Ministry Update April 3, 2016
Still Forsaking Jesus
Friday night was Art Walk and there was a concert on the square. We started off just a block South of the square, but the band was loud and it wasn’t very crowded, so Aaron suggested that we move down to South and Walnut. As we were finishing singing a bicyclist was upset with our singing hymns (you can always tell it’s going to be a crazy night when people get riled up just over singing hymns). He kept telling us to quit singing, so I jumped up on the box and said this gentleman didn’t want to hear any more singing, so we’ll go ahead and start preaching . Obviously, he didn’t like that any better.
My message was called Forsaken and just as if on cue, people walking by started mocking and cussing as they walked by us. The two young women who danced in front of us over a month ago drove by and both of them flipped me off and yelled. Evidently they didn’t get it all out of their system, so they drove back around and repeated their cussing and finger gestures.Yes, people are still mocking Jesus after 2,000 years.
Brian who observed us last week joined us again and this time he broke the sound barrier! He did is first open-air preaching and he did a great job. He’s soft spoken and yet he still drew mockers too. It turns out that Brian and I both attend Crossway Baptist Church.
Kelly preached and for whatever reason his message really stirred people up. One guy walked by us yelling that we shouldn’t be judging people and he even turned back around to tell us off some more. Aaron tried to reason with him and he wasn’t having any of it. So I jumped in too and he started telling me that Kelly was judging people and then claimed Kelly let out a string of cuss words. I assured him that Kelly said no such thing. He said yes he did, I heard him. I replied no you didn’t, Kelly wouldn’t say those words because he’s a Christian. The man then said I’m a Christian too. I said no you’re not. You just let out a whole string of cuss words and a Christian wouldn’t say such things. He turned around and told us that we are all going to Hell. Sadly, he has it backwards. Unless he repents, he will perish.
Then another guy walked by while Kelly was still preaching and accused him of being judgmental. Kelly basically stopped preaching and started talking to the guy. The young man claimed that he asked Jesus into his heart when he was young (I think he said when he was 8 years old). So Kelly asked his about his life now. The young man raise both hands high in the air and said, sex, drugs and rock n roll. Kelly told him that he’s not saved. The young man got mad and walked away.
Making A Judgment
Now I want to make clear that not a single one of us preaching Friday night judged anyone while we were on the box. We were preaching against sin and judgment to come and that Jesus is the only Savior. But when people engage us who exhibit un-Christ-like words and actions, we do judge then. Maybe you are also thinking that we shouldn’t judge. Well, the Bible (Jesus?) says that we are to judge with righteous judgment. Jesus also said that we will know His disciples by their fruits. If you claim Jesus but are still living for the devil, you are lost and need to repent and surrender your life to Jesus. I will make that judgment each and every time and it’s clearly biblical to do so. Too many people are counting on a one-time religious experience to keep them out of Hell. True Christians never stop repenting. If you are continuing in the same habitual sin, I beg you to examine yourself to see if you are really saved. Without repentance there is no salvation.
Kelly’s Write-up
Kelly prayed with several people and this is his write up of Friday night: What a night! Going to sinners and proclaiming the Gospel last night is enlightening. Several friends from Lighthouse Ana Baptist Church (Aaron Brummitt, Erica S. Parker, Diana Sheldon & daughter) and Crossway Baptist Church ( Dennis Vance and a new guy Brian) joined me (Kelly attends Macedonia Baptist Church). I have listed a few of the people we encountered last night and I ask you join me in praying for them:
Breanna: This young lady does not have Jesus in her life. When she was young she said the sinners prayer but nothing happened. A prime example of why saying “words” is pointless without repentance from and confession of sin.
Elijah: He is a follower of Christ from a distance. We prayed for God to change his life and for his dad’s employment.
Lane: This young man shows that men will fill their lives with anything semi-religious. He believes his deeds will allow him into heaven. I asked if he had a bible and has read the book of John. He said he has not. I showed him where it was and also walked him through the Roman Road.I ask you pray that the seed will grow in his life.
Drake & Espenoza: Both of them told me they accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Neither one is in the fellowship of God though. I ask you pray for their salvation or their restoration to God’s church.
Tommy: This gentlemen is homeless but has accepted Christ as his savior. He is in great fellowship with other believers and ask that we pray for him to find a home.
Ed: This gentlemen has either severely backslid or never had Christ as his savior. He used to go to seminary but over time has switched to atheism or severely agnostic. Most of our discussion rallied around points I use to discuss Christ to atheists. I ask you pray for his restoration or salvation.
Bethany: This young lady attempted to rebuke Aaron Brummitt yet they came to an understanding. She needs Christ in her life. Although she was drunk the seed was planted.
Sarah: This young lady is currently homeless. She does attend Crossway Baptist Church and she does have Christ in her life. Please pray that she finds a home soon.
Many of us were heckled as we preached last night so it made for a lively session. I thank you for all your prayers and concerns. I am humbled by every experience I have as we proclaim the Gospel amongst the plethora of sinners downtown in Springfield. Several gospel tracts were handed out. I missed having my son with me but still enjoyed spreading the Good News!
Then Aaron brought a message and he wasn’t very far into it when Bethany walked up and engaged him in conversation. She was very drunk, but she wanted to know how Aaron knows that the God we worship is the only God. He quoted her Scripture that shows that we worship the One true God. Then she wanted to know how he knows that God is the only one and why people can’t worship other gods. He pointed out that only Jesus fulfilled prophecy, not Mohammad, not Joseph Smith or any of the other cult leaders. Again, he walked her through Scripture in the Old Testament that pointed to Jesus, including Psalm22. Then he stepped off the box and quit preaching and continued showing her scripture after scripture. She really seemed to listen and also appeared to be convicted. Erica also talked to her. Bethany took tracts and hugged us all before she went away. Oh, may God convict and convert her.
Aaron, Erica, Diana, Elise, Kelly, Brian and I ended the night singing hymns. A young woman didn’t like the singing so she complained to the policeman across the street, but he didn’t do anything. Then evidently a man walked by and recorded us while we ended with unclouded day because two men in a car drove by and the passenger held his phone out of the window and he was playing our singing back to us. They smiled and waved and waved back to them.
It was a real blessing to serve the Lord with my friends. The glorious Gospel was proclaimed, several tracts were handed out, a handful of Bibles and may God continue to work on those who heard the truth and received tracts. Even though many, many people are still forsaking Jesus, it is an honor to lift up His name in the streets of downtown Springfield, Mo.
Jewish Student Mocks God Over Shrimp
On Wednesday at MSU while Aaron was preaching and I was handing out tracts, a Jewish student mocked God over shrimp. He sat down on the ground near us holding a sign that said F shrimp. Some Jewish people are still mocking Jesus after 2,000 years. In the upper corner of his sign it said Lev. 11:10-12. (I asked if he is Jewish and he said yes. Said he believes in God , Heaven and Hell, but when I asked him what happens after you die, he said nothing. I said there can’t be Heaven and Hell and nothing. He said Christians believe in Heaven and Hell. I said yes we do. He also pointed out that Jesus was a Jew. I said yes and I’m grateful He died for my sins and I also pointed out that my wife is Jewish. I wasn’t getting anywhere with him, so I handed him a tract and said will you take one of these? He looked at it for a little bit and said yes, and reached up his hand and took it.
Earlier Aaron was preaching and an atheist named Jack stopped and talked to him. They probably talked for 15 or 20 minutes. They had a good conversation and Jack seemed willing to listen.
Angry Professor Not Angry This Week
The angry professor that told me last week that he didn’t want me to ever try to hand him a tract again, walked by while I was preaching. Then he walked back from lunch while I was handing out tracts. I stuck my arm out not knowing what to expect. He laughed as he walked by and said, I tell you what, I’m going to save you money (in other words, he was going to save me money by not wasting a tract on him). He smiled as he said it so I laughed and told him that I hadn’t heard that one before. It was totally opposite from his reaction last week.
We handed out over 100 tracts and I had 6 or 7 wrong way booklets and they went really quickly. One student stopped and shook my hand and thanked us for being out there. I asked him where he goes to church and he said Second Baptist. I told him that I like to ask because some students don’t attend church and I like to invite them to my church, Crossway Baptist. He said that he used to go there and that he thought that he’d seen me there in the past.
(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share their faith in Jesus Christ with others)