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Casting Crowns 4-24-12
Casting Crown Concert Outreach

JQH Arena
Springfield, MO
April 24, 2012

TRY THE TEST


We went to the John Q Hammons Arena in Springfield, Missouri to be a witness for Christ at the Casting Crowns concert.  They are a Christian band.  I met up with Greg, Dennis and Brandon.  It's good to have brothers in Christ from various evangelism ministries and churches come out and witness together at various events all over the area. 

We had a good time passing out gospel tracts and open air preaching.  I didn't open air preach today, but I passed out gospel tracts - close to 600, I believe. 

Some may say, "Why go to a Christian concert and open air preach and pass out gospel tracts? Aren't most of the people who attend Christians already?"  There are multiple answers to this question.  The answers are in no particular order. 

As an evangelism ministry, we go to where large groups of people are - to share the gospel and be a witness for Christ.  This includes public places such as concerts, downtown areas, sporting events, fairs and festivals and gay pride events, and more. 

We sometimes get accused of going to a rock concert or gay pride event just because of the band or because of the people attending.  This is not the primary reason.  The main reason is that a lot of people are there and need to hear the gospel.  In this case, we attended a Christian concert. 

Not everyone who attends a Christian concert is a Christian.  Not everyone who attends a Christian concert who professes to be a Christian are true Christians.  Some Christians who attend a Christian concert are not right with God, maybe they are living in sin or backslidden, etc.  This is why we are there.  Let's quickly go through these. 

Not everyone who attends a Christian concert is a Christian.  
Some people just like the music, and the band happens to be a "Christian" band, so they come to hear them.  Some who attend are guests to Christians who invited them.  Either way, they need to hear the gospel.  When they receive a gospel tract with a solid gospel presentation on it, and/or hear the open air preaching gospel proclamation that is taking place outside the JQH Arena, and then they go into the Christian concert to hear the music, the Holy Spirit will use all of this as seeds to plant the gospel into their lives, and convict them that they need to be born-again. 

Not everyone who attends a Christian concert who professes to be a Christian are true Christians.
Many who profess to be a Christian may not truly be saved.  They may be deceived.  This somewhat ties into the next point below.  You probably know someone who says they are a "Christian".  However, they are not the most loving people to be around.  Maybe they go to church on Sunday, but live how they want during the week, telling dirty jokes at work, cussing, and partying during the weekend.  Whatever they do, it just doesn't line up with the Biblical definition of a Christian. 

I John 2:3-5:  Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

John 14:23-24:  Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

Matthew 9:17:  So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.

There are many Bible verses like the above.  The Bible says that if we claim to know Him - to be saved - and don't follow His words in the Bible, His commands, then we are a liar.  Is that clear enough?  The Bible also says,

II Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.  Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?

You may ask, "How do I test myself to see if I'm in the faith?"

John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

We must be born again.  To be born-again, one must:

1) Repent of your sins. 

"God is not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  2 Peter 3:9

"Jesus said, unless you repent, you will perish."  Luke 13:3

"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out..."  Acts 3:19

"...whoever confesses and forsakes his sin finds mercy."  Proverbs 28:13

2) Believe in Jesus

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

"If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."  Romans 10:9-10

After becoming a Christian, you will have a desire to learn more about Jesus.  Read the Bible daily.  If you don't know where to begin, the book of John in the New Testament is a good place.  Find a good Bible believing church and go.  Learn how to share your faith in Christ.  Pray to God and ask Him to help you. 

Some Christians who attend a Christian concert are not right with God, maybe they are living in sin or backslidden, etc.

Sometimes, Christians will fall into sin.  They are committing sin(s) that they know they shouldn't be and haven't repented of this sin yet.  Other times, they continue in their sin, knowing they are sinning against God, but they get to the point they don't really care - they "backslide".  Like 1 Timothy 4:2b says, "whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron". 

Let me clarify something.  If someone is truly a Christian, they may "fall" into sin, but they won't want to stay there.  However, as 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  This is talking about believers, here. 

The way I like to use to to help a person understand their life with God and sin, is by using the pig and the cat analogy.  If a pig falls into a mud hole, it will wallow around in the mud.  It will love the mud.  The mud feels good and he just can't get enough.  He can stay there all the time and it would be great.

However, if a cat falls into a mud hole, it doesn't stay.  It jumps out, shakes off, hates that it fell into the mud to begin with.  Immediately he begins to clean himself off, as he hates the mud being on him. 

The question is this:  When it comes to sin, are you more like the pig or the cat? 

Do you love sin?  Do you get more enjoyment out of the sin you are committing than being concerned that you are sinning against God, and that He is a God of wrath, and that you will pay for your sin against Him?  Do you immediately jump out of sin and repent, asking God to forgive you of your sins?  This may help you to see where you are with God. 

When we are at the concert, we are passing out gospel tracts and being a witness to these folks.  The Holy Spirit will use this to convict their hearts, to help bring them to the Lord / or back to the Lord, whichever the case may be. 

In Christ,

Brad St. Clair
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