Two

JESUS CHANGING ROCK STARS

IT WAS TUESDAY NIGHT and two hundred students were packed into McCulloch Coffee House for the weekly I am Second Bible study. Following a strong set of worship songs from the band, Nick mounted the stage while everyone else found seats. He wore a black T-shirt with bold white letters proclaiming I am Second. Grabbing the microphone he spoke with clarity and confidence. “I am second, and so are you! We’re second because Jesus Christ is first!” At these simple words the students broke out in applause. One thing was for certain—this group didn’t lack for enthusiasm.

Nick continued, “Before we show this week’s video, I’m going to read you one of the all-time greatest descriptions of Jesus Christ ever written. It’s from the apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossians.”

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.¹

As soon as Nick finished reading, Jessica stepped onstage and led the students in a prayer. On her “amen,” the lights dimmed and the I am Second video began. Nick was pumped. This powerful story was bound to get some feedback!

The video kicked off with eerie music in a totally dark room. A weird light shone over a white chair, and the voice of Brian “Head” Welch, former lead guitarist for the band Korn, came from off camera. Then he was sitting in the chair, surrounded by darkness, and covered with tattoos—including a tattoo of a small cross outside his right eye. The students were silent as Welch told his story with great sincerity.

“There was a few times where life seemed good. My daughter Jenna came into the world and it was just such a euphoric feeling. I thought my life could just feel like that forever I thought I was ‘spiritual,’ but I couldn’t stay sober I hit rock bottom. I’d sworn that I would never do methamphetamines again because I saw what it did to my child’s mother. It just took my wife’s feelings away and made her leave her kid. I just wanted my wife dead. I wanted to kill her. I thought she was the scum of the earth. How could she do drugs like that and let the drugs win her like that? So I was never going to do meth again.

“I ended up with an everyday crippling addiction to methamphetamine and everything that I said about my ex-wife came true for me. I sunk to the lowest gutter I could ever think of. I would spend time with my kid and I would still be on it because I needed it to function. I would get up in the morning and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and snort meth and then take her to school. I was a junkie. My life was just spinning out of control. Jenna had come out on one of the tours. I just remember her skipping around singing one of our Korn songs called ‘A.D.I.D.A.S.’ ‘All Day I Dream About Sex.’ And I’m going like, ‘What am I doing? I’m a junkie, my daughter is singing all day I dream about sex, and I’m going to die.’

“My real estate broker, Eric, said, ‘Brian, I don’t mean to be weird with you, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, but I felt the Scripture jump out at me. I’ve never done this before so I don’t really know how to do this, but I felt like this would mean something to you. It’s Matthew 11:28. Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”‘

“I remember, all tweaked out, looking up in the dictionary ‘weary.’ I looked up ‘burdened’ and I pulled the Scripture apart. I admitted, ‘I’m wearied and burdened and I need rest for my soul.’ I didn’t know if it was real, but they invited me to church a couple weeks later and I said a prayer to receive Christ at the church but I went home just like I used to do. I neglected my daughter, got it all smooth and powdery. But before I took it, I prayed, ‘Jesus, You gotta take these drugs from me. Search me right now. Search my heart.’

“Something happened. I felt so much fatherly love from heaven and it was like ‘I don’t condemn you. I love you. I love you.’ It was just love and instantly that love from God came into me. It was so powerful that the next day I threw away all my drugs and I quit Korn. I said, ‘I’m quitting Korn and I’m going to raise my kid the right way.’ I got the love from God coming into me and then it came out of me to my kid. It changed me. My heart was changed and I said to my daughter, ‘Jenna, Daddy’s going to be home with you all the time. I’m quitting my career.’ And her face lit up and she was like, ‘for me?’ She felt so special and God used her to save me … to save her life later on.”²

Nick returned to the stage as the lights came back up. He had a small leather Bible in his hand and chose his words carefully. “Maybe you too feel weary and burdened. If we’re all willing to be honest, most of us have felt wearied. Last year, at least for me, it was late nights, hangovers, and some serious confusion about my life. Even now I struggle between having fun and doing well in school … not to mention that I’m totally addicted to caffeine. Every student knows what it’s like to be burdened, and to carry heavy loads. If that’s you right now, here’s something you should know. You don’t have to figure it all out before coming to Jesus.

“Maybe you can relate to Brian Welch. Meth is a tough master. But so is drinking too much, or doing anything too much. You heard what he said about how to gain your freedom.

“Or maybe you watched that entire video and thought, ‘I may not be perfect, but I don’t have any problems like that guy had. I’m a good person living a good life and I’m good with God. Why surrender my life to Jesus?’

“Let me ask you a couple of questions. Have you ever told a lie?” Nick smiled. “Yeah, me too. The trouble is, that makes you and me liars. Have you ever had lust in your heart? How about your eyes—ever looked with lust at someone? Jesus said that anyone who lusts has committed adultery in his heart. Before I came to Jesus last year I looked at pornography all the time. Believe me, I know what it’s like to get wasted and treat girls disrespectfully. How about this—have you ever hated anyone? Jesus said anyone who hates his brother or sister has committed murder in his heart. That makes every one of us a lying, adulterous murderer. You can check all this out in the gospel of Matthew, chapter five.

“We’ve all done lots of good things, and most of us live with the best of intentions. But compared to the infinite goodness and holiness of a Perfect Being, our best actions will never measure up. There’s only one way to be good enough to stand before a holy God. You have to let Him forgive you. Today can be the day you receive Christ. He paid for your sin with His death. Accept that gift and make Him first in your life.

“Now is the perfect time to make a decision about Jesus. We’re not promised tomorrow. Let’s suppose hypothetically that you leave here tonight and get hit by a drunk driver. As you stand before God to give an account of your life, will you stand guilty … or innocent? Do you think you would go to heaven … or hell? If you don’t know Jesus, I encourage you to talk with Him right now. Confess your sin, accept His forgiveness, and give Him control over your life. He died in your place and will forgive you and cleanse you of all of your sin!”