A group of missionaries to the Major Leagues pitches the truth to sports fans.

Yeah, whether it’s the olympic games or the Isthmian games from the BC days or its modern day olympics or the myriad of sports activities that exists in our culture today. Friends, you know, and I know we know that sports are a big deal, not only in the US but all over the world. My question is, do they consider ping pong a sport? Because if so I’m the champ at this table. That’s a lie. Yeah, but I mean, come on guys, maybe this table, but maybe this one, right? Yeah. But guys today, here on the way the master we’re talking about sports and as christians, of course our curiosity is always Lord, how can we use this or that or whatever. Including sports for your glory. Sports are biblical. I see in scripture, it says Jacob was sporting with Rachel in scripture. So obviously the king James, King James, Yes, obviously sports are biblical. Yes. You know, I love sport soon and I watch rugby every night have done for about 15 years to watch something like 300 games a year. Most people have no idea what rugby is. Rugby is very much like cricket. Yeah. Crickets that I can’t figure out, right. We’ve had we’ve almost had family explosive fights over cricket because this arab just doesn’t get it takes intelligence to follow the game. That’s what it is. Really. I love it. That yeah. What is this? Cricket? I don’t like it is what my relatives would say. You know, it’s funny, I did football and I played track, you know. Yeah. Mark you’re quite the athlete when I was in high school and you think you’re pretty good until you come across some professional athletes. And just by virtue of the fact that we network from time to time, I’ve shaken hands with some of these professional athletes in my hand and I don’t have his mind just gets swallowed up. Yeah. And the, just the life of these people, my younger brother steve had played football against Tony Gonzalez Hall of Famer for the NFL. They went up against each other and it was pretty close when they were in high school. But then Tony kinsey also went on to play college and then he went on to play in the NFL and then he just, you know, he’s blossoming as a sports analyst. Listen, these guys are a whole new level. This is why so many times people throw their ties at their feet on sunday morning to see them do what none of us could ever do, right? We can’t do what they do and we stand it off. That’s amazing. You know, I can do what I used to do when I was 20. I can run just as fast, just can’t breathe when I finished. Yeah. Bring memories back of that escalator. That’s right. I actually lose my breath going down an escalator video running up and that was that was that was the heart test. If I had had a bad heart, I would have died. That it was the longest escalator I’ve ever seen in my life where it was Alice was. Yeah, I think so. But I’m convicted that I rejoiced and race suffering. It was actually quite fun. Well, you said to me, but you can’t run up that down escalator. That’s all someone has to say to you comfy. Yeah, that’s it. You can’t do it. Yes, you can. But you know, the one of the things that delights my soul’s when I see a godly athletes in the sports world. You’re talking mark about the hand disappearing. David Robinson of basketball fame, uh, san Antonio spur. I’m, as you guys know, I’m national spokesman for the national bible bowl competition and he hosted or he came to the game show that that I was one of the moderators for and oh, man. I mean, seriously talk about your hand disappearing. I felt like a like a baby putting his hand in an adult’s hand, you know. But David Robinson was, it was a godly example of the lord and and stood up for christ and and there have been others like that. But the, the point we’re trying to make is that sports are massive. I mean, you see the passion in people, I’ve seen people that, you know, are very calm and relaxed. You put them in the sporting arena where they’re watching the sport and they could go crazy. Yeah, that’s right, Jacob. I remember that nice surprise. So, but on the other hand, we’ve seen it become so uh intense for people that they’ll, they’ll fight that we’ve heard of deaths happening in arena, especially soccer events and or even parents killing each other because they’re watching a sporting events with their kids. Oh, I will not go to a NFL football game where in the opposing teams jersey, it’s just not worth it to me. I’ve done it before you get spit upon. I’ve had beer thrown on me and I’m not doing anything. I’m not looking for anything. I’d rather just stay inside my room, watch on a big screen television. Thank you right in the safety of your home. But you know, we have seen over the years, christians make it their passion to use even sports for the Gospel, right? That’s one of the things that has always blessed me about you is you’re always looking for the opportunity. Lord, how can we use this for the Gospel? We have a dear Brother who came up with something called the mission ball as a soccer ball with scripture on and they take it all around the world and they they use it to connect with people and to share the Gospel. We have an other dear Brother who has a ministry that reaches out to people at events where they go to oftentimes worship sports because that’s really what happens a lot of times and we’re very excited for you to learn a little bit more about what this dear brother of ours does check it out. Mhm, mm hmm, mm hmm, mm hmm, mm hmm. Why don’t you all start over there and the guys that were in the car coming down with me, we’ll start over here. Is that fair first to come out here to do one thing today, lift up the name of the Lord, jesus christ. We come out here today to lift up the name of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Sports fan outreach emphasizes going to major sporting events like the Super Bowl, the final four of the World Cup. These leagues bring the world together and we take the Gospel into the world and preach the gospel of their fans. We invite and encourage and bringing evangelist with us. We begin with prayer, we have fellowship as part of the trip. So we, we emphasize bringing in men who are called to teach to come in and teach us to edify us with the word. So then have ample opportunity, 6 to 8 hours a day of evangelizing. That means all the fans here here in the Gospel and what God has done so that you and I could be forgiven of Arson is the best news essentially, you know, we operate under the banner of the great Commission, jesus says, go into all the world and preach the gospel, make disciples of the nation’s, that’s first and foremost. And then for me personally for 15 years or so since I’ve been doing this Luke 14, 23 God in highways and hedges to tell them to come in. You know, just sets the tone to go out where the people are at and follow the gospels the way jesus did it in his humanity, he was with the people, he went to them. And I mean that’s pretty clear and when you read the bible and that’s the problem, not about perfect. Oftentimes were not captured by the gospel in a way that propels us to go out and preach the Gospel. And I’m saying a lot of people are in that boat. We’ve been given this great salvation that the son of God came in and shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. Now we know that you know, we’re going to come to the judgment seat Of Christ one day and we’re gonna look him in the eye and I don’t think that’s going to be a religious experience. I think it’s going to be very personal moment when we’re going to look him in the eye. And if there was an emotion, we can experience, we would have an emotion, a lot of us of regret that we wish that we had done more. All of life is going to pull you down. No one in life is gonna say, hey man, you need to go do this. You need to get involved in missions. You need to go and evangelize, you’re always going to be sort of the odd one out there. You have to resolve in your heart that you’re going to go out and do this because Of the Great Love that you received from the Lord, Jesus Christ. So would you like one living waters has influenced my ministry and showing the profound work of the Lord through a ministry. When I watch everybody passing out the dollar bills and talking about the hell’s best kept secret and using the law. I’m dumbfounded that when you know people and you see that for that kind of traction to be gotten for people to take a teaching and run with it and make it their own. That’s, that’s a supernatural work. That doesn’t happen every day. Hopefully the Saints to participate with us will catch a vision of doing more evangelism when they get home, where that’s out preaching the Ballgame, we’re going on a mission trip or being a full time missionary or whatever it might be. Mhm Well ray, you’ve got the beard and the cowboy boots, we just need the hat and the belt buckle. I couldn’t see how the belt buckle, you know, that put some wheels on it and it’s a shield from Hitler’s Oh man, how, how overwhelming is that? To see a brother. So committed to the great commission Bill Adams, he’s been a dear friend of the mystery for a long time and sports fan outreaches. I mean, they, they preached the gospel to tens of thousands of people over the years, you know, brad Snow right Web master and evangelism. Master brad is brad is phenomenal. But but guys, I’d like you to speak to that, using things of this sort to get the gospel out to people. I mean Ray, let’s let’s just kind of put it out on the table today. Um hearing a guy like Bill who’s really being really effective, being one of many using the law and evangelism going out in open air, preaching, what how does that impact you? Because there has been so much influence through living waters and the vision that the Lord has given you. How do you grapple with that? Like is it surreal to you? Is it humbling? Do you ever struggle with pride? You know, we know you’re a real prideful person. How do you I deal with? I never struggled with pride, you know, the pride thing is just so crazy. I remember once at this guy got saved and he he had a little bit of status in the motorbike world, had a motorbike shop and he confided in us that he had a problem with pride and this elderly man said why? And it really sums it up, were puffed up the vanity of our own mind. But yeah, I’m very humbled, very encouraged and years ago when hardly anyone street preached, I’d put out teachings and say this may not seem relevant to you at the moment, but one day love may so grip you cannot but speak that which you’ve seen and heard. And so it is very encouraging to see. I like seeing big manly guys, you know, you think, yeah, who’s gonna heckle that guy, you wimp christian, they’re not gonna say that to a guy, the big cowboy hats and buckle that I love it. You know, Mark for you and me, we’re kind of sort of on uh, you know, on the tail end of, of this and that the Lord gave Ray the vision and sparked living waters had been going on for a while. We were influenced by Ray and the ministry that stirred us up and we eventually started open air preaching and doing evangelism. So I’d like you to speak to what that’s been like for you to now see the impact that the ministry has had around the world. Not too long ago I received a picture of a UFC fighter signing million dollar bills and giving them to fans. And I sent out a tweet to him and I said, hey, that’s really cool. His name is Nate and I’m going to chop his last name, Mark Wet, I think it is. And I tweeted him and I said, hey, that’s really cool and he goes, man, I’m a big fan of the ministry. I absolutely love everything that you guys are doing. I, I’ve eaten up all the videos up on youtube And just a couple of weeks ago, I got bumped up towards first class and I sat next to an ex UFC fighter and I used that conversation and that springboard into the Gospel with him. And when I got home I had uh, send a text to a couple of friends of our mutual friends of ours that are big UFC fans said, oh man, that guy is the biggest, that guy is such, such a big fan. Now, before I left the plane, the guy gave me his telephone number. He said, hey, let’s stay in contact. You know, he was staying away from his producer that was up there, but he was in town commentating for a UFC fight. He has since retired from the sport doors opening up and it’s just neat to just stand back and see how God has used this ministry to impact the world. You know, I never would have known that, never would have heard that. If it wasn’t for social media, let’s use social media for the purpose for which it was designed. Yeah, great opportunity. Yeah, It has been very encouraging and humbling at the same time. I mean, Ray, sometimes we’ll talk about you calling a certain place to, to deal with something. They’ll find out who you are or about the ministry and I can’t count how many times it’s like, oh, I love your minister, I follow your ministry, I watch your videos, you know, it’s just been amazing. You’re right marc what social media has done for our ministry and how it’s open the doors. People in politics, people in sports. I mean, we’re constantly finding about about people who are in prominent positions who love and all the ministry and it’s really, really encouraging. And this wouldn’t have happened. I say obviously the sovereignty of God’s involved. But without the internet being and at this time in history for such a time as this, it’s so encouraging. Yeah. Well, on that note, friends and talking about sports and influence and impact and the way that we can get the gospel out there, all of you know, of course, that there was that tragic news of Kobe Bryant passing away that shocked the world that sent people reeling. They were in disbelief. And so again, we as a ministry asked ourselves, as people are contemplating what’s going on and thinking about their own mortality, how can we use this to lovingly and tactfully bring the gospel to the lost. And so our good friend, if you’ve heard of him, Mark Spence, hit the streets and did just that. What’s your response about Kobe Bryant’s death today as ridiculously sized 41? It’s way too young. Were you shocked? Um, yeah, I did. I couldn’t believe it when I heard the story come out. Yeah, I actually saw a post on Facebook and I kind of just thought it wasn’t probably a really great players. Were you shocked? Very, I still don’t believe it, it was very heart wrenching and a huge surprise to everyone. Where is Kobe now he’s still here with us. He’s going to live on forever. I think we all carry him and Mamba mentality with us. I’d like to believe in heaven, probably in a good place he’s passed, but he’s still here. Did his death remind you of your own mortality? Um, you know, it’s profound you asked that I lost my brother on thursday. So, um, already dealing with like a lot internally there. I don’t know how to answer the question to be honest. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, sorry about your loss, man, definitely. I mean it just makes you appreciate life and you see how short life is and how any moment we could have our lives taken away from us, definitely. You know, again it 41 that wasn’t supposed to happen. I think anytime you see someone that you might have like an emotional connection with diet reminds you of your own mortality. You know, I never really think about the actual death part of it. I just think about what I would leave behind a lot of people, they want to find solace in God and what do you think it can happen to you when you die? I don’t know, everyone has their own kind of belief. I kind of believe there’s something else out there. I don’t know man I had a lot of different speculation on that throughout my life. I hope it’s not emptiness, but I won’t claim to know. I believe in God. God. Alright. Is that the God of the bible? The God of the Quran? Is that the God of what do you believe in God’s existence? I have often on throughout my life, I’ve always been in and out of religion. I believe that the bible says after somebody dies, they stand before God in judgment. Most people think they’re pretty good people. Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Absolutely. I would say, do you think God would consider Pat to be a good guy? Absolutely. Would God consider you to be good? I would hope so. Have you heard of the 10 commandments? Right. So one of the commandments says, you cannot tell lies. How many lives do you think you’ve told over the course of your life? Too many. Once or twice, at least minimum. The eighth commandment says, you shall not steal. Have you ever stolen something? I would say I have done that too. Yeah, absolutely guilty. We’ve broken God’s commandments. The seventh commandment is you shall not commit adultery. But if you look with last year in adults, you can’t murder. But if you have hatred towards someone, you’re a murderer, Have you ever used God’s name in vain blasphemy. Right? So, we’ve broken God’s law and what that demonstrates because they were not good. That’s it. It’s not a standard to live by. It’s a standard of Shohei No, you’re just like everybody else. We’re all in the same boat, nobody’s better than another person. But we have a problem because we broke God’s law, we broke his law. We can’t get to heaven because God is holy and perfect. So if God judges you by the commandments bearing in mind that you’ve broken the commandments, would you go to heaven or hell? I assume I go to hell, we broke God’s law and if God gives us justice we would deserve to go to hell. But I would say that God is not willing for anybody To perish. And then he made a way for people to be forgiven through redemption right through Jesus Christ 2000 years ago God became a man in the person of Jesus. He lived a perfect life and the wrath and father came down upon him, so I wouldn’t have to come down on you or me. And what we must do in response to what he did out of gratitude is to thank him, it’s to repent and place their trust in him and the moment you do that, the bible describes it as being born again and if anybody does not do that, then they don’t get to go to heaven because there’s no other name under heaven given among men whereby which man must be saved when jesus died, he didn’t stay dead three days later, he rose again from the grave and he defeated death in essence as the creator of life. Are you going to be ready when death comes knocking on your door? You know one of the things that I like to do when I watch these videos is look at the person as they’re hearing truth. Oftentimes you’ll see their expression change, you’ll see how they were struck or hit by something. You know, it’s just so powerful. So Mark when you went out on that day uh that was I think the same day that it was Kobe had passed away. Yeah take us there. What what was that like? Let me say this. We often get a especially ray a bad rap when we post a video talking about the death of a celebrity. How dare you, why can’t you let some time pass? Listen people are not offended to talk about these things when you go out. It was not hard to get interviews with people to talk about Kobe Bryant and their own that that gentleman I was talking to in the beating his brother died three days prior to that. He said I think my brother sent you to me right? I mean you hear something like that we need to utilize and capitalize on opportunities in situations like this because people are already thinking about life and death because of what has just taken place now we make it personal. You know I was inside of a grocery store when my son sent me the text Kobe Bryant died. What did I do? I immediately looked over to the guy that was next to me and I said Kobe Bryant just died. He’s only, you’re kidding, Right. I mean it’s instant. Hey, we’re in this kind of together. We can instantly talk. Yeah. I got a, I got, I wrote an article the same day. I think we had 32-34,000 shares or something like that. It was, it was unreal. And I had someone on my Facebook page really criticized that like what are you doing? How dare you disgusting. And this guy followed our ministry. And but when I responded and I explained to him what we were doing, the response was different. Ray, how have you dealt with that? The criticism. Why would you use death as a, how do you delete seriously? The whole world talks about Kobe Bryant’s passing, but we’re not allowed to when we, when we are motive is absolute purity. We want people to be saved on a find everlasting life. So paul said by all means save some and when a celebrity dies, it’s like a family member dying and people are confronted with their immortality or mortality should I say. And it’s we’ve got to take advantage of it, right? Yeah. I mean there’s people making t shirts, There’s people doing programs on it and it’s like we’re, we’re not doing any of that. We’re just trying to tell people, hey, what do you think about what happened? Have you thought about your own mortality? And often when television reports something like that, it’s all about ratings and money and getting viewership. So there’s nothing wrong with what we’re doing. So Mark, when that gentlemen and the beanie, I told you my brother just died. How did that affect you? I mean, was it one of those moments of like, whoa, right, Because he seemed really hit by that? Yeah, I I took it in. I paused for just a slight moment and I kind of put on my pastor hat at that moment. You know, I want to weep with those who weep. And I know at that moment his greatest need at that point is to hear the gospel, right? If his brother had that opportunity to come back, which he can’t, he would plead with his brother to get right with God. And that’s merely the heart and the angle from which I took it from that. So there was no fear in your heart that this was someone who was hurt and tender and they don’t want to be confronted with death and all those fears and that’s having a lofty view of God’s sovereignty, that God still desires to seek and save that, which is lost. And you think of what God had to do behind the scenes to orchestrate a meeting like that. Do I talk to him? Do I talk to him? And I think I’m just deciding, you know, God orders and directs and guides. Let’s open up her mouth. He’s put it all together now. He wants us to open her mouth. Amen. Yeah, I had a dish network guy come to my house to, to work on our thing and I used Kobe’s death to share the Gospel with him. Hey, did you hear about Kobe and then he just started opening up man. I was here and I was saying I couldn’t believe that I was in shock and and hey, so man, what do you think about death? What do you think happens when someone dies? And boom, It opened up a great evangelism conversation. So we need to be mindful of that. We do it for the sake of the loss, for the sake of the Gospel, for the glory of God. Very important. So, friends, maybe as you’re hearing us talk about this, you saw Mark out on the streets, maybe you’ve had the thought of. Is it really ever effective to share the gospel with strangers? Maybe your perspective is that friendship evangelism is the only way to go. Is that what scripture tells us, Is that what the great commission is? Well, I want you to check out this video of Ray sharing the Gospel with a perfect stranger of all places at Comic Con. This is in our tough questions training course that you can check out at living Waters dot com. Watch this. The principle used by Wesley Luther Spurgeon, Whitfield? All these great preachers always said, precede the Gospel with the Law. Because the Gospel Is foolishness to the ungodly. The law makes it makes sense. Now, Gerald, do you still think you’re a good person? Yes, 100%. So you think a lying thief is a good person? People make mistakes. That was a mistake when you stole. What did you steal the car that you didn’t mean to steal? I stole a cookie. Oh, just a little cookie, cookie. Okay. Have you ever used God’s name in vain? Yes, that’s called blasphemy. It’s very serious. Now. This is the one that will make you nervous. Are you ready? Yes, jesus said. Whoever looks at a woman and lusts for her has committed adultery already within his heart. Have you ever looked at a woman with lust? Yes, Once or twice, I don’t remember now, Gerald. Yourself admitted lying thieving blessed Mr. Dalton heart. You’ve broken four of the 10 commandments. If God judges you by those commandments. On judgment day, you’re gonna be innocent or guilty, guilty Heaven! Why? You’re a lying thieving blasphemous adulterer, huh? Do you want more commandments? Come on! The bible says All liars are their part in the Lake of Fire? What are you going to do on judgment day to justify yourself. How can you make it to heaven? Have you any idea, beg for forgiveness? I won’t help you. That’s like someone saying to a judge. Judge, I robbed that bank. Please forgive me. He’s not gonna let you go because he’s bound by law. He’s got to do that, which is right. And the bible says God is just and righteous and holy and by no means clear the guilty Jill. Believe me, if you die in your sins, the bible says, you’re gonna end up in hell. I’d hate that to happen to you. Seem like a nice guy. The law makes it makes sense. It makes us tremble and say, what must I do to be saved? Then in comes the gospel. Now, do you know what God did for guilty sinners. So he wouldn’t have to go to hell. Any idea? No. What did he do? 2000 years ago, God became a human being, Jesus of Nazareth who suffered and died for the sins of the world. Now, you know that you may not know this. You and I broke God’s law the 10 commandments and jesus paid the fine. If you’re in court and someone pays your fine, the judge can let you go. You can say this guy. Gerald’s guilty, but somebody’s paid his fine. He’s out of here. Well God can dismiss your case. He can forgive your sins. He can legally let you live because of what happened on that cross, jesus cried out, It is finished. In other words. The debt has been paid that he rose from the dead and defeated. Death And what you have to do is repent of your sins and trust in jesus like you trusted Parachute. Does that make sense? That makes complete sense. Okay, I’m gonna summarize this is your little court case. I’m the prosecutor. You’re the defendant. You pleaded guilty. You’ve seen, you’re in big trouble, Gerald. There are two things you have to do to be saved. You must repent and trust in jesus. When are you going to do that? I’m going to do that right now. You mean it? I mean it. You’re not just saying it because of the cameras and me. No, this is your return to your so important. You’re laying down your will. You’re no longer going to serve the places of sin, but you’re going to serve God and you’ll change your heart. Oh, talk about a whirlwind of emotions. I went from trying to hold back and cracking up with that guy with the mohawk next to you. So just being struck with this guy recognizing his need for christ a matter of moments, notice how long it took, Right? I mean how long is that? Just a few minutes and talking about his spiritual condition before God he shows up thinking that he’s going to see some comic con celebrities, but he meets the celebrity, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and had not. That message been shared, where would he be today? Praise the Lord Friends. We hope that encourages you as you think about that. Right? Talking about friendship, evangelism versus perfect strangers. Look what God did with her and anyone can do this. This isn’t a gifting on my part, it’s God’s law that does the work of the holy spirit, convicts of sin. And people can watch our Youtube channel which has had over 100 million views and see it done again and again every day with new videos and that builds confidence to see everybody reacts the same when they confronted by the law and the thing that kept going through my mind is right. How in the world did you demonstrate that self control and not jump off the box and try to interview the guy with the moth that’s like your dream right there with outstanding hairstyles. That was awesome. It was like a roman centurion built in helmet, you know, on his head. Well, friends, we hope that you have been as overjoyed as we’ve been as you watch this program in us doing it that you were touched and moved and stirred to recognize the power of the gospel. Whether it’s sporting events or its politics or someone passing away. You can be used by the Lord. So get out there and be an instrument in his hand for his glory. Thanks for joining us. See you next time here on the way The Master We hope this episode of Wave, The Master has inspired you to share the message of eternal life. You can watch our award winning movies, such as the Atheist Delusion freely on our website, where you’ll also find articles, videos and audio messages, as well as books, dvds, gospel tracts and other resources to help you share your faith biblically and effectively make sure to visit Living Waters dot com today.