Va Farm Show

MINISTRY PROFESSIONS OF FAITH

JAN 15-17 VA FARM SHOW 100+
JAN 15 COURT SQUARE 10

(If you're pressed for time, just read...A REAL DOOZIE)

Lou Enoff (President of Christian Farmers Outreach), Joe Mish, and Bob Collins joined Johan Weiss and myself at Expoland Fishersville, Va for three days of sharing the gospel January 15-17. We were able to help over 100 people profess saving faith in Christ alone. Favorite pictures and stories follow.

Much thanks to Rob Gilmer and Karen Brooks. Both spent a few hours sharing the gospel in front of the courthouse while Johan and myself were sharing at the farm show. Rob and Karen led ten to Christ.

TYPICAL OF MANY PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH

Brian sat down, introduced himself, and said...

'I go to _____ ______ Baptist Church.' (Name purposely left out)

Brian was 99.9% sure that he would go to Heaven because 'I've done a lot of good things, I go to church, pray, and read my bible.'

Brian is representative of so many people in the local church today. They really don't understand the gospel.

He went on to tell me that he would be 'innocent' on judgment day because 'I'm good'. After mentioning that 'no one is good', and that our just penalty on judgment day was 'spiritual death', Brian spoke up...

'But God forgives!'

So, I asked him why God would forgive him...

'I have to admit that I have done wrong.'

How would that work standing before a judge, after being assessed a $200 fine? The mere admission of guilt in no way makes us innocent. The fine must be paid.

'I get your point.'

So, I asked him again...

"Would you be innocent or guilty?"

'50-50'

So, I shared James 2:10, "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws."

Brian got the point, 'Okay, I'm guilty.'

Well, what could Brian possibly do now to be innocent?

'I'll promise to start doing good.'

Sharing the gospel with hundreds of different people is not difficult. Why?

Different person...same problem...

Everyone is trusting in their works.

So, I simply pointed something out to Brian. I said to him...

"Brian, listen to these answers:

I've done a lot of good, I go to church, I'm good, I'll start doing good...

"Who is the person mentioned in your answers?"

'Me.'

"So, who are you trusting?"

'Me'.

"Who are you supposed to trust?"

'Me.'

"Well, if you want to go to Heaven, who are you supposed to trust?"

'God.'

"Are you the Savior?"

'No.'

"Can you save yourself?"

'Yes.'

We're still not there yet. Brian is still believing there is something that he can do to be saved. I explained to Brian that God would save him only when he got to the point where he recognized there was nothing he could do to save himself.

I explained to Brian that Christ had already paid his 'spiritual death' fine, and the resurrection was God's receipt letting him know that it was...'Paid-in-full.'

At the end, Brian understood that he had been trusting in himself, and that would eventually culminate in hell. He understood that if he transferred his trust to Christ alone, God would save him and he would be 100% sure of eternal life.

Brian repented of his works, and decided to trust in Christ alone...

"I STARTED TRUSTING HIM. THANK YOU!"

ANOTHER STANDARD CHURCH ANSWER

This next one was pretty cool. Nick told me...

'I'm 90% sure that I would go to Heaven. I've dedicated myself to the Lord.'

Interesting. Is he trusting Christ, or is he trusting himself? We're about to find out.

After sharing the law, Nick understood that he was guilty before God.

What would keep him from God's electric chair? (This will help us understand what Nick is really trusting in.)

'I'll change.'

Well, try that in a court of law. Again, a speeding ticket with a $200 fine. You say to the judge, without paying the fine, 'I'll change!'

Nick understood that would not work. Nick simply needed to place all of his trust in the work of Christ on his behalf in order to be saved. His fine had already been paid, and it too was, 'Paid-in-full'.

So I asked him at the end who he was trusting him when we started...

'ME'.

Interesting. Our 'dedicating our self to the Lord' can be a sort of glorified form of works.

God wants us to completely trust in the finished work of Christ. As a result, after understanding what he went through for us, then yes, we are 'dedicated to the Lord'.

Unfortunately, it becomes so easy to trust in 'our dedication' instead of Christ.

Nick wanted to trust in Christ alone. After prayer, Nick said one word...

'POWERFUL!' (This is God's confirmation that I was not splitting hairs.)

"HE SAVED ME! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT! THANK YOU!" (More confirmation.)

HE REPENTED AND THEN HE REPENTED

Ben initially recognized me as 'the guy who holds the cross'. This definitely helped with our initial connection.

Ben was actually a former Muslim who had converted to Christianity.

Well, as I asked the diagnostic questions, it became apparent that Ben did not really understand the gospel. He was still trusting in his works.

It took some time, but eventually Ben was able to understand that his salvation was based completely upon the work of Christ, not his own works.

Ben transferred his trust to Christ alone and prayed with me...

"I'M TRUSTING GOD. HE SAVED ME."

DIG A LITTLE DEEPER

Cory's initial response was...

'I believe in God. I'm 100% sure I would go to Heaven.'

I needed to find out what Cory meant by...

'I believe in God.'

He told me...

'I know right from wrong and I know what evil is.'

When you ask the probing questions, you begin to see that so many people really don't understand the gospel. Why?

No one has taken the time to talk with them.

At the end, Cory confessed to me that he had been trusting in himself, and that he wanted to transfer his trust to God alone...

After prayer, Cory told the Lord...

"I PUT 100% TRUST IN YOU."

WHY WOULD GOD FORGIVE YOU?

Daniel and Robert were both 95% sure. They said something about 'If we're saved', and 'we still sin'.

As usual, I shared the law, the penalty, and the electric chair.

What would keep them from the electric chair?

'He forgives'.

Their lack of understanding was revealed when I asked them...

"Why would God forgive you?"

'He loves us and we go to church.'

Notice there is nothing here about the redemptive work of Christ. God's forgiveness is based solely upon that.

At the end, Daniel and Robert confessed that they had been trusting in themselves. God would forgive them if they only trusted in Christ.

They prayed and told me...

'WE TRUST HIM.'

Then, they told the Lord...

'THANKS FOR SAVING ME AND GIVING ME ETERNAL LIFE.'

GOD WILL FORGIVE YOU BECAUSE...

'I'm 100% sure. I have been baptized, I go to church, and I believe.'

So, I asked Chris...

"If you only could have one reason, what would it be?"

I got a blank stare in return. Then, he said...

'Wow. You really put me on the spot.'

Chris agreed that it was safer for 'ole Mike' to put him on the spot on this side of eternity, than for God to put him on the spot on the other side.

Chris' problem was like everyone else's: works.

He thought that God would forgive him because...

'I don't do those bad things again.'

Again, try that in a court of law with a $200 speeding ticket. You promised not to 'do that bad thing again', but you don't pay the fine?

Jail time.

Christ had already paid the fine in full. Chris simply needed to trust in Him, and then God would forgive him.

Like the others, he confessed to me that he had been trusting himself when we started, but that now, he only wanted to trust in Christ...

"HE SAVED ME."

After prayer, Chris told the Lord...

"I TRUST YOU."

MORE TRUSTING 'WORKS'

This one took a long time. We went round and round and round (It takes awhile to get religion out of people), until eventually it seemed like Darryl understood the truth...

He had been trusting in himself, instead of Christ.

You see, when we started Darryl was 100% sure because...

'I SERVE HIM.'

(After hearing the gospel, and professing Christ), when we finished, he told me...

'HE FORGAVE ME.'

So, I asked him..."Why did He forgive you?"

'I TRUST HIM'.

A REAL DOOZIE!

This was probably the best one of the entire event...

Do you know what Bruce's initial answer was, when I asked him why God would let him into Heaven?

'I'M SAVED'

Now, if I hadn't done this thousands of times, I would not have dug a little deeper. However, with so many previous experiences, I had to ask him...

"What do you mean by 'I'm saved'?"

'I've done bad in my life, but I've changed and now I'm doing good.'

"OK. And how sure are you that you would go to Heaven?"

'80%'

Here is a man who professes to be saved, but his initial answers don't line up. What is the problem?

Well, first of all, notice in his answer what he is really trusting in?

'HIS CHANGE' (He did bad, now he is doing good. There are countless people who have 'turned over a new leaf', but they have never trusted Christ.)

More will be revealed as I share. After sharing the law, penalty, and the electric chair, I asked him...

"What will keep you from the chair?" (Remember, this answer gives us an indication of what they are trusting in.)

'God's love and forgiveness.'

This is still too ambiguous. So I asked him...

"Why would God forgive you?"

'I've tried to do right.'

Do you know, Bruce told me this answer, over and over and over again...

I wanted him to see that he was basing God's forgiveness upon 'him doing right', not upon Christ's atonement.

However, every time I asked him, "Who is the person mentioned in your answer...'I've tried to do right'...

He kept saying...

'God'.

Remember, the God of this word has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them.

Eventually, after quite some time, he saw the truth. The light came on. The Spirit had brought repentance by revealing the truth to Bruce.

He finally saw that he was trusting himself, that he could not save himself, but that he needed instead to to trust in Christ alone.

After prayer, listen to what he told me...

"HE HAS MY HEART, MY SOUL, AND MY LIFE." (I don't ever remember hearing this before.) (And look at his countenance.)

YES...MORE 'WORKS'

Eric, too, had seen me holding the cross in Harrisonburg. He told me he always honked and waved at me. Eric had a very warm, sincere spirit.

Eric was 80% sure because...

'I believe, I'm baptized, and I try to live righteous.'

Again, here, I decided to ask him...

"Just tell meone reasonwhy God would let you in?"

'I tried to live righteously'.

More works. Again, it's the same message directed at the same problem...

Over and over and over again.

After preaching the law and then grace, Eric wanted to trust in Christ alone...

"HE LIFTED A BURDEN FROM MY HEART. HE SAVED ME."

MORE 'WORKS', NOT UNDERSTANDING GOD'S FORGIVENESS

Logan, like all the others...

was trusting in his...

works.

'I'm 80% sure. I try to be a decent person.'

The law showed Logan that he wasn't a decent person...

"No one is good, except God alone."

What would keep him from God's electric chair in His courtroom?

'Please forgive me'.

Again, we ask...

"Why would God forgive you?"

'Because I try to do better.'

Works, works, works...

People don't understand the gospel.

After preaching Christ, Logan understood that God would forgive him on the basis of Christ's work, not his.

Logan wanted to trust in God alone...

"HE SAVED ME."

Then, Logan prayed to God...

"I TRUST YOU."SOLI DEO GLORIA!