Introduction
I want to take the time this evening to read a section from my biography on Rolfe Barnard, called God's Hitchhiker Evangelist. I think it is important, when we study the lives of men and women that God has used in former times, to bring them glory. We can learn much. Barnard had a powerful preaching ministry that lasted over forty years and canvassed much of America. It was said of his ministry that he led over 100,000 souls to Christ.
Barnard was a unique individual. He started off in college by being an atheist — at a Baptist college, no doubt. He started an infidel club and led many to hell, he claimed. I want to introduce you to this man by reading his own account of his conversion experience. Here are his words:
Rolfe Barnard's Conversion — In His Own Words
“I knew that being saved meant I would have to be a public preacher, and I did two things to try to handle that situation. I became an infidel by day and I prayed by night. By day I got so bitter, so miserable that I had to find a refuge. I had to crawl into the dust just to get a little peace. So I found out there wasn't any God, I said. I organized an infidel club in my college. I had 300 young Baptist college students join — but by night I would pray to God to save me. I was an orator in those days, a college debater, a college Shakespearean actor. I was a big shot. I had a scholarship in the best law school in the world. I had the offer already of a junior partnership in the biggest law firm in Texas when I was out of school. You wouldn't catch me being a little old hitchhike preacher living on cornbread and water and everybody cursing me. Now, there was never a day in my life that I didn't want to keep out of hell — but I wasn't going to preach. I was cursing God by day and begging God to save me by night. For five years I tried to get God to save me, and every time I said, I will not preach.”— Rolfe Barnard
Barnard continued:
“Listen — I don't care how little it is. If that's where your rebellion heads up, it must be crushed. If not there, there's no salvation. This easy-believism stuff, getting somebody to cry a little and make some kind of profession and calling it salvation — that is deception. You must be willing to surrender your all to the Lord Jesus Christ and do His will. Christ must be revealed to you. That is salvation.”— Rolfe Barnard
“I stand here tonight because God set his affections on me, and he sent a college professor after me, and that college professor wouldn't let me go to hell. He loved me and he wouldn't leave me alone. That professor couldn't save me — but he could weep over me and ask God to save me. He couldn't break me, but he could ask God to break my stubborn will. He would wait for me at night on campus and with tears in his eyes he would say, 'Rolf, I can't let you go to hell.'”— Rolfe Barnard
The Surrender
After graduating, Barnard went out to the panhandle of Texas to teach school before entering law school. In those days you had to be a church member to get a job teaching in public schools, so the first Sunday he joined the local church — and was promptly elected teacher of the men's Bible class. He taught that class while still an unbeliever.
Then one Sunday, something happened:
“I went to my room and locked it. I threw my Bible down on the floor and buried my face in it and said, 'Lord, whether you save me or damn me, I will preach from now on.'”— Rolfe Barnard
That same afternoon, Barnard went to find the superintendent of the Sunday school and woke him from his nap on the front porch. He said: “Brother Mills, the Lord has saved me and I want to preach next Sunday.” The superintendent replied: “Well, it's about time.” He then explained that two identical letters had arrived weeks before — one to the superintendent and one to the pastor — from an old white-haired woman in Abilene, Texas, who wrote: “My boy's coming to your town to teach school. He's called to be a preacher. He's not even saved. He's in an awful mess. Don't let him have a moment's peace.” The superintendent said: “Boy, we've been doing it. We've been meeting once a week and asking, Lord, make the fire a little hotter. We've been waiting.”
Back to the College
The news of Barnard's conversion reached his alma mater within hours. The college president called, granted him a week's leave from teaching, and asked him to come back and speak in chapel every night — to undo as much of the damage as he could. The infidel club was still active, now led by Barnard's closest friend, who had been its vice-president the year before.
Barnard stood up in that chapel every night and gave his testimony. His friend sat in the congregation and listened — but at the end of the week, when they sat together at the train station, he said to Barnard:
“Rolf, you've gone off your rocker. You used to be a brain. I hope you'll recover and come back to your senses.”— Barnard's friend
Barnard had witnessed to him all week and got nowhere. They shook hands and Barnard boarded the train. Five months later, a man put five bullets in his chest. Barnard said:
“I have a terrible reason to believe that five seconds later in hell, he lifted up his eyes, being in torments. Two young men organized an infidels' club. That was 39 years ago since I shook hands and told that boy goodbye. I'm here speaking to you. I'm afraid he's been in torments these 39 years. What's the difference? Somewhere in there, in the good providence of God, I began to spend time in a cold room crying to the Lord for mercy — and that boy never did.”— Rolfe Barnard
The Ordination Charge
Barnard closed with the counsel he received at his ordination from an older preacher — words that proved truer than the young and confident Barnard could have imagined:
“Son, you don't know what you're getting into. There will be nights when you walk the floor. Your wife can't comfort you. Your loved ones can't comfort you. The heavens will be dark and you will want to die. You will never know what heartaches you are letting yourself in for. You don't realize the opposition of Satan or the absolute depravity of men — even good men. Always be as narrow as the Bible, don't be any broader than the Bible, and preach the word.”— Ordination preacher to Rolfe Barnard