Following Jesus Outside of the Church

So my students convinced myself and my buddy Alvia (who was co leading the small group with me) to take them to this show, with TONS of “hardcore bands” I’m not a screamo fan, at all. But I thought it’d be good to go and see inside their world and what they do every so often.

So we took them.

It wasn’t a christian event by any means. I’m pretty sure 90% of the bands performing were stoned or drunk… Nonetheless it was actually a good time hanging with the students and was cool that they invited us to see a glimpse into their lives (though I was 50% sure i was going to get fired if the head pastor found out I did a youth group trip to this show…)

But after a couple of bands that I couldn’t understand what in the world they were saying, this band above took stage… I knew they were Christian guys, though I didn’t expect this:

BOOM!

Ballsy. Mattie the lead singer of this band is a former youth pastor himself. He left youth pastoring to take on the road with this band “For Today”. They apparently, purposely tour with nonchristian bands, so that they can have more of a secular crowd at their shows and preach to the unreached…

If you turn it up you can hear a few hecklers, and people who aren’t into what he’s saying, but over all the crowd was responsive to the message. I’m not sure if the peoples there were Christian or what, but its apparent they dig what the guys saying.

As I’ve stepped out of working in the local church, it’s no longer a given opportunity every single sunday or rather, every day of the week, that I’ll have students, parents, or people in general calling me asking me to pour into the lives, and talk Jesus with…

Without my title, without the stage given to me 4 times a week, and all the people coming directly too me it’s a different ball game. But nonetheless it’s been good, interesting, and given me a much needed outside perspective… and brought to light the quote I’ve repeated over and over and over on this blog:

“If you only preach the gospel on the stage but yet don’t live the gospel out off of the stage you’re not a pastor, you’re an actor.” – Jon Acuff

I mean should we give anything less then what Mattie gives, shown in this video? Should we as pastors consider the calling to step out of our current ministry rolls in order to fulfill more of our roll in ministry? Should we not proclaim Jesus through out our work places regardless of the costs? Regardless of whether or not people are offended, taken back, or disassociate themselves with us? As Jesus was one who literally gave his all for us, why should we think or consider giving anything less back to Him?

Matthew 10:32  “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

Maybe this is why unbelievers have such a hard time believing what they hear on a sunday morning? That is, because they don’t see it being lived, acknowledged, or talked about any other time of the week…?

But the reality is for my life… I am called to unashamedly preach the gospel and just as importantly to live out the gospel in the work place, both in and OUT of church, but I’ve found myself more closed then open about it lately. More afraid of what others will think about me rather then what God thinks about me… I feared being labeled as a religious kook, a “Christian” rather then a follower of Jesus…