These are my new friends Scott and Cindy Combs. I met them at Camp Meeting in Ohio last week. I want to tell a bit of their story and how it applies to ministry. I say down to eat lunch in the fellowship hall of Abundant Life Tabernacle this last Thursday afternoon and this beautiful couple was seated at the table across from me. We had just been let out of morning service and Camp Meeting was off to a wonderful start. Sister Cindy began to talk to me and eventually Brother Scott chimed in. She said, "We have wanted to meet you for several years now." This of course surprised me because I had never seen them before and someone had told me earlier that they had only gotten saved and started going to church about 9 months ago. Turns out that the story goes like this. They were horribly addicted to drugs for a very long time. They had gotten hooked on heroine lately and it finished destroying what little they had left in life. They ended up homeless. They are one of the extremely rare couples that I have ever seen that stayed together through such a grueling battle with this type of sinful and destructive life. To their benefit they had family attending church and requesting prayer for them regularly. The saints took them on their hearts and earnestly prayed.
At one point, here sister had attended a service that I preached in and then was in contact with Scott and Cindy shortly there after. Cindy's sister told them about the message that I had preached or certain points of it at least. Scott said that those words about that message have stuck with him ever since. (Remember, he didn't hear me, he heard his sister-in-law talk about the things that God gave me to say). Years later, after many prayers and invitations, they came to church. I'm sure that the Pastor and his wife, the family members that were saved and the other saints put forth much effort to be sure that the Comb's felt loved, wanted, encouraged and were taught and preached to. When the perfect work of conviction was done, they prayed and were gloriously saved and delivered.
Then I came back around 9 months later and sat down to lunch near them and they said, "We have wanted to meet you for several years now." Some of you have already let your minds wander and are not prepared for what I am about to say. I am NOT saying that they got saved because of me or my preaching or through my ministry or ANYTHING EVEN REMOTELY like that. Actually I am saying something near the opposite. I am saying DO YOUR PART!!! Even when your part has nothing to do with any MAIN part. If it is done in Godly sincerity, it will be fruitful!!!
These people didn't HEAR me preach, they heard other great men preach. They didn't see my nice suit and matching tie that I wore when I preached that sermon. They didn't know how tall I was, how short I was, how ugly I was or how good looking I was. They didn't hear my whit and humor, if I had any, they didn't catch the jump in pitch, tone or volume when I made a specific point. They just heard someone talk about some of the things that God had me say. After that seed was planted in their hearts, others came along and did much much more than I did. These are their converts not mine. But I DID MY PART! And it wasn't the kind of part that we are used to thinking of.
My point is this. Don't worry so much about looking just right, sounding just right, being in all the right places at all the right times. Just listen and respond to God. He will take your little part and other people's parts and somebody else's big part, etc. etc. And He will accomplish HIS will! Let me make one more little side point while I am right here. Is this the kind of thing that happens in your Camp Meetings? God bless everyone.
Your humble servant,
Rev. D. Todd Sloggett
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