There Must Be Something More

69 | Give Me Courage

Grandpa Chuck looked at the three of us kids in the room. "Saints, the first thing I thought after Pastor James preached was, 'I thought I was the only one who didn't believe in follow-up.' Now, I believe in feeding a new convert; I believe in nurturing him. I believe in discipling him-biblical and most necessary. But I don't believe in following him. I can't find it in Scripture. The Ethiopian eunuch was left without follow-up. How could he survive? All he had was God and the Scriptures.

"You see, follow-up...now let me explain follow-up for those of you who don't know. Follow-up is when we get decisions, either through crusades or local church, and we take laborers from the harvest field, who are few as it is, and give them this disheartening task of running after these decisions to make sure they're going on with God.

"What it is is a sad admission of the amount of confidence we have in the power of our message than in the keeping power of God. If God has saved them, God will keep them. If they're born of God, they'll never die. If He's begun a good work in them, He'll complete it to that day (Philip. 1:6); if He's the author of their faith, He'll be the finisher of their faith (Heb. 12:2). He's able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by Him (Heb. 7:25). He's able to keep them from falling and present them faultless before the presence and glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24). Jesus said, 'No one will pluck you from My Father's hand' (John 10:29).

"You see, saints, the problem is that Lazarus is four days dead (John 11). We can run in the tomb, we can pull him out, we can prop him up, we can open his eyes, but 'he stinketh' (vs. 39). He needs to hear the voice of the Son of God. And the sinner is four days dead in his sins. We can run up and say, 'Say this prayer.' Still, he needs to hear the voice of the Son of God, or there is no life in him; and the thing that primes the sinner's ear to hear the voice of the Son of God is the law.

"It's a schoolmaster to bring him to Christ that he might be justified through faith (Gal. 3:24). Saints, the law works; it converts the soul (Ps. 19:7). It makes the person a new creature in Christ. That old things pass away; behold, all things are become new (2Cor. 5:17). So find yourself a sinner, and experiment on him. But as you do so, remember this one anecdote."

Meredith nodded. She took the floor. "You're sitting on a plane, sipping you're coffee, biting a cookie, and watching a movie. It's a good flight, very pleasurable, when suddenly you hear, 'This is your captain speaking. I have an announcement to make. As the tail section has just fallen off of this plane, we're about to crash. There's a 25,000 foot drop. There's a parachute under your seat; we'd appreciate it if you'd put it on. Thank you for your attention, and thank you for flying with this airline.'"

I positioned myself to a proper sitting stature. I looked hard at Meredith, lest I get distracted and miss my whole life.

She continued, "You say, 'What!? 25,000 feet!? Man, am I glad to be wearing this parachute!' You look next to you; the guy next to you is biting his cookie, sipping his coffee, and watching the movie. You say, 'Excuse me, did you hear the captain? Put the parachute on.' He turns to you and says, 'Oh, I really don't think the captain means it. Besides, I'm quite happy as I am, thanks.'

"Don't turn to him in sincere zeal and say, 'Oh, please, put the parachute on. It will be better than the movie.' Now, that doesn't make sense. If you tell him that somehow the parachute will improve his flight, he's going to put it on for a wrong motive. If you want him to put it on and keep it on, tell him about the jump."

I nodded, scribbling down the details.

"You say, 'Excuse me, ignore the captain if you wish. Jump without a parachute...SPLAT!' He says, 'I'm sorry; I beg your pardon.' 'I said, if you jump without a parachute, law of gravity. 'Ppppbbbbtttt' on the ground.' 'Ah! Goodness me! I see what you're saying! Thank you very much!' And as long as that man has knowledge he has to pass through the door and face the consequences of breaking the law of gravity, there's no way you're going to get that parachute off his back, because his very life depends on it."

"Yes!" I marveled at the deep revelation of the message.

Grandpa Chuck said, "Now, if you look around you, you'll find there are plenty of passengers enjoying the flight. They're enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season. Go up and say, 'Excuse me. Did you hear the command from our Captain about salvation, 'Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.' " He turns to you and says, 'Oh, I really don't think God means it. God is love. Besides, I'm quite happy as I am, thanks.' Don't turn to him in sincere zeal without knowledge and say, 'Please, put on the Lord Jesus Christ. He'll give you love, joy, peace, fulfillment, and lasting happiness. You've got a God-shaped vacuum in your heart only God can fill. If you have a marriage problem, drug problem, alcohol problem, just give your heart to Jesus.'

"No. You'll give him the wrong motive for his commitment. Instead say, 'Oh, God, give me courage!' and tell him about the jump. Just say, 'Hey, it's appointed to man once to die. If you die in your sins, God will be forced to give you justice, and His judgment is going to be so thorough. Every idle word a man speaks he'll give account thereof on the day of judgment; if you've lusted, you've committed adultery. If you've hated someone, you've committed murder. And Jesus warned that justice will be so thorough, the fist of eternal wrath will come upon you and smack-grind you to powder. God bless.'"

The three of us chuckled, but we knew it was true.

"But if we do that, wouldn't we be using hell as some kind of tool for people to come to Jesus?" I asked.

Grandpa Chuck smiled. "I was just about to get to that."