If We Don’t Sin Jesus Died In Vain
Ministry Update November 19, 2017
Conner and I witnessed in downtown Springfield, MO on Friday night. After Conner prayed, I brought a message. We had a couple of hecklers, but the one that stands out was one with a car load of people a girl yelled out the car window, “If we don’t sin Jesus died in vain.” This is one of the things about street ministry, you never know what people are going to say and it wouldn’t even come to mind otherwise.
It was almost like she was saying it’s our duty to sin. Somehow, we do a disservice to Jesus if we don’t sin. We don’t want Jesus to have died for nothing. Obviously, this young girl is biblically incorrect. The apostle Paul said: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Romans 6:1-2).
Paul asks the question, should we continue in sin that grace may abound? He then answers his own question with God forbid. God forbid! That’s a resounding no. Of course we shouldn’t continue in sin. That is not God’s will. Anybody that thinks we have to keep sinning or Jesus died in vain has a very low view of the cross. Jesus didn’t suffer, bleed and die on the cross for guilty sinners to continue sinning freely. No, Jesus came to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). From our sins, not for us to sin more.
Handing out tracts. Richard is not pictured.
Handing Out Tracts And One Conversation
We handed out a few tracts on our normal corner after Conner preached. Then we walked up to the square and handed out tracts to several groups hanging around. I gave tracts to a fairly large group, but missed one guy. Conner gave him a tract and struck up a conversation with him. The young man’s name is Richard and he believes that we all have our own god. It sounded funny at first, but everyone that rejects the One true God really does make up their own god. (Even professing atheist’s non-god is their god.)
Conner clearly shared the Gospel with Richard and pointed out that truth is truth, not what everyone thinks is true for them. After Conner witnessed to him, I asked Richard if he had a Bible. He said no and Conner and I both were ready to give him one. But he refused the offer. It appeared that he didn’t want to carry it around. So I told him that I had one that he could slip into his pocket. I fumbled around and handed him a Gideon New Testament, that he accepted.
No One Has Ever Accepted A Message They Were Hit With
On Wednesday I witnessed at Missouri State University. I started off handing out about 50 tracts: 101 Of The World’s Funniest One Liners from Living Waters. Then I brought a message and had one student wave as she walked past. A few students didn’t say anything, but recorded me as they walked by. Toward the end, an older woman walked by and yelled, “No one has ever accepted a message they were hit with!” She accused me of yelling at students and that they aren’t going to accept it.
I’m sorry, but you can’t claim this and it be true, unless you possess all knowledge. You can only make an absolute statement if you know everything or if you know the One who knows everything and He has revealed the truth to you. So how can she “know” that open-air preaching has never, ever been effective? (And why has there been open-air preachers in biblical times and since then, if it never has worked?) So I asked her about the young man that got saved at the Super Bowl Outreach earlier this year (and actually he was one of three). Continuing on, I asked her what about the people I’ve seen God convict over years while street witnessing.
I Did Yell At This Woman
How could she make her absolute claim statement and know that it was true? She couldn’t, but she wouldn’t back down and kept arguing as she walked by. I wasn’t yelling at the student and in fact I had just reminded them that I don’t hate them and that I want them to repent and surrender their lives to Jesus. I talk loudly so more students can hear the message. But I did yell at this woman as she continued mouthing off as she walked away. I reminded her that Jesus commands us to preach the Gospel. It doesn’t matter if she’s an atheist or a professing Christian, she is being anti-Christ. Anytime you go against what Jesus says to do, you are being against Him, you are being anti-Christ. So, I pleaded with her to repent and trust Jesus.
Witnessing At MSU
(These updates are given to encourage Christians to share the Gospel with others. We pray that Richard and others from downtown submit to King Jesus. May the students and the angry woman at MSU also surrender to Jesus Christ the Lord)