I recently ran into Leonardo DiCaprio, I mean Rich Wilkerson in New York City during the latest expansion of Hillsong in Manhattan. Between the laughs, awkward moments and past stories, I couldn’t help but not to re-highlight what he is doing in a little place called Miami. If you don’t know Rich, you need to and I suggest you stalk him HERE.

Rich Wilkerson Jr. launched and leads The Rendezvous, which is a youth movement in Metro Miami affiliated with Trinity Church. He is one of the flyest Jesus Influencers I personally know and courageously mobilizes the Kingdom for Christ. Big thanks to him, his wife and their team for allowing him to share some thoughts… hope you are in_spired.

iHateChurch: What is your greatest tool in drawing 18-25 demographic?

RW: The greatest tool we have at the end of the day is the person of Jesus. More and more I realize that people love Jesus. They love what he was all about. However, the problem is with His followers (which is us).

Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most respected leaders of modern history. A Hindu, Ghandi nevertheless admired Jesus and often quoted from the Sermon on the Mount. Once when the missionary E. Stanley Jones met with Ghandi h e asked him, “Mr. Ghandi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?” Ghandi replied, “Oh, I don’t reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It’s just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Every week I am constantly trying my hardest to teach and preach Jesus while removing myself from the picture. If we can get people to Jesus He will do the rest. Every part of His life was absolutely amazing. From his obscure birth in an outhouse to the way he conducted his day to day relationships. Of course we must never forget for one second the price he paid on Calvary that we might be forgiven from our sins. The cross seems to be the central theme of the Bible.

This beautiful story of redemption, where we the undeserving one, received grace and mercy from the Holy one. While the cross is mind-boggling let us never forget the power20of Jesus’ resurrection. For it is there that we are given the opportunity to walk into the abundant life he so commonly talked about. Until we rest in the finality of the cross, we will never experience the reality of the resurrection. The greatest tool we have is to simply (I know it sounds elementary) preach Jesus. Believe me it more than enough!

iHateChurch: How do you and your team change the thinking of a generation who Hates Church?

RW: Through honesty and transparency. So much of this generation has seen all of the bizarre, cheesy, phony, fake christian stuff. I really believe this generation just wants the truth. It’s funny because the Bible says we shall know the truth and the truth will set us free. You see until Christ is Lord of your life you are living in captivity. You are living in bondage. Once he becomes Lord of your life you walk into a freedom you never knew existed. Freedom from sin, guilt, fear, insecurity, depression, worry… the list goes on and on.

This generation just wants the real thing. They simply want the truth. Good or bad, they want it. There is an old saying, “just fake it until you make it.” Yet, that doesn’t cut it with today’s crowd. They would rather you just be honest until you make it. For instance I have numerous times said to my leadership team, “Hey guys I think we should do this, but I really don’t know how to do it,” or “I feel like God is telling us to go there, but I’m not sure how to get there.” I feel like the old school way was to just act like you had all the answers, pretend that everything was perfect. In reality nothing is perfect. If today’s leaders can approach every situation with honesty and transparency I believe slowly but surely this generations negative outlook on the church will change.

We have 2 more Parts to the saga with Rich Wilkerson… Be ready for the jumpoff to continue

If you are a skimmer like myself and prefer to get the highlights of twitter; then let me serve up this bad boy for you. The 10 Best Tweets of the Week proudly sponsored by ANYONE WHO WANTS TO (name your price). These tweets come from either personal friends or people I stalk on twitter. Heck ya I am stalking everything about you on twitter, what else you think I do?

AzizAnsari: JUST CONFIRMED: Ronnie from Jersey Shore was unavailable, so I am indeed hosting the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.

JohnWoodRTR: Celebrated tomorrow’s opening of 10,000th library w/ 14 km trail run, followed by soak in glacial river. Thank you Nepal! #Trekto10K

ProdigalJohn: NFL player Santonio Holmes kicked off plane for refusing to turn off iPod. Dang, how dope was the jam he had on!

HardlyNormal: hardlynormal Now this is a God thing. @iHateChurch picked me up from the airport. HA!

AlliMunsey: kevingerald Wow! so proud of @allimunsey on her Chicago Fox news interview! Go Mrs Chicago!! Check it out http://yfrog.com/j4ofjfj

RichWilkersonJr: richwilkersonjr Just saw @soulcentralcarl in the airport. I shouted at him, but he was too cool to turn around. #igotapic http://yfrog.com/9eb96qj

Zen_Habits: on zenhabits: The Elements of Living Lightly http://bit.ly/aJ98tA

ErwinMcmanus: …You can protect your dreams by never attempting to make them a reality. To achieve your dreams you must be willing to lose them- to risk.

KentMunsey: This is how we R rollin this month @citychurchchi. See a need & meet it Feel a hurt & heel it http://yfrog.com/5p4bxj

SeanMEverett: RT @kt1grand: Chicago Youth Centers “College Bound” Fundraiser tickets on sale now! Please come support an amazing cause on 5/13! http:/ …

… Continuation from Part A …

iHateChurch: What is your favorite communication scripture pertaining to Jesus?

RW: Well, there is no doubt that Jesus was the greatest communicator of all time. He took on a very unorthodox and creative approach to communicating. For instance in those days most teaching (communicating) took place at the temple, while we know Jesus spent time teaching there he also changed up his setting quite a bit.

He went from a boat, to a garden, to the city even onto a mountain (I mean you talk about stage de sign lol Jesus was way ahead of us). He preached really hard sermons, really loving sermons, really confusing sermons, really simple sermons, really deep sermons. He used illustrations, props, video’s, skits, special songs maybe even secular ones lol…. He was to say the least a very creative communicator. To narrow it down to one verse that highlights his communication brilliance is practically impossible.

One verse that comes to mind that I have always loved is Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and h umble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I love this verse because Jesus was so smart and relevant in his communication. He is trying to explain that so many of us carry weight around. Maybe its guilt or fear. Who knows, we all deal with different things, but he is saying turn your junk over to me and I will heal you and make you whole. He says take my yoke upon you.

You see a yoke was a piece of hardware that farmers used for a pair of oxen to carry a load in a straight path. It was a very common devise that everyone in that day was familiar with. Jesus always uses the familiar things to teach us that which is unfamiliar (we as preachers should follow this pattern in our communication). So what he is saying to them is take my yoke, which is my teaching and my life and do it. Why?

Because I am gentle and humble in heart. I will guide you in a straight path. My yoke is easy he says and my burden is light. Jesus desperately desires those that are broken and hurting to come to him. He wants to restore them and put them back together!!!