Chapter Three

He Walked Among The People

When I think about the ministry in the streets I think about how much it is like the times when Christ ministered in the streets. When I read the New Testament I can see how Christ was among the people. He walked along the roadsides and visited from house to house. Even his death was public as He died upon a Cross on a hillside. After spending so much time in the streets sharing Christ with people, the gospels have more meaning to me. It excites me to see Christ depicted in the gospels as a person who ministered in the streets of the city where He lived and walked among His people.

Luke 15
2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

Jesus lived among His people and shared His life with them. He cried with them; He touched them with compassion of healing for their suffering; and He extended His hand to share His love for His people. We must do the same and be willing to allow His love for all people to reach out through you to them.

It is my hope and my call to follow the leading of Christ as I go into the streets to share His witness with all people. I have so many memories of the people that I have met in the streets. Many of them were without hope and without Christ. I remember one afternoon when I was in Tulsa, Oklahoma on the sidewalk near a store, and I shared Christ with people as they walked by. Many came to Christ that day as we spoke to person after person. A man that looked like he was homeless approached me. He was sitting on the curb on the other side of the parking lot for some time watching me minister to the people. He had a backpack and was dressed simple. He walked up and said, "Is it my turn now?" I was so moved with compassion for him. It broke my heart when I heard his words. It was an honor to help this man. The presence of Christ was so real as I was standing there. I wanted so much to see the Lord touch this man. He told me he was addicted to cocaine and he wanted to be free. He was on his way to a mission to spend the night when he saw me ministering to the people. All he had was what he was carrying on his back. He came to Christ that day and the Lord set him free from his addictions. Just to be there that day and to have the opportunity to be asked by this man thrilled my soul. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to minister to His people. I will always remember this man that found hope in the streets of Tulsa. To God be all the Glory!

Luke 15
7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

So many times people fail to see the simple things that God wants to do. I feel that God is waiting on us to move among His people. He doesn't need much if He used me to minister to this homeless man. I felt so inadequate when this man asked me if it is was his turn. This man's heart was so full of faith and yet I wondered at that moment if God would free him from the addiction of cocaine. It was me that needed to establish my relationship closer to the One that was deliverance and salvation. I was standing in the midst of a miracle as faith raised up in the homeless man to be free from the effects of sin. I have come to realize that all God needed that day was for someone to simply pray and He would complete the work in this man's heart.

I am reminded of a man in the gospels that was in an unusual place one day as Christ walked by. His name was Zacchaeus, and he was a tax collector. Zacchaeus was in a tree along the road where Jesus walked. That day Christ noticed Him and said that He would come to his house. In this scripture we can see the personal ministry of Christ.

Luke 19
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

In verse 7, we can see that Christ was criticized for being with a sinner. They were not really threatened by who he was but what God was doing. You could experience persecution from the religious as I have from a few. Our response must be from the heart. I am amazed when I hear people ask me why I minister in the streets. Some say it does not do any good to lead people to Christ on the street. Others say that they won't last and will never come to church. I say that God has called me to be among His people and I must go and minister to them. We must be willing to take the message of Christ outside the church where the people are.

Romans 10
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Christ is wanting to be among His people and is looking for someone that will go in His name. Will you go?

Christ called many along His journey and sowed His life into them. It was His hope to leave behind witnesses that would share His message with this world. Those He chose first were simple fishermen along the shore. As He walked further He called others to carry His message. The New Testament depicts those that accepted this call as the Apostles. Christ chose simple people like you and me. What made them different was the time they spent with Him and their choice to follow Him.

Matthew 4
18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

Peter and Andrew were to be the first called by Christ to follow Him. The message to follow Him was the condition to receive from Him. We must be a follower of Jesus Christ. To share His love we must first experience His love. Also, they were to expect further training from Christ. He said, "and I will make you fishers of men." I feel this scripture saying that if they followed Him then He would teach them personal evangelism. There is no doubt that personal evangelism is the way Christ expected to share His message with the world. We can see from the scriptures below that the call of Christ upon Paul's life led him to minister to all people. We must be willing to accept the same call.

Acts 20
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,

I remember one night that Jesus surely walked among His people. My wife and I went with over twenty Christians on a trip. I especially enjoyed the stops that we made during our trip. Each time that we stopped, I had another opportunity to lead someone to Christ. It was so beautiful to see God change lives in every town we stopped. Some say the harvest is here and others say the harvest is over there. I say the harvest fields are the world and it is harvest time. Lives everywhere are waiting for someone to share Christ with them and to let them feel the love of God through you.

John 4
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

Our bus stopped at a gas station convenience store. My wife and I were checking out at the register and a man standing beside us was cussing and being rude to us. He was leaning over looking in her purse as she opened her billfold to pay for our food. He laughed at the name Mercy Street Ministries on my shirt, He mocked and said, "You need to buy my beer." From the world's standard this man was worthless. However, God saw something different. The Lord impressed on me to wait outside and speak to him. I felt compassion for his soul rather than anger for his rudeness.

John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

As I stepped outside, a man apologized to me for his friend's behavior. I asked this young man if he was saved and he said that he was. Then the man that was rude to us came out of the store. I walked up to him and placed my arm around his back and told him that God loved him and that I cared. At that moment he felt the love that God was wanting him to feel. I began to share with him about Christ and he said he was not a Christian and, by his own words, would go to hell if he were to die that night. I felt God had already prepared his heart and the man seemed to be touched even before he prayed to receive Christ. As we prayed together to receive Christ, we continued the prayer and he renounced satan and those things in his life that held him in bondage.

When he opened his eyes he saw things differently. He found Christ as his Savior and he was set free from his past. As I was preparing to leave, I tried to get my hand back from him. He would not turn loose of my hand and let me go.

He was totally changed and seemed to be a new person. As he held my hand he talked about what he should do with the rest of his life and what he should do with his beer that was on the gas station parking lot. He still would not turn loose of me. I placed my other hand on his heart and said, "Let me pray for you." I prayed that God would keep him and further free him from his past. The Lord's presence was so real and He seemed to touch him again. The man dropped my hand and now held my hand that was on his heart. He said that he had never felt that before. He was standing in the midst of God's presence for the first time. He knew it was the Holy presence of God that had visited him. He continued to hold my hand against his heart as we both stood in God's presence.

The bus was now loaded and everybody on board was watching this man hold on to me. The man was crying and saying, "You can't go. You can't go." He asked me how far I was going and when I would be back and so many other questions. I explained that what he felt was the presence of the Holy Spirit and that He loved him and would be with him. I handed him a Bible and said that he would find all about the Lord in the Bible. He asked, "What if I can't understand it?" I said, "You can go to church and someone will help you." He then said, "I don't know where to go." I turned to his friend that I had met earlier and asked him if he would help him get to church and find someone to help him understand the Bible. The young boy said, "I will! I will!" It seems even his friend watching was touched by what God was doing in this gas station parking lot.

It was so hard for me to pull my hand away and leave this man. He took steps with me and followed me and was grabbing my shirt. I will never forget that moment. It was God's love that he was feeling. So many people in this world will never know the peace and presence of God unless we reach our hearts and hands out to others.

Jesus had not come to save all the world himself as He walked this earth. He was here to begin his plan of evangelism on this earth. He sowed His life into a few that in turn would sow their lives into many. When our witness began in the street of our hometown, I stepped out of my car and in moments many people came to Christ. I went back to that corner and led person after person to Christ. The Lord seemed to speak to me that he wanted me to take my church out. Within a few weeks I trained over forty from my church and took them to the same street corner. With more witnesses in the streets we saw more people saved. I thought this was to be my ministry and the Lord spoke once again. He said, "I want you to teach churches."

In a few days a church found out about our work and I took them to the streets. In a period of several months there were over four hundred individuals saved and we had knocked on most of the doors of that town. Church after church contacted me and we trained many witnesses for Christ. Once again, I thought this was my only calling.

The Lord spoke again and he said, "I am calling you to the world." For the first time I did not know what to do. This call that I received was greater than I was. Within the course of a few years I had led thousands to Christ and trained hundreds how to witness. I just could not seem to hear the next step where the Lord was taking me. It was then I received a call from a friend of mine, Arthur Blessitt, the man who carried the cross around the world and to all the nations. He shared with me that the Lord had spoken to Him. He wanted me to put the training on the Internet and to train the world in evangelism. I knew this was it. This was what God wanted me to do. A few times I had thought that I should do this but I wanted to personally share my teaching in churches. I feel pride had blocked my obedience to take this message to the world. I had the ability and knowledge to place these teachings on the Internet and I had not obeyed the call. Thank God for Christian friends that help us along life's journey. I placed the information on the Internet and thousands have been trained to share Christ with all people in all situations. I can see so clearly how Christ ministered by training others, and as he trained them he touched those that were lost along the way.

All along the way Christ was teaching me evangelism and giving me His plan to teach others!

Street University Lesson Three

Group Discussion
1. Have a discussion on the present day ministry of Christ on this earth.

Bible Study
1. Find an examples in the New Testament where Christ trained others in evangelism.
Mark 6:7; Matthew 20:28; Luke 11; Mat 13:1-9

Assignment
1. As you walk among the people allow the Lord to show you the people as He sees them. Let Him use your eyes and your heart.