I realize that we are just into October, but I am looking forward to November with great anticipation.
One of the great joys in my life is teaching Sunday School and beginning in November I plan to lead my students through an in depth study of The Pilgrim‘s Progress by John Bunyan.
Though written in the 1600’s, this allegory has stood the test of time.
One unique aspects of Bunyan’s work lies in the fact that he gives his characters names that denote their spiritual roles and personalities.
On the positive side we meet characters like Faith, Mercy, Hopeful and the main character Christian.
On the negative side we meet characters such as Ignorance, Envy, Deception and Atheist.
In preparing for my class, I have read the book several times and learn more each time.
Aside from the main character, Christian, another character that captures my attention goes by the name Evangelist.
Before reading the book, every time I heard the term evangelist, one person immediately came to mind.
His name is Billy Graham.
Over the decades I have seen Billy Graham a number of times on television.
I would hang onto his every word and marvel at the number of people who came to hear him speak.
Major sporting arenas were booked in order to accommodate the vast numbers that attended in person.
Millions more, like myself, were content to watch and listen via television.
In Bunyan’s book, Evangelist makes many appearances and addresses audiences as small as one or two.
He serves as a counselor, a minister and a messenger.
He helps Christian and his companions by forewarning them of what is to come.
He also appears whenever they go off the course he has pointed out for them to stay on and gently corrects them in order that they may ultimately find that which they so earnestly seek.
In thinking of Evangelist’s roles, I am reminded of the service performed by Philip in Acts 8.
Acts 8:25 (NET) - Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)
Please note that an angel was involved here, but more on that later.
Philip encounters an Ethiopian reading the book of Isaiah.
Acting on the urging of the Spirit, Philip runs over to this man and asks if he understands what he is reading.
Acts 8:31 (NET) - The man replied, "How in the world can I, unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
The Ethiopian then reads to Philip the passage from Isaiah with which he struggles to understand.
He then asks Philip if Isaiah wrote about himself or someone else.
Acts 8:35 (NET) - So Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.
The Ethiopian ordered the chariot stopped when they came to water in order that Philip baptize him.
Here was a man that went from confusion to conviction because Philip evangelized to him.
Remember, I earlier asked you to note the angel’s involvement in this account.
One of the major roles that angels play in scripture is that of messenger.
Often, they relay messages from God to man.
Embedded in the word evangelist is the word angel.
Along with being a minister and a counselor, an evangelist must be a messenger as well.
Like Philip, he must be able to effectively communicate the message of the good news.
God uses some like Billy Graham to reach millions of people at once.
God also uses some like Philip to reach one person at a time.
He’s even been known to use a few Sunday School teachers along the way.
In the final analysis, It is not the size of the audience that matters.
What matters is the message.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
One of the great joys in my life is teaching Sunday School and beginning in November I plan to lead my students through an in depth study of The Pilgrim‘s Progress by John Bunyan.
Though written in the 1600’s, this allegory has stood the test of time.
One unique aspects of Bunyan’s work lies in the fact that he gives his characters names that denote their spiritual roles and personalities.
On the positive side we meet characters like Faith, Mercy, Hopeful and the main character Christian.
On the negative side we meet characters such as Ignorance, Envy, Deception and Atheist.
In preparing for my class, I have read the book several times and learn more each time.
Aside from the main character, Christian, another character that captures my attention goes by the name Evangelist.
Before reading the book, every time I heard the term evangelist, one person immediately came to mind.
His name is Billy Graham.
Over the decades I have seen Billy Graham a number of times on television.
I would hang onto his every word and marvel at the number of people who came to hear him speak.
Major sporting arenas were booked in order to accommodate the vast numbers that attended in person.
Millions more, like myself, were content to watch and listen via television.
In Bunyan’s book, Evangelist makes many appearances and addresses audiences as small as one or two.
He serves as a counselor, a minister and a messenger.
He helps Christian and his companions by forewarning them of what is to come.
He also appears whenever they go off the course he has pointed out for them to stay on and gently corrects them in order that they may ultimately find that which they so earnestly seek.
In thinking of Evangelist’s roles, I am reminded of the service performed by Philip in Acts 8.
Acts 8:25 (NET) - Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)
Please note that an angel was involved here, but more on that later.
Philip encounters an Ethiopian reading the book of Isaiah.
Acting on the urging of the Spirit, Philip runs over to this man and asks if he understands what he is reading.
Acts 8:31 (NET) - The man replied, "How in the world can I, unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
The Ethiopian then reads to Philip the passage from Isaiah with which he struggles to understand.
He then asks Philip if Isaiah wrote about himself or someone else.
Acts 8:35 (NET) - So Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.
The Ethiopian ordered the chariot stopped when they came to water in order that Philip baptize him.
Here was a man that went from confusion to conviction because Philip evangelized to him.
Remember, I earlier asked you to note the angel’s involvement in this account.
One of the major roles that angels play in scripture is that of messenger.
Often, they relay messages from God to man.
Embedded in the word evangelist is the word angel.
Along with being a minister and a counselor, an evangelist must be a messenger as well.
Like Philip, he must be able to effectively communicate the message of the good news.
God uses some like Billy Graham to reach millions of people at once.
God also uses some like Philip to reach one person at a time.
He’s even been known to use a few Sunday School teachers along the way.
In the final analysis, It is not the size of the audience that matters.
What matters is the message.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
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