Tell Two Friends

There was an advertising campaign that I have never forgotten.
The commercial, which aired in the 1970’s, advertised a brand of shampoo.
A girl with luxurious hair told you to spread the word about this fabulous product.

If you tell two friends about Faberge Organics shampoo with wheat germ oil and honey, then they’ll tell two friends, and so on and so on and so on.

As she told us to spread the word, her picture multiplied on the TV screen.
Multiple squares of her face, spreading the word about the shampoo.
Each square gave the same message making it seem as if many were spreading the word.

It was extremely effective.
The and so on and so on and so on caught on.
Even today, if I am in an electronic store, multiple TV’s on the same channel remind me.

The premises of you tell two friends and they’ll tell two friends worked.
I was a teenager at the time and I bought the shampoo.
I probably told two friends about it as well.

This method is very effective.
Mustering up support by word of mouth still works.
Your own personal recommendation goes a long way.

Even our politicians take notice.
Five letters or ten phone calls are all it takes to get their attention.
That does not seem like a lot, but to them it signals interest in the issue.

We tend to spread the word quite easily about a book or a movie that we enjoy.
We often spread the word about a restaurant if the food and service were good.
We easily tell two friends about a good sale or a fantastic bargain.

We don’t seem to have trouble sharing those things.
Telling two friends about some things is so easy.
Telling two friends about other things is so hard.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

Tell two friends.
Teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded.
Tell them so they can become His disciples, too.

Multiply the numbers of disciples God’s way.
Multiple people saying the same message.
Doubling, tripling, and quadrupling, the number of people that are told.

So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. But if I say, “I will not mention Him or speak any more in his name,” His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary holding it in; indeed, I cannot. (Jeremiah 20:8,9)

The Holy Spirit compels us to tell.
The Holy Spirit drives us to make disciples.
The Holy Spirit causes God’s Word to burn within us so we can’t keep it to ourselves.

The Great Commission is the original, I told two friends and so on and so on and so on.
That is what we are called to do.
We are called to make disciples.

Go make disciples.
Make them students of Jesus.
Teach them about Him so they can tell others, who can go and tell others.

Spread the word.
Spread the Gospel.
Tell the message with enthusiasm and joy.

We hesitate because it is risky.
We hesitate because we know that many will not hear.
We hesitate because we are concerned about the repercussions of our telling.

We are commanded to tell two friends, or twelve friends, or twenty-two friends.
The results are not in our hands.
The telling is our responsibility.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

We have been given the message.
We have been given the promise.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

What is holding you back?
Go tell two friends, and they’ll tell two friends, and so on, and so on.

We are not responsible to God for the souls that are saved, but we are responsible for the Gospel that is preached, and for the way in which we preach it. (Charles Spurgeon)