Street Preaching

I haven't seen anyone do any street preaching here in North Texas in about ten years or so. My first thought is that it furthers many people's (especially lost ones)ideas on the perception that Christians are out of touch with reality. Hopefully I'm wrong about that.

I personally think that street preaching is ineffective at best in general.

Mike

 

If I spent tens years on one corner, preaching, and just one sinner repented and got saved; would you continue to say it is ineffective?

What is the worth of one soul?

And do you really think it matters what the world thinks of the church? Or that their opinion really matters to Jesus? "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

In His service;
Jim

 

Saved in 1971. The pastor of the church went one Saturday a month to preach on a corner in town. Being the typical excited, naive new convert, I went along and handed out tracts. Led my first person to Christ on that street corner. Agree with av1611jim. One soul is worth it. Pray for those that have the courage to stand; pray that God will raise up more like them; and pray that God will give each of us more courage to stand and be counted among the persecuted.

 

The Bible tells us that "Gods word will not return void".
The people that reject God's free gift will have no excuse at the White Throne Judgment, they will say to God "I was never told", and God will say what about that street preacher that you laughed at and mocked. God never told us to get results he just told us to preach the gospel.

Street Preacher

 

What if I spent 10 years screaming at people as they passed by that they need to get saved or burn in Hell and 1 person came to Christ. Was it worth it?

Probably not if I turned thousands away from the gospel by my actions.

Those who often harp the loudest against the "ends justifies the means" mentality are often the same ones who practice it within their own world of preferences.

 

When I was a young man I preached in the Boston Common in the 1960's. An interesting experience.

We also went house to house.
One evening a man in a drunken rage chased us (the pastor and I) out of his apartment building with a meat clever.

As the grace of God would have it, he later was saved and eventually (after a long bout with his flesh) became a deacon in the church.

HankD

 

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."
The preaching of the cross is going to offend people the Bible says so. The bible also tells us to do it. In Isaiah 58:1 "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet,..."

Street Preacher

 

Street preaching worked best in the days when most people walked, or when it was done in a public square where people commonly gathered. Our society is considerably more mobile today, and I would venture that it's not nearly as effective as it was 150 years ago.

It can be, in the right environment. At an outdoor plaza where there's a public assembly place, sure. But on a highway, not likely. Nearby in downtown Hollywood, CA, street preachers are a common site, and they're respected and respectful.

Mostly benign, sometimes helpful, rarely harmful. Let each person do as he's called.

 

Amen!

Exactly, we need more people like this, than more people not like this.

God bless,
RR

 

OTOH, talking to no audience is like talking to stones, and produces no fruit. Not to belittle your point, because street preaching has its place, but so does a Christian music concert or Christian drama. Not everyone is gifted at preaching like Paul. Some must resort to music like David.

 

So what will it take to be worth it, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc, etc. Go to that person that did get saved and ask them.

We need to remember, it's not the person doing the saving, it's the Holy Spirit that convicts the heart of the person of their sins and then it's their choice to turn to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.


God bless,
RR

 

OTOH, talking to no audience is like talking to stones, and produces no fruit. Not to belittle your point, because street preaching has its place, but so does a Christian music concert or Christian drama. Not everyone is gifted at preaching like Paul. Some must resort to music like David. </font>[/QUOTE]Agreed. But some of the concerts and dramas today in the churches are more worldly than spiritual.

 

I think people can understand "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" like you and me, or "For God so loved the world...", or "Repent ye and believe the gospel", and the gospel is...

Street Preacher

 

Actually, in the Great Commission it is strongly implied that Jesus did tell us to get results, not just preach the Gospel.

Also, if I follow the pattern of Paul, I don't go to the street corner first, I focus my efforts where I will get the most likely positive results. In some cases that was the synagogue (Berea) in others it was the marketplace (Athens). Could the street preacher draw a bigger crowd with a tent meeting instead? Could he see more of a small crowd saved in a tent meeting than on a corner? Same message, different venue. Ultimately the preacher must decide. The point is not in drawing a big crowd. It is in most effectively using our gifts to further the kingdom with whatever crowd we have.