Recently, John Rich was on the Tucker Carlson podcast. Perhaps you heard about it. Now, that is a pretty big deal if you want to get whatever message you have out there. Tucker recently surpassed Joe Rogan as the most popular podcaster. Many people thought that would never happen.
The Backdrop
John Rich is a country singer who was big back in the day. He has a new song out called Revelation and a music video to go with it. John said during the podcast that his father was a street preacher who went to Mardi Gras every year to bring the gospel to hurting souls.
He mentioned that his dad would sit there with his guitar, sing gospel songs, and preach. He added that not only did his father get mocked but also that people on the floats would spit on him. His dad told him that out of 100 people who treated him like that, there was always one person who would come up and talk. There was always one person who wanted to know more about the Bible and what Jesus had done for them. And he let John know that reaching one person was well worth all of the other stuff he had to go through. That was pretty powerful. What an example he set for his family.
John also said that he ended up living for the world, writing worldly music, and playing in honky-tonks. During the interview, it sounded as though John has been getting serious about his faith, Jesus, and the Bible. And we can be glad that he’s been moving in that direction. Praise ye the Lord!!
However, John stated that the reason Jesus came was “so He could understand the plight of man.” He also spoke about salvation in terms of “being saved,” but you are either saved or you’re not.
Separating from the World
But one thing I have noticed is that whenever a celebrity comes to Jesus or gets serious about their faith, they never tell people to stop buying their old music. They don’t tell them to stop watching their old movies. To not buy their jerseys. It is just idolization. Why don’t they do that? Not totally sure, but I do know that all of those worldly products still generate income for them. But as new creations, shouldn’t we want to ditch all of that?
Acts 19:18-20
And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
I remember when I was first saved, I went through my CD collection (anyone remember CDs?!) and got rid of most of them. Why? They were “of the world” and nothing else.
Your Agenda or the Lord’s?
As the Tucker broadcast continued, it became evident that John’s main focus was talking about his view of the rapture. He brought up John Darby, Scofield, the 1850s, etc.
At a few points, he asked Tucker if he could read passages of Scripture, one which was very long. Now, it’s always a good thing to read Scripture on any broadcast, as well as during Sunday school, at the dinner table, etc. But when he asked to do that, Tucker gave an interesting response. He stated something along the lines of whoever had not turned off the broadcast by that point would probably have no problem hearing those Scriptures.
A couple of things hit me at that point. I don’t think Tucker knew the conversation was going to go in this direction. Many podcasts are very free flowing, which is why they are so interesting. And Tucker is very inquisitive by nature. So is Joe Rogan. That is why they have massive followings.
For Believers or Non-Believers?
In the rapture world, there are four main positions that are generally held: Pre-tribulation, Mid-tribulation, Pre-wrath, and Post-tribulation. Discussing the rapture is always a fascinating conversation to have with other believers, but there are some basic things to keep in mind when you do. Let the other person state their position, and let them defend it. Ask what verses they use to support their position. Are those verses used in context? Have they looked at and tested other views to see if their view or yours might be wrong?
Remember QEQE: Question Everything and Question Everybody.
Now, it seemed like John was advocating for the Post-tribulation viewpoint, even though I don’t think he termed it that way. He was letting the audience know that they would see the antichrist, they would be going through the tribulation, they would have to deal with the mark of the beast, etc.
I really think John made a huge blunder there, and I am not talking about him stating his view of the rapture. The blunder to me, and I am not seeing anyone else ask this question, even though many are talking about and even doing sermons on his appearance, is why did he even bring this subject up on the podcast in the first place? This is a believer’s conversation. Now, if a lost person brings up the topic, fine. Talk about it then. But Tucker didn’t bring this up first. This was John’s agenda, and it was very evident as he kept speaking.
Tucker does not claim to be born again, although he is very intrigued by Christianity. He stated that he finally read the Bible from front to back last year for the first time. He is in his 50s and is fascinated that he has never done that before.
Know Your Audience
One thing to keep in mind when you are talking to either one person or a thousand people is this: You have to know your audience. This is such a “must” in the speaking world that it can’t be understated. The audience here was Tucker and his viewers. So, if I were a guest on that show, would I spend the majority of my time talking about the rapture? No, no, and a thousand times no!
What John should have done was go through the evidence that proves God exists. He should have explained the fulfilled prophecies that prove the Bible is true. People are fascinated with those facts. He should have talked about sin and why people need a Savior. And he should have definitely talked about the Resurrection! That is the main event that sets Jesus apart from every other religious ruler out there. He should have given the gospel to let people know how they can be saved. Yes, talk about your dad, but also talk about how you were saved and how it radically transformed your life.
Those are the things that Tucker and his audience needed to hear but did not. Why? John had a much different agenda that day.
We need to think about our audience of one or more when we are out on the streets witnessing. Will we try to convince them of a particular doctrine we are holding to, or will we give them the gospel?
On Wednesday, we’ll continue this discussion about the most important things we need to be sharing with lost people.
Until the nets are full,
P.S.
