WEBVTT 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:14.560 Well, we're thankful for our youth choir and rejoice for that song and encouragement to understand that the Lord who rules the universe is greater than any any sin in this world, anything that dwells in our own heart. 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:23.920 Well, this morning we have a special joy to uh have a guest, a preacher this morning, Pastor John Glass, who's born in Paris but raised in Geneva. 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:32.880 Um, and then went to came to the United States, went to seminary at a Talbot Seminary out in Los Angeles, and then returned to Geneva to plant a church there. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:40.640 He's been pastoring the even it's a French name, but the English translation would be the Evangelical Bible Church of Geneva, something along those lines. 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:42.320 If it's French, who knows? 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:47.520 Um so he doesn't often get to preach in English, so we're we're glad to have him this morning. 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:51.520 Uh he and his wife Meg, who's who's here, Meg can give us a little wave. 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:52.320 Thank you. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:55.600 Um, they have been a special joy to my own family. 00:00:55.840 --> 00:01:05.280 Deidre got to go spend time with them uh many years ago uh in Geneva, and in fact, they they put her to work uh doing wallpaper in their house, if I recall correctly. 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:07.680 Um and it was an encouragement to their own heart. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:15.680 We've enjoyed uh knowing their kids uh who attended the Masters University while Deidre and I were in Los Angeles and knowing them through the years. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:22.560 Uh in fact, our youngest daughter, Geneva, is named after, of course, the city where John and Meg are. 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:28.159 And that's because Geneva really represents the power of the light to penetrate the darkness. 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:43.920 You know, the Europe was in such darkness in the 1500s, and yet through Calvin's bringing the Reformation to Geneva, the light really shattered the darkness and turned the world upside down there with John Knox, and it just became a beacon of gospel hope, what the gospel can do in a dark world. 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:48.400 And um, and of course, Geneva has fallen back into spiritual darkness now. 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:53.680 It's you know, the church that John pastors is just about the only evangelical church in Geneva. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:02.159 Um he he mentioned this morning it's the biggest church in Geneva, but there's more people in our choir, it seems like, than are in his his church. 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:04.799 I'm thankful for your ministry, uh John. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:10.479 We've named our daughter in the same light that she would be a light to a dark world, and we know that's what you're doing in Geneva. 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:12.159 So thank you for your faithfulness, Meg. 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:14.319 Thank you for for being here as well today. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:16.080 John, would you come bring us the word? 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:36.240 If you speak French, I'd like for you to raise your hand. 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:36.960 Thank you. 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:38.000 I'm recruiting. 00:02:38.080 --> 00:02:38.400 D'accord. 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:43.439 I will not continue in French anyway. 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:43.840 You know what? 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:44.719 All three services. 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:45.840 You got a bunch of French people. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:47.520 You must you get a French club going or something. 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:48.800 That's really cool. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:50.960 Anyway, thank you so much. 00:02:51.039 --> 00:02:52.719 It's a great honor to be here today. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:54.319 Jesse, thanks for the invitation. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:58.240 And Deedra, it was indeed fun having you, what, 18 years ago or so? 00:02:58.400 --> 00:02:58.800 Yeah. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:00.319 So this is an amazing thing. 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:01.840 I don't realize this. 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:04.319 Deedra has been to Geneva. 00:03:08.719 --> 00:03:11.199 Guess who has not been to Geneva? 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:15.680 So this is an official public invitation. 00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:17.199 You're invited to Geneva. 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:19.280 Please come and preach the word in Geneva. 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:20.479 Can I hear an amen? 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:21.199 Amen. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:22.159 Okay, you're coming. 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:23.039 Thank you so much. 00:03:23.280 --> 00:03:26.719 Now hurry up because we're almost done planning our church, so we may leave, okay? 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:27.599 So you need to hurry up. 00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:28.879 So we'd love to have you guys back. 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:29.599 It'd be great. 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:34.240 Anyway, it is really great to be here, and thank you so much for the honor of being able to preach the word. 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:45.759 So this morning, uh the title of my sermon is this one verse, five minutes, and a little bit of courage. 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:54.639 I don't know if you're like me, but I get super nervous when I am about to share the gospel with someone. 00:03:55.039 --> 00:03:56.400 Now you think that's kind of weird. 00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:59.520 I'm a professional evangelist, in a way. 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:00.560 I'm a missionary. 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:02.080 I get paid to do that. 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:09.120 And yet, every time the opportunity presents itself, I get scared. 00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:11.039 So I don't want to wimp out. 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:11.840 Right? 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:15.280 So we're doing group therapy this morning, okay? 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:26.160 Because if you're like me, if you get a little like tongue-twisted and nervous when you would think about even sharing the gospel, I would like to help us all today just get over that barrier. 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:26.639 Okay? 00:04:27.120 --> 00:04:29.279 So, my sermon's gonna have two parts. 00:04:29.439 --> 00:04:35.360 First of all, I'm going to tell you my story, my testimony of how the Lord led me to Christ. 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:43.439 And then I would like to go to Acts chapter 8 and exposite the text of the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. 00:04:43.680 --> 00:04:51.600 And I'm gonna put those two stories together and we're gonna draw out of all that three key principles for effective evangelism. 00:04:51.759 --> 00:04:53.120 And it won't be scary. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:05:01.040 I hope, this is a whole idea, that this will really be exciting and that this will get you motivated to say, you know what, I can do this. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:02.879 It's not that complicated, okay? 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:05.759 So that's my my goal, and we'll see what happens. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:09.040 So let me just start by telling you my story. 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:11.839 So actually, I was a born of American parents. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:22.720 My father was from Colorado, my mother from Oklahoma, and I was born, my bad dad was a businessman, and he moved to Europe in 1955, and so I was born in Paris along with my brothers in 55, in 1956. 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.720 Three months after my birth, my parents moved to Geneva, Switzerland, and that's where I was raised. 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:28.399 I was raised as a non-Christian. 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:30.800 I spoke English and French, that's why I'm bilingual. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:33.360 We attended the Episcopalian Church of Geneva. 00:05:33.519 --> 00:05:35.600 What I remember is a coffee, great coffee. 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:37.439 But that's about all I remember about that church. 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:42.079 And so I was raised there, and by the time I needed to go off to school, my parents sent me to a boarding school. 00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:49.839 I went to an English boarding school in Switzerland, then on to the Lawrenceville Prep School in New Jersey, and then on to Syracuse University in upstate New York. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:59.839 My goal was to be an international businessman, and so I studied Spanish language and literature to be three trilingual, and then a business degree so that I could go do my business and make my millions. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:05.360 Well, the Lord had different plans because after my freshman year, my freshman year was kind of a brutal year. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:09.439 It was the hippie days of the 70s, so I had long hair, smoking a lot of dope. 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:12.000 I was living a life that I shouldn't have been living. 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:14.319 But I was just having fun, you know, going through college. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:20.160 And yet, during that first year of college, I began to sense that there was something missing in me. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:22.480 There was a void, and I didn't know what it was. 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:24.959 So I thought, well, maybe the best thing to do is to take a year off. 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:30.720 We are kind of travel addicts in our family, and I thought I'm just gonna go travel and see if I can figure out what life is all about. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:42.000 So I took a year off in 1976, went back to Geneva, uh, worked for a while, saved my money, and so I took all my savings, and my budget was going to be three dollars a day. 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:45.120 Now, in those days, you can go a lot farther on three bucks than today, okay? 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:57.120 So I um took my backpack, put about 15 pounds of stuff in it, toothbrush, toothpaste, passport, money, and I took my backpack, and on June 23rd, 1976, went down to the train station. 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:59.360 By the way, my mom thought this was a great idea. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:01.600 She was really go, go, go, go see the world. 00:07:01.680 --> 00:07:04.160 So I got on the train, and for the first month, this is what I did. 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:10.160 If you're looking at the map, I went from Switzerland through Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Greece. 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:14.079 My goal, go to Greece and get a tan. 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:18.639 Believe it or not, I can get tanned. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:19.600 So I got tanned. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:20.639 Took a while, okay? 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:21.839 That's why I stayed six weeks. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:23.439 About the fifth week I got tanned. 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:25.759 And then I had this like bleached blonde hair. 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.800 I look so cool, okay? 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:29.600 I did. 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.639 I looked cool, but I was so empty. 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:36.800 I was void inside, living the life of a king, sleeping on the beaches, having a blast. 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:38.480 But there was just something missing in me. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:40.879 So a guy said, Hey, you need a job. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:41.920 I said, Okay. 00:07:42.240 --> 00:07:45.279 He said, You need to go to Israel and work in a kibbutz, like a farm. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:46.879 I said, Okay, so I went. 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:48.319 So I went to Israel. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:54.959 Next morning, I'm at kibbutz Betashita in Israel, and they put me in the olive groves, and there I am at 4 a.m. 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:59.120 picking olives, and that was a blast for about two days. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:03.279 And I realized nothing was cutting it. 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:05.920 I was having this life crisis at 19 years old. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:07.040 Nothing was cutting it. 00:08:07.199 --> 00:08:12.800 So I left the kibbutz and I went down to Jerusalem and I bought a book, and it said, you gotta go see the garden tomb. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:15.759 This is one of the two places they believe Jesus was uh buried. 00:08:15.920 --> 00:08:16.720 So I thought, okay. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:19.279 So I went, non-believer, of course, you know. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:22.399 So I'm early, I'm an early morning guy, and I'm the first one there. 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:25.439 They open the door, pay, go in, and boom. 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:31.279 The tomb of Jesus is right there in front of me. 00:08:31.439 --> 00:08:33.759 And I'm going, whoa. 00:08:34.240 --> 00:08:36.639 It's like the tomb of Jesus right there. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:42.559 So I walk inside the tomb of Jesus, and I'm looking around, in the tomb of Jesus. 00:08:42.799 --> 00:08:44.799 Man, I get cold chills on my whole body. 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:47.200 Thinking, this is like weird, you know? 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:51.200 So I walk out, go over to the right, Golgotha. 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:56.480 So he's a Skullhead Mountain, and there's a sign that says, and this is where Jesus was crucified. 00:08:56.559 --> 00:09:02.240 And there I got overwhelmed with emotion and began to weep uncontrollably, but I didn't know why. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:04.879 So I wiped my tears away, left. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:06.960 And I thought, ah, what now? 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:17.279 So I went down south and stayed another month or so in Israel, and I met a guy, and he said, Hey John, if you really want to know what life is all about, you've got to go to Asia. 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:19.759 I thought, cool, I'm going. 00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:25.360 So I left Israel, went back to Greece, up to Turkey, to Istanbul. 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:30.799 So if you're looking at the map, this is Europe, this is Asia, there's the bridge, Istanbul. 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:31.200 Okay? 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:41.679 So in those days when people were going back and forth, all those countries were open, there was huge parking lots in Istanbul, and there was a bright blue bus, and it said, riders wanted for India$40. 00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:45.759 I thought, sweet deal,$40 to go to India. 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:48.879 Now I didn't know where India was, so I bought a map, okay? 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:51.759 And I thought, whoa, long trip. 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:52.879 I said, this is cool. 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:55.120 So I paid my 40 bucks, got on the bus. 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:57.440 There were about 15 or 20 people. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:09:59.279 They're all going to Nepal for drugs, okay? 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:02.399 Big blue Mercedes, old bus we had to push it to start it. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:13.360 But anyway, so I got on the bus, and for the next six weeks, okay, we went through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India. 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:15.759 A lot happened on that trip. 00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:18.480 Do you have six hours? 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:19.759 No, just kidding. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:26.480 We got busted for drugs and Herat, Afghanistan, threatened to put us in jail, scariest day of my life. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:29.919 And that's when I realized, John, what are you doing with your life? 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:33.519 We went on, didn't actually get busted beyond that. 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:40.639 Went to New Delhi, got to India, and all my friends pulled out syringes and began, you know, shooting up with heroin and stuff, and I thought, uh-uh, that is not me. 00:10:40.720 --> 00:10:43.600 We all have this conscience bar, and mine was flashing big time. 00:10:43.679 --> 00:10:44.879 And I knew that was not right. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:45.759 That was not for me. 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:50.960 So I got off the bus in New Delhi, they went on to Nepal, and I was now been gone about five months. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:54.159 And you know, then you you're you're hit with the poverty in New Delhi. 00:10:54.240 --> 00:11:02.000 And uh, especially in those days, you know, and just people everywhere sleeping on the streets, and cows everywhere, and bikes everywhere, and Indians with red dots everywhere. 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:04.480 I mean, it really's really kind of an interesting place. 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:08.639 And and I was like overwhelmed with the poverty, and I thought, oh man, I just can't figure this out. 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:09.360 Is God there? 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:12.399 God not there, people, how do you work all this out? 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:14.000 I had no idea. 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:17.440 So I took my savings and I always had enough money for a plane ticket home. 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:18.559 So I said, I'm going home. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:19.919 So I bought a plane ticket. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:25.039 I was leaving the next day, and I was walking down Jan Path Avenue in New Delhi. 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:31.279 And I saw a guy, he was a European guy with hair down a ear, and he was handing out pieces of paper to everybody. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:34.480 He was a missionary. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:37.759 So I didn't know what a missionary was. 00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:38.639 I'd never seen one in my life. 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:39.360 I didn't know what that was. 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:40.639 So he was just a really nice guy. 00:11:40.720 --> 00:11:41.600 So we started talking. 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:43.759 He said, Hey John, do you want to go and get a Coke? 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:44.879 I said, sure, I'll go get a Coke. 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:46.159 So we went and had a Coke. 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:49.440 And then in a few minutes, he said this to me. 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:55.279 John, can I show you one verse in the Bible? 00:11:56.559 --> 00:11:57.279 Ho ho ho. 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:00.480 I knew Christians back at Syracuse, okay? 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:02.399 They all looked like me, okay? 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:10.720 They all had suits and ties, short hair, they all had Bibles and they all went to churches, you know, and I thought, ugh, that is just totally not me. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:12.240 I said, I don't know. 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:13.279 He says, then he said this. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:15.039 Now, folks, try this sometime. 00:12:15.120 --> 00:12:16.639 No, I don't want to hear a verse in the Bible. 00:12:16.720 --> 00:12:24.080 So he said, John, this is the best seller in the history of the world. 00:12:24.639 --> 00:12:27.519 You need to know one verse. 00:12:29.600 --> 00:12:32.240 I said, okay. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:35.360 Fatal okay. 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:41.279 So he took his Bible and he opened it to John 316. 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:44.159 Never heard of it in my life. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:49.120 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:50.159 I said, okay. 00:12:50.320 --> 00:12:53.840 He said, John, let's analyze the verse. 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.039 So I said, okay. 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:01.919 Second fatal, okay. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:05.200 So he says, for God so loved the world. 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:06.159 What does the word world mean? 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:10.159 I said, well, the world, world, the word world means world, everybody. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:11.759 He goes, exactly. 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:20.879 He says, Chinese, Peruvians, Senegalese, Argentinians, Swiss, Americans, you could actually substitute your name. 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:23.679 For God so loved John, he loved you. 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:27.600 For God so loved John that he gave his only begotten son. 00:13:27.759 --> 00:13:28.320 He said, Who's that? 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:29.120 I said, I don't know. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:29.919 Context. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:31.440 Jesus Christ. 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:32.159 Whoa. 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:33.600 Flashback. 00:13:33.759 --> 00:13:41.679 I had just a couple of months before been inside the tomb of Jesus Christ, and I'd stood at Golgotha weeping. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:48.159 Suddenly it's like this verse just jumped out of the page of me, and there was historical context to it. 00:13:48.240 --> 00:13:49.840 It's like I could see it. 00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:55.120 For God, so loved John, that he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 00:13:55.360 --> 00:13:57.759 Jesus Christ who died and rose again. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:08.879 Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, Jesus Christ, totally holy, who took the sins of men, died, died my death, so that I would gain his righteousness. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:15.360 He said, For God, so loved John, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:20.639 Then he said to me, John, this verse says you got a choice, one of two choices here. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:22.799 Number one, you can reject that. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:30.000 You can reject Jesus Christ, reject the cross, reject Golgotha, reject his sacrifice, reject his blood. 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:32.159 And the Bible says you will perish. 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:36.720 A holy God will judge you because the wages of sin is death. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:38.799 You will die physically and you will die spiritually. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:42.639 You will be cut off for all eternity from a holy God and suffer for it. 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:44.559 You have to pay for your own sin. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:46.639 That's what it says. 00:14:46.799 --> 00:14:47.759 You will perish. 00:14:49.360 --> 00:14:54.399 For God so loved John that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 00:14:54.559 --> 00:15:01.440 So you can perish, or what the verse says is you can believe and receive eternal life. 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:07.360 You can recognize your sin, recognize that you are under the wrath of God for your sin. 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:11.759 Repent from the sin, realize I hate that sin. 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:19.120 And then let Jesus Christ by faith invite him to wash that sin away. 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:24.799 John the Baptist said, right in John 1, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:32.399 He said, He will remove your sin, all of it, past, present, and future, and give you, according to the verse, eternal life. 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:34.000 That's what it says. 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:37.840 Then he said, What do you want to do? 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:42.159 Man, my heart was pounding. 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:44.000 I knew I was a sinner. 00:15:44.720 --> 00:15:45.759 I knew that. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:49.840 And deep down I wanted forgiveness, but I loved my sin. 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:53.360 And I got scared, I got up and I walked out. 00:15:53.440 --> 00:15:59.120 The guy paid, walked out, came after me, followed me, said, John, this is your last chance. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:02.720 Repent now and trust Christ. 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:04.320 And I said, okay. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:08.960 So right then in there on the street in New Delhi, cows everywhere, people, bikes everywhere. 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:12.080 I bowed my head and I said, Jesus Christ. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:21.759 If you can really do this, if you can really wash my sin away, if you can really give me eternal life, do it. 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:28.000 No thunder. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:30.639 No voice from heaven. 00:16:32.879 --> 00:16:34.000 No lightning. 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:40.960 But at that instant, ladies and gentlemen, the God of the universe invaded my little heart. 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:46.320 And I was forgiven of all my sins by the blood of Jesus Christ. 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:48.720 All of it. 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:51.039 Past, present, future. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.279 I was declared righteous. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:57.600 And I was given eternal life. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:00.559 I knew something radical had happened. 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:01.919 I just didn't know what it was. 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:05.039 I said thank you, goodbye. 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:08.480 And folks, I've never seen that guy again. 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:09.680 I don't know who he is. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:10.880 I know he's Dutch. 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:12.559 I know he had long hair. 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:14.240 I have never seen him. 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:15.279 I don't know his name. 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:16.640 And you know what? 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:21.599 That guy has no idea what happened to me. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:28.319 He has no idea that I have now been a missionary for 33 years following his example. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:30.720 He has no clue. 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:32.720 Why? 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:35.200 Why am I a missionary? 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:38.880 Because one day that man took one verse. 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:42.960 Five minutes with a little bit of courage. 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:46.160 And he told me the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:17:46.319 --> 00:17:48.960 And it forever changed my life. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:54.319 Oh, next plane, next day I got on the airplane. 00:17:54.480 --> 00:17:56.640 I went back to my hotel, by the way, gave all my drugs away. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:00.400 Next day I get on the airplane, try to share what I'm believing to this guy. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:01.519 He's a Muslim. 00:18:01.759 --> 00:18:05.119 It's like, I know what I'm talking about, and he just thinks I'm totally crazy. 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:12.559 So I get off the plane in Goa, and I go down to this place in Goa, and I uh meet some other missionaries down there, and they train me for like a month. 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:14.319 And then from there I go back to Geneva. 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:18.400 My poor mom, you know, your son leaves, it's like hippie, comes back, Jesus fanatic. 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:19.759 Whoa, you know. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.039 But uh this one really stuck. 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:27.119 And um, then I went back to Syracuse and I got to Syracuse and I wanted Christians. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:29.680 I didn't know a Christian in the whole country, so I didn't know what to do. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:30.720 So I just called the operator. 00:18:30.799 --> 00:18:31.440 I said, hello. 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:32.880 So she said, hello, operator. 00:18:32.960 --> 00:18:33.920 I said, hello, hi. 00:18:34.079 --> 00:18:37.599 I said, uh, my name is John, and I'm looking for some Christians. 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:38.880 I did. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.599 And so she goes, one moment, please, okay? 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:51.680 So she gives me a list of all these groups, and the one that sounded the coolest was a group called Campus Crusade for Christ, okay? 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:53.440 And I just thought, how cool is this? 00:18:53.519 --> 00:19:05.680 And Crusade, so I went to their other meetings and they had all these training programs, and I ended up just going to them all the time, did all the Bible studies, and I'm going to Panorama City Beach, I think it was, went to Fort Collins, did all their training, got real excited. 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:08.880 They're into evangelism, you know, so I liked evangelism, so I did that. 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:12.559 And then uh then I graduated from college and had to get a job. 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:17.119 So I got a job, and I got a job, actually, I got a job as a flight attendant with Pan Am. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:26.640 And one day I was at the airport in Kennedy Airport, and I ran into the most beautiful flight attendant who's a Christian in the history of mankind, and I married her right there. 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:27.119 Okay. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:36.799 So from there we went out to California, did my seminary training, and then I thought to myself, can you believe it, John? 00:19:36.880 --> 00:19:41.200 You were raised in Geneva, Switzerland, the city of Calvin, never heard the gospel once. 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:42.319 I said, That's wrong. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:44.000 There's just something wrong about that scenario. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:45.680 So I asked the Lord, can we just go back? 00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:47.359 So we've now been back 33 years. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:51.680 We were 10 years in Paris and now 22 years in Geneva, and we just plant churches. 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:55.119 So if you come tonight, I'm gonna show some PowerPoints of the churches and things we've done there. 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:56.559 It's been really very exciting. 00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:02.400 But man, there's a lot more work, and we need some good preachers, Jesse, okay, who will just come and preach one day. 00:20:02.640 --> 00:20:04.240 Go with me to Acts chapter 8. 00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:18.960 Let me let me bring this, um, bring and bring us the word here, because I want to tie this story that God, the way God changed me, with another amazing story about the radical conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, okay, in Acts chapter 8. 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:27.920 And what I would like to try and do this this morning is to draw out three simple principles, okay, that everybody can apply really in their lives. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:28.559 You'll see. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:33.200 Three simple principles of effective evangelism. 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:43.519 And I pray that you'll grab these and that you'll really be motivated and encouraged by these, and that this would really help you just think a little more evangelism. 00:20:43.599 --> 00:20:46.559 Okay, so here's the let me just read verse 26. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:54.400 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:55.680 This is the desert road. 00:20:55.839 --> 00:20:57.759 And he arose and went. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:00.960 Okay, here's the first principle. 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:07.839 The first principle of effective evangelism is this the preparation of a messenger. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:13.279 There must be a messenger for evangelism to take place. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:14.880 This is what happens. 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:22.799 You see, but an angel of the Lord spoke to a man named Philip, and he says to them, Go and rise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:25.759 This is the desert road, and he arose and went. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:31.839 Folks, you see, before ministry can happen, before evangelism can happen, God needs to write messenger. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:32.720 Think about this. 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:43.359 Could God take the stars of the sky at night and write John 3.16 in the language over every country where they see the stars? 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:44.480 Could God do that? 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:45.279 Yes. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:46.559 Does He do that? 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:48.000 Why not? 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:50.240 It'd be so much simpler. 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.319 Ah, I'll tell you why not. 00:21:54.559 --> 00:21:59.519 Because Matthew 28 gives us the way God intended evangelism to take place. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:07.119 And in verse 19, Jesus says to his disciples, Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. 00:22:08.559 --> 00:22:12.880 See, disciples are called to make disciples. 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:16.079 In Mark 16, preach the gospel to every creature. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:21.519 See, God has always wanted evangelism to be done by people. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:23.119 That is his plan. 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:23.599 Okay? 00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:24.240 Question. 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:25.119 What kind? 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:26.400 What kind of people? 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:28.079 What kind of messengers does he want? 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.119 Well, that's interesting. 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:32.880 Well, since we're in Acts 8, all you got to do is go back to chapters. 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:36.400 Because Philip appears for the first time in Acts chapter 6. 00:22:36.559 --> 00:22:37.519 You remember the story. 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:40.640 Jerusalem church is born, it's growing like crazy. 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:42.000 Thousands of people come to Christ. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:43.039 Then there's a crisis. 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:45.440 Churches that didn't grow, you usually have crises of some kind. 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:50.079 This one is that these Hellenistic Jews, ladies, women, widows, were not being fed. 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:51.039 That was the problem. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:58.160 And it was an important problem because the elders grouped people around and they asked to find seven men to deal with this problem. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:10.400 And it says in verse 3, but select from among you, Acts 6.3, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task, but we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:13.039 And the statement found approval with the whole congregation. 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:16.880 And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. 00:23:17.119 --> 00:23:19.440 And number two, Philip. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:20.799 There's our guy. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:22.559 There's our guy. 00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:23.440 Okay. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:24.799 It's interesting. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:26.319 So what kind of man is Philip? 00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:28.960 Well, verse 3 tells us he had a good reputation. 00:23:29.200 --> 00:23:30.640 What does that mean? 00:23:31.359 --> 00:23:34.640 A reputation is what people say about you when you're not around. 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:36.000 He had a good one. 00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:37.200 That's good. 00:23:37.680 --> 00:23:39.680 Number two, he was full of the Holy Spirit. 00:23:39.839 --> 00:23:40.559 Verse 3. 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:44.240 That means his life was controlled by Christ and his Spirit. 00:23:44.559 --> 00:23:47.200 He was filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:23:47.279 --> 00:23:49.440 He lived a holy life. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.319 Verse 3 also says he was full of wisdom. 00:23:54.559 --> 00:23:58.720 In French, when you say to a child, ah, he's obedient, we don't say he's obedient. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:00.960 We don't say l'enfant est obéissant. 00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:02.480 We say l'enfant est sage. 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:04.000 The child is wise. 00:24:04.079 --> 00:24:04.400 Why? 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:07.119 Because wisdom is applied knowledge. 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:11.519 So he was wisdom, obedient. 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:14.000 He was also submissive in verse 5. 00:24:14.160 --> 00:24:18.079 Notice that when he was proposed to the apostles, he accepted the job. 00:24:18.319 --> 00:24:21.920 So he was a submissive man, humble, ready to do what the apostles said. 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:26.640