Recently Reach Records recording Artist Andy Mineo posted a video on His Instagram Displaying some Christians in NYC towards MSG. One was holding a Cross that read “Jesus is Savior” , while the other held a tambourine and went on singing in a different language, most likely Christian Songs in an attempt to praise God and “reach” people. Andy, in what appears to be sincere efforts on obtaining true feedback, writes:
“At first I was going to post something like “this is what my friends think I do for a living.” But let me ask this in all seriousness. I see this all the time in NYC, open air evangelism, or in this case, singing in the street & waving signs while ppl walk by. I often question “how affective is that?” “What purpose does this serve at large?” Or “what do ppl think of Jesus or his followers by this?” Or “am I a judgmental jerk for asking these questions & maybe I should be more zealous like them?” I would be particularly interested to hear from my non Christian followers who see this. I know most Christians will applaud it but I don’t think these ppl were out there to inspire Christians but engage ppl who aren’t. Or maybe I’m wrong? Who knows.”
see here: https://instagram.com/p/3UNmOOxtpc/?taken-by=andymineo
So the Question is, Ultimately, What do Unbelievers think of the Gospel? Answer: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing,” – 1 Corinthians 1:18. To the unbeliever, The Gospel and Christianity takes the cake for Foolishness.
Let’s back track to Numbers 21. The Children of Israel were wearied by their travels, Disgusted with the food provided, and Discontent in the Lord Himself. God’s Response: The Lord Himself sends Fiery Serpents to Bite them. How about that for complaining against Your Sovereign Rule? Now Imagine with me, if you will, a plethora of Dying people, Infected with poisonous venom, and less than 48 hours to live. You would think these people would do absolutely anything to cure themselves, Right? Wrong. Here before Moses are many who are accursed by the Serpent Bites, whom will die unless of course they can find a cure. And God, In His Graciousness, set before them the only cure. Moses lifted up a bronze serpent, and whomever Looks to it by faith, will live. Of course, not all believed Moses when he lifted up the bronze serpent, and they died in their unbelief. They died trusting in their own righteous remedies and ideologies of what they perceived to be a cure. They believed everything and anything except what God put forth, through Moses. They perceived it to be foolishness, and they would rather Perish than look to the bronze serpent lifted up.
Fast Forward to John 3, where Christ Himself draws the bridge from Numbers 22, to the most quoted verse of our day, John 3:16. In the context of telling the religious Teacher of Israel, Nicodemus, That He must be born again or He won’t see the Kingdom of Heaven, and that God is Sovereignly in control of that occurring, Jesus goes on to say:
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” – John 3:14-16
This is a direct reference to Numbers 22. The Son of Man must be lifted up, So that All whom have been infected by the Venom of Sin, through Adam, (Which is everyone ever born), Might find the cure to this fiery serpent bite in Christ alone. Do you mean to tell me all my sins I have ever committed past, present and future can be forgiven if I just turn from My sin, Repent, and believe in Christ ? That is ridiculous. This Jesus you speak of came all the way from Heaven, became a person and never sinned? And Jesus Ascended after His Resurrection and is at the right hand of the father in Heaven now? This is just Foolishness. And yet, This is the message of the Gospel, That Jesus Christ did everything that God the father requires, perfectly, He dies in the place of Sinners Bearing the Wrath of God, and rose again on the Third day, Defeating death and sin and All Who believe on Christ by faith will have Life Eternal.
Whether in Numbers 21 or John 3, God’s plan of redemption has always been perceived by unbelievers as being Folly. God, in His infinite Wisdom, has made foolish the wisdom of the world. He Saves His people through the foolishness of this message in the Gospel because The Foolishness of God is Wiser than men. We, as Ambassadors and Heralds of our Sovereign, Have this Tremendous privilege to be fools for Christ’s sake. May We, as believers, be faithful to this great stewardship and understand clearly what the world thinks of us, and why they do, Ultimately because they are blinded to spiritual truths (1 cor 1:18-25) and enslaved to their father The Devil (John 8:44) (2 Timothy 2:26).
(What is The Gospel? That question is answered here http://bbcchurch.org/our-beliefs/thegospel/)
