Future Fruit From Past Faithfulness

“And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there.” (Joh 10:41-42 AV)

 The narrative is referring to Jesus Christ returning to the place in which John baptized the multitude.  At this point, John has been executed by Herod because Herod lusted after his step-daughter and promised John’s head on a charger.  John’s ministry had been over for several years.  With the attention span of a moth, one would figure the multitudes would have long forgotten what John preached and taught. You would think after seeing John imprisoned and executed, those who heard him would have dis-annulled his preached as the ranting of a convict.  This is not what happened.  John did no miracles.  John did no mighty works.  John did not draw attention to himself.  What he did do is preach.  This is what the people remembered.  Many remembered what the preacher said about Jesus and who Jesus was.  Many remembered John’s preaching as he expounded on the things Jesus would do to prove who he was.  They remembered and when they encountered the Messiah, it was the previous preaching of a faithful baptizer which played a large part in their conversion.  A preacher who had since departed from ministry and life whose influence lived on years after his departure.

One of the most stirring moments I have ever experienced was at my Bible College graduation.  I had been working at a pizzeria for a number of years, and through those years had many opportunities to witness to fellow employees and even customers.  After about seven years of doing that, one wonders if it really mattered.  Through that opportunity, there was only one soul saved and no one who ended up at church with me.  At least that was my understanding on the day that I had left.  However, I learned at my Bible College graduations, the LORD was able to use me far more than I thought.  We hired many high school kids looking for part time work.  One of those kids was a young man who would later sign up for the navy.  He wasn’t with us long and I didn’t have a whole lot of opportunity to share the gospel with him.  However, the LORD led me to purchase a Bible for him and preach a fifteen minute sermon on salvation.  I gave them to him as he was shipping out to boot camp.  Fast forward almost ten years later.  I had since left that church and moved down state.  I had lost track of that young man and if the truth be told, barely remembered the incident.  That was, until the dean of the college told the story of a man who he had the privilege of discipling because someone had given him the gospel and a bible right before he shipped off to boot camp.

The principle is this.  You never know what kind of impact you are making in the people who God allows to cross your path.  We often become discouraged because it seems there is no fruit from our efforts.  We see no one responding.  We see no one coming with us to church, signing up for a Bible study, or even reading a gospel tract.  We wonder if our efforts matter at all.  Every year, we work at our State Fair.  It is less than a mile from our church.  We share time with other churches running a booth, handing out literature, and trying to engage people in conversations regarding the gospel.  Outside, other churches are handing out tracts.  The sad thing is, these tracts are tossed aside either on the ground or in the trash.  The vast majority are rejected.  It is a stark reminder of how much the world does not care about eternal matters.  However, there are a few who will take a tract and put it in their purse or pocket for later consideration.  Some will stop and read it.  Even fewer might give you a minute or two to share the gospel.  No effort is totally useless.  John never saw the total sum of his effort.  It came after his death.  But it came.  And so, too, will yours.  So, keep on the firing line.  Keep handing out tracts.  Keep engaging people with the gospel of Christ.  Keep showing the joy in your heart and soul over what the LORD has done for you.  They won’t remember all the acts that you do.  But they will remember the words and the scriptures you shared