Johnny Appleseed Evangelism?

I first heard the term many years ago when a friend explained it.

“Basically, Johnny Appleseed wandered all over the eastern United States to the Midwest,” my friend said.

“He didn’t see a single apple tree grow to fruition, but that didn’t stop him. He just went along, tossed the seeds, and continued.”

I shrugged. “What does that have to do with evangelism?”

Jon laughed. “Don’t you remember the Scripture?”

Apparently not.

He didn’t have to quote 1 Corinthians 3: 6-11 very far.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3: 6-11 NKJV

Then, I understood. I’m just adding my thoughts to what someone else previously sowed.

I don’t worry about evangelism much anymore.

The Scripture is clear that there are many gifts in the Kingdom of God.

 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 NKJV

 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

Ephesians 4:11-12

Some of us have the gift of evangelism–everyone we talk with turns into an opportunity to share the Gospel.

Some of us are better at teaching the “beginners.”

The gifts are equally valuable and important.

But they need to be used.

I’m an extrovert. I like talking to people, including strangers.

I try to find a way to reference church, God, or even Jesus in conversations.

I’m dropping a seed.

If the person picks up, great.

If they don’t, I trust they’ll run into someone else who will.

All sorts of places.

Where did Johnny Appleseed drop his seeds?

How about while standing in line at the post office?

Or, while finding myself on an airplane I wasn’t expecting to be on?

Finding yourself in an unexpected situation to pray.

I’m trying to encourage people to think beyond their circumstances and consider God’s role in their lives.

Even in the toothpaste aisle.

OC wasn’t talking about Johnny Appleseed evangelism in his April 25 My Utmost For His Highest devotional.

He was talking about being prepared to share your faith both “in season,” and “out of season.”

In other words, no matter how you feel, just say something!

“Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” In other words, we should “be ready” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything.

There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.

One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration.”

My Utmost for His Highest, April 25, Updated

You can trust God will bring along the next person to water that seed.

At least, that’s what I think Johnny Appleseed evangelism is.

(Pray for me, please. I’m on a ministry trip.)

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