WITHOUT COST

STARBUCKS EVANGELISM

Dr. Halsey

It was odd of me to be sitting at Starbucks because I don't like coffee and never have. The aroma is great, but my taste buds rebelled a long time ago at the first disgusting sip. 

People back then told me, "You have to learn to like it," but I never had to learn to like mashed potatoes and cream gravy or a steak cooked medium. When I first met a banana split, it was love at first sight. I didn't learn to like those things; I just did. I figured that learning to like coffee was not an economical use of my time, so I never did. 

But yet, here I am at Starbucks, the American Temple of Coffee, waiting to meet two people I've never met before. Well, one of them I'd met, but that was a while back and I won't know her when I see her, but I'm hoping she'll recognize me from that meeting in the distant past. I'm there to discuss their upcoming wedding with them, an event a few months away.

I see two people coming through the door, a man and a woman, and quick as a wink, she comes up to me and says, "Hello, Dr. Halsey," so I know they're the ones I've been waiting for.

I see a table down the way in the crowded Starbucks, so we go there, and as we sit down, I begin to do what I don't like, but it's a necessity--small talk to break the ice and get acquainted. I ask them where they work and then about someone she and I both know. Never having met the fellow, we get acquainted and get down to planning the coming nuptials. We talk about how expensive and complicated weddings can be in our society today. We three conclude that our motto will be, "The simpler, the better," like a church service.

I didn't think it was right for us to be sitting at Starbucks, using their nice facility and not buying anything, so I encourage them to get something to drink or eat, and he goes and gets something for himself and for her; I refuse to compromise my taste buds.

What I haven't told you is that earlier in the week I'd sent them a survey about their spiritual viewpoints on life and I'd asked them to fill out their responses to the questions, which they did and I'm looking at their answers as I turn the conversation to spiritual matters. 

I ask, "What did you think about the questions I sent?" and she says, "They made me think." (We're off to a good start!) I compliment her on correctly answering the question, "What does the word, 'grace,' mean?" She pretty much nailed it. 

I draw her attention to the last question, "Is heaven a free gift, or do you have to earn it?" She'd answered, "Earn." 

I draw a line from that question up to the grace question, and she notices that her "earn answer" is inconsistent with her "grace answer." (Progress!) I tell her, "You're right; you were inconsistent there." She agrees again.

Then, as he and she are listening together, I ask if I could draw a diagram that would explain things. They like the idea so, I begin to draw and tell them that we're all sinners and our good works can't get us past the sin barrier to God.  (I've drawn that barrier on the sheet with man on one side and God on the other. (He thought that he could get past the barrier because he'd "done more good than bad," but Isaiah's "filthy rags" quote hit home to them).

Then we get to the good news and it made sense to them. I pointed out that through Christ's work on the cross, which He finished, we can cross the barrier by faith, not works. I told them of the cross and the resurrection and Christ's promise to give eternal life free of charge to anyone who trusts Him alone for that life.

I asked her if she knew John 3:16, and she quoted it, after which I drew their attention to "whosoever BELIEVES in Him should never perish,"and pointed out that there are no good works in that statement. They agreed.

I told him that from he'd said of his religious upbringing, all he'd ever heard was works, and he said I was right on that account. 

I asked if they'd like to trust Christ right then and she said, "Yes," and that was the consensus of both. They did.

What about follow up? That's in the picture; we set up another time to meet, a time a month or so away, and I'll be in touch off and on before then. 

I, having had a twitch in my conscience, bid them farewell, and went to the counter to purchase green tea and lemonade, leaving still not having compromised. 

The coffee connoisseurs that day in Starbucks couldn't hear it, nor could I, but in that Starbucks on that day, angels were rejoicing.