It was a joy to preach the gospel to the attendees of the 2011 SLO Earth Day event that took place at San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden (El Chorro Regional Park). Below is much of the video footage that I captured during the outreach. The first four videos document some of the bus stop preaching and the last video contains random clips from within the Earth Day event. Although the message we proclaimed wasn’t well received, we were very encouraged that many heard the Law and Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As the blog entry and video I posted earlier this we indicated, the folks there were kind of snarky with us. But Christian, when the world resists you because of Who you represent, don’t be discouraged. When they don’t want to hear the Good News about Jesus Christ, don’t be surprised. The world hated our Lord, do you think you’ll be treated any different?
[Jesus Christ] was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name… John 1:10-13 (also read Matthew 10:16-30)
Last year I attended the 2010 San Luis Obispo Earth Day event to pass out tracts and evangelize 1-2-1. Only to find out that speaking of Jesus Christ wasn’t appreciated by some. If you remember, I was pretty much booted from a booth that I was invited into by Jarrod, a Jewish rabbi. The booth was there to promote “religious tolerance.” But when Jarrod began to disagree with the Jesus of the Bible I was presenting, a reverend lady got upset with my being there and ran me off.
My Brother in Christ Jeff Harrison and I attended the 2011 SLO Earth Day event last Saturday. Our intention was to go into the event and pass out as many gospel tracts as we could. Then just before leaving the event, we where going to read aloud, open-air style, from Matthew 26-28, participating in the Project Ezra: Mission Good Friday outreach.
But when we arrived in the parking lot, we found 20-25 people standing on the sidewalk waiting for a shuttle to take them into the Earth Day event. Our plans changed quickly and we decided to remain by the shuttle pick up point and preach open air to the groups of people that would form every 10-15 minutes. We did this for quite some time. We had the privilege of sharing the Law and Gospel to maybe a hundred people. Praise be to GOD! This video gives some indication as to how well we were received by them.
At some point we decided to go ahead up into the festival. It was interesting and sad. The blatant idolatry expressed there was appalling. It grieved me to see it - not to mention the witchcraft.
The summation of the outreach is this. These people desperately need Jesus Christ – just as I still do today. Thirteen years back, I would have been at this festival partaking in all manner of sin. Apart from the grace that I received through faith in Jesus Christ, I too would resist the Gospel and GOD’s people’s pleadings.
I’m always blown away just how irrational a sinner can be though. Lost folk might promote religious tolerance, or even say, “make love not war” or “give peace a chance,” while at the same time, gnash their teeth at you in hatred of the Light that you’re trying to share with them in hopes they’ll be saved. Wow some of these folks are snarky and intolerant of us sharing our faith.
By GOD’s grace, we persevered in the face of their resistance and we pray GOD was glorified and that these people were convicted of sin, or righteousness, and judgment and that they'll see their need for Christ Jesus.
Lord willing, later this week I’ll be uploading the videos from this evangelism effort.
Brother Jeff Harrison and I participated in the Project Ezra: Mission Good Friday outreach. What is Mission Good Friday you ask?
On Good Friday through Easter, Christians from all over the world went into the public-square, stood atop their “soap-box,” opened up their Bibles, and read aloud from Matthew 26-28. Brother Jeff and I had the privilege of reading and preaching to those gathered at Pismo Beach Pier on Good Friday.
This video includes segments of the reading. Please forgive my poor video editing. I think I was too tired when I edited this so some of the transitions are weak. Please also forgive the poor audio quality. It was windy at the coast - that always makes it tough to capture clean open air audio.
Christian, I hope you’re encouraged by this! You may not be an “evangelist.” But you can do this. You don’t have to be “gifted” to read aloud from the Bible. Just pray, grab your Bible, find public place where people gather, stand atop a planter, bench, or bring your own box, open up your mouth and read aloud from the Word of God. That’s it – simple. Like the rest of us who engage in the public reading of Scripture, you’ll be surprised how our LORD will use you to reach out to lost people. It’s a true joy!
In addition to reading aloud from the Bible, Jeff and I both preached (I’ll try to upload some of that footage later this week). At one point when I was atop the box, a young man named Jason approached me (at approximately 8:46) and we engaged in a 1-2-1 open air encounter. Many people, on and off camera, listened to our simple exchange. Because Jason’s family/friends began calling for him at the end, the encounter was a bit rushed. However, I’m positive this young man and others who stood listening, heard exactly what our Lord wanted them to hear at that time. I’m praying that GOD will convict this young man of sin, righteousness, and judgment – that Jason would see the beauty of the crucified and risen Christ, and be born again.
I’m sure it’s not an original idea – using the holiday Easter as a springboard to talking with people about the things of eternity. In fact, I’ve heard Todd Friel, from Wretched Radio, do it many times. If you’re not a regular listener of Wretched Radio, here is a link to a free segment of the show where Todd uses Easter as a springboard into talking to people about the things of GOD.
This video is a collection of clips of recent encounters where I was asking people about Easter. This is an easy way to move from the natural to the spiritual. I thank GOD that most of these individuals heard the Law and Gospel using the holiday Easter. Christian, you can do this too. Don’t let Easter week go by without asking unsaved family members, friends, or strangers, “What is Easter?” And then share the Law and Gospel with them. Preach Christ crucified!
I met a very nice young man named Austin in Pismo Beach the other day. It was a beautiful day – in the High 80’s. There were people all over Pismo and Austin was out to show off his “Parkour” skills.
“What is Parkour,” you ask? Wikipeia says,
Parkour (sometimes abbreviated to PK) is a utilitarian discipline based upon the successful, swift and energy-efficient traversing of one's surrounding environment via the practical application of techniques, based around the concept of self-preservation and the ability to help others. It is a non-competitive, physical discipline of French origin in which participants run along a route, attempting to negotiate obstacles in the most efficient way possible, using only their bodies. Skills such as jumping, climbing, vaulting, rolling, swinging and wall scaling are employed. Parkour can be practiced anywhere, but areas dense with obstacles are preferable and it is most commonly practiced in urban areas.
In this interview I used the dangerous nature of the tricks I saw Austin perform to springboard into talking about the surety of death and the afterlife.
As you watch this interview, notice how Austin takes a position that he doesn’t believe in Creator GOD but instead “science” (at the beginning of the interview). But after opening up the Ten Commandments to him, we found a place of agreement in his conscience. He acknowledged his guilt before GOD and Austin’s eternal destiny if he died in his sins.
Christian, don’t forsake the use of what GOD has given us to speak the truth in love to lost people. Use the Law to bring about the knowledge of sin. Speak of the character and nature of GOD. Speak of the torments of Hell. Do your best to make Hell reasonable to them so that you can preach the Good News of Jesus Christ. More often than not, like Austin, a person will move from denying the existence of GOD to acknowledging their sin, guilt and the existence of GOD.
But ultimately, all of this is the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a sinner. It is He who must save. So trust Him to use you and share your faith today.
It was a joy to preach the gospel to the attendees of the 2011 SLO Earth Day event that took place at San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden (El Chorro Regional Park). Below is much of the video footage that I captured during the outreach. The first four videos document some of the bus stop preaching and the last video contains random clips from within the Earth Day event. Although the message we proclaimed wasn’t well received, we were very encouraged that many heard the Law and Gospel of Jesus Christ.
