Stan and I were at our favorite place for breakfast and conversation about our faith. As we were enjoying our first cup of coffee and waiting for Ricky to bring us breakfast, Stan’s phone buzzed. He picked it up, saw the caller ID, and refused the call. “I get more calls like that than any other kind,” he said with a laugh. “What kind of calls?” I asked.
“Scam likely,” he replied.
“Oh, yeah,” I said, “I get a lot of those as well. A real nuisance!”
“Indeed,” Stan agreed. “The other day I was talking with a neighbor about the same thing. He had a humorous view of such calls.”
“How so?”
“He refers to them as coming from someone named ‘Scam Likely,’ and that at one point in his life he was just like Scam’s brother who is named ‘Least’.”
“A brother named ‘Least’?”
“Yeah,” Stan replied with a smile. “Least Likely.”
“How so?”
“My neighbor said that if there was an award for such a thing, he would have won it for being the least likely person to ever become a disciple of Jesus. Just like Paul.”
“Just like Paul?”
“Yeah,” Stan replied. “I think you remember the story about how he was converted on the road when he was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians.”
“I do remember that,” I said. “Quite a conversion experience! But what’s that have to do with your neighbor? Did he have some sort of dramatic conversion experience?”
“I’m not sure about that,” Stan replied, “but he did tell me that he’d been such an unlikely candidate for being a Christian, that a lot of people doubted that he’d actually become one. Again, just like Paul when he went to Jerusalem and tried to associate with some disciples.”
“I’m not sure I remember that part,” I admitted.
“When Paul got to Jerusalem and tried to hang out with some of the disciples, they didn’t trust him. They thought he just wanted to find out who they were so he could get rid of them. But then Barnabas showed up to help.”
“Barnabas? What’d he do?”
“He took Paul to the apostles and explained to them what Paul had experienced with Jesus. That was the beginning of Paul’s amazing ministry to the church that continues today!”
“So,” I said, “Barnabas was a key player in Paul’s amazing ministry. Right?”
“Right,” Stan agreed. “Barnabas recognized Paul as a fellow believer and came along side of him to help.”
“He came along side of Paul to help him in what God had for Paul to do. Isn’t that what discipleship is supposed to be all about?”
“I think you’re right, my friend,” Stan replied. “We’re to go and make disciples, even if they might look to us to be the least likely! It’s up to God, not us.”
__________________________________
Bible verses to consider:
And when he (Saul/Paul) had come to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. Acts of the Apostles 9:26-28.
Go therefore and make disciples . . . . Matthew 28:19-20.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for giving Jesus and His finished work on the cross as the way to life with you. Thank you for the people you brought into my life to bring me to the truth of your salvation and redemption so I could accept it. Thank you, too, for the people you brought and continually bring into my life to help me grow in my relationship with you. Even though I know I will spend eternity in your presence, and even though I am growing in my relationship with you, I confess that too I don’t reach out to some people with the truth of the gospel because I think that won’t be interested. Please forgive that foolishness and help me follow your will, not mine, in going and making disciples. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Are you a Christian who is pursuing discipleship because you’ve accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life with Him, the life that begins here and will continue forever? If no, why do you choose to remain separated from God both now and forever? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with going and making disciples? Do you tend to avoid telling some people about the truth of the gospel because you think they are unlikely candidates for being Christians? If you sense the desire for change with any of this, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you truly want? Why or why not?
The need: Since God knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), what does He know you need, not only to be a Christian who is pursuing discipleship, but what He knows you need to go and make disciples even though you think some people are unlikely candidates to be Christians and disciples? Spend time studying God’s word, praying, reflecting, and journaling to see what God know you need. He will show you!
Forward: Do you know others who would or could benefit from this devotional? If so, why not forward it and open them to be part of the conversation between Stan and S. Tory Teller?
Excellent!🙏🏼