Evangelism 101

I just received this update from one of my former world race teammates, Stefan from South Africa. He is currently leading a team around the world in a program called Global Challenge, and he sent out this story about an amazing experience on one of his last days in China. I never cease to be amazed by the power of the gospel!

Dear Friends

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those being lost, but to us being saved, it is the power of God.

A few days ago myself and ten others found ourselves waiting for a bus on a busy side walk in the heart of Beijing.

Sitting next to our bags on the pavement we started to sing Worship songs to the glory of Christ. After a few minutes we drew quite a crowd and Jones took out their team’s old aluminium cooking pot and placed it on the pavement! We were blessed with 395 Yuan (55US$) in total for almost an hour of Praise and Worship...

This was the third last day of our month in China and all of us were kind of thinking the best has already happened...

I was singing along with the group when a young Chinese man approached me and he sat down next to me on the cold concrete side walk. We immediately introduced ourselves and then talked a few words... After a few minutes of silence I thought the conversation was over and I continued singing. Yu was just sitting in silence next to me. Then out of the blue I ask him: Do you believe that there is a Living God? Yu replied that he has a knowing inside of him that there must be a God, but that he has never truly believed in any faith. On the question what he knew about Christianity he just answered: “nothing...”

Hearing Jones and Ivan praying for us in the background I shared with Yu the gospel as simple as I knew it. "Yu, Jesus Christ is the Son of the Almighty God, who was willing to die for your sins and defeated death, so that whoever believed in Him will have eternal life and will never perish..."

Yu looked at me with eyes widely opened... As I was sharing this I saw how he grew all the more excited. Talking for another 2 or 3 minutes Yu shared on how surprised he was that he met us and that he only came to buy a book, but that he believes God has an appointment with him... In myself I felt an urgency for Yu to be saved and so I asked Him if he believed what I just told him. His reply: “Yes, I believe everything you said, teach me what to pray...”

My heart leaped and there on the cold and dusty pavement, with police watching us from across the street, Yu prayed out loud and received Christ as his saviour!!

For me this was the highlight of my Christian walk! Never have I before seen a person going from: Knowing nothing - hearing and understanding the fullness of the Gospel to acceptance and faith… within a few minutes! I want to give glory and honour to the living and true Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ!!

The simplicity of the gospel is the power of it and through faith in Christ comes the power of God for those who are saved!!

Please pray with me for Yu as he is taking his first steps in a life surrendered to God! May He be blessed by your prayers!!

Glory to God!!

Stefan