BILL
KNIPE
BY
Evangelism and discipleship can
get downright messy at times.
Church history is full of examples.
Ministry can be painful, danger-
ous, and even deadly. Just like
that kitten, the people we try to
rescue can harm us. Our very lives
may be at risk.
Is it worth it? Let the Bible answer that question.
“He is not willing that any should perish.”
To God, the risk is worth it. Jesus’ sacrificial, life-giving
example shows that the human soul is valuable to Him.
Do these Scriptures apply only to safe places? “How
shall they hear without a preacher,” “go ye into all the
world,” and “preach the Gospel to every creature.”
In the Apostle Paul’s words, “God forbid.” I need to
be willing to take risks for the Lord. Yet, the risks
must be carefully assessed.
Confirmation of the Lord’s call to
a place is extremely important.
Nonetheless, the risks also come
with great reward. In the vernac-
ular of fitness gurus, “no pain, no
gain.” Let me give you an example
of the reward that comes from
persevering in a God–given call
to take risks for the sake of His
kingdom.
We are seeing fruit even from a very dangerous
apartment complex, Beverly Court. There are often
shootings there. Two of our church ladies shared an
emotional testimony with our church family on a
Sunday after having witnessed the shooting death
of a young man in the courtyard of Beverly Court
the night before. Their hearts were distraught to see
the young people go right back to their gambling
and dancing while they waited for the ambulance
and police to remove their friend’s lifeless body after
gangsters fatally shot him. “There is no value of a
human soul,” said our church ladies.
Yet, our church family held a Live Nativity in that
same courtyard at Christmas time. Now these people
who need Jesus are hearing of Him. They need
risk-taking believers to show them by example “the
value of the human soul.”
How will they ever hear without a
preacher? How will the believers in
Ravensmead ever gain courage and a
desire to reach their neighbors without
someone being a living example to them?
The Gospel is spreading. People are get-
ting saved and experiencing Christ-like
change. Praise Him!
I corrected one zealous young Christian
man I was discipling for his “Jesus” graffiti
on the wall of Beverly Court. Yet, his
misguided zeal to tell people about Jesus stands
as a testimony that the risks must be taken.
These were the first words I heard from my first
evangelistic efforts in Ravensmead, South Africa.
Earlier that day I had convinced the two young men
who had committed to start a church plant with me
to go on door-to-door evangelism. They lived in the
area but were too afraid to evangelize because of the
dangers. I told them that for safety they could stick
together, and I would evangelize on the opposite
side of the road. But when I met that gang of young
men and heard the one tell me about this injury, I
changed my mind about walking by myself.
Fast forward eight years, and Grace Baptist Church
stands as a lighthouse with around 40 people
in attendance.
It was so tempting
to make that first
encounter in Raven-
smead a reason to
avoid the area alto-
gether in hopes that
someone more coura-
geous and streetwise
than I would be called
there. I soon learned
that my first encounter
was not unusual. Since
then I have witnessed
many violent crimes,
been
caught
in
crossfire, had threats
on my life, and had
my van pounced on
and shaken by an angry mob while I was trying to
minister. The list of known “close calls” continues.
So, why stay in the midst of such dangers? Am I
being foolish? Am I being a foolish husband and
father? Are the risks worth it? Let me answer with
an illustration.
A kitten maneuvered its way through the foundation
into the wall of a home we were visiting. It had been
crying for days and was about to starve to death.
In a last-ditch effort to save its life, we pulled back
the trim by the ceiling, and my wife reached for it.
Every time my wife tried to rescue it, the kitten would
scratch and bite her hand. With a bit of pain and
injury, she persevered and saved the little kitten’s
life. If she had not, the kitten would have died.
RISKS FOR HIS KINGDOM
“SOME WANT TO LIVE WITHIN THE
SOUND OF CHURCH OR CHAPEL BELL;
I WANT TO RUN A RESCUE SHOP
WITHIN A YARD OF HELL.”
C.T. Studd
“WHY IS YOUR HEAD BANDAGED?”
I ASKED.
“YESTERDAY A GANGSTER COLD-
COCKED MY HEAD WITH HIS GUN
RIGHT WHERE YOU’RE STANDING.”