PREACH ON THE STREET To The Multitudes?

[GrannyGumbo]

If ever there was a time in our country when there was a need for the people of God to make a stand against wickedness, surely this is it?

When I hold a sign that reads "SODOMITE SIN IS FILTHY", I am faced with cursings & obscene gestures. (Only a few will give a "thumbs-up" or nod, which tells me that the world has never hated truth more.)

The opinions of our friends & family is really a matter of eternal inconsequence. Jesus was not worried about offending people.

 

[Walls]

Originally posted by gb93433:
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.

Christ came to save the lost. It was His grace that saved us and it is this same grace that must be portrayed to the lost. That is how Christ reached them.

When the Pharisees brought the women in adultery to Christ, He did not condemn her. Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

I don't see Christ passing judgment on any one except the hypocrites! That is why judgment begins at the house of God.

 

[Walls]

Originally posted by GrannyGumbo:

When I hold a sign that reads "SODOMITE SIN IS FILTHY", I am faced with cursings & obscene gestures. (Only a few will give a "thumbs-up" or nod, which tells me that the world has never hated truth more.)

All sin is filthy in God sight. Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Have you ever presented them with this truth alone? I would be interested to see if they reject Christ or just your choice of signs.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

It is only after salvation is received that the sins of this world can be dealt with. Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

It is through the salvation of souls that we can hope to battle the sins of this nation. Christ gives us a command in Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

If we do not follow Christ's example and commands we can never expect to see the fruit of our labors. Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. For the Bible says Mt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

 

[GrannyGumbo]

Perhaps you don’t realize that 95 percent of the folks out there on the streets "claim" to be saved and going to heaven because they’ve been fed a marshmallow gospel and they repeated a prayer at one time in their life and they occasionally attend a feel-good church!

We always carry salvation signs! And, yes, we’ve even held up SCRIPTURE ONLY signs, which I tho't were "wimpy"...And that was one of our worst days out there…as far as people’s reactions go!

I asked my pastor's wife(you may remember her, "Farmer's Wife") to answer the rest of this post & here is her reply:


..."Concerning Walls' remark about getting people saved first before we can deal with the sins of this nation…. Can you imagine what kind of place this would be if we waited until the majority “got saved” before addressing the issue of SIN?!!!! It’s ridiculous that we even have to hold up sodomite signs and abortion signs. There was a time when this country, as a whole, followed God’s law concerning these issues…the saved and the unsaved alike…because the laws of this nation followed God’s law. People lived half-way decent lives because God’s people didn’t keep their mouth shut concerning the WHOLE COUNSEL of God. But not so today…preachers preach ~smooth things~ and therefore are training weak-kneed sheeple who are afraid of offending anyone. We are trying to encourage God’s people to STAND for what is right in God’s eyes as well as call people to repentance when we hold up our Mardi-gras, Halloween, Sodomites, etc. signs.

We *MUST* preach salvation and repentance…YES! *BUT* we *ALSO* must preach against the sin, too!!!…Just like Jesus and the apostles did in the early church! Tell me, did John the Baptist tell Herod in Mark 6:18 that he needed to be saved before his sin could be dealt with? NO!!! Verse 12 says the apostles went out and preached that men should repent. Results are not up to us…our responsibility is to preach the truth…the whole truth…REGARDLESS!

Now concerning the adulterous woman…read the context of John 8…the scribes and Pharisees were tempting Jesus so they could accuse him (v. 6) In that day, an adulterer was condemned to death by stoning (v. 5). The woman obviously got saved during this time because she called Jesus, LORD in her reply. That is why in verse 11 Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn (the condemnation in these verses is the physical death of stoning..read the context)thee: go and sin (adultery..that was the sin at hand) no more. This woman was saved because she was “called on the carpet” for her specific sin of ADULTERY! This is a prime example of what pointing out sin in our lives can do…you can’t repent if you don’t know something is wrong!

I’m no Bible scholar…just simply someone who is SICK and TIRED of so-called mealy-mouthed “christians” who don’t want to get out and preach the WHOLE TRUTH…and pull out of context a couple of scriptures so they can ease their conscience!"

 

[rbrent]

Way to Go!! GrannyGumbo and Farmer's Wife!!!

I don't think lack of compassion for people is what causes you to get out there with the signs and the street preachers.

You believe the scriptures and you have enough compassion for lost folks to get out into the highways and confront them with the truth!

God bless you and your ministry!

 

[Walls]

Originally posted by GrannyGumbo:


Perhaps you don’t realize that 95 percent of the folks out there on the streets "claim" to be saved and going to heaven because they’ve been fed a marshmallow gospel and they repeated a prayer at one time in their life and they occasionally attend a feel-good church!

Those would be the Scribes and Pharisees that Christ called hypocrites.


We always carry salvation signs! And, yes, we’ve even held up SCRIPTURE ONLY signs, which I tho't were "wimpy"...And that was one of our worst days out there…as far as people’s reactions go!

Wimpy scripture? Wow, I didn't know that any of God's word was wimpy?

That is because... Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Many preachers and prophets of old managed to get the job done with ...thus saith the Lord!


I asked my pastor's wife(you may remember her, "Farmer's Wife") to answer the rest of this post & here is her reply:

..."Concerning Walls' remark about getting people saved first before we can deal with the sins of this nation…. Can you imagine what kind of place this would be if we waited until the majority “got saved” before addressing the issue of SIN?!!!! It’s ridiculous that we even have to hold up sodomite signs and abortion signs. There was a time when this country, as a whole, followed God’s law concerning these issues…the saved and the unsaved alike…because the laws of this nation followed God’s law. People lived half-way decent lives because God’s people didn’t keep their mouth shut concerning the WHOLE COUNSEL of God. But not so today…preachers preach ~smooth things~ and therefore are training weak-kneed sheeple who are afraid of offending anyone. We are trying to encourage God’s people to STAND for what is right in God’s eyes as well as call people to repentance when we hold up our Mardi-gras, Halloween, Sodomites, etc. signs.

I agree that the people need to repent, that is a condition of salvation. When you TELL people about Jesus, you have the opportunity to talk to them about their sins and that Jesus died for their sins. That is how they can come to terms with their sins and repent.


I’m no Bible scholar…just simply someone who is SICK and TIRED of so-called mealy-mouthed “christians” who don’t want to get out and preach the WHOLE TRUTH…and pull out of context a couple of scriptures so they can ease their conscience!"

Who is calling names now? Mt 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

You have claimed Isaiah 58:1 to back up your position, but in your own words you have said that 95% of the people on the streets are only claiming to be saved therefore they are not God's people.

The Bible is the whole counsel of God, not just one verse. I have given scriptures to back up my position and have taken the whole counsel of God concerning this issue. I have mentioned in a previous post that the signs I like to hold up are JESUS SAVES , PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD , and REPENT; FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND .

It takes a more courageous person to stand up to a brother/sister-in-Christ than to hold up a sign in front of a bunch of strangers.

Pr 21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

 

[GrannyGumbo]

It takes a more courageous person to stand up to a brother/sister-in-Christ than to hold up a sign in front of a bunch of strangers.


"Oh, yeah?" Maybe where you live, but not here! We've never had to compete for space to stand on the street...so, where are the christians? Where are the preachers? Hiding in church buildings, no doubt!

Far more sinners may be found in the public places than in the churches, even if all the church members were unsaved. It just makes sense to preach where the greatest need is. Many folks who would never go inside a church house can hear and see the truth on the streets. It's the people who refuse to hear God that have real hatred.

In all my years, this is absolutely the most wonderful thing I've ever done! I'm thankful the Lord has seen fit to place me under the ministry of one who follows Him.

 

[GrannyGumbo]

P.S. to Walls~the Farmer's Wife wasn't calling you any names, as she's under the impression, as I am, you already do get out on the streets. (Anyway, have ya forgotten Jesus called people names?)

We live in a VERY small town & the folks who pass by are NOT strangers...we know most of them-grew up w/them, went to church w/them, worked w/them, etc. (It's a different story in the surrounding Parishes we go to).

And I did NOT say 95% of the folks only claim to be saved & really aren't...We have no idea if they are or not-only God knows their heart-all we can go by is their actions, amen?

And last, but not least, I'm sorry for my choice of words-(wimpy) Scripture...you're right, there are none in God's Word. I know what I meant by it, just don't know how to explain. Please forgive me if I've offended you. Peace.

 

[Refreshed]

GrannyGumbo, Farmer's Wife, and anyone else that wants to read it:

I have never encountered any of you while street preaching as we live in different areas of the country, so I don't know how you guys do things out there. I am sure that you preach the gospel while on the street.

As for being mealy-mouthed, I have had a great opportunity to talk bunches to college kids while on the street just holding up a sign that says "For God So Loved the World" or even no sign at all. The opportunity to talk to these kids about the love of Christ and how we must turn from our sins and toward God has been amazing. I have seen, on the other hand, those who would go out with a contentious spirit, wanting to "take on the world" so to speak, and do nothing but anger those around them and create a dangerous atmosphere because of their self-righteous indignation and shouting and getting into people's faces.

I'm glad you street preach, I just hope the opposition you and those around you recieve on the street due to the truthful presentation of the Word of God and not due to someone's crummy attitude.

It is so easy to preach condemnation while on the street and taking an "it's us against them" mentality, you know, getting all hyped up, screaming out damnation on anything that walks by. Hey, I've been there. Jesus didn't call us to do this, though, he called us to spread the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. He certainly didn't do it (except with the hypocrites), and I try to make him my example.

If spreading the gospel is mealy-mouthed, I'll take that epithet. I suspect, though, that in light of the Word of God, it is the correct thing to do. Do we have compassion on the lost? Jesus did, enough that he died for us. I'm sure glad he loved me enough to do that. While I was yet a sinner, Christ loved me enough to die for me.

The point of street preaching should be to bring people to Christ, not call the country to morality. Morality without Christ is a damning morality. The pharisees were moral, were they not? The hearts of the people must be changed before we will see any change in our country with regards to homosexuality, abortion, and everything else. I have my doubts as to whether this country will ever return to being a "moral" country, if it ever was in the first place.

Jason

 

[Precepts]

Preach on the streets? Yes!

Be sincere? Yes!

Act like an idiot about it? No!

Get in a fist fight about it? No!

Did Jesus preach on the streets? Hmmm? I do see where He gave the Beautitudes, but didn't he sit on a hill side and "teach"? I know He preached, but I see Him doing more preaching in a one-on-one situation more than anywhere else. Now He did preach the devil out of the Twelve many times, you can ask Simon Peter about that one. And Yes, He did preach on the streets and I'm sure His voice had the impact to reach so many in one sitting.

I've got Bro. Sutek's booklet on the Street Preacher. Good book. I've only met him once and he seemed more interested in a young preacher who is divorced now and not in myself. I'm not liftingmyself up or putting anyone down.

I have run into this bunch who feels like you're letting everybody go to hell because you won't join them on the streets, but then they are the ones who got into a yelling match with another bunch of preachers from another church.

I believe in all sincerety that God calls men to preach on the street, but not all men to line up with some "pre-requisite" to meet the demands of the "brethren" to join them.

I have been in the public and preached a few times, stood on the corneer and yelled at cars? No, but I make sure that when the door opens , to speak loud enough for everyone within earshot to get an earfull.

There's a man in Winder, Ga. that has preached in the same spot for years on the street, Thank God for him! I wouldn't dare say that preaching on the street is wrong, but preaching to them in a "captive" audience; like waiting in the doctor's office, standing in the grocery check-out, waiting to get your license renewed, (you just should've been there!), in the buffet line at Ryan's on a Friday night, (whooopie!).

I'm afraid though, some look at those who are too outspoken to just be obnoxious, but a good sincere conversation can catch the ears of the "innocent" by-standers real often, that's when they get to asking questions, or even make comments in the positive, but we all know that's not often.

I do remember as a kid the stationwagon that would ride around town with the large bullhorns blasting out the Gospel, seemed it passed by too fast. Also I rememeber apreacher on the street and I avoided him because he yelled so much. The one preacher that had the most effect on me, was my pastor of 10 years after I got saved. He came by the house one night before I did, and just told me a little about Jesus, his daddy who God delivered from liquor, and that he would love it if I would come to his church and hear him preach.

Street preaching has it's place, on the streets, but the most effective form of evangelizing is still, one-on-one, it gets sort of personal that way. You know, like when Jesus got real personal with you? There didn't have to be anyone else around, just you and Jesus.

Also one little note, I agree with Walls on this one, anybody can stand on a street corner and blare out "Jesus saves!".

 

[rbrent]

Hello Jason-

Are you one of the street preachers who preach with Pastor Ed Ware?

I think you make a Very Good point in your last post.

We need also to remember that the Apostle Paul, who told us to follow him as he followed Christ - I Cor 4:16 & 11:1, was the object of frequent physical assaults while street preaching and presenting the gospel to people who didn't want to hear it - II Cor 6:4-6 & II Cor 11:23-29.

Street preaching, by its very nature, is frequently aimed at people who do NOT want to hear it.

We are supposed to preach anyway and sometimes we must appeal to our Constitutional rights and go to court in order to protect ourselves and our right to street preach.

The Apostle Paul did that in Acts 21:32, the Jews accosted Paul in the temple, while he wasn't street preaching and began beating him.

The chief captain rescued Paul and allowed him to address the crowd of Jews from the stairs. Paul preached that God was going to send him (Paul) to the Gentiles and the Jews began to call for Paul to die.

The chief captain then ordered Paul to be scourged and at that point, Paul stated that he was a Roman and uncondemned. Immediately the chief captain was afraid because it was illegal to scourge a Roman who had not been convicted in a court of law.

So, "they departed from him which should have examined him" and the chief captain "loosed him (Paul) from his bands..." Acts 22:29, 30.

Anyway Jason, I thank God for men like you who preach from a compassionate heart.

 

[Refreshed]

rbrent,

No, I'm not with Bro. Ware. I praise the Lord, though, that there are others who are not afraid to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in public. I do thank you for the encouragement, and the sound approach to street preaching you obviously endorse. Hey, you can't go wrong in doing as our Lord did, and you can't go wrong in doing as Paul did when he is doing as our Lord did!

QS,

I, like you, have been in contact with street preachers who think you are out of the will of God if you aren't on the street every Friday, preaching the devil out of anything that walks by. I like what you had to say about the ministry of Jesus and I agree with you wholeheartedly about one-on-one being the most effective evangelism. You've got a balanced approach, brother.

Jason

 

[Tractster]

Originally posted by Refreshed:
rbrent,

QS,
I agree with you wholeheartedly about one-on-one being the most effective evangelism. You've got a balanced approach, brother.

Jason

I believe the Barna Group has a report with statistics that show one-on-one to be most effective.

Roscoe

 

[GrannyGumbo]

We've been very blessed because our area is small enough to allow "one-on-one", with the exception being the big city of Monroe...

Still, we've never had to deal with a mob, but it might prove different these upcoming weeks with Mardi Gras coming. Son-in-law/Pastor sez we'll take our signs over to the city before the parade.

Drunkenness, nudity, and revelry are the rule, as they parade sin in the streets. Mardi Gras honors all the pagan gods of ancient times.

 

[Refreshed]

Originally posted by GrannyGumbo:
We've been very blessed because our area is small enough to allow "one-on-one", with the exception being the big city of Monroe...

Still, we've never had to deal with a mob, but it might prove different these upcoming weeks with Mardi Gras coming. Son-in-law/Pastor sez we'll take our signs over to the city before the parade.

Drunkenness, nudity, and revelry are the rule, as they parade sin in the streets. Mardi Gras honors all the pagan gods of ancient times.

GrannyGumbo,

That'll be a tough crowd for sure. I'll pray for you guys. I hope you see some brought to repentance!

Jason

 

[GrannyGumbo]

Thank you, Jason. Considering our bunch numbers 8 souls(3 men, 3 women, 2 young boys), it can be pretty frightening at times.

God asks the question, "Who will rise up for me against the evil doers?", so it's more frightening(as in, I FEAR GOD!) not to go.

 

[Precepts]

Pardon me,GG, I emailed before I saw the part about Mardi-gra.

Go for it! may the Lord bless yall's efforts and win some!

 

[Walls]

Granny,

I am glad you are going to the Mardi Gras. I have never been there, but I hear it is beyond imagination. When is it? I am sure those on the board here will make an effort to lift you up in prayer at that time.

Hey you mentioned there was only 8 of you, just like on the ark, in a day where people did continually that which was evil and all manners of imaginations.

Just curious, what type of signs will you hold up there? Will they be a centralized theme, or just whatever you happen to grab?

 

[GrannyGumbo]

Hey Walls! Mardi Gras is party time! I won't be going to the party...we will go before! The BIG one is actually held in New Orleans, but for the last few years, they've been extending into other cities, Monroe being one. I've recently heard Mardi Gras is filtering-out across AmeriKa now. "Any excuse fer a party, eh?"

I've figured out why all the masks...so that a man can hide his identity while displaying his looseness and not be found out! There will be 'christians' participating, but can a true Christian honor the two-headed god Janus by participating in his parade?

I don't know what Pastor has for us...but I do know we stand firmly on the KJBible & can defend all our signs & tracts from it...they've also been prayed-over. We usually try to keep to a theme & always have a couple of salvation signs held by the youth.

These folks will not be able to stand before God and say no one ever told them of their evil.

 

[Walls]

Yes, this world looks for any reason to party!

I am glad you have a focus when you go out. I believe the prophets, apostles and preachers of old dealt with one issue at a time. I remember at one time when the anti-abortion movement had great results. That is because they dealt with one issue.

Gay rights come to be because that was their cause. We saved the whales because, people joined together to save them.

I would like to take part in a four week rotation; such as abortion 1st week, sodomy 2nd week, idolatry/paganism 3rd week, follow by a Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!