REVIVAL TRAINING
The Method of the Evangelist: Tilling the Ground
Often we hear an evangelist’s testimony that goes something like this: “I was a drug addict. Then I met Jesus, and since then everything has been wonderful.” That’s a great testimony to the grace of God.
But my testimony is the opposite. As a young man, I had the opportunity to study at some of the great universities in the United States. While a student at Louisiana State University, I met Jesus. Since then I’ve faced many difficulties for preaching the gospel. However, following Jesus has been a great adventure.
I traveled in 1974 to a place then called Leningrad. Fred Starkweather and I had gone to this Russian city to share our faith in Christ. The first place we went was the university. We saw a student sitting by himself, and we began to tell him about Jesus.
He told us something very interesting: “All my life I have been taught there is no God. My parents taught me there is no God. My school taught me there is no God. I’ve never believed there was a God until two weeks ago. I was looking into the heavens and I thought to myself, There must be a God. There’s too much order in the universe. I said, ‘O God, if You exist, would you reveal yourself to me?’ I believe that God answered my prayer by sending you here to tell me about Jesus.”
Not only did that young man give his heart to Christ, but he also wanted us to tell his friends about Jesus. For the next thirty minutes we shared the gospel with scores of university students.
I’ve never seen students so hungry for the gospel. It was such a blessing! My friend, Fred, and I were in a city where we didn’t know anyone. We were in a culture where we felt uncomfortable. We were far away from our families. Yet, God’s presence filled our hearts. He was with us. Our hearts overflowed with His joy.
That night I did some deep soul-searching. I asked myself if it was worth it to travel such a long distance to a city so far away from my culture and home to tell that one student about Christ. Deep in my heart came a response to my own question: “Yes, it was worth it. Christ suffered and died for the sins of the whole world, including that one university student.” It was worth anything to see one man come to Christ and escape an eternal hell.
Our train brought us the next day in Helsinki, Finland. One day later I was reunited with my family, and I knew one young man had came to Christ. He’ll spend eternity in heaven. That day I learned a great lesson. The difficulties of this life can’t be compared to the joy of seeing one person come to Christ.
John : Chapter 4
31) Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32) But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33) Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” 34) “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35) Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36) Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37) Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38) I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.” Many Samaritans Believe
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Contact: info@sammytippit.org
All Rights Reserved