The Evangelistic Heart of Brother Bryan of Birmingham

Now I'd like to welcome our first speaker of the morning Mr.. Mike pastor Mike Gay Dash. He has served as Pastor for 23 years or served as pastor for 23 years 19 of those in his home church. So he and I have a bit of a kindred spirit on that because I'm serving in my home church.

He served 19 years in his home church as the pastor there in New York. He moved to Alabama in 2000. He began solid ground Christian books in 2001. He serves in his local church as an adult Sunday school teacher and In the ministry at brother Brian's mission every Friday night for the last nine years.

He is married to his wonderful wife Susie. They have three children and six Grandchildren. And now he will come and bring to us The message for the morning brother.

Christ the Great Evangelist and the Gifts of Ephesians 4

The opportunity to be able to open the word today. Please turn with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. I was very encouraged and moved by last night's sermons. So much so that I've retitled my sermon and have even given some different direction.

The original.

Subject that I gave was The evangelistic heart of brother Brian of Birmingham and that is going to be the latter part of the sermon probably the major part. But as a result of learning last night about Christ the great evangelist This morning. We're going to look at the opening part of our message at Christ the great evangelist maker.

He not only was an evangelist himself, but he produced and has continued to produce Evangelists For the last 2 ,000 years. And we're going to be looking at two examples from biblical history from the Gospels and then we're going to look at the example of brother Brian of Birmingham who lived in the earlier part of the 20th century.

In Ephesians chapter 4 as you are well aware the Apostle Paul Speaks to us about the gifts that the ascended Christ gave to the church. Christ ascended on high. He gave gifts to men and as we look at verse 11 We read that this ascended Christ gave the apostles.

The prophets.

The evangelists the pastors and teachers. For the purpose of equipping the Saints for the work of ministry. For the building up of the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.

To mature manhood to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine by human cunning by craftiness and deceitful schemes, but rather speaking the truth in love and.

Surely that is the goal of all who would bring the gospel.

Speaking the truth in.

Love we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head and to Christ from whom the whole body. Joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds Itself up.

In love the ascended Christ has given gifts to men. We know that he gave the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. And he has continued to give gifts to men. One of those gifts. We are told is Evangelists and we're going to look at the example of two of those evangelists produced by Christ during his ministry.

But before we do that, let's once again look to the Lord for his help. Our Father and our God we are grateful for the mercy that we have enjoyed. Already this day. Great is your faithfulness O Lord. Every morning We enjoy new mercies.

We pray now that you would help us to have our hearts opened to your word. And I pray O Lord that these three evangelists produced by Christ will be used to encourage us to uplift us and to send us forth with Encouragement and with greater courage.

We thank you for Christ our Lord our Savior our example. Our sender we pray in his precious name. Amen. Let's look at the first example tonight today by looking at Luke chapter 5 turn to Luke chapter 5 and We will be looking at the example of how our Lord began to prepare Simon Peter to become a great.

Evangelist.

In Luke chapter 5 we read beginning with verse 1 on one occasion while the crowd was pressing in on him To hear the Word of God he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And he sought two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had got out of them who were washing their nets.

Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's. He asked him to put out a little from the land and he sat down and taught the people from the boat. So he turned the fishing boat into a pulpit and began to teach the people and when he had finished speaking He said to Simon.

That is when he finished this sermon. He said to Simon now. This is another sermon that he's about to preach. Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch. Don't just let down your nets, but let down your nets for a catch.

That's a very significant word. You know, that was an imperative from the Lord. And Simon Peter Answered and said what Vance Habener said was a fish story. I can truly believe. He said master we toiled all night and took nothing.

Here they were professional fishermen. Simon had grown up a father as a fisherman. He knew nothing but catching fish. He knew that the worst time you could possibly let down your nets would be in the middle of the day.

The Sun is beating. The fish have gone to the bottom. There's no possibility that they're going to catch. They knew when to catch and they knew where to catch and they had gone to the Best place at the best time and he said we caught nothing.

But that's not the final thing. He says is it we toiled all night and took nothing. But at your word, I will let down the nets. And when they had done this They enclosed a large number of fish and their nets were breaking.

They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come out to help them and they came and filled both boats so that they began.

To sink. This was a record catch.

No one had ever caught this many fish in one catch and it was a carpenter. Who was telling a fisherman? Where to catch the fish and when to catch the fish at all the wrong times. But you know Simon got the message.

He had been hearing him preaching to the crowd. He had gone out by his bidding. Had done what made no sense humanly speaking to do with all of his experience as a young fisherman and Yet they found themselves with a record catch.

So much so that both of the boats were about to sink and look at the response of Peter. But when Simon Peter saw it He fell down at Jesus knees saying depart from me. For I am a sinful man. Oh Lord now, that's an interesting response, isn't it?

He goes out catches the greatest catch of fish ever and his response in seeing the glory of Christ. Was he also saw himself as a sinful man? We never so see Ourselves as we really are until we see the glory of Christ.

We saw that was Isaiah, right? Isaiah saw the glory of God and what is his immediate response? Woe is me. For I'm a man of unclean lips. And I live in the midst of a people of unclean lips for my eyes have seen the king.

The Lord of hosts and John tells us in John 12 that that which he saw Isaiah was the glory of Christ. He saw Christ in his glory and That's what Peter saw here. And he says depart from me for I'm a sinful man.

Oh Lord. Aren't we thankful there are times the Lord doesn't answer our prayers. He didn't depart. That's what he asked him to do. He says depart from me. I'm a sinful man for he and all were with him were Astonished at the catch of fish that they had been taken and so also were James and John sons of Zebedee who were partners with Simon and Jesus then said to Simon Do not be afraid fear not.

For now from now on you will be catching men. And when they had brought the boats to land they left everything and followed him. Peter had the greatest catch of his life and then the Lord says leave it all leave it all behind.

From now on you're going to catch men. You see here is Jesus in his work of equipping and preparing an evangelist. Peter we know just a few years later after he had denied the Lord that he even knew him three times.

The Lord restores him and Sends him out to preach his first sermon on the day of Pentecost. He caught 3 ,000 men.

He caught.

3 ,000 our Lord's ministry of three and a half years produced how many? But we are told at the very least we know that at one point he appeared to 500 brethren at one time right. Paul tells us That if you add up all the appearances and all what we can tell it appears that he said there were less than a thousand that Were converted in three and a half years and in one sermon the draft of fish that are brought in by Peter's sermon 3 ,000 souls saved amazing absolutely astounding and so we see how the Lord at this early stage was preparing the heart of Peter to be the evangelist that he became a Second example turn to Luke chapter 8.

This is probably the most unlikely of all evangelists. This man was notorious. Everyone knew him. His family was embarrassed about him. This man was a demon-possessed man and when Jesus Calmed the storm on the sea We're told in verse 26 of Luke 8 they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes.

When Jesus had stepped out on land there met him a man from the city who had demons for a long time. He had worn no clothes. He was a naked man. He had lived he had not lived in a house. But he lived among the tombs when he saw Jesus he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice What have you to do with me Jesus son of the Most High God?

I beg you do not torment me for he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For many a time it had seized him he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles. But he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.

They could not he could not be controlled by man. Jesus asked him what is your name? And he said legion for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss.

What do you call that when you beg Jesus for something? What do you what do you call that? But what would we call that we call that prayer? The demons were praying to him. They were asking him something.

And what does he do? He hears them. He does what they ask.

It says.

He gave them permission To go into the pigs. There was a large herd of pigs feeding there on the hillside and they begged him to let them enter so he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs and The herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

Then we're told when the herdsmen saw what had happened. They fled and told in the city in the in the country and when the people came out Went out to see Jesus what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man From whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind.

What an amazing scene this was this notorious sinner this demon-possessed man.

Naked.

Incapable of being controlled by man.

Suddenly at the word of Jesus.

He's clothed and in his right mind. There's not a more beautiful description of what happened to you and you became a Christian or me when I became a Christian. Before we were a Christian we were naked as regards to righteousness.

We could not be pleasing in the sight of God. And we were not in our right mind were we? It wasn't until we came to Christ that we were put into our right mind when we could finally love the Lord our God with our Mind as well as our heart in our soul in our strength.

And this man is suddenly clothed and in his right mind. It says the townspeople were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the garrisons.

Now this is a shocking thing they just see Jesus.

Heal this man put him in his right mind, and what did they do?

They asked him to do what?

To depart.

They asked him to depart from them.

For they were seized with great fear.

Now what do you call that when you ask Jesus to do something? What do you call that you call that prayer?

And what did Jesus do?

He answered their prayer. He did what they asked. He did what the demons asked. He did what the unbelieving town folk asked he departed. They asked him to leave and he left now. What's the point of all that well?

What's interesting is? How he produces an evangelist? The man who's now clothed and sitting at his right hand also asks a prayer. He makes a request. But oddly enough. Though he listened to the demons and though he listened to the unbelieving town folk when the man who has just been converted Asks him about something the Lord says no.

That's curious isn't it that's a bit curious. That's not what we would have expected in fact this whole story is not what we'd have expected. But you know what Jesus is about. He's about producing evangelists.

That's what he's doing. He's the great producer of evangelists, and how does he do that well? It says the people surrounding the country asked him to depart for they were seized with great fear so he got into the boat and returned.

But the man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him. Same term is used that was used earlier. The demons begged and the Lord responded. Begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away.

And said no, you're not getting into the boat with us. I can understand why he wanted to do that can't you I? Mean he had just spent his whole life demon-possessed. What do you think he thought was gonna happen once Jesus left?

What do you think he feared might happen once Jesus left he feared that the demons would come back again. But Jesus says no and look look what he says to him Jesus sent him away saying return to your home and Declare how much God has done you see that's the gospel message in a nutshell.

What is the evangelist called to do he is called to tell the good news of? The gospel and as an evangelist it has to also begin with us. Tell him what great things God has done for you. How he has had mercy on you, and that's what he does here with this man this demoniac.

Who now becomes the evangelist and where is he told to go go to your own home go to your family go back to the people who knew you.

Before and.

You start there. Whenever a person has come to Christ under my ministry or someone that I've become acquainted with I will always ask them that question Have you gone and have you told to the people who know you best? The great things that God has done for you.

Find whatever form it takes write letters make phone calls take visits. But you tell them what great things God has done for you. That's what this man. We are told then did listen. It says and he went away Proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done.

Here is Jesus the great evangelist. Who is also the great? Evangelist maker for all church history. Whenever you go through all church history, and you see evangelists that God has produced has raised up.

You see there's a variety of ways. He has done it, but the end is always the same. You have those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good and share with others and say oh come and Join with me in receiving the grace of God in my life.

Simon Peter Fishers of men the demoniac tell the great things God has done for you. The third example I'd like to spend the rest of the time with was that which I was originally saying was going to be the.

Only thing I was going to do.

The story of brother Brian of Birmingham. My wife and I moved from New York to Birmingham, Alabama 14 years ago. We began a church we were part of a church plant a little over 10 years ago. And we began our ministry in downtown Birmingham.

We actually met in a hotel In the bottom of a the Tutwiler historical Tutwiler Hotel in downtown Birmingham. There's a very famous park around the corner of from the where we were meeting called Kelly Ingram Park.

Many of you know about the Baptist Church who had the there was an explosion that took place many years ago. There were children that were killed. It's a very famous church. Well, that's park is right on the corner where that church is and What we began is a ministry there after our church service would be over.

We'd go down to their park. And me and a few other men would scatter around and the ladies would bring food and and we would be there and just have our Bibles and just sit down and talk with people about Christ and Seek to minister to them the gospel.

For the most part we were dealing with homeless people not exclusively, but but mostly and We began to develop relationships with them. One of the young men who I developed a close relationship with. I was able to actually I found Out by being down there every week that there was a ministry.

It was not too far from this park called Brother Brian mission and we went to the mission got involved getting this young man settled in the mission and.

As.

The Lord would have it within about a week or so. They approached me and asked if I would be interested in preaching every Friday night at the mission. This was going on ten years ago now and They said we've had somebody coming and doing this for many years on a Friday night, but they can't do it anymore.

Would you be interested and I? immediately said I would and I've been doing it ever since and It's one of the highlights of my week to be able to go and minister the Word of God to these men. This is not a standard kind of a mission where the men come in from the outside every every night.

They actually live there. They have to pay a certain amount of week not a lot But $60 a week to be able to have their meals and have their own bed, and and they have their own belongings. It's a fairly nice place for the kind of ministry.

It is and it's given me an opportunity to minister for now these past nine and a half years every week. But I learned about this man brother Brian the mission is named after brother Brian. And I didn't know anything about him when I first got involved well I started to read about him.

We actually have a book outside called brother. It's called religion and shoes and I think the name of the book comes from the fact that was one time a knock at the door and a little boy answered and he yelled to his mama and said mama religion is knocking at the door and The little boy to this little boy's mind brother Brian was a symbol of.

True religion.

Because that's what brother Brian was brother Brian is one of the most famous men who ever lived in Birmingham, maybe you've never heard of him, but The more you learn about him the more you would be amazed at the life that this man lived.

He was born March 20th 1863 in South Carolina. And one of the key incidents that happened in his life happened when he was but two years old his father was was fighting in. What I've learned since I've moved down south is called the the war of northern aggression which we up north called the Civil War, but This this war his father was in the war and at the end his father was very very ill almost near death and He had a Negro a black man who was his servant who accompanied him during the war and He told the man to stay behind.

He said you can get work here. We cannot help you anymore and the man said to him. He said sir I will not leave you until I have placed you into the arms of your wife and we're told that this black man this large black man carried brother Brian's father and The trains that were heading back south.

For after the war was over They were jam-packed every single boxcar was filled with people. Even the cow catcher had people on it and what this man had to do he had to personally lift brother Brian's father onto the top of a train car and He sat up on that train car with brother Brian's dad's head in his lap.

The many many hours that that train traveled south when they finally got to the town where brother Brian's family was this man took brother Brian's father down carried him three and a half miles in his arms and brought him to the home where brother Brian's father's Family was waiting for him and brother Brian's ministry to the blacks the rest of his life was all built upon the fact that he Said how could I not love a people?

Who saved my father when he was in his desperate condition? Brother Brian were trying to get the civil the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham to acknowledge The significant role that he had ministering to the blacks.

He had a phenomenal Ministry to the blacks. He went to University of North Carolina on a scholarship. He graduated and then in 1885 86 He was given a scholarship to go to Princeton Seminary. And sat under the great professors at Princeton Seminary in the late 1800s sat under Benjamin Warfield Casper Hodge and many many other of the great professors at Princeton was the greatest seminary in the world at that time and He had the privilege of sitting under that ministry for three years he his nickname when he was there was the saint and It was not a derisive term at all his fellow students recognized in him a uniqueness in The relationship that he had in his love to Christ upon graduation.

He had a choice of either going to this large church in Philadelphia Where he could have had a very cushy life. Or go into this small little third Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Birmingham was but a kind of a three-horse town at the time just dirt roads very little to it and brother Brian sensed the call of God to go to Birmingham and He got off the train in July 5th of 1889.

Which life June 1st of 1889 and when he got off the train nobody met him. No one knew him and yet When he died some 52 years later He had the largest funeral in the history of Birmingham. Everybody knew him.

Nobody knew him when he got there, but everybody knew him after he left. He was a man who loved people and his whole ministry was built on his love for Christ and His love for the lost. From the very beginning of his ministry in Birmingham.

He had a ministry that was absolutely unique. We were told that he preached upwards of 40 times a week he would go and he would have a Group that he would minister to on Monday and then on Tuesday and on Wednesday.

He would go to the prison. He would go to the jails. He would speak to the male white prisoners the male Negro black prisoners the the black Women the white women each of those he would bring a message to them.

Then he would speak to the jailers Then he would speak to the firemen and he would have always a word from Christ for them. He would always speak to them about.

Christ.

We are told in the book that when he first began his ministry, there was a policeman who cried out to him and this policeman said that that his son was dying and He asked brother Brian if he would come down and minister to his son who was dying of tuberculosis.

And they thought he was dying that very night and brother Brian went down and knelt beside the boy and told him of the Savior. The boy did not die. He lived for two months every day. The preacher would come and talk to him and Pray for him and finally the lad found the Lord Jesus.

Great joy was in his soul. The father and mother of the dying boy were bitter enemies to each other. But one night at midnight the father came in off of his feet and His boy calls his father and mother into the room where he was late where he lay dying.

With his skinny arms. He drew the two of them down over his emaciated body and whispered mother and father. I Want you to kiss? Across my dying body. I am dying to reconcile you to each other. And across the dying body of their son the estranged father and mother.

Were reconciled to one another and from that day Began the change which at last reconciled both to their father God through Jesus Christ. Brother Brian had a ministry to people that touched hearts changed lives.

Brother Brian was an example very much like pastor sketches. Every day you heard that every day. He went and ministered to that boy. How many pastors are there like that today? We are so consumed at times with our Things that we do that we forget about.

What God is primary primarily called us to do is to minister to sinful people who need Jesus Christ.

He.

Has examples in this book about how the Lord used him to touch the hearts of many people. There was an example of a dying harlot. Who described the fact that she had tried to take her life with poison?

And.

Brother Brian got word of this and he went to the hospital and he kneeled over her. He prayed for her he kissed her on the cheek and she and he said sister go and sin no more. Years later an anonymous letter was written to the newspaper.

This woman had come to Christ. Her life was transformed and she said it was that word and that kiss That gave her hope that she could possibly Have a life that could please God. Brother Brian had a ministry to the blacks in the community.

He would go and begin mission work. He would begin Sunday schools where they would just gather children from the streets. And they would preach the gospel to them and they did this for years. They would feed the poor he would go from place to place to gather food and be able to bring food to this to the people who are hungry and Then bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This was the ministry that God had given to him a ministry to the poor to the sick to the frail to the dying. It was also a ministry, but brother Brian's ministry was also a ministry of prayer. In fact the most frequent words that were found on his lips was Let us pray.

He said the pastor must live on his knees. He must advance on his knees. He must visit on his knees. He must prepare to preach on his knees. When we pray and our prayers do not go higher than our heads or the ceiling in our rooms.

We are not to blame God. The prayers are unanswered because we have not met some condition the condition of answered prayers our faith a life with sins forgiven and the unselfishness which would not use the gift of prayer to satisfy an unworthy desire.

An Example of how he would use prayer is somewhat I mean we look at a name almost say it's comical, but this is typical of brother Brian one night He was walking home from church a man suddenly slipped out from between the house and stuck a gun in his face saying hands up.

He took brother Brian's watch and the little money that he had and then was astonished to hear the victim Say let us pray. Slowly the gun lowered and as the prayer ended the thief put the watch and the money back in his hands.

This is very typical of brother Brian. Nothing would stop him. He always focused on Christ and always focused on prayer. His most characteristic prayer was Oh Lord. Help us fight the devil. He was fully aware of his own weaknesses and every day.

He recognized the fact that he needed desperately needed Christ a January 9th 1921 the Birmingham News ran the following headline. Reverend J a Brian is awarded the news Loving Cup. It was a unanimous decision the Loving Cup was a Idea that the newspaper came up with that they were going to offer to the most useful citizen of Birmingham.

We were told brother Brian was the unanimous winner in fact. They made a decision that first year that you could only win it once. Because if they had that every year he would win every year because there's no one who could have possibly competed with brother Brian.

Thousands of people turned out for the award. Thousands more stood outside who couldn't get in mostly the poor. That stood outside and brother Brian's Word to the people that night was when I came to Birmingham.

I came with only one thing I Came with love love for Christ and love for his people. He says in the diary of David Livingston the great missionary to Africa was found these words written sometime before his death.

Jesus my Lord my King my God I Again, we dedicate my life and my service to thee and the furtherance of thy kingdom. Brother Brian then said looking at this cup God looking upon me and your hearing depending on your prayers and God's help.

I write the same vow of rededication Jesus my Lord my King my God. I again we dedicate my life my all to the upbuilding of Birmingham to the helping of humanity to the glory of God.

We are told that the year later.

When the next person won the award They wanted brother Brian to be there to open the ceremony with prayer because it was the only thing fitting to have him do that. But he begged out and said I cannot be there for the opening.

I have a very important funeral that I must attend to. But I will try to be there for the closing of the ceremony. But we are told about this very important funeral that he had to do. The the the funeral was the funeral of a prostitute Who had died?

But he had brought her to the Savior during her last illness and on her deathbed. He promised to see her decently buried. And now he was there to say the last words while in yonder great crowd gathered in the auditorium.

The room was almost empty. There was just the preacher the man who drove the preacher's car. The hired undertaker a few women from the neighborhood and several men who are the only ones present. The driver of the car says that the prayer that he prayed that day was the most beautiful he had ever heard.

The service was over it was time to move the casket. Several of the men stood forward to carry it. The preacher who was very bold looked at the men With a steady eye and said you men were responsible for her fall.

I know who you are. I Will pray for you. I hope God will save you and forgive your sins, but you can't touch her now. She is saved redeemed by Jesus Christ. Her corpse will not be polluted by your touch.

With conscience stricken faces the men stepped back while the minister the undertaker and the chauffeur lifted the casket into the hearse and the redeemed harlot was carried to her grave and Placed in it by brother Brian and his two helpers.

Only the lonely grave he pronounced the bed over the lonely grave He pronounced the benediction of Almighty God. Then he quickly stepped into his car. Sped with swiftly through the city. The loving cup had been awarded the years benefactor.

The city was standing with his hands. The audience was upon their feet when a stoop-shouldered white-haired old man slipped upon the platform. A Thousand loving eyes were turned upon him. He had come to close the great gathering with prayer.

You see he considered the Funeral the harlot to be more important than any accolades that a city could give. One of the things about him too is that he had a An ability to minister to all ages. To all types of people.

Not only did he minister to the poor on a regular basis. The brother Brian also ministered to the wealthy. There were the debutants up on the hill that had a school. And he would go there every week and preach the gospel to these young ladies the future leaders of the women of Birmingham.

We are told that there was an ice storm one winter and We just had one of those ourselves just this past winter and when I lived in New York I used to laugh at my brother when he would tell me how everything would shut down in Birmingham whenever there would be even the Threat of snow, but now that I live there, and I see how hilly it is I realized that it's a very dangerous place when you have ice.

Well one winter there was an ice storm and the The proprietor the the man who was in charge of the ladies the debutants called brother Brian and said don't come today. It's too dangerous. There's ice everywhere.

We are told that morning right on time. All the girls had their faces against the windows looking out as they saw this elderly man on his hands and knees. Crawling up the icy steps to get to these girls with the gospel.

They never listened to anyone the way they listened to him. Because they knew that he loved them and he loved them because he loved Christ. There was nothing that would keep him From getting the gospel to people old or young black or white rich or poor.