On Tuesday night we hosted the first of two big “Jesus is” evangelistic events for the Southern Highlands at Moss Vale Services Club. Well over 100 people attended and were treated to a 3-course meal and a fantastic talk from Al Stewart on “Jesus is the guy you want at your party”.
Al did a fantastic job of turning the typical Aussie perception of religion upside down, recounting the story of Jesus’ first miracle, where he miraculously produces the equivalent 800 bottles of the best wine to save a wedding party becoming a complete flop. It turns out Jesus is much more like the “Australian Jesus” of Mambo’s creation than we might think. God actually does want us to enjoy life and “live life to the full”, the problem is we take good things like alcohol, family and money and either misuse them or turn them into gods.
Al went on to describe the one hour of the year where Aussies still get a bit spiritual – not Christmas or Easter (Westfield has taken over the meaning of those) – it’s the ANZAC dawn service. What makes it spiritual is that we remember great acts of courage, sacrifice and love of our countrymen and women. But what we often forget is that Jesus’ death on the cross is the greatest act of courage, sacrifice and love as he gave himself for us.
Jordan represented the Moore College team, performing a moving song that reflects his own experience of how he came to take following Jesus seriously, seeing that life with Jesus is the best way to live because God is good.
Please Pray for those who attended, especially non-Christians and those on the fringes of Christianity – that they would have a new perception of Jesus and see that following him is the best way to live. Pray that they would give their lives to Jesus, that they would be well followed-up by and connected in to the various local parishes.
