Hey all. I am planning on presenting the gospel during some rock concerts as part of outreach events. I am working with youth, hopefully worldly youth, I need something radical. What is the most radical gospel presentation you have seen or thought of?

As a second option what is a real stunner trick I can use to capture their attention and then present the gospel?

Thanks

Wow, no matter what you do or how spectacular the effect may be, I would be very curious to know how you do with sharing the gospel to youth at a secular rock concert. I have no experience at this specific approach but it does'nt sound very promising. But hey, if God has put it on your heart to go there and witness then anything is possible.

GlenD

Being your target demographic, a worldly hardcore secularist I can't think of a single thing you could say, let alone magic trick you could perform that would be the slightest bit persuasive in causing me to alter my world view.
I can pretty much guarantee that once the entertainment stops and the sales pitch starts that you'll lose your audience. Either they will simply glaze over and act polite until you finish your spiel or worse ruthlessly insult and deride you until you are forced to move on.
I certainly don't envy you in your task

Wow, why so negative? FriarShaun has an opportunity to witness for Christ to our youth. It's not about how persuasive he can be, it's about allowing God to use him to speak to the hearts of those youth in attendance. If just one person hears the message of Christ at that concert, goes home, pours out his heart to God, wasn't it all worth it? Why are we so eager to just give up on reaching the youth? "It's not by power, nor by might, but by my spirit says the Lord".

Here is a more practical question for the poster of this thread (which was my main concern)... Where and when, exactly, are you going to perform and witness? During the concert? Before? Right inside the hall or maybe in the parking lot? Just practical questions that came to my mind and made me wonder as to the effectiveness of this particular approach. Not to say that we don't or should'nt witness and preach to the youth of this country. Not at all! How we go about it and where and do we try to compete with a rock concert to do so? I don't know, but I am still curious how it turns out for Friar Shaun.

GlenD

Perhaps because most people find this type of behaviour annoying if not out right rude. The last thing a bunch of kids want to see at a rock concert is some zealot going around foisting his belief system on them.

It's one thing to stand on a street corner handing out tracts, I simply smile and tell them I'm not at all superstitious and continue on my way without missing a step. It's quite another to have someone come to your door and interrupt your day, or worse yet, approach you under false pretenses with a magic act and then spring into some tired old gospel inspired pitch.



If that one person is ready to hear God's message then why doesn't God send someone to talk to just him or her? Why must he continually resort to these primative shotgun tactics by spraying the throngs with his message in order to get a single possible hit?

Hi GlenD, I undertsand what you're saying. It's not an easy task compared to preaching to already believers that's for sure. If we feel God is calling us to witness to the unbelievers we don't need to over question it. Moses did that when God told him to speak to Pharaoh. I've posted some scripture I find to be relevent. Take note that some scripture has been removed, that's why I included the address so everyone can see what scripture had been removed by me. I only want to present the scriptures that speak to the point I'm trying to make. I encourage everyone to read the entire text in whole.

Exo 3:11 And Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the sons of Israel out of Egypt?
Exo 3:13 And Moses said to God, Behold, when I come to the sons of Israel, and shall say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they shall say to me, What is His name? What shall I say to them?
Exo 3:14 And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And He said, So you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.
Exo 3:15 And God said to Moses again, You shall say this to the sons of Israel, Jehovah the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My title from generation to generation.
Exo 4:1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me nor listen to my voice. For they will say, Jehovah has not appeared to you.
Exo 4:11 And Jehovah said to him, Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, Jehovah?
Exo 4:12 And now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.

I guess my point is this. We shouldn't worry about what we will say, where we will say it, nor at what time to say it. There are people who will never except God no matter the venue or timing. If we feel God has asked us speak for Him, we need to trust that God will provide the words, as long as we are open to the Spirit.

Footnote: As it turned out Aaron ended up doing the talking.
Exo 4:13 And he said, O my Lord, I pray You, send by the hand of him whom You will send.
Exo 4:14 And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses. And He said, Do I not know Aaron the Levite, your brother that he can speak well? And also, behold, he comes forth to meet you. And when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
Exo 4:15 And you shall speak to him, and you shall put words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.

To answer your question Payne. Because we love God so much that we love all the people God created. We love all people so much that we don't want to see anyone perish. We can't just sit in church and wait for people to come to us. God calls us to go into the world to preach to the unsaved, where ever they are. Of course it will tick people off, but no one would be more ticked off than the devil himself. How dare we tread where Satan is at work!(sarcasim)

No one will or can hear you if you start talking during the middle of a rock concert. So what is the point? I agree with you, Gospel Dan, about obeying God and not questioning about details but did FriarShaun have a burning bush experience? Or is he simply trying to reach some youth with a message and in doing so obey God as far as he is able in discerning Gods will for him? I am assuming it is the latter and I still havent heard from him as far as how he is going to do this at/during a rock concert? If I recall, it tends to be pretty loud and conversati0on just doesn't happen. Oh well, enough said and it is not my intent to get into some kind of argument with anyone. I am honestly curious how he plans to share at a concert is all.

GlenD

You make some valid points GlenD. I guess I'm guilty of assuming that when a Christian wants to witness for Christ that they are moving in the Spirit of God. Thanks for your input.

Maybe this is a Christian Rock Concert and pre-Christian kids are going to be invited. If they attend, chances are they will be open to the message. Various Christian Rock groups share the gospel during the concert in various ways.

We just need more clarification.

I've asked one member of the Café if he would share with FriarShaun a routine which he performs that I feel might be appropo.

Terry

Glen

These aren't secular rock concerts. They are concerts by Christian groups that play very hard core music. It draws a lot of fringe youth. The entire purpose for the event is reaching those who don't have a relationship with Jesus.

Payne Quote:

Perhaps because most people find this type of behaviour annoying if not out right rude. The last thing a bunch of kids want to see at a rock concert is some zealot going around foisting his belief system on them.

It's one thing to stand on a street corner handing out tracts, I simply smile and tell them I'm not at all superstitious and continue on my way without missing a step. It's quite another to have someone come to your door and interrupt your day, or worse yet, approach you under false pretenses with a magic act and then spring into some tired old gospel inspired pitch.

End Quote

I find it funny that you would say this considering how much you enjoy the freedom to discent in this forum. This is the wonderful freedom of choice. We have the ability to express disparent views and dialougue about more than the weather. Let's face it we all annoy someone, in fact magic annoys a lot of folks. They don't like being tricked. A magicians intent is not to make someone feel foolish, but to entertain in an art form that let's people experience something that should be impossible. Some (not most) people get offended when you talk of spiritual things. But the intent of Christians is not to make people feel less than, but to introduce them to the idea of a relationship with God. You can't fool or please all of the people all of the time. My hope is to please God with my life. Some people may not like that.

FriarShaun

Good luck. We definitely don't want to discourage you. If you want something radical I would go for the Heaven-Hell paper tear, it may scare the daylights out of those secularists, but I wouldn't do it for a very small child, if you are going to do something for a small kid, do something that is colorful and less radical, have a silk appear that says Jesus Loves You or something simple that a child could comprehend.

Good luck though, but it may be difficult for someone to hear you over the loud music.

I would say you did your job if someone starts thinking about what he/she has seen and heard, then he or she can choose to accept Christ or deny Christ. It all boils down to an individual's choice.

Christ came knowing that a bunch of people will hate his guts, but He came anyway. Christ lived knowing that a bunch of people wanted Him dead, He lived anyway.
Christ died knowing that a bunch of people rejoiced in His death, yet He died for them anyway.
Christ Offered Salvation knowing a bunch of people will reject salvation, yet He offered it anyway.

What makes FriarShaun's mission any different? Yes people will scorn him and may even attempt to kill him! ( Sorry to mention that) but FriarShaun is going to go out anyway! Everyone that he will make contact with may totally reject his message, but they will never be able to say they never had the opportunity. There will be no one on the face of the Earth that will say they never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel. God promised that He will make Himself known throughout the land. Everyone will have the chance to hear the Gospel if they want to hear it. God will show Himself to those who want to see Him.

To any Antagonists out there, and we know they are there... And to those Christians who are confused and think they need to do too much...

It is NOT our job as Christian Evangelists to convince anyone of anything!

Our job is simple. It is simply to tell them the Good News (The Gospel). Then it becomes the task of the Holy Spirit to convince, or actually to convict them that they are indeed sinners in need of a Saviour.

So don't worry about the harvest. You are a planter. The harvest simply isn't your job! Spread the Good News! Spread it anytime and any place. Spread it all the time, and everywhere! And then get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit do His job!

The only difference between any of us is that some of us sinners know that we are sinners and that we need a Saviour. The rest are simply sinners who are still deluded by thinking that they can get by somehow. They either don't believe that God exists, or that He is a righteous God, and think they can just get over by saying "I did my best!" But they all really know that they haven't really done their best. So if they were honest with themselves, they would really have to wonder how that is really going to work for them.... but that is between them and God. They have heard and will be judged according to what they did after that.

The Doctor