My heart was pounding as I sat in the front row of Fifth Avenue Chapel in Belmar, New Jersey on a warm night in June 1968. It was a Tuesday evening and the second night of a series of gospel meetings by a visiting evangelist from South Africa. I had been born in Africa but was now living in the USA. Raised in a Christian family, I had heard the gospel hundreds of times before. I was blessed to grow up in a family where the Bible was read and discussed often. In fact, we started the day at breakfast with a reading for the day and some short devotional thoughts. We ended the day after dinner systematically reading through the Bible in the living room. In addition, we were each encouraged to have our own daily personal quiet time with the Lord.
But here I was, aged 11, sitting in the front row of this beautiful old, former Episcopalian church with its richly paneled walls and stained glass windows. There was a comfort and familiarity in that building. The practice of our family was to be in the church building whenever there was a meeting. So we were there for all five nights of the gospel meetings. On Monday evening, I listened to the evangelist present the gospel. At first I was pleased to just hear his South African accent which was a familiar sound for our family.
As he opened the Word of God and carefully took us through the gospel, I listened more intently. He shared from scripture that we were sinners. Even at 11 I already knew that. I was aware that I was a sinner and that as a sinner, I could not have a relationship with God. I grew increasingly uncomfortable as I listened to him speak. But he shared about the love of God and the sending of His Son to stand in our place. My place. He shared verses I was familiar with like John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life and Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Suddenly these verses I had memorized before came alive for me. It was almost as though I was hearing them for the first time! I felt convicted of my sin and relieved that there was a way of salvation for me.
That night I was sitting next to a friend in the front row and at the end of the meeting, there was an invitation given to come forward to talk with someone about my lost condition and the salvation that could be mine. As the final song, “Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidst me come to thee, Oh Lamb of God, I come”, played I wanted to go forward, but didn’t. I asked my friend to come with me but he wouldn’t. I don’t know why I didn’t go forward that night. Perhaps fear, perhaps embarrassment that I had grown up in Christian family and should have already been saved. I am not sure. I told no-one that night about wanting to go forward to publicly surrender my life to Christ.
The following night, as soon as the invitation was given, I was first on my feet and stood quietly at the front while we sang what seemed to be an endless number of stanzas of that hymn! An older brother took me upstairs to the nursey to talk with me. We sat in these miniature nursery chairs and just talked. Looking back, this older brother was not even thirty, but he had a deep concern for my soul and wanted me to be sure I fully understood what I was doing. There were no magic words or special prayers, just the truth of God’s Word to guide us. He asked me why I wanted to be saved and where I put my faith. It wasn’t in the evangelist, or in him but in the Lord Jesus Christ.
I was saved that night and looking back over the past fifty years I am thankful. I praise the Lord for all that He has brought me through and for the many opportunities He has given me to serve Him. I have failed Him many times in my life, but the Lord has never failed me. If you are not saved, if you have not surrendered your life and will to the Lord Jesus Christ and come into this new and living relationship with Him, I would plead with you to do it today.
Pattern Of Sound Words 