In June of 1986, I witnessed one of the most powerful services I have ever been in. A friend of mine, Bill Bush, was the speaker at our summer kids camp. Right after praise and worship on the second night, I introduced Bill. Bill didn’t do a puppet skit or drama skit. He just stood up at the front of the chapel with a rock in his hand.
“Boy’s and girls,” Bill said. “Tonight the Lord spoke to me to stop and pick up this rock. He told me to tell you that some of you are like this rock. You have a hard heart.”
“Some of you don’t think you can have a hard heart unless you’re lost, but you can have a hard heart toward God. How do you know if you have hardened your heart toward God? Do you have a hard time going to church? Do you have a hard time lifting your hands during worship? If that is you, you have hardened your heart toward God. I want you to come down to the front, repent and ask God to forgive you."
For about five or ten seconds nothing happened. It was very quiet. You could hear a pin drop. I thought to myself, “Maybe Bill missed it. That was kind of a hard word."
Chris was a twelve-year-old boy who was the class clown. He never took God or church very seriously, but he was well liked, popular and a peer leader. Chris suddenly stood up from the back row and ran to the altar. When Chris ran to the alter something swept into the room. A spirit of prayer and repentance fell on the chapel. Everyone, adults and children alike, began to weep and repent for having a hard heart.
Now, here is my question for you, was Chris leading or following?
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