The lives of over seven hundred young people were changed on Saturday August 18, as they went forward at RICE Rally in Sydney’s Entertainment Centre to claim the truth that it is Jesus who truly and lastingly satisfies our desires, and our emptiness.

The RICE movement began ten years ago when five youth groups gathered in 2002 to run a bush dance held at the Chinese Presbyterian Church Surry Hills. This year, the Rally was the collaborative effort of 75 youth groups, with over 200 leaders and even more willing volunteers. The night saw 3,321 young people gathered together to hear the good news about Jesus’ saving work.

The night was full of music, dance performances, games, a Bible message from Dave Miers, youth minister at St Faith’s Anglican Church Narrabeen. Miers spoke on the theme of ‘Satisfied’, and sought to challenge those gathered with the contrast between gaining temporary satisfaction and finding lasting, eternal satisfaction.

Dave Miers (centre) with RICE’s Ruth Lee and Sam Mak

Miers held up the example of the Samaritan woman in John 4, who sought satisfaction through relationships, only to find that lasting satisfaction was not to be found there. “I really wanted to draw out the difference between things that can satisfy us in a temporary way, and the eternal satisfaction we can have by trusting in King Jesus,” says Miers.

“There are places and things in which we do find satisfaction in life,” he says. “They may be genuine and appropriate things to be satisfied in. But they are temporary. Like using your hands as a cup to hold water, as hard as you try, it only works for a moment. It can’t compare to the eternal fulfilment of trusting in what Jesus has done.”

The message that drew responses from the young people gathered was that what Jesus offers eternal satisfaction, which is far better. “If we believe that Jesus is our Saviour – no matter where you’re from, who you are, or what you’ve done – those who believe in the cross will pass over from death to life.”

Miers highlighted what it cost for Jesus to bring eternal satisfaction from John’s gospel, in chapter 19. “The final words of Jesus – ‘I am thirsty’, and ‘It is finished’ – show that Jesus became thirsty to bring an end to our thirst. Jesus emptied himself to bring about our satisfaction: joy and eternal life.”

The response to the message, in Mier’s words, “Was crazy!” Those who came forward to accept Jesus for the first time were 80 in number; those who came forward to recommit to finding satisfaction in God alone, numbered 651.

The RICE Lounge filled up with over 700 people responding

“This year was incredible, because there were over 700 people who came forward in response and went out to the lounge,” says Sam Mak, Director of RICE Youth. “God just amazes me every year. I’ve been involved in RICE Rally for eight years now, and I’m still amazed at how God can bring so many lives to himself. Every year he says, ‘I can impact the hearts of these youth for myself’ and he does.”

The young people who stood up and made a response will be integrated back into the church youth groups they attended with. “The 75 youth groups are such an important part of the Rally,” says Mak. “They will continue to grow the young people who were challenged and changed. It’s in those churches that discipleship will really take place.”

“RICE is not just about one amazing event,” says Miers. “They do have great music, good quality speaking, with great visuals and media. But they are big on following people up, and encouraging ongoing discipleship. Young people go back into their youth groups excited and fired up. Leaders come away encouraged to seek God at work saving people, bringing young people from death to life. There’s nothing more encouraging than that.”

Reflecting on this year, and looking forward to the years ahead, Mak’s vision for the RICE Rally is growth. “My prayer is that the Rally will just fill up,” he says. “So we need something like Telstra Stadium to hold it. That it will grow, and grow. But the only way it will grow is if people submit to God and ask him to do it.”

“We can run events and great programs, but nothing will be achieved if we don’t have 100 000s of people praying. I’d love people to be prayer warriors, praying every week, every day for this city, for it to be renewed. We have to start with prayer.”