Working with students and student pastors for over 30 years, has given me insight on a few things. Of course, the older I get the more I realize I know nothing. But here is something I have learned. There is nothing more powerful in the life of a believer than to be used by God! When I was still a teenager and newly surrendered to the ministry, God taught me something that would steer my thinking for the rest of my life.
I was in Birmingham, Alabama when my twin brother Todd and I took some college students to a place called South Side on a Saturday night. It was an area of town that attracted some interesting folks. It kind of reminded me of the bar scene in the Star Wars movies. We went down to hang out and invite people to church. We had taken a church van, you know the one with the hand waving in the back window that tells everyone to follow them to vacation Bible school. Well needless to say, we parked it around the corner where nobody saw us. To make this very long story short, I will jump to the end of the night. We had been out talking with people all night and having a great time, when my brother told everyone to wrap it up and head back to the van. As soon as I told the last guy good night, I started heading down the street back to the van. My attention soon focused on this big dude leaning against a light pole. I have never heard the audible voice of God(I would die of course if I did), but I did hear a small voice inside of me that said go talk to him. Well as we all probably do, I started looking this guy over and sizing him up. He was huge. He had long hair to the middle of his back with a bandana to keep it out of his face, and big old motorcycle boots on that I’m sure would be used to put up my butt if I said anything to him. This guy was staring up into the sky and he looked mad. He did not look like he wanted to talk to me or anybody else. I started making excuses why I could not stop and chat, so I headed to the van. I jumped into the passenger seat and my brother pulled up to the stop sign where I could see this guy. I told my brother to hold on a minute. I needed to go talk to him. I really felt like the Lord wanted me to. I asked him if he would go with me and he said “God had told him nothing!” Todd and everyone else in the van said, “just go over there and tell him God loves him and if he gets mad just run. We are praying for you, now go”!
I stepped out of the van and was a little afraid, but it was like I made the step and boom, I was standing in front of this guy. You know when you are standing on top of a high cliff above the water and you want to jump but are hesitant? This was the same kind of thing. We all get in those situations where we know God has told us to do something and it seems crazy or intimidating and we start to hesitate. The freedom comes when you jump, when we step out of the boat. The thrill and exhilaration that comes from the encounter is amazing.
I found myself suddenly staring at this mountain of a man and ended up just saying “I think God wanted me to tell you He loves you.” After I said those words, I was ready to run back to the safety of the van, but something miraculous happened. He started to cry, I mean flat out bawl. After a few seconds (felt like minutes) he said something I will never forget. “I came out of that bar five minutes ago, leaned up against this pole, looked up in the sky and said if there is a God in heaven show me.” Five minutes earlier I had walked by him. He told me his grandmother had been praying for him for fourteen years. Like a child he dropped to his knees and prayed a simple prayer for God to forgive him and come into his life. WOW!! Here is the lesson I have learned that has shaped everything I think about ministry. God did not need me that night but He chose to use me. I got the blessing. I have never been so fired up for the Lord in all of my life, because here it is….I got to partner with the creator of the universe to redeem His creation! Once that happens to you or one of your students they will never be the same.
Why First Priority? Because it gives us the opportunity to equip our student leaders to go partner with God in the greatest mission field in our country.
Mark Roberts
Associate Director
First Priority of America
