do we reach the entire world with the gospel while at the same time ministering to those who are closest to us?
There is no doubt that we have a commission to both these worlds—the world beyond us as well as the world of our own experience, which includes the world behind our own doors. Jesus said it this way in Acts 1:8: “And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He also said in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
We can surely agree that “the ends of the earth” and “all the world” are very large tasks. The earth’s population as of this writing is about 8.3 billion people, and it is growing at a rate of approximately 82 million people every year. It is a mathematical impossibility for any one person to reach the world’s multitudes by themselves.
Pioneers of evangelism such as Dwight Moody and Charles Finney used what were then called “new methods” to bring many to Christ. Their work has inspired generations of others who followed them. Mass crusades by Billy Graham, Reinhard Bonnke, and many others have brought millions into the kingdom of God.
In addition, an emphasis on missionary endeavors that began with a few intrepid souls and exploded into a worldwide movement brought the gospel message to places that had been unreached and unimagined. Missions activity also brings help and hope to regions that are suffering from natural disasters, war, and other upheavals. We have supported these efforts for many years by means of our Bridge of Hope outreaches. Our efforts in Sudan have been particularly notable, bringing freedom to many thousands of people who have suffered the horrors of modern-day slavery.
There can be no question that ministers of the gospel have used technological developments to great effect in ministering to the multitudes. From radio to television to social media and live streaming, the gospel has been preached by every available medium. These innovations allow people who had not been reached to hear the gospel and respond to it. Services at any local church can now be seen around the world. These capabilities were unknown and unheard of a generation ago. Who knows what kinds of developments the future will hold?
None of these modern efficiencies were known to the disciples in the first century. Jesus told them to go into all the world, and He obviously expected them to obey that commission. We know that God would never require someone to do something without giving them the means to accomplish it. What did He have in mind?
The primary way God intends for the world to be evangelized is by someone who has had an experience with Him telling someone else about it. This way does not depend on newly developed technology, complicated campaigns, memorized presentations, or marketing strategies. Anyone can be involved, regardless of age, socio-economic background, ethnicity, education, or any other distinction. As helpful and effective as mass evangelism is, and as far-reaching as missions activity has been, none of those things can make up for the effectiveness of one person reaching another with the message of God’s love.
Here are two reasons this is so effective.
First, as I have often said, the man with an experience is never at the mercy of the man with an argument. You may not be regarded as an expert about a lot of things, but you are an expert regarding your own life. You know what has happened to you, and nobody can talk you out of what you know to be true. The transformation that happens by being born again is not the kind of thing that someone else will be able to effectively refute. It is not fantasy or fanaticism—it is reality. The substance abuser who is delivered from the deadly grip of addiction will not be persuaded that they are not free. Someone who is pain free after suffering for years will not be convinced by someone else saying that it is all in their head. Those set at liberty from the bondage of iniquity will not go back into a life of sin, regardless of how much ridicule is heaped upon them by unbelievers. Someone who has known the life altering touch of God’s Spirit will not be shaken from their conviction about the truth by the lies of those who have not had that experience.
Second, those closest to you—your family members, friends, co-workers, and neighbors—will be able to recognize your life transformation when they see it. They may not be able to articulate what it is that they are seeing, but they will surely know that something significant has taken place in the life of someone who used to live one way and now lives a completely different way. Sooner or later, one of two things will happen. They will either ask you about the change in your life and behavior, giving you a chance to tell them what happened to you, or God will open a door to speak to them about it at a time and in a manner that they can receive.
This is what Jesus had in mind when He charged His disciples with what we know now as the Great Commission. He gave them a noble goal—go into all the world. The first sermon Peter preached after Christ’s ascension resulted in 3,000 souls being added to the kingdom of God. However, those 3,000 didn’t go home to their respective countries and have mass evangelism rallies. They told their families and their friends about their trip to Jerusalem and what happened to them there. Those who were born again as a result of their witness told those around them. This is the way the gospel spread in the first century, and this is the way it must continue to spread today.
Yes, we will use every means of evangelizing that technology affords. Yes, we will plan great campaigns and rallies. Yes, we will go to the nations with the gospel. But we will never overlook the reality of the needs represented in our own homes, neighborhoods, communities, workplaces, and among our circle of friends.
My wonderful wife, Joni, was contemplating the Great Commission, and was overwhelmed by its scope. How could she possibly fulfill it? God told her to look at it differently. He said, “Go into all your world.” That she could do. Indeed, that is the responsibility we all carry.
Finally, let me remind you of the example set by the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry. He ministered to multitudes, but He did not seek them—they sought Him. He did not need the acclaim or the approval of men. In fact, there were times when He avoided large crowds. However, He repeatedly went out of His way to minister to just one person. Here are just a few examples:
- The woman at the well outside the city in John 4
- Zaccheus, in Luke 19
- Blind Bartimaeus, in Mark 10
Let us not forget the masses in far off lands laboring in darkness without the light of the gospel. At the same time, let us remember the ones nearest to us who struggle to navigate the same darkness without light. The light they need is the life we have on the inside of each of us who knows Christ as Savior. God is not asking us to share that light with 8.3 billion people. He is requiring us to share it with one person—not only one, but beginning with one. When we do that, we will see God change other lives in the same way He changed ours.
You can change the world—your world and our world—by sharing the love and the life of God with someone already in your circle of influence. I believe God will give you grace to do that more effectively than ever before in the days to come.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer