There was a big crew on hand to share the Gospel with banners, tracts and megaphones.
Lots of good conversations were had, but the standout out moment was when man in black hat and wife refused a tract. I said, "trust in Jesus as your savior", as they passed by. I heard the man say something under his breath. As they went further, I could see he had Jack Daniels embroidered on the back of his jacket. I said "Jack Daniels wont save you." He turned around, gritted his teeth and came back toward me, as I cowered and put up my hands. He pointed his finger at and said something I dont remember, but I couldn't quote if I did.
Here's my message.
Hi Friends, my name is Keith and I’m a born again Christian. I’d like to share the Gospel message with you this evening while you wait.
First, I'd like to throw out a few rodeo trivia questions, to warm things up. About how much, do you think a bull in this competition weighs? Anyone know the average weight of a bull in this competition? A Pro Bull Riding bull can weigh anywhere from 1,600 all the way up to 2,200 pounds.
Next question: when a cowboy throws his leg over one of those bulls and sinches one hand into the bull rope, how long does he want to stay on that bull? The rider must stay on the bull for 8 seconds.
Last question: What does the bull want to do to the cowboy? He wants to buck the rider off his back and stomp that cowboy into the ground.
Now I’d like to ask you one question just for you to consider. I just want you to think about this question; you don’t have to answer. How much control does a Pro Bull Rider have over one of those bulls? The answer, obviously is NONE. The cowboy can say WOE, all day long, but that isn’t going to stop the bull from bucking until it’s good and finished; in fact, the bull could still be bucking long after the cowboy has dismounted. And the cowboy can tug the rope and pull to the in any direction as hard as he wants, but that bull is going to go wherever he wants; you cannot steer a steer. The bull is bigger and stronger than the cowboy; and the cowboy can try his best to control the bull, but that bull is going to go wherever he wants and the cowboy is just going along for the ride. Think about that. Keep that picture in your mind. Even in your and my lives there are some things that are just outside of our control. Now I want to talk to you about something. This is a really heavy subject. It’s a very serious topic. It’s something that we probably rarely think about, but it’s inevitable for each and every one of us. It's a sure thing for all us, yet very few of us plan for it; but we need to be ready for it. I’m talking about death. The Bible says we all have one appointment with death. You won’t die multiple times. Talk about cruel, that would be cruel. To live multiple lives and have to die multiple deaths. We all will experience death once, and then after that we have an appointment with Almighty God. You will be made to give an account of your life. Everything will be laid open and bare before God. He see’s every moment of your life, even things done in darkness; even things you thought were hidden from God, He sees as though they were done is the light of day.
It’s my sincere prayer and hope that you will be sensitive to the conviction of God the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, in John 16:8 that when He [the Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world of sin, righteousness and the judgement to come. 9 Of sin, because they don’t believe on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and you will no longer see me; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. Jesus is coming on strong here. He says the world will be convicted of sin, because they don’t believe Me. We see that in large part today. The sin of unbelief. The Bible says in proverbs 30:5, every word of God is pure and He is a shield to those who trust in Him. How can you say you trust God, if you don’t believe His word is pure? The Holy Spirit uses the words in the Bible to bring conviction. Nobody enjoys conviction; a sense of guilt, shame. Romans 2:5 But because of the hardness of your remorseless heart you are storing up God's wrath that will come in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; unbelief is a sin, but it never comes alone. The sin of unbelief never sits all by itself. It always comes with close companion sins. Think about it. Let me ask you this, would you consider yourself to be a good person. Let’s check and see if you are. Lying is a sin. Have you ever told a lie? You’d be guilty as a liar. Stealing is a sin. Have you ever taken anything that didn’t belong to you? You might say, well that was a long time ago, and I never took anything big. But you have to recognize that time doesn’t forgive sin, and everything we’ve ever done was in the past, so just because your sin isn’t fresh in your mind, doesn’t mean it has been done away with. The 3rd commandment is don’t use God’s name in vain. Have you ever said OMG or GD or used the name of my Lord Jesus Christ irreverently or disrespectfully? If you have, you’d be guilt as a blasphemer. Lastly, the 7th commandment is don’t commit adultery. You know, cheat on your spouse. But, according to Jesus, you don’t even have to be married to be guilty of that one. Jesus said, “you have heard it said by them of old, you shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that whoever looks at another person to lust after them, has committed adultery already with that person, in their heart. Because God sees the heart. Jeremiah 19:7 says, “the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?” Don’t trust your heart, trust the Word of God, the Bible.
