Bay Area Outreach Ministries
The Foolishness of Preaching
Dear Christian friends,
We usually witness in Berkeley on Friday nights, but one Friday we decided instead to witness at an “AC/DC” rock concert. After a time of worship, our team was about to pray. A brother walked into the room and proclaimed, “It’s crazy out there. You can’t witness to those people.” He had just returned from the Cow Palace, where the rock concert was held. He had arranged to meet some Christians there but was unable to find them, so he decided to join us instead. This brother witnesses with us regularly, and we had never seen him react so strongly, so we took his warning seriously and had an intense time of prayer before leaving for the rock concert.
The moment we arrived at the Cow Palace, a policeman approached me and pleaded, “Please don’t come here tonight. This is one of the wildest groups we’ve ever dealt with and we can’t control them. Come back some other time.” I assured him that we had been at many rock concerts and had never been hurt, and that we were not turning back. Inwardly, I was wondering if I had made a mistake. As we had been warned, the crowd was very rowdy. We gathered in the parking lot to pray, and after five minutes everything got very quiet and we sensed God’s presence in this place.
The Cow Palace has set aside three areas as “free speech areas” where we are allowed to preach, give out tracts, and talk with people freely. We went to one of these areas, which is located under a ramp that most of the people use to go to their cars. We unrolled our banner that reads “Jesus Christ is Lord” in 20 inch letters. Soon the concert was over and about 15,000 young people rushed out. As they exited, the first thing they saw was the giant banner. Despite the yelling of the drunken crowd, everyone could clearly hear the gospel as we preached. We gave out thousands of tracts and talked with many people. While many mocked and shouted such slogans as “Hail Satan,” others were very receptive.
Afterwards, one of the brothers who was witnessing that night, told us how he had been at an AC/DC concert about three years ago when some Christians were preaching. Like the others, he mocked, but the words pierced his heart. Shortly after, he committed his life to Christ and now witnesses with us.
Legal Victory
Last week, our attorney Julia Spain told me that a settlement had been reached in a case she was working on between Jews for Jesus and the Oakland Coliseum. Seven people from Jews for Jesus had been arrested for giving out tracts at the Oakland Coliseum. Each of the Christians arrested was given money for damages and the Coliseum agreed to allow groups to give out literature freely in their parking lot. Many rock concerts and other special events are held at the Oakland Coliseum, where we can now witness freely. This victory will open up other locations for the preaching of the gospel as well.
The Foolishness Of Preaching
“It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe” (1 Corin. 1:21). Throughout the Bible, God called His servants to proclaim His word in the public places. People were warned to repent of their sins and get their lives right with God. In some cases, many repented and were spared God’s judgment. The entire city of Ninevah, for example, repented at the preaching of Jonah. In other cases, few or no people repented. Noah was called a preacher of righteousness. As he built the ark, he warned of God’s judgment, yet only his family was saved.
God told the prophet Ezekiel, “Go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them…whether they listen or not” (Ezek. 3:4,11). Some will claim that preaching the gospel is not effective, or that you will only “turn people off.” It is very important that we preach with love, gentleness and sensitivity. Even when we do this, however, some will be offended at the gospel.
Bill Bright, the founder and director of Campus Crusade for Christ, said, “Effective witnessing is simply taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, leaving the results to God.” God has called us to walk by faith. We must obey God and continue to preach the Gospel, whether or not we see results.
The apostle Paul had a powerful ministry and saw much fruit amid much opposition. But the thing that disturbed him most was not the persecution by unbelievers but the criticism and lack of support by other believers. Even those who were saved in churches he had started, criticized him and forsook him. They said he was not a true apostle. They said he had no right to receive financial support. “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?” (1 Corin. 9:11) They criticized his speaking ability. “His bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible” (2 Corin. 10:10). At the end of his life, as he was awaiting death in a Roman prison, he wrote Timothy, “Take your diligence to come to me. For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world….Only Luke is with me….At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me” (2 Tim. 4:9-16). Truly, the life of God’s servant is difficult, but God is faithful to comfort and strengthen us. “Nevertheless, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear” (2 Tim. 4:17).
Other Outreaches
On Halloween night, we joined with a group from Heritage Bible School in Fremont to witness on Polk Street in San Francisco. Ten years ago, 100,000 people would come to Polk Street on Halloween. It was one of the wildest scenes imaginable with people being hit by beer bottles thrown out of the windows above them and homosexuals literally having sex in the streets. Things have changed dramatically since then, and we were able to worship on the street and witness freely to the much smaller crowd, which included many parents with children.
On Saturday November 5, we went to Santa Cruz for our monthly outing. We witnessed at the mall at downtown Santa Cruz and later at the beach in nearby Capitola. There we spoke for an hour with a dozen 13-15 year old surfers who were very receptive to the gospel. They go surfing seven days a week, and had been witnessed to by some Christians who show surfing movies in this town.
The next Saturday we joined with seven Richmond churches and Action Evangelism (Jerry Brandt, Director) in an outreach to the homeless. Several hundred poor and homeless people received food and clothing, and heard the gospel. The park was a block from the Richmond Rescue Mission, which was able to provide housing for the homeless and discipleship for those who received Christ. It was very encouraging to see these churches joining together for this outreach.
Last weekend, a dozen students from the Great Commission School came down from Bandon, Oregon (a 12 hour drive) to join us on the streets. This is one of the most zealous groups of Christians I had seen in a long time, and it was a great encouragement to us to have them join us. They love to pray, worship the Lord, and witness. On Saturday afternoon we were able to preach to thousands of people leaving the big Stanford/Cal football game. Several people from the Great Commission School told us that the people they witnessed to in Berkeley were much more receptive to the Gospel than the people in Coos Bay. They witness in nearby Coos Bay every Friday night from 10 PM to 2 AM.
Saved On Castro Street
This morning, as we were preparing to pray before our Saturday outreach, I received a phone call. The man who called me said that, even though we had never met, I was responsible for his coming to Christ. Over ten years ago, he would watch me preach the Gospel on Castro Street in San Francisco. He told me that he could see that I was not judging or condemning people. What he saw caused him to give up the homosexual lifestyle and commit his life to Christ ten years ago. He now attends the Vineyard Fellowship in San Francisco and is involved in ministering to AIDS patients.
Prayer Meeting
Tuesday January 3
Without question, the two greatest weaknesses of the church today are in the areas of prayer and evangelism. Our house prays together every Tuesday night as well as before each outreach, but we have decided to set aside the first Tuesday night each month for a special prayer meeting. At this time, we invite you to join us to pray for revival in the Bay Area, to seek God’s direction for our ministry, and to pray for our needs. It is also an opportunity for us to meet some of you who pray for us, and for you to meet us so you can pray for us more intelligently. We trust that many of you are praying for us, but it really encourages us to be able to meet you and pray together with you. We meet from 7-9 PM at 3039 Dakota St. in Oakland (see back for directions). Please join us on January 3. Let’s start the New Year right!
Monterey/Carmel Outreach
Saturday January 7
Once a month we have a special outing to some Bay Area city. It is a time for fellowship, sightseeing and relaxation, as well as an opportunity to witness to a different group of people. This month we will be going to Monterey and Carmel. We will be leaving our house at 10 AM or you can meet us at the corner of Ocean and Mission Streets in Carmel at 1 PM.
Tape Of The Month
“Rock Concert Evangelism” by Burl Wells.
Burl is the founder and director of GO Ministries in San Jose. GO Ministries has been witnessing at Bay Area rock concerts for several years, and Burl gives an excellent teaching on how to witness at rock concerts. This tape is available upon request for a gift of $5 or more to Bay Area Outreach Ministries.
Ministry Needs
Once again, we want to thank you for your prayers and financial support. We have chosen to live a simple lifestyle so we can give ourselves more fully to God’s work. Most of the food we eat, our office equipment, and our furniture is donated. We make every effort to cut our expenses so we can be good stewards of every contribution we receive.
As we begin a new year and many of you reassess your giving to ministries, we ask that you prayerfully consider supporting us with a special gift, or if possible, on a monthly basis. Besides our ongoing expenses, we need funds to pay legal expenses for our court case (the lawyer fees are being donated), a tape duplicator, and funds to print tracts.
God bless you all. I hope you can join us for our prayer meeting on January 3, the Monterey/Carmel outreach on January 7, or one of our other outreaches this next month. Remember to pray for us.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
