Project Ezra- Good Friday
I live, work, and minister in a small town called Marshall, MN. There is a small, close quartered downtown area where there are many businesses very close together with the courthouse, jail, various bars, and 6 of the area churches all are nestled together. Very rarely is there large crowds in our downtown, except for parades and other community events. So when we preach open air, or read project Ezra, it is usually to a small and transient audience. It is a good thing we read and preach primarily for the Glory of God, because it can be discouraging to preach to such small and fast-moving groups.
Our most recent effort in our small town came in the form of Project Ezra, where we will read a passage of scripture in the open-air. We did so this year on ‘Maunday Thursday’ and ‘Good Friday. The selection for Thursday was John 14-17, and for Friday was Matthew 26-28. I had one young man with me, Mark, on Thursday, and he joined me again on Friday with another friend, Adam. We all read, and I preached, and we had maybe 100 people pass by on foot over the two days. **We preached on the mainstreet on Thursday and Friday, and on Friday we added on another location, near three churches who were holding Good Friday services.** During the last part of my last reading and message, one person stopped to listen, and this to the end of my reading, and a 2.5 minute message on the cross of Jesus. This person is a local pastor, and this pastor was glaring, arms crossed, during my entire message. When I finished, this pastor would not speak to me, as the pastor stomped off very angrily.
This vexed me, if not surprised me. <em>Who could object to a reading of God’s Word in the open air, specifically on the weekend that many churches celebrate Good Friday and Easter? Who could object to a message about the cross? I would think that those who would object would not be Christians! I would think that people who would object is those who are not believers, who hate the Word of God, who hate the public proclamation of the Gospel. But this person is a pastor, a pastor of a local established church, a pastor who seems to be very tolerant and promoting of diversity, yet this pastor seemed very angry with me using the right to read the scripture in public. **This pastor was indeed angry at the time, the location, and the fact that I was reading scripture/preaching to ‘brothers and sisters in Christ entering the Mass’. This was NOT the pastor of the church that I was closest to. I might also add that I was across from several homes, a funeral home, a bank, and fairly close to two bars. None of the proprietors of any of those establishments seemed to mind my presence. Another local pastor agrees that the location and timing were inappropriate-editor**
It amazes me that not just here in Marshall, but in many other places where the Word of God is preached in the open-air that it is other professing Christians that seem to get the angriest. I spoke for twice as long outside of a local bar and other businesses for two days and did not get a glare from the owner, who I know HATES what I am doing. I have great respect for the place of God-honoring, Bible preaching Pastors, and I have respect for anyone who is a pastor, even if I do not agree with them. So I would never have the unmitigated gaul to show them up in public like this pastor did. Believe me, I have seen worse. I have had professing Christians spit, curse, and scream at me. What does this say about them? Do not get me wrong, I have forgiven this local Pastor, and I pity those who are professing Christians who seem to hate the public reading of God’s Word.
There have been many that have approached me after the event and some appreciated what I was doing, others hated it, and still others were curious why we did it. I shared with all of them that we just read scripture in the open air to the glory of God, and pray that people hear it and respond to the Gospel. I encourage you to try simply taking a chapter and reading it in the open air over your lunch hour in an open space, whether there are people or not. We are going to be persecuted for our faith, even hated, but that should not stop us from doing what God has commanded us in Matthew 28:18-20.
Final note: While some are going to be offended by your public proclamation, do not lose heart. Jesus promised that this would happen (see Matthew 10). Do all things in love, keep in mind the glory of God, and preach to an audience of one- Jesus to the glory of God the Father.
Minneapolis Pride Festival
The Minneapolis Gay Pride Festival was an excellent choice for us to preach; God ordained and directed our team from to go there. While walking around, we spotted an excellent place to witness and share our faith, in front of a booth from
“All God’s Children” church, which is a gay affirming church. We spent an hour in that area, preaching the Gospel and warding off assaults from religious people
We loved that church so much that we warned them, and the people who work there and those who came by their booth. The Pastor claimed that we were sinning against God because we were using the moral law, the ten commandments, to make the people there aware of their sins. There was a purpose in that; people caught in that lifestyle are married to it, and very passionate about it. Though homosexuality is sin, the primary sin is refusal to believe in Christ. Their eyes are blinded, and their hearts hardened as they have suppressed the truth, specifically in that area of their life. The use of the law is meant to begin, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to soften that hard heart, bringing humility into play so that they are ready to hear the Gospel.
We left that area, and went to another area that was more populated with affirming apostate churches. These included churches of all types; Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic, ELCA Lutheran, and Covenant. It grieved me to see the cross of Christ bandied about as a covering for a rebellious choice. Of course, it was these churches and their people who gave the most objection to the Biblical point of view. They are like the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons, completely re-translating the Bible to fit their agenda. It was here that we saw some sign carrying evangelists outside the festival. We went up to encourage them, and they left their spot and followed us down to the main area. It is there we spent the rest of the day preaching the good news to many people.
The best thing that happened all day, by far, is that while we were preaching, one of the young men was engaged in conversation with another young man. After 45 minutes of sharing the law and the Gospel, the young homosexual repented on the spot, and put his trust in Jesus Christ. He left the festival almost immediately upon repentance, because the Holy Spirit now within Him was grieved in that place. Praise God that the promise of the Gospel is that if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has passed away and the new has come. This young new believer was visual evidence of God’s grace and true repentance.
There was lots of preaching, lots of one to one conversations, lots of anger and hostility, including team members being shoved, having objects thrown at them, being called heretics by a radical Catholic, having hecklers preach an alternative message besides us, etc. The gospel, however, was preached. Fellowship with other believers was had, and it was sweet. God’s grace was demonstrated in the police being very fair and even handed in dealing with both us and the festival organizers. God’s grace was also demonstrated clearly towards those at the festival that they had another day to hear the message of the Gospel.
Sonshine Music Festival
We have been traveling to the Sonshine Music festival for three years now, preaching the Gospel. You may ask- as one gentleman did- why would you go to a Christian music festival to preach to a bunch of Christians? Well that question belies an attitude that is rampant in the church today. There is a belief that everybody that calls themselves a Christian, or attends a church, or a Christian music festival, is indeed a believer in Jesus Christ. The atmosphere at Sonshine 2010 proved the Bible to be true yet again, that people would believe a lie, and there would be a great apostasy at the end of the age.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
We will start at the end of the day, where we preached in front of the Community Center (this was the only really quiet place). We determined first to preach the Gospel, then I followed Bro. John with a exegesis on Titus 2, because the crowd (above) which had gathered wanted to hear what Jesus was saying to Christians, to be built up and encouraged.
Titus 2
1But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine
:2That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
3The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;4That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,5To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
6Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded.7In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,8Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
9Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;10Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
They hated the teaching that was in accord with sound doctrine from the book of Titus.
I spoke to myself first and the aged men who were in the crowd. That we ought to be sound, that is, well attuned to what the scripture teaches, in terms of faith, love and patience. We ought to be temperate, that is even keeled, not given to highs and lows. We ought to be sober, that is serious especially about things that relate to Christ and faith. This is not the example of most of the adult men that I saw there.Most of the adult men were trying (in vain) to ‘relate’ to the culture. Fortunately, I did not see any peanut butter in armpits…but while there were some adult males there and acting their age, there were many more not. Some were so concerned that they gave a bad example to the younger men that the most appropriate way to respond to a Pastor is to yell at him when he is preaching holiness.
The ‘ aged’ (older) women in the crowd (with the exception of one) hated the idea that they ought to teach, by example, the younger women. They hated the idea that they ought to live as an example of holiness. The thing is, how can you teach what you do not live? One woman got angry and stomped away when we suggested that how can they teach the younger women to cover their nakedness when they themselves were exposing their flesh? They hated the idea of teaching the younger women to be obedient to their husbands and keepers at home. We ought to be able to have jobs outside the home! We ought to be able to be Pastors! We ought to be able to wear what we want to wear! This is the very problem with our culture today is that we believe that somehow we know better than the Word of God. Many youth are falling away from the faith because their parents did not take seriously the sacred task of training them up. They had moms particularly who though the American Dream and ‘freedom’ was more important than raising Godly kids. The role of the older woman is no less important than that of a Pastor- for if they are training the younger woman according to example and sound doctrine, then we would not have the problem we have today in our Churches and in our country.
The young men were particularly difficult, for they again looked, acted, and spoke like the world. It was particularly grievous to me to hear them say that the Gospel is not about salvation from sin, rather, it is all about ‘love’ and bringing the kingdom of God to this earth. It grieved me further to see them without shirts and shorts hanging down off of their rear. Sound orthodoxy (that is, teaching of the word, knowing the Word) informs sound ortho praxis (that is, right practice of the Word). If these young men and women knew the word, and actually believed it, then they would not speak and behave like they do. Their justification: “Jesus hung out with harlots and tax collectors and other sinners. Paul used worldly poems, and said that we need to become like those we are preaching to!” So they take a misinterpretation of scripture, and they use it to justify an un-godly lifestyle. Worst of all: These young people (almost all of them) do not know what the Bible teaches about being saved, being born-again (John 3:3). They all have accepted Jesus- but the question is has Jesus accepted them? (Matthew 7:21-23) This is the teaching of the Sonshine Festival and many others like it: Just accept Jesus, pray this prayer, sign this card, and you are a Christian. That is not what the final verses of Titus are teaching; in fact they can be considered signs that we are living as a Christian:
11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.15These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
We should not be displaying and approving of ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should be denying them. We should (as Christians) be living soberly, righteously, and GODLY in this present time- not later, not when we grow up- but as we are Christians, we should behave this way now. He did not give himself so that we might bring the Kingdom of God to this earth, he gave Himself that we might be redeemed (bought out) of ALL iniquity! That we might be PURIFIED as His peculiar (unique) and called out people who are zealous (passionate) for good works (Ephesians 2:10) These are the ways we are supposed to be living. This is the message we are supposed to be preaching to the Christians! But, this is not a popular message! I suspect if Sonshine preached it, I suspect less than 10% of the people would show up to their festival.
The good news is that the good news was preached to those who would listen. We had many one to one conversations. We distributed thousands of Gospel tracts. We had open air preaching of the Gospel as well as open air preaching of the word. We were welcomed by some, opposed by many more. But we were there that those whom God has regenerated might believe.
Acts 13:48 (King James Version)
48And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
