John 4:27-54

Billy Graham

Did you notice Billy Graham in today’s passage? No? Perhaps that is because he wasn’t there. As you probably know Billy Graham was one of the most successful evangelists of the 20th century. Who else was close? Id say Reinhard Bonnke and perhaps David Yonggi Cho. These guys were instrumental in bringing hundreds of thousands to Christ. They are Evangelists.

The office of Evangelist is one of the gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 that Christ gave to the church. An Evangelist has a special anointing that cannot be faked. Oh, you can manipulate people to come forward at a meeting, but anyone with a little discernment can smell that out. To get people to really respond to Christ...that is a special gift. Without it you can present brilliant arguments and even do great miracles but few are moved. With this gift you simply say, “Come to Jesus,” and they do.

I can’t help but think of Billy Graham and other well known evangelists when I read this passage. Andrew is often called the first evangelist for bringing his brother Peter to Jesus, but he was not the first mass evangelist. That honor goes to a Samaritan woman who had been married five times. She goes in to town and announces, “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” The result? Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.

Who may just be waiting to hear your testimony? Even if your name isn’t Billy.