PREACH ON THE STREET To The Multitudes?

Street preaching is a truly effective way to witness to a lost and dying world. We have met Bro. Sutek and even spent time with him on the streets of Chicago. His ministry has effected many people for the cause of Christ. If ever there was a modern day Paul, it would be him.

http://www.streetpreachersfellowship.com/creed.asp this is very good. To have street preachers come together for the cause of Christ and to keep each other in line. It will keep each street preacher focused on the cause, spreading the gospel and calling those to repentance so that the house of God may be full.

Lu 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

 

Bingo! You've hit the nail on the head with this one! Simply standing behind a pulpit, within 4 walls, preaching to the same ones, just don't cut the mustard anymore!

Do you know how many hundreds of vehicles passes by in a couple of hours when you're standing in the chief place of concourse? (which in our town is called "5-points", the main intersection).

We hold up different signs which are all Scriptural & can be defended. The ladies do not vocally preach, as the signs do it for us, but the men do. (We will witness one on one with women).

We have been "voted #1" many times, if you know what I mean, but we have also been encouraged with thumbs up. We've been run down, cursed, had things thrown, etc. It's amazing what goes on, but so satisfying. I've never experienced anything like it!

The cops have tried to make us leave; the town has tried to make us leave by passing an ordinance. They hate the abortion pictures, but not the fact the poor baby was murdered. Yet, I hate their billboards of Britney Spears!

We preach against sin---mainly abortion, sodomy, idolatry, to name a few. We carry a camcorder(for our protection) to tape the conversations. This also is a good training tool.

It takes real courage to hit the streets---anyone can knock on a door & usually the person will say he's a christian. You hand him a tract & he continues in his sin...but when he is driving down a road & his sins are staring him in the face, via the signs, he becomes angry.

Truth is hate to those who hate truth. Those who love truly love God are not offended by our signs.

I believe this is the way it needs to be in these last days. Too many folks are busy building bigger bldngs. & family life centers. Church has become a place of entertainment.

Isaiah 58:1 says to "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their trangressions......"
See also, Ez.22:2; Hos.12:10; Ez.2:3-5; Rom.13:3-4; and my personal favorite, Deut.11:18-20, which is why I have signs in public view at the homeplace.

 

Uh... just curious.

What about preaching on the streets in places like Afghanastan, Iraq, etc.?

Or is it better to be more undercover? Like the two Peace Corps ladies who were rescued last year?

Roscoe

 

I preached in the streets of Manila in the Philippines many times, either alone or in the company of other streetpreachers from the church I used to belong to.

Then, we would go to one of the parks along Manila Bay, and do overnight preaching right there.

It's amazing the kinds of people we encounter at night. Some are obviously hostile, some indifferent, some interested, others with some degree of evil spirit possession.

Whatever the purpose of street preaching, it requires righteous courage and commitment. I don't care if the street preacher is Arminian or Calvinistic, I take my hat off to them just for being there.

 

Is it safe to say that some cultures are more open to this type of ministry?

Paul went from house to house, in the streets, in the synagogues, in jails and around campfires.

Seems the preferred method is the one that works.

One other thing...

As we all know, some of Paul's public meetings resulted in persecution and not revival.

Roscoe

 

Well, if this is any sort of "persecution", my 2 sons-in-law have both been canned from their jobs...not because they broke company rules, but because folks were embarrassed of them for preaching on the streets.

Also, half our family has dropped us because they are ashamed we get out there. Some of the threats we get are pretty skeery, esp. the bb guns & wayward cars.

 

Anyone here remember the teenaged preachers who were featured on Phil Donohue back in the 80s?

In the clips I saw of them, they were not preaching the Gospel; they were merely shouting and name-calling. Caricatures of John the Baptist.

Granny,

How would you describe the message and method used by your relatives who lost their jobs?

Roscoe

 

I don't know about Afghanistan, but Iraq is rather religiously tolerant. For example, there's a pretty solid Jewish community in Baghdad. In Iraq, it seems the Jews, Muslims (of different sects), and Christians don't often get into religious squabbles, because the past givernments have been generally secular. I have a family member in the armed forces in Iraq who has reported seeing people talking, discussing, and debating religion in the streets pretty openly and without fear r retaliation, and that those gathering have included Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The main thing that's changed, he said, was that, before, people were afraid to voice negative opinions about the government, but that now, people aren't afraid to do that anymore, at least, not as much.

Free speech is great, ain't it??

 

I don't know about Afghanistan, but Iraq is rather religiously tolerant. For example, there's a pretty solid Jewish community in Baghdad. In Iraq, it seems the Jews, Muslims (of different sects), and Christians don't often get into religious squabbles, because the past givernments have been generally secular. I have a family member in the armed forces in Iraq who has reported seeing people talking, discussing, and debating religion in the streets pretty openly and without fear r retaliation, and that those gathering have included Muslims, Jews, and Christians. The main thing that's changed, he said, was that, before, people were afraid to voice negative opinions about the government, but that now, people aren't afraid to do that anymore, at least, not as much.

Free speech is great, ain't it?? </font>[/QUOTE]Thanks, John.

You shed a lot of light on the situation over there. I pray for God's blessings and protection over your relative there.

Roscoe

 

I have seen many a street preacher and participated in many a preaching meeting on the streets. Some of the vile, filthy stuff promulgated by Fred Phelps and his ilk (anyone who is not out there to spread the good news of salvation to the lost) is not only embarassing to those around them, but completely unbiblical. "God hates fags?" I'm glad that "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

There are truly some good street preaching ministries out there, and anyone who can have compassion on the lost and love the lost should at least try street preaching. Street meetings to me mean spreading the gospel, not universal condemnation.

Christ died not only for the independent fundamental baptist street preacher, but he died that the homosexual on the street might come to repentance, turn to Christ, and cast off his evil lifestyle.

Jason

p.s. I just reread my post, and wanted to ensure Granny Gumbo that my comments about being embarrassed were not directed at herself or her family.

[ January 14, 2004, 08:02 PM: Message edited by: Refreshed ]

 

Funny you should bring up Fred Phelps! One time my husband was on the streets of Indianapolis, and it turned out that Fred Phelps and his crowd was a block around the corner. My husband said they were disgusting. If someone held up that #1 finger, they gave it back. The women and girls were in short shorts and cussed like sailors. What is worse is that type of spirit is very contagious.

After that experience, my husband came home and began a thorough study of what and why to preach to the public. In Luke 9:54-56 we see that James and John was ready to bring judgement upon them and Christ rebuked them.

Luke 9:54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.

It is so easy to get caught up in the thrill of being on the streets and following another man's example, but we must remember to follow Christ's example and go by the instructions of that Blessed 'ole Book!

The signs we like to hold up are JESUS SAVES! , JESUS IS THE ANSWER , PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD , and REPENT; FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND . We are always ready to reach out to the seeking soul and we have plenty of tracts handy, should a passserby wish to take one!

[ January 14, 2004, 10:25 PM: Message edited by: Walls ]

 

Walls,

It's good to know there are others out there that actually care about the individual soul when street preaching and aren't just puffing themselves up and screaming at people. Great signs, by the way. We have some that are similar.

Jason

 

Do you happen to remember who they were?

 

My only experience with street preachers was during my college days. These guys would come to the campus and yell at people and call them names. This is not how Jesus would behave or react to sinners (of which we all are). While I support the right of this particular person to preach, I often found myself defending Christianity and trying to explain that the central message of our faith is love, not name calling and hatred for others.

I hope that this person does not reflect the majority of street preachers, but I can only speak to what I have seen.

Charles

 

Do you happen to remember who they were? </font>[/QUOTE]Sorry, Walls.

I don't remember their names. The preachers consisted of a father and his two sons.

Roscoe

 

In everything I have read in the Bible pertaining to those who have preached on the streets, I have never seen anyone resort to yelling and name calling.

Steven was martyred right on the streets and he prayed for those who were killing him. The disciples had compassion! Christ had compassion! Christ forgave those who crucified Him while He was on the cross. Street preachers should have compassion!

 

Yes I remember one of them well. I am told that there is no evidence today of him being born again. He was so full of pride it was pathetic.

 

What happened gb? Did he get involved with a cult or somethinig? I mean before, what lead him to be on the streets?

 

I am not sure what happened. But I have seen this when it is the faith of the parents and the encouragers and not their own. That is the reason why to be a pastor one must have been tried first so they are not proud. All too often pride sets in these people (young or old) and they feel as though they are like God and can somehow save the world by their great oratory and abilities. All of us must realize it is a God given privilege to share the gospel. We must realize we are ambasadors for Christ. Ambasadors do not do stupid things. They are people who are wise about what they do and say. Ambassadors earn the right to be heard.

If one were to take a look at a number of leaders in other countries they would soon realize that they studied in the US. Some of those people had a bad experience here and now we don't have good relations with that leader.

When I was in college there was a student who was from China and apoke on the attributes of communism in a speech class I was in. I didn't know there were any, but I did listen and then met with him after class to hear more. He was not very familiar with a democracy. But he did name I believe some good attributes of communism. To this day I can still remember them but they were for the short term and I don't believe would work well in the long run. That young man was attacked after he gave his speech in that class by other students. What they didn't realize was that all he knew was communism and all they knew was democracy. I am sure they did not convince him of anything at the time. After class and listening to him for about one hour and asking questions I think I was able to make some points with him. Too often we do not listen first before we shout stomp and spit and try to convince someone. All too often what we do is to convince themeven more of their own ways. A few years ago I went visiting with an elderly man to visit someone who had attended the church. He was a nice elderly man but when it came time to present the gospel he was like a machine gun probably like he had seen and heard. He never realized the visitor never understood anything he said. I went back and led the young man to Christ after answering his questions and explaining the gospel.