Evangelist

EVANGELIST
by
Ernie Johnson


Rueben sighed as he moved into the tunnel leading to the stadium seats. His legs, now weakened by age, moved slowly and often with great effort. Supporting himself on his cane, he paused to catch his breath and allow his eyes to adjust to his new surroundings. He was still in good shape considering his 88 years on this earth, but his stamina was gone. The dark brown skin that once fit tightly over a muscular frame, now hung loosely over flaccid muscles. Youthful abition had fled, leaving in its stead an unfulfilled dream.
Thinking himself to be early, he was surprised to hear the praise and worship already in progress, and from the sound of things, he would be hard pressed to find a seat. He did not relish the idea of climbing to the upper tiers, and was considering leaving until he felt an usher gently touch his arm.
"I'm sorry, sir." The usher apologized. "There are no seats left. You may stand in the infield, or you will have to leave."
"I don't understand," he said quietly. "I have this invitation to be here."
The younger man looked at him, then the invitation, then with a sudden awareness, he stammered;
"Are....Are...Are you Mr. Brown? Mr. Rueben Brown?"
The old man nodded that he was and the usher became instantly apologetic.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Brown! I was... I mean... we were... I mean... I thought..."
"Right this way sir." The young man regained his composure. "I am instructed to escort you to your seat immediately upon your arrival. Please follow me. May I assist you in any way?"
Rueben, leaned gratefully on the offered arm and wondered what he was getting himself into. The young man led him through the tunnel into a stadium that normally seated thousands of fans for a ball game. Now the seats held thousands of people who came to hear about Jesus, causing Rueben to reflect upon how he came to be here this night. This was his dream, to be an evangelist, and lead people to the Lord Jesus, as this young crusader was doing. The dream had given way to the realities of life as dreams often do, leaving him a humble farm hand all his life.
When this young preacher first came to town, Rueben had come to hear him. Believing the young man to be sincere, he had put a small offering in the envelope. Needless to say, he was rather surprised when he received a letter asking him to be present for the last night of the crusade. It was a personal letter signed by the evangelist himself, and Rueben had come more from curiosity than any other reason.
As he followed the usher to a seat somewhere in the vast crowd, the old man was certain no one except himself, the usher, and God, would ever know he had been there. The praise and worship seemed unusually loud this night making him happy he had come. Having walked with God for 78 of his 88 years to the best of his ability, Rueben spent time with Him daily, praying and reading from his well worn Bible. Smiling to himself, he remembered again the promise in that old Bible he carried. He sensed the promise he had held onto these many years would soon be fulfilled. The promise that he would one day see Jesus face to face.
That old Bible in his hand sent the aged man’s mind back over the years, where he lingered fondly at the age of ten. Recalling the day his father's employer, Mr. Braner, had invited him to his son's birthday party. Rueben’s mother had objected, saying they would never allow him to be a part of the fun. When at last she had reluctantly allowed him to go to the party the Braners had treated him the same as the other children.
Mr. Braner had taken time to sit down with him and tell him about Jesus. Since that day Rueben had never looked back, but had diligently sought Jesus with all his heart and soul. Mr. Braner had given him a brand new Bible, and it was the same Bible, now worn with age, he had brought with him this night. A Bible filled with not only with God's truth, but many memories collected over the years.
Rueben had wanted to be a preacher, but the need to work had been too great and he reluctantly gave in to the pressure. Walking home along the old dirt road from his first full time job, a large man who had obviously been drinking, had stepped in front of him. He struck Rueben in the face, took his money, then kicked him in the stomach and left. At age twelve, Rueben had worked his first full week at his first full time job, and had been robbed on his way home. In pain and confusion and through his tears , Rueben prayed for the man.
As time passed, Rueben continued to work, read his Bible and pray, taking advantage of every opportunity to tell some one about Jesus. He remembered how over the years he had witnessed to all who would listen, and perhaps to a few who preferred not to listen as well. Through it all the young boy never forgot the first time he shared his belief in Jesus with someone else. Not only was it his first time to witness, it was with someone he should have hated. It was the man who had beaten and robbed him of his first weeks pay.
The touch of the usher’s hand once more made Rueben aware of his surroundings as he realized he was being led to the platform. He had a bad feeling about this, but could see no immediate route of escape. As they approached the front, the young evangelist broke into a warm smile as he descended from the platform. Then taking Rueben's hand the young man personally escorted the old man onto the stage to a very prominent seat.
Sitting in numbed silence Rueben looked out over the vast crowd. What could these people be thinking? This could only be some kind of joke, or a self-promotion idea of the young preacher. He did not know the preacher, or the crowd, and he certainly wasn't worth all this attention. He felt his heart rate increasing rapidly as he became more and more confused. He had to reach out to someone he could trust, someone he could rely upon. Then, as the intensity of worship and praise mounted around him, he did what he had done for 78 years. Rueben knelt and prayed.
He was unaware of how long he prayed as all sounds around him faded into the background, he entered into a time of fellowship with the one he loved. Rueben reached out and touched the hand of God, and poured out his fears to Him. As he did so, the stadium fell silent, as the thousands of people gathered there joined him in prayer. Rueben, unaware of the crowd, was only aware of the presence of God, His peace, and His love. When at last he received the peace he sought, the old man struggled to his feet and sat down. He looked with amazement out over the crowd of people, some kneeling, some standing, some sitting but all praying. Unknowingly he had led the assembled masses into prayer.
The evangelist slowly stood and walked to the old man. He helped him to his feet, and led him to the microphone, then stood with his arm around him. Slowly the crowd stopped praying and seated themselves. A hushed silence fell over the crowded stadium as the young man took the microphone and attempted to speak. He made a couple of unsuccessful attempts to articulate, as he fought back tears of joy, at last he managed to speak.
"I have sought this man all my life," he said. "The man standing beside me now is the reason I am here. Mr. Brown, do you remember when you were twelve, you had worked all week and you were on your way home with your first week’s pay?. That night a very large, and very drunk, white man stopped you, knocked you down, and took your money. That night, as you lay in the dirt, you did what we witnessed you do here tonight, you prayed. You prayed, not for yourself, but for the one who had hurt you and robbed you. When he heard you praying he spit on you and left. Then, Mr. Brown, you bravely followed him to where he lived, and as you looked through the window, you saw the man drinking and cursing as his wife and son were crying because they were hungry,
"In the weeks that followed, you would go to his house at night and leave food on the porch until the night he caught you. When he did catch you, you showed no fear of him, nor did you try to run away. Instead you chose to sit there and explain to him who Jesus is, and share the Gospel with him. You never saw him again after that night, for you and your family moved away and no one knew where you went. I want you to know that he searched for you the rest of his life.
"You see, that night, after you left, he could not get your words out of his mind, and he shared them with his wife. They knelt that same night, in that little shanty where they lived, and gave their hearts to Jesus. Only a few years later their son, at age ten, gave his heart to the Lord. Many years later, the son had a son, and he also gave his heart to Jesus. That son in turn had a son who gave his heart to Jesus and became an evangelist. God has allowed this man to lead many to Jesus, but as his grandfathers, and father before him, he has also spent much time and effort searching for a man named Rueben Brown, and tonight I have found you.
"Rueben Brown, you have worked very hard all your life, and you may think yourself insignificant, but you are a great man. That night, so many years ago, as you sat on a dark porch with a man you should have hated, and shared the truth with him, you changed his life. He told his son, and his son became a preacher, with each telling his son about Jesus and the young boy that changed the direction of this family. I wonder, Mr. Brown, how many other lives you have touched and changed over the years.
"Tonight is a special night, not only for those of us gathered here, but throughout the country where this is being televised. Thousands tonight finally get to meet with me, the man who is responsible for what God has allowed this ministry to do. Through your courage to witness to my great-great grandfather, many people have been given eternal life. Mr. Brown, Rueben, you are the one who has evangelized all these people. You are the greatest evangelist I have ever known. Look at the souls that were won because of you. I want you to look around you. This applause is all for you."
Once again the crowd broke into thunderous applause, but Rueben did not hear them, nor did he hear the words of the evangelist. Instead he was hearing the words he had waited all his life to hear, spoken by the one he had lived for all his life. As he collapsed into the arms of the young man, he heard only the words that filled his heart with unspeakable joy.
"Well done my good and faithful servant! Welcome home!"
1 Corinthians 10:31; "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

AFTERTHOUGHT
We know not how far a kind word, or a kind deed may reach. That insignificant person you witness to may have a very special work to do for God.