The Spiritual Condition of America, Politics, Culture, and Current Events Analyzed Through the Lens of Scripture. Welcome to the Alex McFarland Show. What do you think of when you hear the words Great Commission? Hi, Alex McFarland here. You know, some of the Great Commission passages are like Matthew 28, 18 through 20.
Where the Lord Jesus said, Go into all the world, make disciples from all nations, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And Mark 16:15, preach the gospel to every creature. The great commission is that we believers, if you're a born-again believer, you have an assignment for life to be an ambassador of the gospel and. With words, with actions, with prayers, with giving, with going, we are to be a participant in helping the world find a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Well, when I think of a great commission Christian, no one more clearly personifies that than the person with me in the studio today, Stu Epperson Jr. We have been friends since the spring of 1998. That's a long time. And Stu, you probably know his name from Christian Radio, but he's on the board of National Religious Broadcasters. He is involved in so much kingdom work.
And I've known him for two and a half decades. This man lives and breathes the Great Commission. I know it. I've seen it. He inspires me.
And he's with us now. And we're going to hear the story of Stu Epperson Jr. Stu, my dear brother, Closer than family, my colleague in the gospel. Welcome to our program. I think we should close, have the invitation, have the prayer pass the plate because I've never heard a better introduction.
Thank you, Alex McFarland. You've been as much a blessing to me, and I'm a great commission man. Every believer is a great commission. It's not the great omission. And every believer is in sales, and every believer is in on straight commission because it's the great commission.
And our sales are souls, right? And so, Alex. Love what you're doing. Love being in friendship with you, and you know, iron is sharpened in iron. My goal, my passion is that every person listening would say wait a second I may not be a superstar.
Tim Tebow or a big big time Billy Graham, but I am a witness. Everyone's a witness, and it's not optional. It's not this thing I do on the side. Oh, he's got the gift, I don't know. If you have the Holy Spirit living in you, you have Christ in you, you are an ambassador, a carrier, A super spreader of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It means just having a conversation with a young person. It means just giving a track. And a good tip to your waitress, right?
So, Alex, it's all included, and that's part of the package that comes with being a believer.
Well, it is, it is, Stu. And, you know, you've interviewed thousands of people. I've watched you interview when you and I are on the road at conferences, NRB, things like that in the studio. I'm very indebted to you.
Some of you may not realize this, but I got my start in Christian Radio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, at your station. You graciously interviewed me. We were just starting out. And then a week later, I found myself hosting your live show, Truth Talk Live. I had like zero experience, and you graciously allowed me to learn radio.
On your nickel. And I'm so grateful. And I think about the people, Mike Huckabee, before anybody had heard of Mike Huckabee, and people like Franklin Graham and David Jeremiah and Kay Arthur and all those people. But I want to go back. I want to go back, and I've never heard anybody interview you on this, Stu.
on how you, Stu Efferson Jr., came to Christ. How did you get saved? How did God make you into the man of God that you are?
So let's hear the story. How did Stu Epperson find Christ? and grow in the Lord and become the The witness that you are.
Well, thank you. As of this recording, I'm 55 years old. I've been hearing the word in Christian Radio or quoted by my mum and dad. Or by every kind of evangelist from Bob Jones to Jack Hiles to Jerry Fowell to all of them. for fifty-five years and nine months.
So I have a searing in the womb. And so I had I had the opposite problem of many people. You look at the world, you're like, man, these people are so bad. What in the world? And you get mad almost.
You know, watching the T V, watching hearing you know, hearing these reports of awful things people do.
Now all the deviancies.
Well, There's really two kinds of sinners. There's the unrighteous, right? Which really is all of us, you know, but then that's extended by awful things you see, you hear that's just not even thinkable. But then There is a worse category than that. I was in that worse category.
I was. Self-righteous.
So I was too good to go to heaven. I was far sacrificed. I had scriptures. I probably led people to Christ. I know I quoted the Bible.
I know I led small groups in Sunday school and everything, even coming into my teen years. But I was Not truly converted, or at least I was close to church, far from God. And I was around it. You know, you'd be so familiar with it. I love this question when I speak.
I will, one of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of James. My mom has it memorized. My sisters have it memorized. My daughter has half of it memorized. I've got probably three-quarters memorized.
But this is a question I'll ask a lot of people. Maybe offset some folks that hear this. Is it possible to have a personal relationship with Christ? and not be saved. and not be a Christian.
and be on your way to hell.
So, you think about the answer to that question, and think about James, the book I'm talking about, who opens his book by saying, James, he doesn't say half-brother of Jesus. James, connected directly to the Savior, you know, through the same mom. He doesn't say any of that. He says, James, a slave, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, right?
So he doesn't trade on the notoriety of his half-brother at all. And when you look at the testimony, going back to the Gospels. When James and his other brothers and sisters are with Jesus, and they rejected him and denied him. to fast forward to 1 Corinthians 15, when it says James and his brothers came to Christ after the resurrection, they saw the living Lord. Think about this: James had a personal relationship with Jesus.
He Likely could have shared a bunk with him. You know, they definitely shared a house. They shared a lot of meals. Yeah. Right.
He heard from his mom and dad ad nauseum: why can't you be more like your brother? James, come on, bud. You know, so he grew up with Jesus with a personal relationship with Jesus. Swimming, goofing around, fishing, carpentry, whatever they did, but without knowing him in a personal saving way. See?
And so I had this great relationship with God, with his church, with a lot of Christians, talk to talk. But I My heart hadn't been changed. And it was. It came to that point where everyone only Jesus can only save sinners. And just like James, I had to come to that point with having a familial or familiar relationship with Jesus.
Doesn't mean you're saved. Judas had a relationship with him. He did miracles and all that stuff.
So I was, when that moment hit me, It hit me like a ton of bricks. And all those scriptures just came alive in me. And God radically saved me. And You know, you never know. I mean, I did pray the prayer, walk the aisle, and all that stuff.
Even got dunked as a kid. I got re-baptized just to really make go public and say, I really know this is right. You know, I think people can sit around and think, well, did it happen? Did I say it? I probably prayed the sinner's prayer a thousand times.
You know, your lightning strike, it's late at night. Like, this could be it for me. You know, you have a bad dream. But I know that. That it was in those early teen years that God just wrecked me, got a hold of my heart.
And it went from. Knowing about Jesus. And even to knowing him in a personal way. We've got to take a break. The voice you're listening to, longtime colleague and friend Stu Epperson Jr.
of the Truth Network. We're going to take a break and we're going to come back and we're going to talk about the journey of knowing Jesus and then serving Jesus, growing in the Lord, being used for a life that counts for eternity. Stay tuned. We're back after this brief break. Uh Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert.
Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Hey, producer Mike here for the Alex McFarlane Show. You know, Alex just released his 21st book. It just came out: 100 Questions on Prophecy and the End Times. And he's here with me in the studio.
Alex, tell us about it.
Well, people everywhere are telling me they love this book. I want to ask a favor of the listeners. Folks, this will help, I assure you. Would you go into your local Barnes Noble bookstore? Find a Barnes Noble, and go in.
If they don't have my books, would you special order yourself a copy in the Barnes Noble store? The new book, 100 Bible Questions on Prophecy in the End Times, fresh research, published by Broadstreet. Please go into your local Barnes Noble and ask for this and all the other books I've written. It will help spread the word, grow our sales, and get the gospel in the hands of others. And I thank you for doing this to spread the gospel.
Uh He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program. What a joy to fellowship. You know, we do so many things, we do scripture.
Exposition on this program. We talk about apologetics, defending the faith. And one of the joys is to interview brothers and sisters in the Lord whose story is fascinating. And we've been so privileged over the years to have Countless guests on the show, and I've always wanted because Stu and I, Stu Jr. and I have worked together for two decades plus, but I want to hear your story.
And Stu, in that first segment, you were talking about making sure, you know, 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, Examine yourselves and see that you be in the faith. And I'm not saying this to cause doubt. Look, if you've trusted Christ, be secure in that, folks. I'm not saying doubt your salvation.
However, if you genuinely are unsure, You know, if I died, would I go to heaven? If I stood before God and God said, Why should I let you into heaven? We do want everyone listening to make sure.
So, Stu, the 2 Corinthians 13:5. Examine yourselves and see whether you be in the faith. What does God's word mean to us in that?
Well, absolutely true. It's so important. Everyone should. Know, like you say a lot in your conferences, know what they believe, know why they believe it. And so a really simple you know, I was sitting around with my father in law, a retired pastor.
We were going over all these names of political figures, all these names of people that had kind of drifted off and other kind of like people that maybe they were conservative. Maybe they were a little sea Christian, but not truly born again. And he's asking me: we're asking, hey, is this guy saved? And I just, you know what? I was in the middle of studying 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, where Paul says this: He said, We didn't come to you.
With just words. But he said, We came to you with power. He says, The kingdom of God. is power. And he says a similar thing in Corinthians.
And I thought, you know, here's a great way to know if you're a believer. If you struggle with sin and you hate sin, that's actually. Evidence you're a believer because you recognize, man, I need, if you're a believer, no matter if you're the most weathered saint. or baby, just just literally out of the maternity ward of the faith. You will struggle with sin.
You will be tempted. And that's evidence, right, that you love him, that you don't want that. You know, Romans 7 talks about that conflict. But there's power in your life because the gospel is the power of God to salvation.
So we shouldn't sit around the funeral. Bodies up there in the pine box. Wondering, oh well, I wonder if, you know, I mean, he gave a little money to the church. I wonder if he's born again or not. We should simply say, is there power in that person's life?
Now, for that person, it's a little bit too late. But for the people in that room, funerals are amazing platforms to share the gospel. They're for the living. And for everyone out there listening, Corinthians 6 says, Behold, now is the day of salvation.
So you want to settle it? Settle it right now. Call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. Get with other believers. Grow in your faith.
Devour His Word. He wrote you an amazing love letter. And how you, by the way, how you treat the Bible reflects your heart for God because it's a text from God. Amen.
So it's all connected to that.
So it's definitely a healthy thing. But beyond that, you know, I'll tell you, talking about evangelism, you introduced me as a man passionate about the Great Commission. I believe it was a Charles Spurgeon. said that if you profess to be a believer, But you don't share your faith. You don't seem to have a heart for the lost.
You're not actively engaging people with the good news of the gospel. Spurgeon said there's little evidence that you're even saved. Because if you are saved, then you'll naturally want. to bring others To Christ. That's that, you know, Jesus said, follow me, two things.
He said, two things, these fishermen. Mark 1, he said, follow me. And I'll make you fishers of men. Amen.
So it's inextricably connected. It's not, again, an option. It's not, well, I might do that later as I grow. No, it's right now. And some of the best evangelists are baby Christians.
Indeed. Stu, I've told this story many times, but I was a young believer. I mean, I had been saved really maybe two, three weeks. I was going to church on Sunday night, Macedonia Baptist Church outside of Greensboro, and there was an old retired preacher. He's in heaven now.
His name was Buford Smith. And believe it or not, Buford Smith was probably even taller than you. It's pretty tall. And I'm coming in on Sunday evening, church is starting. Because churches used to have Sunday night services.
I think they ought to again, actually. And he pointed to me. He said, Young man, will there be anybody in heaven because of you? And I kind of stammered and I said, Anybody in heaven, it'll be because of Jesus. And he smiled.
He pointed this long, bony finger at me. He said, Good answer. He said, Young man, and Stu, this is 35, 36 years ago, and it drives me to this day. Buford Smith, rest his soul. He said, Young man, Do something with your life so that somebody, at least one person, would be in heaven because of you.
Amen.
And do you know?
Now, this was years before I responded to the call to preach. It was before I got married to Anchie. But I just began to pray and I said, Lord, and I was very, very shy, very, very introverted, but I was like, Lord. I want to lead one person to Christ. That's all I'm asking.
Lord Jesus, help me lead one soul to Christ. I'll be satisfied. Yeah. Glory to God, it's been more than that. But I just was obsessive almost.
I wanted to at least lead one person to Christ. Stu, here's my question. Challenge us because God is using you 24 hours a day. Your radio is broadcasting the good news of salvation to the world. I know every as long as I've known you, you've either been on a mission trip or coming back.
But talk to the person. Give us the challenge that we would do something with our life so that at least one soul is in heaven because of what God did through us. Great question. I would say this right out of the gate. I would say, and it's funny, pe people look at me crossways.
They say, hey, we're leaving the state to go skiing. Or they say, hey, we're going, hey, finally getting to go to our bucket list to go down to Paris. And this is what I say, inevitably, without missing a beat, if they're believers. I say, listen, I'm going to really pray for you on your missions trip. And they say, what?
You know, what? They look at your cross. I say, it's a vacation. Because life. is a mission strip.
So, you may go and you may grab that pastor who's on the edge of burnout in the middle of Spain. Because you're there, sure, you're on a cruise, sure, it's your 50-year anniversary, sure, you should do that. But on that cruise ship were a bunch of people that weren't expecting. For you to take the church to them. They weren't expecting.
We went on a cruise one time. I walked into this amazing, beautiful chapel. And it was two days before Sunday. And this was not a Christian cruise. I love those Christian cruises.
Like, I've been with the Jeremiahs and a lot of folks, you know, listening, different speakers have these cruises, right? And Alex, you know what? I saw a guy with a cross necklace. I said, hey, hey, come to church. Let's do a church thing.
You want to do a bunch of us got together, there's this amazing chapel that sits empty. I said, I'll be there. I'll bring a whole family. Your kid, don't know what time? I said, 9 o'clock.
We ended up having about 40 people. I see a guy with a Jesus win shirt on, or I see a guy, you know, another guy, whatever. I say, hey, come to church. It was amazing. And it was so we had we got to share the gospel with someone if you wanna trip.
So, life is a mission trip everywhere you go. Being a witness, by the way, is a noun. As much as it's a verb, you know, going, witnessing is verbal, but it's a noun. You are a witness.
So when people poke you, the good news of Christ should come out. And this is what we're to be about: our Father's business, sharing the good news with everyone. 35 years ago, an FCA guy got up and preached his heart out, and he said at the end of the message, he said this, and theologically, maybe you say, He said this, he said, God's going to ask you two questions when you get to heaven. And so we're on the edge of our seat. First of all, why should I let you in?
Of course, we know the answer to that. The only answer to that is Jesus and what He did, not what I did. Yeah. Right? The second question he said is: Who did you bring with you?
Amen.
So the question is: Who are you bringing with you? In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul looks at the Thessalonians church. He couldn't get there with them. You know, Satan prevented him. There's all kinds of things going on.
We don't know exactly what. What did Paul say to them? He said, You're my glory. You're my crown. You're my reward.
You're my joy. He said that to those people. We think about wreaths and rewards. The wreaths and rewards Paul was talking about was. The saints that he led to Christ.
Amen.
That he brought them. This is my reward to see you there and to see you take a bunch of other people with you. Amen.
Amen.
We've got to take a break. We're going to be right back with more. Our visit with Stu Epperson Jr. and your role in the Great Commission. Don't go away.
Um Fox News and CNN call Alex McFarland, a religion and culture expert. Stay tuned for more of his teaching and commentary after this. Hi, Alex McFarland here. You know, I was at a college speaking, and I guess we ministers get too wordy.
Somebody said, Can you describe Christianity in only two words? And instantly, this came to me, and I said it: loving substitution. And students raised their hand and they said, What does that mean? Loving substitution. Here's the thing: because Jesus Christ loves you, He was our substitute on Calvary's cross.
The appropriate measure of God's wrath that you and I deserved was put onto Jesus. You don't have to die and suffer for your sins because He was the substitute who died for you.
So, if you call out to Christ, He will save you, He will forgive you. I urge you to do that today because Jesus Christ has a plan for your life, and it begins with you putting your faith in Him. Thank you for listening. Thank you for your support. Learn more about this at alexmacfarland.com.
Uh He's been called trusted, truthful, and timely. Welcome back to the Alex McFarlane Show. Welcome back to the program. Alex McFarlane here. We're going to resume our conversation with our longtime friend and colleague, Stu Epperson Jr.
But first, I want to remind you to please go to the newly updated alexmacfarlane.com. There are over 200 articles God's allowed me to write on so many subjects. As you hear this program, I give God the glory. I've got an article in the current edition of Billy Graham's Decision Magazine, an article about the resurrection of Christ. And we talk about the fact that this summer, folks, at the Cove, the Billy Graham Training Center in Western North Carolina, I don't know if you've ever been there, the Cove, the Billy Graham Conference Center, is so nice and what a joy.
I've been there for 20 summers. It's just amazing. If you come to the Cove, you will never forget it. The accommodations are fantastic. The food is amazing.
But what we do at the Cove with people from all 50 states and internationally, hundreds of brothers and sisters in Christ, we get into the Word of God. This summer, July 17 through 19, 2026, I'll be going through Daniel and Revelation, Bible prophecy, and I've got a brand new book on 100 questions on prophecy and the end times. That's what we'll be doing, July 17 through 19. But then, a week, Later, July 27 through 31, I will be back at the Cove in person with Gary Habermas, the world expert on the resurrection of Christ. Habermas is fantastic.
There's no writer, probably, at any time in all of Christendom. Who has written as much on the resurrection, the evidence for Jesus? He's one of the most brilliant scholars and just a dear, dear brother. You will be just compelled. And you can go to thecove.org, T-H-E-C-O-V-E.org, thecove.org, and either one of the seminars, we would invite you to come and join us.
You can register. And then finally, please be in prayer because as this airs, we're only about four to five weeks away from the beginnings of our summer camps. We've done camps for years. Last year, we had 604 teenagers come to faith in Christ in our camps, like in beautiful Montana, upstate New Jersey, in the Hudson River Valley, Georgia, Colorado.
So please be in prayer. And do you know, let me say, your $400 will underwrite a week of camp for a young person, middle schoolers, high schoolers. The website for the camps is equippretreat.com. But I would ask you: our revivals, Revive US, our speaker series, radio television, thousands and thousands every year are making a profession of faith. We give God the glory.
But your help, your Your help would be much appreciated.
So please go to alexmacfarlane.com and look at the resources there. And as God leads you, please join with us financially to help call the world to Jesus Christ.
Well, one person who's given his life to that, it's Stu Epperson Jr. And Stu, first of all, thank you for your time. I know you're very busy. Thanks for being with us on this program. Hey, no problem.
Hey, you can find me at alexmacfarlane.com forward slash Stu is Alex's number one fan.
Okay, so that's where you can find all that good information. I've got to ask T, thank you. To God be the glory. To God be the glory. You've got a couple of books out.
I want to talk about that. But first, I want to talk a little bit about your mother and dad. Because for one thing, I know they would be so proud of you. A couple of years ago, your dad went to heaven. and talk about a life given for the Great Commission.
For those that may be unaware, and folks you need to know, Stu and Nancy Epperson, I've been just in awe of them for so many years. Tell us a little bit about your mom and dad and how their life has shaped yours.
Well, Alex, there's a lot to that. I mean, that's a whole nother deal, but just, you know, what do you get when you mix Pearl Harbor? Air at Virginia and Bob Jones University.
So God used the bombs dropping in Pearl Harbor to evacuate my mom. and her older brother and sister. To California. They ended up finding Christ. They ended up going to Bob Jones University.
work God worked in the heart of a young man who kinda got stuck in some bootlegging. Who also had a choice of either going to Bob Jones or the penitentiary, and thankfully, he chose Bob Jones. Met my mom there. Long story, but God brought them together and Dad had radio in his roots, you know, in WPAQ, you know, started in a little house. My uncle brought a little radio kit from John Brown University.
Preachers would drive him all over to broadcast a half a mile. He had to wire the house for electricity. This was in the 40s. Dad would read Psalm 23. He was announcing at age 4 and 5 and 6.
So it was in our blood, you know.
So dad and Uncle Ed, with mom's help, of course, she played a key role, started Salem 60 years ago. And 28 years ago, God led me to start the Truth Network, which, you know, we're so grateful to all the people that carry our different programs. We've got such a good relationship with so many folks. And so we're just all spreading God's word. And I believe it's just like one, you know, kind of like radio is one big family.
That's why I love going to NRB with you because I see all my good friends, you know, Jim Stanley, all these godly friends, and Tim Wildman, all these friends that love the Lord, that are advanced in the gospel, putting programs like this on the ear, because this is inspiring people to do what God's already called us to do. Preach the gospel.
So mom and dad were always soul winners. And they taught me to do that. And of course, I resisted it, you know, and I was, you know, I told my testimony in the first segment. Hope folks will come back and listen to this whole thing on podcast. You know, honestly, soul winning has become a bad word.
But Proverbs doesn't think it's a bad word because 11, verse 30 says, He who winneth souls is wise. Amen.
Of course, Mr. Theologically astute person out there, you can't save anybody. We know that. But we are the messenger boy. We're the messenger boy.
We're delivering the goods. I'm a beggar telling other beggars where they can find bread.
So it's super important that we share that gospel, and God may use you at the. End of the assembly line to pray with someone to receive Christ, like so many do at your wonderful conferences, at your events, your crusades. Alex, God may use you at the beginning. Like you may get a call from someone. I got a call from a guy I played ball with.
For 20 years, I've been pumping the gospel in this guy. This guy, I couldn't tell if he was rolling his eyes or ignoring me or is off to another drinking binge or whatever. He calls me randomly from California saying, Stu. I about died last week. I had to go in the ER.
I'm looking up and I'm saying, I don't want to go to hell. And all I could remember is all those times at the gym playing ball. You would share the gospel with me and the whole lot of them when I used to kind of laugh and this and that. You said, I gave my life back to Christ. Thanks for pouring into me.
So that's God working through you.
So, every one of you listening, God has got you to be a witness, to be an ambassador. And it's the greatest privilege of all to just the thought of laying down in that box at your funeral. Your retirement party is going to be a funeral. It's going to be at a church. You're going to be in a box.
And how many people are going to say, I'm on my way to heaven because God used that man, that woman, even in their struggle. Even in their difficulties, God used them to point me to Jesus. And here I am today, and you could be a part of that amazing story. Wow, just think about that.
Well, and we train people to do evangelism, Stu, as shy and backward and awkward as I was and still am. I mean, if God could use me to be a witness, anybody could. That's right. But with the time remaining, I want to talk about your book. Several years ago, you wrote a fantastic book on the last words of Jesus.
Then I think you wrote another book about the first words of Jesus. You've got a new book coming out. We'll have you back when that book releases. But tell us about your writing ministry, Stu.
Well, I just, you know, as you study the word, the word studies you. And God just put me on this. I was on this kick. It was about Easter time, leading him in study, and I was just looking at. What Jesus said as he died on the cross.
You know, I couldn't remember how many things he said. I couldn't remember exactly what he said. And so I thought, you know what? I'm going to drill deep dive. You know, the kiss method.
Keep it simple, stew. You know, I've got that trademark. And I'm going to go and I'm going to find everything he said. And I ended up finding. All four gospels record the words of Christ on the cross.
Matthew and Mark only record one thing he said. Luke and John record the other six statements. And it's just a book. It's a simple book, seven chapters. And the introduction is called Seven Words of Life from the Tree of Death.
And even as Christ is dying, He's pouring out, inviting people, like this thief on the cross, the whole story about that and the whole teaching about that. He's inviting people to come to know him. He's pouring out grace as blood flowed. From his Wounds, life. Flowed from his lips.
And it's just amazing. Of course, you know, three days later, he rose from the dead. But that book, Last Girls of Jesus, and then First George of Jesus is kind of a prequel.
Some of the first things he said in Luke chapter 2 were the most profound things that set the tone for his whole mission. It's better than any corporate 500 mission statement ever made. It's the mission statement of Jesus. First words is more of a Christmas book, but it's bigger than that because for the believer, it's a quote God gave me. For the unbeliever, for the consumer, Christmas Day is the end.
But for the believer, Christmas Day is only the beginning. And it is really the gift that keeps on giving.
So oftentimes I'll say Merry Christmas in the middle of July. Why? Because God's gift of grace extends into eternity. Thank God for his grace.
So that's the whole point of that book, connecting the cradle to the cross. To the crown. Amen.
Hey, I've got a quote for you, and then I'm going to let you comment stew. Billy Graham, the great evangelist who preached to more people face to face than anybody else in history. He came to Christ in Charlotte, North Carolina, in a revival, and there was an evangelist named Mordecai Ham. And I read his biography, and Mordecai Ham, he couldn't have known that the teenage. Tall, athletic high schooler walking the aisle would become the greatest evangelist since the Apostle Paul.
Here's what Mordecai Ham said. I want you to comment on this. He said, and I quote: No option, no alibi, no excuse. Every born-again believer has an obligation to a lost world. No option, no alibi, no excuse.
Every believer has an obligation to a lost world. As we close, Stu, comment on what that statement really means to us.
Well, it's an obligation. It's really a privilege. Because we serve the King of Kings. And we have the cure. to the greatest disease, the worst disease, the most damnable disease ever, and that's the cure to sin.
And only Jesus Christ, the Son, can set you free. John 8:32. You shall know the truth. The truth shall set you free. The verse before that says, Whom the Son sets free.
is free indeed. You and I, friends, have this amazing privilege. Amazing privilege. That is, you know, Alex, you're training, you're teaching people. I started a little site called share the truthnow.com.
We can order little cards for free and you can hand them out to people. There's a QR code with 10,000 videos explaining everything. Like it, like, literally, there's so many ways to do it. But just. Stop.
Ask God, Lord, open the door for me to share the gospel with one person. And I have prayed that prayer sitting next to a three hundred fifty pound Pro Wrestler on the way to New York. I didn't want to sit there. I'm six seven. He had to be six five or six six.
He was a beast. The only seat in the plane left was the one next to him. And I just started praying, Lord, I don't want to sit here. I don't want to deal with this guy. I didn't know he was a pro wrestler at the time, big time dude.
And he looked at me. I'm reading the Bible. He says, 'What is that all about? I kind of need to get more into that.' And I'm like, 'Oh, Lord, you answered that prayer.' And God opened the door an hour later. Like now he's following me, he's reading my Bible studies.
So, God just will open the door, but you gotta pray, you gotta be intentional because you think about that. Who led Billy Graham to Christ?
Well, Mordecai Ham.
Well, who led Mordecai Ham to Christ? Right? Well, someone connected to D.L. Moody.
Well, who led D.L. Moody to Christ?
Well, a guy that owned a shoe store. Yes. He's a shoe store guy. He's not an evangelist.
Well, there wouldn't be a Billy Graham. There wouldn't be a Mordecai Ham. There wouldn't be a, right, Billy Sunday is somewhere in there. Because I think Mordecai Ham came to Christ at Billy Sunday Crusade. I believe that.
So when you go to the Billy Graham Library, the floor, the mat that you put your chicken salad croissant on and your soup and your sweet tea, okay, and your ice cream. The Matt has the whole timeline of just, so it's just, look, all we're doing is introducing to people. I can't fix anybody. I'm way too messed up. Alex, you know, I'm more messed up than anyone listening, probably.
But guess what? I know a Savior who can fix anybody. He can transform your soul. He can take you. He can take your worst addiction.
He can take your darkest brokenness.
Some of you out there are hurting like crazy.
Some of you out there hate your relatives. You'll never talk to your dad. You know, you're just bound up in absolute bondage. Jesus Christ. can set you free.
Amen.
He's one prayer away, like you always say.
So open the good book. Get in a church that really teaches the Bible. That's so important. If you're calling a radio show like this or a podcast to try to get you help, that's the wrong button. We're here to point you to the church.
The church is God's plan A. Go get in the church. There are gifted counselors. There are people that want to help you. Been baptized?
Go get a church. They'll take you to a class. Make sure you know what you believe. They'll help your family, your youth, your kids get in a good youth group. That's why the church is there.
And then they'll mobilize you to go out and share the gospel. And so that's basically. And that's why the church is there. You're like, well, my church never done that.
Well, go to a church that does do that. You know, go with a heart to serve because you've got a spiritual gift. But by all means, Light up this world with the good news of Christ while we still have time because the king is returning. He's not coming back as a cute, cuddly little baby. He's coming back with fire in his eyes, the sword in his hand on a great white steed.
And when he comes back, there is no longer God so love the world he gave. No, there is judgment.
So while you still have time, and while your neighbor is still alive, and while you still have that relationship with your old coach, your coworker, tell them the good news about Christ.
Well, I can't do that at work. How do I do that? Ask God to open that door and he will do it. And you would not believe the opportunities I have when I simply stop, walk onto a basketball court. I don't know a soul.
I'm in Venice Beach two weeks ago, and this, you could smell the pot from San Diego, you know, all the way to LA. It was so thick. I said, God, you're going to have to do something because these guys don't respect me. There's F-bombs everywhere. And the guy said, North Carolina, give us a word.
Handing me the microphone. I put this on my Facebook page at Stu Everson. I preach the gospel. For a minute to all those people. And I lifted up Jesus and they all applauded.
I wouldn't have expected that. See? In California. In California, at Venice Beach. And I walked by a guy preaching the gospel open air just down the strand.
And I grabbed a couple of his tracks and gave those to the people that were asking me about it. And I had all these one-on-one opportunities. But you just go, and wherever your size 14s take you, or you might have size 8s or size 6 or 5s or whatever, wherever your crutches take you, that's the mission field. Life is a missions trip. And while we still have time, there's 3 billion people who've never heard the gospel.
So be excited about reaching them. Do something about it. You've got a gift. You've got a skill. You're good at baking.
Bake a cookie and give someone a cookie with a cool gospel track in Jesus' name. And watch what God does to open their eyes and their heart to the good news of Christ because the gospel is the power of God to salvation. Amen.
Amen.
The voice you're hearing, Stu Epison Jr., we got to close for right now. Adrian Rogers, the great pastor from Tennessee, he said, more hangs on your obedience than you could possibly imagine. imagine Little did the shoe salesman know, forgotten to history almost. The shoe salesman set in motion a chain of events that resulted in Billy Graham leading hundreds of millions to Christ. Folks, you have no idea.
So let's be obedient and let's remember 1 Corinthians 15:58 that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. Stu, thank you. We look forward to visiting again when your new book comes out. In the meantime, folks, keep us in prayer. Thanks for standing with us.
Stay bold, stay strong, and remember, Jesus is as close by as prayer. Alex McFarlane Ministries are made possible through the prayers and financial support of partners like you. For over 20 years, this ministry has been bringing individuals into a personal relationship with Christ and has been equipping people to stand strong for truth. Learn more and donate securely online at alexmacfarland.com. You may also reach us by calling 1-877-YESGOD and the number 1.
That's 1-877-Y-E-S-G-O-D-1. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you again on the next edition of the Alex McFarlane Show. Would you invest a financial contribution to see young people saved, people give their lives to Christ, and people care about God and country? If you would please make a donation securely online, you can give at alexmacfarland.com or please mail a check to TNG PO Box 485 Pleasant Garden, North Carolina, 27313.
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