There is no salvation outside of the cross

On Friday night I had the privilege of attending the opening show of the "Winter Jam 2006" tour at First Baptist Woodstock. We were serenaded by the musical talents of artists such as Krystal Meyers, Hawk Nelson, ZOE Girl, Newsong, TobyMac, and the heartbeat and redeeming factor of contemporary Christian music worldwide, the Newsboys. The host and speaker of the event was David Nasser, author of "A Call to Die." I went in with high expectations, having heard of David Nasser as a powerful man of God and excellent communicator of the Truth. At the end of the night, my emotions toward the event were split directly in half.

I have a bone to pick with David Nasser. Before I explain, please allow me to make it very clear that I am not in any way questioning the genuineness of David Nasser's faith. It is obvious that God has done amazing things in and through him. However, at the point in the night when he gave his "talk," he started off by giving his testimony. If you haven't heard it, it's worth looking into. He was born in Iran and his family fled to America from radical Muslims when he was nine. After he graduated high school God turned his life around, and eventually David Nasser's entirely Muslim family turned to Christ. It is an amazing story of God's faithfulness. Anyway, after David told this story, he basically turned around and opened up the invitation for people who needed rescue to accept Christ into their lives. I applaud his efforts to use a huge concert tour like Winter Jam to spread the Gospel, but the problem was that David Nasser did not once mention the cross of Jesus Christ. He didn't talk about the life Jesus lived, or the price He paid. He presented a very man-centered gospel. He offered people the chance to be "rescued" from their circumstances. About 250 people prayed with David Nasser last night to be rescued. Praise God that these seeds were planted, but these people, without further teaching, have received a very skewed first impression of the Gospel. My prayer is that they would go from here and dig into the Word of God and learn the full truth of the Good News. I understand that Mr. Nasser did not have a lot of time in which to present his mini-sermon, but there are some things which he left out that cannot be left out. There is no salvation out of the cross.

On the other hand, the Newsboys, who closed out the night, put on one of the most brilliant shows I have ever witnessed. Though their time was short, they didn't waste a minute. Every song was energy-filled and more importantly, heart-felt. The spiritual journey they have traveled as a band was evident through their show. After the first song, lead singer Peter Furler (translate: Brian's hero #21) quoted Isaiah 40 while playing the intro to Blessed Be Your Name. Beautiful. Then, later in the show, during a moving rendition of "Free," Mr. Furler began pacing furiously back and forth across the stage, quoting Isaiah 53. It was a powerful moment of worship through simple reading of the Scripture. It was truly a glorious contrast to the message previously presented by David Nasser. They allowed the words of Scripture to speak Truth instead of the "feel-good" words of an inspirational speaker.

In the upcoming week: think on the cross. There is no salvation apart from the sacrificial death of our precious Savior. Think about where you have been, and where Christ has brought you. When you wake up each morning, thank God for cleansing you. The cross is the greatest news of every single day.