Another Barber hears the Gospel

I’ve been thinking I need to get my haircut at a different barber, as the barber shop I’ve been two has primarily two barbers, and they’ve both now heard the gospel. However, I didn’t make a decision to go to a new barber – and I’ve been needing a haircut. So, I went to the usual barbershop.

I was doubly-blessed when I walked in the door: not only was the person in front of me finishing up (this shop is walk-in only – no appointments), but it was a different barber than usual! I had forgotten that there were three barbers that worked at the shop on various days. I had never been in on a Sunday or Monday – which are the only two days this barber works.

We started chatting, and after awhile I mentioned a trip that we had been on with our ministry. He asked about the ministry, and I shared that we encourage Christian homeschool families, as well as anyone that is seeking to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. It was a great opportunity to ask if he had a Christian background. Turns out, he was raised in the Baptist church.

I then said he would be familiar with the 10 commandments (he was), and asked if he felt he had kept some of them, none of them, or most of them. He said he had kept them all. I said I’d talked to a number of people and most tend to miss them, but we’d give it a shot and see.

We worked through lying, stealing, blasphemy, adultery (of the heart), and murder (of the heart). He acknowledged guilt in each area – and we had a good time talking about them. I said that when he dies, and God judges him based on those 10 commandments, if he would be innocent or guilty. He hedged… He said he felt that God would decide at that point. I said that he had just made it easy for God by acknowledging that he had broken five out of the five we talked about, and since God is aware of everything, God had just heard his own admission, and could judge his whole life based on that simple admission (without even having to replay his whole life of events). He agreed (and laughed).

I then said that God judges our entrance to heaven based on whether we’ve kept or broken His commandments, and asked if he would go to heaven or hell. Instead of answering, he asked if that was truly how God judges us. I shared the story of the Rich Young Ruler who came to Jesus and asked how he could gain eternal life, and Jesus asked if he had kept the commandments. The young man thought he had, but turns out he hadn’t (funny thing was that, as I was sharing about that, I realized the exact same thing had happened with the barber, first he said he was innocent, and then had acknowledged guilt).

We talked for another ten or so minutes about the gospel. I shared about repentance and surrendering one’s life to Jesus. We talked about being in the Word on a daily basis (which the barber said he does) – but he doesn’t attend church (because he’s usually working). We talked about living a hypocritical life (he’s aware of others that claim to be Christians but don’t live like one).

As we were finishing up, an older gentlemen showed up for his hair cut. A minute later a lady and her three children arrived. Following that, another gentlemen arrived.

I was praising the Lord for the opportunity to share (and I pray the Holy Spirit continues to work in this man’s life) as well as how nicely the timing worked out!