He First Told His Family
Bob Yandian
Jesus gave us the Great Commission. He left us with the Holy Spirit and the power to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. But before you go to the ends of the earth, let me ask—what about your own home? What about your Jerusalem?
Acts 1:8 says, “You shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Most people read that and say, “Well, my Jerusalem is my city.” And that’s true. But let’s take it a step further—your Jerusalem is also your family. You may not live in a major city, or even in town at all. But wherever you are, your home, your family, that’s where ministry starts.
Every year around the holidays I’d have people come up to me at church and say, “Pastor, would you pray for me? My dad isn’t saved. My brother mocks what I believe. I don’t want them to go to hell.” The desire to see your family born again runs deep, and rightly so. But I want to encourage you today—God wants your family saved even more than you do. You didn’t send Jesus to the cross. He did.
My own story is proof of how powerful household salvation is. My grandfather escaped the Armenian genocide around 1917 and came to America. He had two sons, one of whom was my father. After his wife died, my grandfather returned to Armenia, remarried, and fought to bring his sons back to the U.S. But he didn’t know the Lord.
My dad grew up in a cold, religious background—an Armenian church that resembled Catholicism. He served as an altar boy but hated religion. One day, some students from Brown University handed him a Gospel of John on a street corner. He read it, never said much, but it stuck with him. Later, during WWII, my father flew 33 missions over Germany in a B-17. Twice, he nearly didn’t come back. During one close call, he prayed, “God, if You get me home, I’ll go to church.” He made it home. But like so many, he forgot that promise.
He met my mother in Louisiana. They drove west, aiming for Enid, Oklahoma. They ran out of gas in Tulsa. My mom said, “I think I’ve got some relatives here.” They stayed in their basement. On the second night, that couple shouted downstairs, “You kids want to go to a revival?” My dad didn’t know what a revival was. “A church meeting? No thanks.” But my mom reminded him, “They’re giving us a place to stay for free.” So off they went.
That night, my dad came under the power of the Holy Spirit and was born again. My mom was saved too. That one event changed everything. From two people who received Jesus, we now have multiple generations serving God. My dad became a pastor. I became a pastor. My son is a pastor. My granddaughter is a praise and worship leader. One grandson has a call to the ministry. It all began with my dad saying yes to Jesus.
And the story doesn't end there. My dad led his father to the Lord on his deathbed. He also won his mother and brother to Jesus. That change rippled outward. One day, my friend David Emi, a pastor in west Tulsa, told me, “You know who led my mom to the Lord? Your dad.” I had no idea. That’s how it works. You never know the impact of one changed life.
When Andrew followed Jesus, he didn’t head out to start a preaching tour. The Bible says, “He first found his own brother, Simon.” (John 1:41). Andrew didn’t start with strangers. He started at home.
Your family members are your first mission field. They’re also the ones who know you best. They know what you used to be like. That’s why your changed life will speak louder than your arguments. You can win an argument and lose a soul. But when they see lasting transformation—that speaks volumes.
Let me tell you, family members are watching. They may accuse you of being in a cult, mock your faith, or just brush you off. But deep down, they’re hoping this change in you is real. They remember who you used to be. So walk in love. Be patient. Depend on the Holy Spirit. He’ll open doors. When those opportunities come—maybe during a visit, at a holiday dinner, or in a phone call—He’ll give you the right words.
I’ve seen it over and over. A man in our church, rough as they come, used to get into bar fights and land in the hospital. His friends begged him to come to church. One day he said, “Fine! I’ll go once, then leave us alone.” He sat in the back, ready to bolt. But that night, he ran to the altar. His wife followed. That man served as our counseling director and became my associate pastor. Later, we bumped into someone from his past who couldn’t believe the change. “That guy’s your associate pastor?” he said. “No way.” But the change was real.
This is why ministers and Bible school students are often called back to their hometowns. No one can speak to your family and your old friends like you can. You may have been wild, rebellious, or written off. But when people see the gospel has truly changed you—that opens doors.
Andrew didn’t hand Peter a theological dissertation. He simply said, “We have found the Messiah.” That’s it—five words. Witnessing doesn’t require fancy theology or quoting long passages. Just tell them what Jesus did for you. Your testimony is powerful. You’re the only Bible some people will ever read.
That’s how revival spreads. Missionaries may start it, but converts carry it. Paul would visit cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, or Ephesus and preach the gospel. But when he moved on, those new believers brought the gospel to their families. Churches were born, not just through apostles, but through changed lives.
In Acts 16, Lydia was saved and then led her family to Jesus. A few nights later, the Philippian jailer was saved during a prison miracle and took Paul and Silas home. His whole family believed and was water baptized that night. That’s household salvation.
In the Old Testament, the God of Abraham became the God of Sarah, then Isaac, then Jacob, and so on. Moses’ God became the God of Aaron and Miriam. Rahab brought her family to safety and salvation. Joshua declared, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15).
In the New Testament, Jesus’ own brothers—James and Jude—didn’t believe at first. Imagine trying to convince your classmates your brother is God! But after the resurrection, James was saved and became the pastor of the Jerusalem church. Jude also believed and wrote a New Testament letter. Even Jesus’ sisters married ministers and served in the early church.
If you’re reading this and thinking, “But I don’t really have a family—I was raised in foster care, or my parents split up,” then let me encourage you. The local church is your family. First Timothy 5 says if you don’t have a father, come to church—we’ve got fathers. If you don’t have a mother, we’ve got mothers. You need brothers and sisters? You’ve got them here. The real family of God is both in heaven and on earth (Ephesians 3:14-15).
So, if your natural family isn’t saved yet, keep standing in faith. Keep walking in love. Don’t force the gospel on them—live it. Speak it simply. Let the Holy Spirit lead. And don’t forget, the gifts of the Spirit can be used in evangelism. Jesus used a word of knowledge at the well with the Samaritan woman. He used prophecy with Peter. Those gifts are still operating today.
Let me end with this: evangelism starts in your Jerusalem—your home. Andrew shows us the model. He didn’t begin with the crowds. He started with his brother. And because of that, Peter was changed. And through Peter, thousands were saved on the Day of Pentecost.
You never know how far the gospel will reach through one family member. Maybe that’s you.
