The devil got into it

He was a local business owner and a music director in a Baptist church. He asked to have a planning and prayer meeting at our church one evening to share an idea. I said fine. I’d be there and I’d host.

Several of us met on the appointed night to hear him tell about the countywide crusade he’d already planned. He said he called the local Baptist association and found nothing planned that week, and he called the high school about using their stadium that week and it was fine. 

He told us further that he would provide music, and he’d engaged an evangelist from another state whom we didn’t know, but who was free that week. An unencumbered week in July was a sign from God, he explained.

I don’t recall now if I was the first to respond, or not, but I simply asked a few key questions, such as “How will you get other churches involved to support the effort?” and “What is our financial commitment?”

He exploded with anger.

“I knew the devil would get into this!” he said. “The devil doesn’t like it when people preach the gospel!”

I was offended, of course, and don’t remember asking any other questions that night. I thought about going home, but had enough grit to stay in the meeting until it was done.

The crusade proceeded in the assigned week. I dutifully announced it in our church and urged people to go.

I remember one evening when the evangelist stood to preach, and the music minister sat him down and told him there was more music than the 60 minutes we’d already had that evening.

The stadium baked in the Alabama heat and was sparsely filled each night. I don’t remember any public commitments registered at this crusade, though I certainly hope the community was influenced in ways I didn’t see.

I think this experience taught me something about vision.

We’ve seen Christian leaders in history who had a vision for great work, and many pressed forward despite opposition and largely alone and did a great work for God. But generally it’s the case that unless others share the vision it won’t be successful. I believe if a plan is from God, other spiritual leaders will see it, too, and want to be involved. Additional leaders sharing a vision validates the vision as coming from God, just as the apostle Paul wrote that if a prophet spoke truth, this truth would be affirmed by the other prophets (1 Corinthians 14:32).

It’s true that without a vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). But it’s also true that if a vision doesn’t touch the hearts of others, the vision perishes.

Reflections is a weekly faith column written by Michael J. Brooks, pastor of the Siluria Baptist Church, Alabaster, Alabama. The church’s website is siluriabaptist.com.