WHY EASTER ON THE GREEN? (Taking Jesus to the People)

We are presenting Easter On the Green (www.easteronthegreen.com), an outdoor festival event, for one primary reason: We want to reach people for Jesus Christ! The bands, the food trucks, the volleyball games, bounce-houses, the big outdoor stage, the free gifts, and all of the money and effort that have gone into this event are secondary. Reaching people for Christ is central.

Large, outdoor spiritual gatherings are as old as the Bible! Moses, David, Solomon, and Ezra, to name a few, excelled in hosting outdoor spiritual gatherings, bathed in the presence of God and deep spiritual conviction. No one, however, did it like Jesus! On one occasion He fed 5000 men plus their families. On another occasion He fed 4000. Did all of them stick with Him after the feeding of the 5000? No. John’s Gospel reminds us thousands of them rejected Him after lunch (John 6:66)! Was it worth it? Absolutely! It was His greatest miracle- the only miracle recorded in all four gospels!

Outdoor worship events are biblical. What about evangelistic events when lost people are present? Are they biblical? Yes, they can be. Do you remember that the Church of Jesus Christ was born at an outdoor event called Pentecost (Acts 2)? The crowds were drawn by curious sounds (the sound of hurricane force winds) and spectacles (the miraculous gift of international languages given to the disciples). Once the crowd was present many of them scoffed at the Apostles and ridiculed the entire event, insisting the Christians were all drunk! But the Apostle Peter seized the opportunity in order to preach the first sermon of the church, and that day 3000 people were saved and baptized! It was worth it!

I am not suggesting live bands, bounce-houses, and Texas barbecue are equivalent to Pentecost, but I am praying the results will be similar! (In a city like Austin, with it’s massive unchurched population, and unusual city motto: “Keep Austin weird,” an outdoor Easter event with frisbee competitions and iPad Mini’s given as prizes might be exactly what it takes to attract some so we can share the Good News about the cross and resurrection of Jesus.) 

Please join us in prayer for a spiritual awakening Sunday April 20. It may be one of the most memorable days in the life of The Quarries Church, a turning point in the evangelistic commitment of Hyde Park Baptist Church, and more importantly, the day many hear the gospel and believe for the first time! -jkb