Go Do Something for Jesus

There is a story told by Sam Jones, which has always stirred my heart. Sam Jones said, when he was a circuit rider in the mountains of Georgia, an old preacher came to him one day and said, Sam, you know, I can out-preach you any day of the week, and yet the people of my circuit are leaving me every Sunday and coming over to hear you preach. I want you to tell me why it is, and if you can, tell me how to prevent it, for it has come to pass that I never have more than a baker's dozen to come hear me.

Sam said, my brother, if you will do what I tell you, it will not be so. You will have no trouble in keeping your crowd. Well, said the old preacher, I will try.

No, said Sam, you must promise to do exactly as I tell you. All right, said he, I'll do anything to get a crowd. All right, said Sam, next Sunday, when you go to church, begin promptly at eleven o'clock, announce your hymn, read your text, and then stop.

You will probably see some of the old bench warmers sitting on the front pews about half asleep. Double up your fist, strike the palm of your hand, and say, Boo! Say it as loud as you can. If nobody moves, do so again, and again.

And still, if nobody moves, jump off the platform and grab the first one that you come to by the back of the neck and pitch them outdoors, heels overhead. Get back up on the platform, look out over the house, and you will see the last man going out. And he will do what the last man always does, look back to see what has taken place.

Just as he looks back, double up your fist, strike the palm of your hand again, and say, Boo! As loud as you can. He will jump up twenty feet and light on the ground. Then, you make your old way towards your gray mare and say as you go through the yard, Brethren, I will preach here again next Sunday morning at eleven o'clock.

If anyone starts to you, just say, Boo! Go home and lock yourself up in your room. In a few hours time, the reporters from Atlanta will be up. They've never heard of you before, but they will be there to interview you and to see what has come over you.

Do not let them into your room, whatever you do. Finally, they will begin to beg, and when they do, you put your mouth to the keyhole and whisper, Boo! Tell them all you have to say is, you will preach again next Sunday at eleven o'clock at the same old stand. Those reporters will at once leave, and next morning in the Atlanta papers, there'll be great headlines, Boo! Boo! Boo! Think of it.

Two columns on the front page in the Atlanta papers all about you. They've never heard about you before. Next Sunday morning, go to church, and when you get there, you'll find five thousand people.

They'll be from all sections round about, and at least half a dozen newspaper reporters will be in the crowd. Oh, come on, Brother Jones, said the old preacher. Hush your foolishness.

What on earth would they be there for? Yes, said Sam. That is exactly what I expected you to ask. That is just what I wanted you to ask.

They will be there to see and hear a man who has done something. That's what they'll be there for. The trouble with you, Brother, is you have said enough, but you have not done anything, and what this world wants is men who do things.

Well, I wanted to share that story about Sam Jones with you, friends, because I have profited so much by it, because ever since I heard that story from that day until this, I have tried to do something, to do something for God. I have failed many times, but I'm still trying to do something. I want to do something for my generation, for God.

Quit sitting around complaining, friend, and go do something. Go do something for God. Go help somebody who needs help.

Go hand out a track. Go give someone a Bible. Go tell someone about the one who came down here so we can go up there.

Go do something for Jesus today.