ADG 6: Successful Witnessing

J. Hudson Taylor was a missionary to China in the early 1850’s. One time he was traveling by a small boat from Shanghai to Ningpo. Among his fellow-passengers was a Chinese friend named Peter who had heard about the Gospel but had not yet received Christ. As they came near to a pier, they heard a splash as someone fell into the water. As Taylor looked around in the deck he couldn’t find Peter.

“Yes,” answered the boatman unconcernedly, “it was over there he went down.”

Taylor realized that he needed a net in order to rescue Peter. He saw some fishermen with a net, just the thing he needed.

“Come,” he cried as hope revived. “Come and drag the net over to this spot. A man is downing.”

“Veh bin,” was the amazing reply: “it is not convenient.”

“Don’t talk of convenience! Quickly come, or it will be too late.”

“We are busy fishing.”

“Never mind your fishing! Come only, come at once I will pay you well.”

“How much will you give us?”

“Five dollars! Only don’t stand talking. Save this life without delay!”

“Too little”, they shouted across the water. “We will not come for less than 30 dollars.”

“But I don’t have that much! I will give you all I’ve got.”

“And how much may that be?”

“Oh, I don’t know. About 14 dollars.”

Upon this they came, and the first time they passed the net through the water, they brought up the missing man. But all Taylor’s efforts to save him were useless. It was plain that he had drowned. Taylor was saddened by the heartless indifference of those who might have easily saved him.

A story like this is shocking to us, but sometimes we ignore people who are lost without Christ. Jesus said that spiritual life is more valuable than physical life.

Let’s turn to Acts 20:24 and see how the apostle Paul valued spiritual life.