Is The Way of the Master too negative?

[Oldtimer]

Everytime I preach I pick up my Bible. I know you do not like this, but the book of Ephesians speaks about teachers and God giving and equipping certain people for that task. These people often write books and God uses them to teach me. Perhaps you have ignored the book of Ephesians, but I am sorry to offend you, but I am learning from gifted men and women.

Didn't intend to imply that you don't pick up your Bible. It was used as a figure of speech. ie pick up your tools and go to work.

I'm confused with your references to Ephesians and myself. How do you determine either of these? -- "Don't like" & "ignored" --

Two points:

1. How does your reply address the issue of "at times I just want to open air against some…" vs simply taking the Gospel to the lost? Isn't that the purpose of "open air" preaching? To reach the lost who won't come into the doors of a church to hear God's message of salvation.

2. There's something wrong if we don't spend all of our lives learning, especially when it's directly from God's word. I deeply regret all the time lost that wasn't spent with my Bible opened to the scriptures. Perhaps strangely, I don't feel much regret over loss of time that could have been spent with writings of "gifted men and women". The Holy Spirit is a far better teacher, IMO.

Perhaps, this addresses your point about Ephesians. You stated: "Ephesians speaks about teachers and God giving and equipping certain people for that task." Hasn't God already equipped you with what you need to "open air" preach? A question for you to ask yourself. Are you trying to rely on more learning from "gifted" people, using them as an excuse to delay what you believe that God has called you to do?

I know a pastor who has never walked the halls of an institution of higher learning. (Have known him for 50 years or so.) To my knowledge, he has never read any of the books that you've mentioned in these threads. Yet, God equipped him and that is evident in the fruit this man of God bears.

Even after writing this, still haven't figured out why I could be "offended" by your last sentence. Unless it's within your own sense of guilt over the implication of "ignored". I'm not offended, as this thread isn't about me. It's all about what you have asked. :flower:

Pick up your tools and do the work that God has commissioned you to do. Rely on Him to give you the guidance that you need for the task He has assigned.

 

[Gregory Perry Sr.]

God Bless Street Preachers!

Evangelist6589....I'm not gonna spend any time here critiquing yours, WOTM's, or any other methods of evangelism. There are degrees of good and bad about all of the methods employed but one thing is for certain.....If we don't "get out there" and lift up our voices and at least TRY...nothing will get done at all. I appreciate your willingness to "get out there" and proclaim the truth. That requires a certain kind of boldness and fearlessness that I sadly do not seem to find within myself EVEN THOUGH I WANT IT. I highly respect what you and others like you do. It is NOT about the "results" of it...that is up to the Lord. Preach The Word....cry aloud...spare not!....knowing that the truth will attract some and offend most in this wicked generation in which we live.

By the way...I strongly recommend one of Ray Comfort's other works...the "180" Movie. Here is a link to it...it handles the Abortion Holocaust quite effectively...you can't get more "negative" than that!
"180" - An award-winning documentary!

Also...Here's a YouTube link I had on file about Street-Preaching...enjoy!
Street Preaching - YouTube

Brother...you keep right on going for the Lord...God Bless You.

Bro.Greg:saint:

 

[saturneptune]

Evangelist6589....I'm not gonna spend any time here critiquing yours, WOTM's, or any other methods of evangelism. There are degrees of good and bad about all of the methods employed but one thing is for certain.....If we don't "get out there" and lift up our voices and at least TRY...nothing will get done at all. I appreciate your willingness to "get out there" and proclaim the truth. That requires a certain kind of boldness and fearlessness that I sadly do not seem to find within myself EVEN THOUGH I WANT IT. I highly respect what you and others like you do. It is NOT about the "results" of it...that is up to the Lord. Preach The Word....cry aloud...spare not!....knowing that the truth will attract some and offend most in this wicked generation in which we live.

By the way...I strongly recommend one of Ray Comfort's other works...the "180" Movie. Here is a link to it...it handles the Abortion Holocaust quite effectively...you can't get more "negative" than that!
"180" - An award-winning documentary!

Also...Here's a YouTube link I had on file about Street-Preaching...enjoy!
Street Preaching - YouTube

Brother...you keep right on going for the Lord...God Bless You.

Bro.Greg:saint:

Good, positive, edifying post. I do not know about Baptist churches across the nation away from this area, but what percentage of church members do you think there is that has told someone about Jesus in the past decade? Judgeing from the numbers that show up for visitation or volunteer for mission trips, IMO the number is very low. Even here, in western Kentucky, at the northern edge of the Bible belt, in our county alone, 68% of the population does not attend church. I believe frequency of visitation and pews being filled are directly proportional.

How many members on church rolls never attend? Of the ones who do attend, how many is Sunday morning only, or Sunday morning and night only? Notice the population on Wednesday night. I know this is not a formula, but Sunday morning divided by 2 equals Sunday night, and Sunday night divided by two equals Wednesday night. Even the ones that go all the time, how many go on visitation? The numbers are something we ought to be ashamed of. Most sit in pews for decades and do little more than flap their jaws about what is wrong and attend pot lucks.

When I say new members, I do not mean trading members with other Baptist or even Protestant churches. I mean unchurched, lost folks. What good does it do to bad mouth another church to gain a member?

In light of all this, I think any program that gets people out to tell others about their salvation is great.

 

[evangelist6589]

Greg,

I so appreciate your encouragement. I have sent you a friend request and wish to become friends as I strive to be around people that encourage me and not people that beat me down or "ignore me." However even those that critique me it is better that than someone who just ignores me. OldTimer has wisdom in what he says, and I can learn from his criticism. I am not all knowing and I'd rather have a old timer, than many of the types on Facebook and at my old church that just ignored me and ignored my case for Biblical evangelism. This tells me they do not think and have not thought or are trying to be a Berean.

Being ignored is far worse than being criticized in my book.

Evangelist6589....I'm not gonna spend any time here critiquing yours, WOTM's, or any other methods of evangelism. There are degrees of good and bad about all of the methods employed but one thing is for certain.....If we don't "get out there" and lift up our voices and at least TRY...nothing will get done at all. I appreciate your willingness to "get out there" and proclaim the truth. That requires a certain kind of boldness and fearlessness that I sadly do not seem to find within myself EVEN THOUGH I WANT IT. I highly respect what you and others like you do. It is NOT about the "results" of it...that is up to the Lord. Preach The Word....cry aloud...spare not!....knowing that the truth will attract some and offend most in this wicked generation in which we live.

By the way...I strongly recommend one of Ray Comfort's other works...the "180" Movie. Here is a link to it...it handles the Abortion Holocaust quite effectively...you can't get more "negative" than that!
"180" - An award-winning documentary!

Also...Here's a YouTube link I had on file about Street-Preaching...enjoy!
Street Preaching - YouTube

Brother...you keep right on going for the Lord...God Bless You.

Bro.Greg:saint:

 

[Gregory Perry Sr.]

Amen and Thank You

Greg,

I so appreciate your encouragement. I have sent you a friend request and wish to become friends as I strive to be around people that encourage me and not people that beat me down or "ignore me." However even those that critique me it is better that than someone who just ignores me. OldTimer has wisdom in what he says, and I can learn from his criticism. I am not all knowing and I'd rather have a old timer, than many of the types on Facebook and at my old church that just ignored me and ignored my case for Biblical evangelism. This tells me they do not think and have not thought or are trying to be a Berean.

Being ignored is far worse than being criticized in my book.

Evangelist...I am honored to have you on my Friends list. I also agree with your accessment of Oldtimers comments. His comments and criticisms are always given it the right spirit and for legitimate reasons. I pray mine may always be in the same vein. You keep on doing what you do for the Lord. People who would ignore you probably just don't wish to face up to their own failures to surrender themselves to the sometimes peculiar work that the Lord would have us do to reach others. You can't stand on a street corner and proclaim the Word and Truth of God and be "in step" with the lost world around you. The results of such public ministry are in God's hands and not ours. God Bless you brother! ( I do wish you were using a KJV though:smilewinkgrin(JMHO)

Bro.Greg:saint:

 

[evangelist6589]

Evangelist...I am honored to have you on my Friends list. I also agree with your accessment of Oldtimers comments. His comments and criticisms are always given it the right spirit and for legitimate reasons. I pray mine may always be in the same vein. You keep on doing what you do for the Lord. People who would ignore you probably just don't wish to face up to their own failures to surrender themselves to the sometimes peculiar work that the Lord would have us do to reach others. You can't stand on a street corner and proclaim the Word and Truth of God and be "in step" with the lost world around you. The results of such public ministry are in God's hands and not ours. God Bless you brother! ( I do wish you were using a KJV though:smilewinkgrin(JMHO)

Bro.Greg:saint:

I sometimes use the KJV/NKJV in evangelism. Anyways my church believes only in "results type visitation evangelism" so they would never do street evangelism sadly. If someone got saved in downtown Denver and went to a Calvary Chapel they would consider them a failure but I would rejoice. My church seems mostly interested in people joining so they can build and multiply their church, rather than in people getting saved and the gospel being proclaimed. No question a Arminian view of evangelism.

Life does not revolve around me for God is the gospel. Repentance must be preached regardless if they join my church.

 

[Gregory Perry Sr.]

Not Up To Us...

I sometimes use the KJV/NKJV in evangelism. Anyways my church believes only in "results type visitation evangelism" so they would never do street evangelism sadly. If someone got saved in downtown Denver and went to a Calvary Chapel they would consider them a failure but I would rejoice. My church seems mostly interested in people joining so they can build and multiply their church, rather than in people getting saved and the gospel being proclaimed. No question a Arminian view of evangelism.

Life does not revolve around me for God is the gospel. Repentance must be preached regardless if they join my church.

Brother...I'm sure by now you know where I stand on the KJV issue...enough said about that.

As to where your church stands on evangelism....well....the RESULTS are NEVER up to us. All we can do is plant and water the seeds of the Word.....the "increase" is God's business. We just need to be Word-filled so God can use us. I have no problem with "church growth" if it happens God's way but much of the methodology of the modern evangelism and the church growth "gurus" is not Biblical. I'm through with high-powered "arm-twisting","high-pressure" evangelism OR the 1-2-3 pray after me types of easy-believism. Your street ministry work is what was engaged in in the early church as a means of proclamation of the truth. God will bring the fruit....but like "tract" evangelism...we may not see the fruit until we reach the other side. I bet you would do well in Rescue Mission work....just a hunch I have. Bless you brother.

Bro.Greg:saint:

 

[evangelist6589]

Brother...I'm sure by now you know where I stand on the KJV issue...enough said about that.

As to where your church stands on evangelism....well....the RESULTS are NEVER up to us. All we can do is plant and water the seeds of the Word.....the "increase" is God's business. We just need to be Word-filled so God can use us. I have no problem with "church growth" if it happens God's way but much of the methodology of the modern evangelism and the church growth "gurus" is not Biblical. I'm through with high-powered "arm-twisting","high-pressure" evangelism OR the 1-2-3 pray after me types of easy-believism. Your street ministry work is what was engaged in in the early church as a means of proclamation of the truth. God will bring the fruit....but like "tract" evangelism...we may not see the fruit until we reach the other side. I bet you would do well in Rescue Mission work....just a hunch I have. Bless you brother.

Bro.Greg:saint:

Rescue Mission? I think I tried it once or twice, but perhaps I need to try it more. Tell me more about it and what is done please. Give me an example of a Rescue workers day.

A day for a street evangelist

Prayer before departing
Pass out tracts, talk with people, open air preach.

Getting cussed out, yelled at, accused of harassment, and told to leave an area comes with the territory for the street evangelist. A street evangelist MUST, MUST, MUST, MUST be able to handle REJECTION, and he/she MUST, MUST be committed to the task. One thing I hated as a street evangelism leader where people that came and expected results and because they got no results they gave up and left my extension ministry. They had no commitment and God did not use them. A street evangelist must be faithful, persistent, and be able to talk/work wit a wide variety of personalities. Some people do not smell good, some people dress sexually, some are rude, but a evangelist must be able to dialogue and chat with anyone.

Also he/she must not get sidetracked on secondary issues. Evangelism is the priority, not debates over music, bible translations, eschatology, modes of Baptism, different types of Dispensationalists, etc..

Once I had an individual whom was very committed to having a debate with me and showing me that my Dispensationalist persuasion was wrong. He was some Mid-Acts or Hyper Dispensationalist and he was seriously looking to debate with me. We dialoged once or twice and after that I got the picture that he wanted to debate and I ignored his challenges as I was not out to debate.