This year at Imago Dei Church, December 7th, we will be celebrating the advent season through concert! (If you were here with us last year, you know exactly what I am talking about)
…the time has come, once again, to celebrate “The Christ of Christmas”.
Suggestions on Two Ways to Use the Concert
It is not often that I get the privilege of addressing the community hosting a concert to share my vision for how the concert can be stewarded. I get the unique privilege to do that here. There are two main ways I would encourage you to view the concert, and some suggestions on how to maximize our time together. Here they are:
1. For Edification: The greatest joy in God is exclusively to be had by people who know Him! Those of us in Christ have been saved to such an amazing reality. We love Him and believe in Him. The magnificent truths regarding God, man, the Fall, salvation, glory, the person and work of Christ, etc,. these treasures are ours to behold and enjoy! Christ has died that we might not just know of them, but that we would glory in God’s goodness expressed through them. This concert is designed to share and expound such truths and to hold up the glorious gospel so that the Lord would be praised and celebrated by His people. So then, this concert is very much for Christians and their edification. Feel free to invite any Christians you think would benefit from our time of reflection and worship together.
2. For Evangelism:The story of Christ coming on “Christmas” is essentially a rescue mission. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. So as much as the story is a history to be reminded of and cherished, it is also fundamentally a message to be shared and believed in. Jesus didn’t come to recommend that He is believed in, but to command repentance and belief in His name. Therefore, wherever the gospel is proclaimed, we are hoping that believers would rejoice and that sinners would repent. We are hoping that this concert can be another time where sinners are confronted with the gospel and encouraged to come to Jesus. So then, this concert is very much for non-Christians and their evangelization. Please invite people who who may not be Christians but are open to spend time with you at a concert.
A Note on the Evangelism Part
This obviously cannot be an evening of sufficient explanation and appeal for everyone, but it may be able to serve your efforts in evangelism with others. This may be a great thing to bring someone to that you have been sharing the gospel with, and then plan on going out to dinner afterwards to have conversations about it with them. Or, perhaps, you have friends/family that have never been to “rap” concert but are morbidly curious and skeptical of the idea! We’d love to have them, too! Be creative! I’m really just hoping this concert will encourage your soul, and if helpful, aid in your labor for His name’s sake.
Please join us in praying that the Lord would bless the night and that His church would be built up through it. That would surely make it a success.
laboring with you,
Brian Davis
p.s. we will have the lyrics up the whole time… if you aren’t used to listening to rap music.