Open Air Theology with special guest: Andrew Rappaport

What are you doing?

You never let a cigar that way. You use a wooden edge.

Preserves the flavor you see. But the worst curse would come upon the one who seduced him. Whose head would be crushed? By the seat of the woman and. The punishment was too severe.

What's wrong with you people. Are you ready to get back to work with pleasure. What is this about? I choose to believe the Bible because it's a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses.

During the lifetime of other eyewitnesses, they report the most supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies. They claim that their writings are divine rather than human in origin.

But because of his own purpose and grace Which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

I don't know why you're clapping. I'm talking about you. I didn't come here to get amens. I didn't come here to be applauded. I'm talking about you.

Show Introduction and Sponsor Thanks

Hello. Hello. Hello. Welcome to open-air theology. It's a great blessing to see everyone here tonight. We'll see how tonight goes. We got some we got some hoodlums on here tonight. However before before we begin I do want to just give a huge shout out and We'll put this on here real fast.

Thank you for striving for eternity for helping hope. Get your head out of that box. Thank you to striving for eternity for helping Sponsor or to partner with open-air theology and helping us get the word out about our YouTube channel.

If you are new to this show go check out open-air theology on YouTube and then go also check out striving for eternity if you are on open-air theology. It'd be a great blessing for you to do that. And on that note without my introduction because I'll introduce myself later I'll pass the mic down here to one of our special guests that we have here tonight.

Who me? This is a happy from coming to you live from Weezer, Idaho, and I'm the host of R &B studios and Yeah, and I'm gonna pass it. How you do it. I'm gonna pass it to this person over here who doesn't exist.

I.

Don't exist or what. You're just gonna leave that out there. Oh, well. Cody Joe Joe webbing. You don't exist. You're a I generated.

I.

Guess the thing is, you know the argument that I guess he was making is that ethnic Jewish people don't exist. So therefore I'm not really here. But I am. I am Andrew rap report from striving fraternity ministries.

Do a couple podcasts Andrew Rappert's rap report and Apologetics live which we do on on these two channels as well. Just had a fun debate. What two nights ago on whether ghosts are formal human beings or if they're only demonic?

It's actually a really respectful debate. Would you agree Tom. You you saw it? Yeah, I thought it was very well done. As far as the debate goes It interesting interesting stuff I'll say yeah, yeah.

Not something I think about often. I don't really know. Okay, the only time I think of ghosts being former human beings is in Hollywood. Not in the Bible. Just saying that was my view. Yeah.

Yeah to come up with they can't. What they came up with was was pretty interesting. I matter of fact, I would disagree with both of them. So On the whole ghost thing, so as a matter of fact one of my my comments was boo.

As a third debater and you just and we could add a three-way debate. That would have been great. That would have been good.

Well, so that's that's Andrew Rappaport down there. My name is Tom Sheppard. I'm a co-host of open-air theology with Braden Patterson and also the new co-host of striving for eternity Apologetics live.

We go on on Thursdays. I don't know which one is it is a striving for eternity or.

Well, you. You can you can get to it from striving for training. You get everything that we do there. But the direct link is apologetics live comm that's where people can watch it. They could join the show.

You know watch previous shows. Yeah, I mean Nicholas. I like that, right?

Yeah, so it's pretty awesome to actually have you and then everybody who's watching on striving for eternity right now or even if none or Shoot Braden is your is is the reform ex-war man on it's on there.

Yeah, it's on there I mean, so if you're streaming in one of those other places if you would Andrew has been kind enough to To help us out. We're trying to get more subscriber to the open-air theology Podcast or and actually it's gonna become.

We need to do that Andrew we need to hook up and figure out when we're gonna in the works in the works. Work on that. Yep. Yeah. Yes, we do. So let me pass it over to Mike I can. I have the same problem with haps.

There we go. Yeah.

Church Updates, Preaching Schedule, and the John Knox Book

Yeah, so my name is Braden Patterson. I am the pastor of grace Bible Church here in Moorpark, California. We meet on Sundays at 1030 if you live in Ventura County area or somewhere nearby. Be a great blessing for you to join us on Sunday tomorrow.

Even I will be in James chapter 1 verses 2 through 7, so it'd be a great great blessing to count all things joy. Blessing to be a part of open-air theology. I think we have a great show tonight before We talk about anything else.

Let me put this on there and block out haps his face because we need to block his face out. Anyway, yeah.

Hey.

So this book right here Talking about plugs you guys should go and pre-order this book. It's called resist tyrants. Obey God. It's a. It's a book about John Knox. It's written by a brother in Christ named Jacob Tanner.

Looks like it's going to be a really really great book. I'm excited to get my hands on it. Definitely go check that out. You can go to founders org and pre-order it there so go go check that book out if you if you like church history and want some insights into the life of John Knox and.

Now Jacob's gonna be on next week as well, right? He is. Yeah, so we'll be able to interview him about that book next week. So don't miss out on that. That'll be great. I'm excited to hear his expertise on John Knox.

Mmm, but we we're just talking we had to we had we were Behind the scenes about to go live and we started talking about haunted house stuff. Tom you said that you don't believe in ghosts at all. Is that right?

No, not at all.

Okay, hold on. Let's. You're gonna need to define what you mean by ghost then. Do you believe in spirits? Do do I so do you believe in things like angels. I do. Okay, so now now we're getting to Define what a ghost is, right?

I knew I knew Andrew Rappaport was gonna be pressing me on this now I'm being drilled and I didn't even know we were gonna be talking about.

I didn't know either.

Because house down here below me says that he lit or that he's doing this show tonight.

This is haunted. It used to be owned by. This is haunted. It used to be owned by. The whole town knows all right. It's haunted. I saw my gnome right here and when I was doing my show and I threw coins down and I went up to go grab something all of a sudden.

It was right over here. I was like Did I do that? I don't know if I did it or not, but.

So to answer to answer Andrew's question, yeah, I of course I would believe in angels. I do think that they there are ministering angels that that serve serve us in some way and I think that They probably present themselves in a way that we wouldn't recognize them as angels.

What's the scripture of the passage that talks about. You know that you're entertaining angels unawares Hebrews. Yep. I don't know the exact.

Chapter and verse but Hebrews.

Well, you you you want to know you want to know when you don't know this is this is. If you ever listen to Ray Comfort this is what he does when he doesn't know the verse that's in Hebrew. You'll hear him do it when he'll know the book.

And I was like, oh that's in Hebrew. Yeah. People just move on like they it's it's really funny thing is you think did I just not hear it, right? And yet he's purposely mumbling like, you know, it is but yeah, it was Hebrews alone.

Yeah, so yeah, so as far as but it's actually, you know when to actually think that there are ghosts. Dead people, you know like the sixth sense type of stuff the movie. I see dead people. No, I I don't I don't believe in that.

So let me ask you this. If somebody says they saw a ghost. Would you say that it. There's a potential of it being a demon that they saw. I'm gonna say no you didn't.

I.

Just being honest. I just don't you don't think it could be demonic. I.

You know, I I just can't I can't even conceive of there being a a ghost in the room like a and actually thinking that there is.

Like something moving around you'd find it hard to believe that a demon could be in a room.

By the way, y 'all this was not prepared it was not.

Tom has a whole bunch of difficult difficult questions for us. So I think I think really what is happening Braden said. Well to prevent that I'm gonna he's gonna do a latent flowers. Like like latent flowers when we were at the Calvinist conference.

He came to breakfast instead of us asking him a bunch of questions. He just decided to turn his sights on something that you know to get everyone else.

Here's my answer.

Well, we do have a good show tonight. Tom has some more AI generated questions. This is okay, let me ask this question is AI.

Demonic, oh, that's a good question. It was the image that we gave it power to or whatever in Revelation. Yeah.

No.

Is AI is Definitely going to always have a bias. Okay, because someone programmed it someone gave it. Rules, I mean, here's the set of things for you to do right? So yeah, it's it's going to always have a it's gonna be hard to.

Unless they're going to just let. You know, okay. Here it is. We're gonna whatever you asked for go grab it and but once they start saying, okay We can't talk politics. We can't talk this can't it. Once they decide to put any kind of filters on there.

Those filters are biased.

Not only that but I think the more you use it the same way, you know. Oh, it's it's funny. My wife will be looking up stuff on you know to buy on Amazon or whatever and then the next thing, you know I'll get these ads on Facebook for the exact same thing.

She's Looking for because of the what do they call it the cookies or whatever? And so I'm getting all these in the same way I think that chat GPT or anything like that you ask questions and stuff like that.

For example, it knows that I'll ask questions regarding 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. And so the other day true story the other day. The other day I asked chat GPT. In one sentence, what would or in one word, what would you say that would that would disprove dispensationalism.

No, the answer according to chat GPT was divided. So there's some truth to it.

Makes sense. Maybe is rightly dividing the Word of God. It does.

You know, no, it's so funny because actually Ryan didn't actually ask something very similar you know if you could if you can identify what theological system would be the the best one or the most accurate and.

And in two words, it said Presbyterian. And I asked the exact same thing on Twitter which was a reply and said. 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith. So it's it's geared toward what you use it for right and give you answers what you know what you want to use it for seems to be.

Divided well.

We have AI generated questions tonight. We do. Are these questions from a demon or not.

Your demons are real dude.

Yeah, it's just Tom that doesn't agree. I mean I haven't seen any.

Keep evangelizing go to go to a really bad neighborhood. I mean, I've seen some Tom. Have you have you you know seen who's in the White House. Just say I mean I have I mean Joe Biden is president. I don't know.

Yeah, he's a pretty demonic. Just say.

He's actually a reptile.

He might be yeah. No, that was Queen Elizabeth. I.

Hear all the conspiracies. I know. No no and all in all seriousness, you know, I've seen some pretty evil stuff. Yeah, I've seen some. I've seen some some Manifestations of evil from people. Vicious. Look like they were possessed type of thing.

Don't talk about me in that way. I wouldn't do that.

Biblical Figures, the Gospel, and Quick Evangelism

And all right. So here's a question. Yeah, if you could sit down with any biblical figure for an hour of.

Conversation, who would it be and why are you asking me or everybody?

No, I'm asking everyone but it was your question. You were gonna ask us so I figured I'd ask it of you first.

Okay, so to be nice and take the hot spot off you right there. That is fantastic.

You know what, you know what. So I was thinking about this and I'll and I'll answer it real quick. I would. So yeah, besides Jesus. Michelle was talking about Jesus. Besides Jesus because Jesus would be my answer.

Yeah. Yeah, but that's the Sunday school answer. Come on, man. Yeah, so no really honestly Jonah I would I would want to talk with him. I want to know what it would be like. You know what just everything how how everything worked out for him.

How he saw the grace of God how he ran away from God how he was in the belly of the fish. I would. I'd really like to talk to him about that. What was it like? Going out in preaching against Nineveh to repent.

Definitely would would want to talk with Jonah. Mm-hmm. That would be cool. What about you guys? Oh.

Well Joel webbing, you know because he's a poor person in the Trinity, you know. He wrote the Bible.

Trying to be serious and you leave it to have so you had to throw it to have said there you go in the trash.

Honestly, I would.

Honestly, I'd want to hear by the way. Joe Webber is very thankful that you called him part of you know biblical.

You know, he's a poor person in the Trinity, I can't you know, I mean.

Already has that spot. Thank you very much. Am I wrong. Does he not basically say that. Yeah.

There was a BYU professor. I want to say and I quote if Jesus is the door Joseph Smith is the door hinge. Ooh.

I mean does is it not Trinity and Joseph Smith who Mormons would think judge us?

Yeah.

Yeah, that's another that is another one that no one there's another quote I can't remember what prophet said it but or what figure but. No one can go to heaven without the permission.

And Joe went and Joe weapon and Joe.

You just have you know, we keep trying to steer this in a good direction educational direction.

So I I would you know to be honest like I look at every Person that's in the Bible as a character in the Bible, you know. And so I would really want to hear from one of the eyewitnesses to the feeding of the 5 ,000 you know.

And and just sit there and ask like what was I mean was it baked fish? Was it raw fish? I mean was I mean just I'd have just so many questions, you know. It's gonna come down cooked or not, you know, it was a poached salmon.

Well, no, I mean, you know, I.

Mean I mean, what was that like? I mean, what was I mean? What was that experience like watching? The Son of God and the father. Just fill up these baskets, you know.

You know, it's funny because John MacArthur was was asked the question one time he was talking about how when how when Peter jumped off the boat after he had betrayed him and he was running towards Jesus and John said I think that's the Lord and he you know.

He jumps off the boat and he swims out there and he goes, you know. And Jesus was over there making breakfast. He goes, you know how Jesus makes breakfast.

Breakfast.

I.

Mean John that was a John MacArthur show, but it was true. It's a I mean you think about he's cooking up fish and everything and.

Breakfast.

The Gospel in a Single Sentence and the Need for More Than a Sentence

Okay. So how would you explain the gospel in a single sentence to someone who has never heard of Christ?

I would have to have a lot of commas on that one. Yeah. So, you know a lot of us can go to first Corinthians 15 3 4 and summarize it. But after yeah, I think oh.

I.

Think that it's gonna take a lot longer than one sentence to actually communicate and to make to make a person wise into salvation. I think there's gonna be a lot more than just one sentence.

Well, see. I think Jesse Heller had my verse there right there. First Corinthians 521 He who knew no sin became sin that you may become the righteousness of God. Done one sentence.

Well, I mean, but that does that does that show you. But you ask this question sure. Like I said, I like you said you you would have to unpack that I don't know.

I mean if I'm gonna if I'm not gonna have that one. Then I'll just go with it's appointed unto man wants to die and then the judgment. Yeah.

But again, does that? Asking the questions right in that one sentence does that communicate. Is there enough there to communicate somebody to where they're gonna be wise into salvation to where they can Understand their condition their their their heart condition.

The need for a substitute.

I think it would be very hard to do in one sentence. Could I just say go read the Bible and that's my single sentence.

Go read the Bible.

Yeah.

So, I guess there is the question can it be done. Can a person be made wise unto salvation Without understanding certain things.

Yes.

Yeah, they could do that, right?

You know, let me say it this way There's people who say well you have to you. You can't be saved without understanding the Trinity. I'll disagree. I would disagree. I was saved Believing Jesus was God.

But I didn't Understand the Trinity. I never heard the word before right? I actually didn't hear the word for years after so. But I but I believe Jesus was God. Couldn't explain how Jesus could be God on the cross and yet The Father was controlling fit like I couldn't explain that but I hadn't thought it through enough.

Right. I would say that somebody can't deny the Trinity though. Correct.

Have an understanding.

Exactly. So like that's where like the theme on the cross probably couldn't talk about in full detail. The the working the inner working of the Trinity and how all that works out. Well, if he was being the crucifix he's being crucified next to Jesus and you're asking him questions.

I'm sure you'd be like, yeah, there's only one God. You'd be like, yep.

Yeah, okay. Exactly. It would be like that.

Also, you know, you know like when a gospel presentation is made It says that like Lydia that said that she was a devout worshiper temple worshiper. Basically, and then God had to open up her heart to understand the gospel, you know so but I heard this right here, man, I I just looked it up real fast and You know just I saw this and it's one sentence, you know.

It says the God who made us sent his son Jesus to live a perfect life Die in our place and rise again so that we could be forgiven of our sins and know God perfectly forever through faith in him.

I like that.

Yeah.

I'm almost thinking I would may maybe I Think maybe quoting a verse from Romans I might do like Romans 5 18 or Romans 6 23. Romans 6 23 is pretty dang good for communicating the gospel in some degree.

You can say for the wages of sin is death. But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. So repent and believe in him. Yeah, also the.

If you go to where is it?

Acts.

I think Jesus said it the best and And not not acts Luke 24 Is that it. And he opened up their minds to understand the scriptures and said to them? Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins Should be proclaimed in his name to all nations beginning with Jerusalem.

Yeah, that's a perfect one-liner from our king.

But I think all of us would also agree here that nobody here would just give them give a one-line Sentence. Okay, this is it and walk away. I mean, obviously you would you would dive deeper into conversation talk about who Jesus was.

Well, if you have a chance if you have a chance, but if you're doing open-air, oh sure. That's why is doing open-air evangelism. You have to be ready for quick gospel Presentations that we drink you we change them, you know, we call it stoplight preaching.

Yeah while they're sitting at a red light. Can you get a gospel message and you got 30 seconds? Can you do it? And we there's a reason for training that. Yeah, because when you're doing open-air and and when I would do open-air in New York.

It's it's a little bit different because you get it large crowds. You get people that are always taking video. I've I've found I have found myself on a bunch of atheists, you know blog sites. In the gospel in New York, and that's why you know, I don't whatever I'm talking about.

Like if we're talking evolution and I'm debunking evolution. But I see someone put a camera and they start recording. I just like look into the camera share the gospel really quick like it mid-sentence.

I'll just go because I know they're gonna put that online right want the gospel there, right?

That's a really good point to Andrew. I mean and it's it's actually true if anybody's actually done open-air preaching I think everybody here has you know in you're at a stoplight you have you know. Three minutes to get the gospel out three minutes.

Where are you living man? Well, I mean three minutes roughly yeah right in Fredericksburg we have about three minutes. Yeah, I mean, but you have you know, even with people walking by, you know, you'll have 75 yards.

They're coming they could probably hear and you have. You know, you have a very short time to be able to communicate the gospel. So I hear exactly what you're saying and you're doing it on the fly and then you're also looping it.

Because those people are gone and now you got to start all over. Okay, so Tom do you ever get?

This is I know a bad way to say this. But do you ever get bored hearing yourself saying the same like because you're saying in a loop. It's like when I'm doing open-air and I'm up there for like three hours.

There are certain things I am set. I've said like three dozen times like yeah, man.

Judgment. I.

I'll recite that at least three dozen times, you know, and you feel awkward. But you have to realize that the audience that heard it once isn't there anymore. And yeah, you're saying it again to the new brand new audience audience.

So yeah, but it does feel weird because you just said it five minutes ago. I know I'm repeating myself and I'm like, oh my gosh, okay, and I'm sure my wife is like you just went over that.

Well, you know, it's just like, you know I've been with some people that just get up and and start reading scripture and everything. You know as the cars are driving by and everything like that and and then I get the mic.

You know just like for instance, you know like like we were just saying, you know get given the gospel the gospel the gospel and it just it's just so I like when you you're really relying on the Holy Spirit to you know, really I know a lot of people don't believe in like an unction like what?

Evangelists get you know, like just this function to to to preach and and know who to preach to and in all this type of stuff, but it's. It just comes natural I think for some people, you know. And it just doesn't matter if you're stream fishing pond fishing lake fishing deep-sea fishing.

It might be all different but it's like I said at the conference the same real same rod. Yeah, you know same gospel.

Michelle said yeah, I was gonna ask you to put that up again. Yeah, so it should be up right now. Utterly. As fast as possible. And not only that. Not only to get to the cross but to stay there. To stay at the cross, you know.

Let's not get distracted and pulled away by meaningless arguments that aren't gonna make any difference in the world. Let's stick with Christ and him crucified.

Melissa keep put Melissa's Owens comment back up there she says. Short response and then you just okay. Short response to the gospel is also good in dire situations.

Say.

Say someone in an accident or something. Now, here's the thing. Part of this and I want to expand on this because part of this is in Preparation. Hmm. You know, are you prepared? For a situation like that.

Are you thinking how can I transition to the gospel? I Remember seeing a car accident and I watched it happen. I pulled over I checked to make sure the person was okay and I sat there knowing I wanted to share the gospel, but I was like, okay.

How do I transition from what just happened the person's all shaken up? You know, that would have been a wasted opportunity had I not gone home and thought about it. And the next time I saw an accident I was prepared with four or five different ways to transition.

So as soon as I got over I made sure the person was okay, you're safe. Yes, you know and they're there you can see a business up. I was like, you know, man, you you could have lost your life there in a split second.

She's like, I know like everything just happened so quickly. I said, you know, our life is that short? I mean we could we could just be gone that quickly and you know, most people don't think what's gonna happen after they die.

Yes, no I was prepared for that because I because I didn't have an answer the first time I thought about it. So if I ever was in that situation, I would have an answer and it's used that maybe three times since then.

So don't don't don't tell nobody but definitely when I was working as a firefighter, I had a lot of conversations with people in the back of the ambulance and Or anything like that one thing I found was very successful is in time of Distress.

Almost no one will say no to a prayer. When you pray you can say whatever you want. No one's gonna interrupt you and gospel right in the prayer. Preach the gospel right in a prayer to people love it. And as I do that, I did that frequently with people.

I did it. I did it frequently. Not just prayer, but man, it was there was a lot of really good serious serious calls that. It was pretty neat.

Isn't it amazing how God works in those those? Yeah events to where he he puts some of those things to make you realize. Oh, wait a listen. I'm not in control of my life. Yeah.

I have seen didn't we. I had this I was down in Florida and this pastor one of one of the Attendees of his church. She was for like 30 years a secretary of this very very wealthy Jewish guy. That he only like in Orlando he owns most of the hotels Orlando.

Mm-hmm. Okay that whole area he's got like like dozens and dozens if not a hundred hotels right, and so. This this pastor got an opportunity to have a meeting with him and he really wanted to share the gospel.

So the church had a guy that does Jewish ministry so he brought that guy and Purpose was the two of them were gonna meet to share the gospel with him and and since I happened to be in town. He's like, hey, do you want to tag along?

Okay, right so it was it was really funny because I'm sitting quiet because I'm just a tag along and The pastor starts talking and this guy just shuts him down. The Jewish evangelist, you know starts talking shuts him down now I'm used to seeing that because I grew up Jewish.

I know my dad is you know, he's he's. Well to do and and so I just know the behavior. I know that you know. And so I just took a totally different tack with them turns out that he actually knows who my father is.

He's my father's on the other side of the state, but he knows of my father. And so that made an instant connection. We started talking so I was able to talk to him. But then like you said we go to leave and I could tell he's just he's he wants the conversation to end.

He wants it. He's like, hey, I gave you the time. Hey, that's nice. It's time for you to leave. Yeah, and as we get up and leave I just turned to me and I just said hey you mind if we pray for you? Mm-hmm, and you're right.

He's like he wanted he just he wanted the gospel conversation to end. Yeah, but he's like sure that would be nice. Would you I'm telling you.

It's an expert level move on anybody that it works and it's sincere to you like and seriously, I mean you Lord, I pray so-and-so that you would bless them Lord that you would look over them May they turn and keep their eyes upon you Dying for their sins rising from the great like and you're just preaching this to you.

Ministry tool. They're not cheap, but a friend of mine in New York. He's not in New York now. I think he's in Ohio. He would make a thing called a prayer stand. Mm-hmm, and you could go look it up. You know, maybe I'll look it up and I could show you in.

Yeah, I could share the the picture but basically what he does is he would set up in New York this prayer stand and.

I.

Would it was really amazing because I would be doing open-air and watching and so many people. Would come up to him to you know just to be able to you know sit there and.

I.

Seek it my people. Yeah, let me I try to share this and I'll show you what the what it looks like but what what. What he would do is he'd have this this prayer stand that he would set up and that's sort of if you can see in The picture there.

There you go, so it's a little bit small but that's that's basically what it looks like. Yeah, um if I can I can make it bigger now. Okay, but it basically he would set it up and it's it just has this big prayer thing that sticks up so everyone sees it has this little carousel with that has you could put your tracks in and it's it's it's weather protected and that the big red thing at the bottom is just to block the wind and you'd lock it down and the neat thing with it is Everyone would come up to him and ask for prayer.

Probably speak to more people than I did doing open-air where I'm just you know speaking out. But he has always feel coming up and it's like they're just sharing all their different needs. He's he shares the gospel gives them a track praise the gospel to them.