JOHNNY
AND THE MISSIONARY

Topics: Discipleship; Evangelism; Ministry; Missions; Witnessing

References: Matthew 28:18–20; 2 Timothy 2:2

A veteran missionary met a new missionary, Johnny, who was a committed disciple of Jesus Christ but had a different approach to his work. He was spending most of his time meeting with a few young men in that country. The veteran missionary tried changing this tactic, but Johnny resisted. After several years, the veteran missionary found he had to leave the country because of visa restrictions.

“I’ve got little to show for my time there,” he said, reviewing his work. “Oh, there is a group of people who meet in our assembly, but I wonder what will happen to them when I leave. They are not disciples. They have been faithful in listening to my sermons, but they do not witness. Few of them know how to lead another person to Christ. They know nothing about discipling others. And now that I’m leaving, I can see I’ve all but wasted my time here.

“Then I look at what has come out of Johnny’s life. One of the men he worked with is now a professor at the university. This man is mightily used of God to reach and train scores of university students. Another is leading a witnessing and discipling team of about forty young men and women. Another is in a nearby city with a group of thirty-five growing disciples around him. Three have gone to other countries as missionaries and are now leading teams who are multiplying disciples.

“God is blessing their work. I see the contrast between my life and Johnny’s. I was so sure I was right. What he was doing seemed so insignificant, but now I look at the results, and they are staggering.”

—Billie Hanks and William Shell, eds., Discipleship (Zondervan, 1993)