Street Preachers

[dh1948]

While visiting in Mobile recently, my wife and I were downtown walking past the Bienville Square. Walking around in the square was a street preacher. He was screaming...and I mean screaming...to the top of his lungs as he sauntered around preaching. His message was one of hell fire and brimstone...turn or burn. He sounded so angry.

I had no problem with his message, but his method caused me to ask my wife, "Do you think this is really glorifying to God?" I question the method of standing on a street corner or in a public square and screaming out a gospel sermon.

I thought, "If I was a lost person, how would I react to this man and his message?" After all, I am the one he would be targeting, so just how would I react? I have to say...with disgust. I would consider him to be a psych case...a cultist of a sort.

Before the castigation starts, I am not questioning the man's motive nor his message...just his method.

What do you think?

 

[USN2Pulpit]

You remember Jonah's message from God, don't you? There might be a place for this message of judgement from time to time. As for his method (combined with the forum in which he delivered it), I would wonder about his method, too.

 

[Bartimaeus]

Originally posted by dh1948:
He sounded so angry.
I would consider him to be a psych case...a cultist of a sort.

Before the castigation starts, I am not questioning the man's motive nor his message...just his method.

What do you think?

dh1948,
a "cultist" has a reason or motive for action. Is your statement inconsistent with your example?
Thanks ------Bart

 

[Dr.Tim]

Our church in New Orleans consistently preached on the street in the French Quarter. My pastor did the preaching and usually I passed out tracts and guarded the pastor from the hecklers.
Very unfruitful ministry, only a few saved, but definitely planting seeds more than just about any ministry you could imagine. Quite a few eventually found our church and said they were impressed with our bold proclamation of the gospel. We did it with tact, and even though my pastor preaches hard, when we were out there, he did it with wisdom and was more offering a free gift of salvation than preaching condemnation to the hopeless.

tim

 

[av1611jim]

Without having actually been there with you, I could only guess as to how I would react. I could not even guess how the lost would react since I never encountered such a thing while I was lost.

Nevertheless, I will chime in here.

Sometimes when street preaching, one must raise their voice above the din of traffic in order that one must be heard. Also, I suppose that the man took the following quite literally.

Isa 58:1
¶ Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

Have you ever been within two feet of a man blowing on a trumpet?

In HIS service;
Jim

 

[av1611jim]

Also, let's say for argument's sake that that preacher only reaches one man. That one man gets saved and becomes very faithful in church. The pastor sees him after a time and asks him to teach a fifth grade SS class. In that class is a kid who is very poor and he helps his mom by shining shoes at the bus depot. That fifth grade kid gets saved. The kid then studies hard and becomes another Dwight Moody who then reaches thousands with the gospel.

Was it worth it to God for the street preacher to be out there doing what others would call "bad methods"?

Think about it seriously.

In HIS service;
Jim

 

[gb93433]

My assumption is that some tracts placed in the hands of people walking on the street would typically do more good. People will remember more of what they read rather than somebody yelling.

I have actually heard some people yelling so loud that I could not understand what they were saying. Clear articulation does not require much volume.

 

[Gershom]

What do you think?

At least he's out there warning people.

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by av1611jim:
Also, let's say for argument's sake that that preacher only reaches one man. That one man gets saved and becomes very faithful in church. The pastor sees him after a time and asks him to teach a fifth grade SS class. In that class is a kid who is very poor and he helps his mom by shining shoes at the bus depot. That fifth grade kid gets saved. The kid then studies hard and becomes another Dwight Moody who then reaches thousands with the gospel.

From http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody.html

At this critical period in his life, young Moody became a shy and silent attendant at the Congregational Church. At first, the evangelical preaching of the pastor, Dr. Kirk, was distasteful to him, and the raw scholar looked unpromising to his teacher, Mr. Edward Kimball. But the interest in the lesson which he showed by the quaint question, "That Moses was what you call a pretty smart man, wasn't he?" induced his earnest teacher to visit him at his place of business. Mr. Kimball laid his hand on the his shoulder and spoke a few kind words to him. Then he asked him the direct question, "Will you not give your heart to Jesus?" The inquiry pierced him to the heart. He sought and found Jesus as his Saviour, and resolved to consecrate himself to the service of his God. Henceforth life was a new revelation to him. "The morning I was converted," he has said, "I went outdoors and I fell in love with the bright sun shining over the earth. I never loved the sun before. And when I heard the birds singing their sweet songs, I fell in love with the birds. Like the Scotch lassie who stood on the hills of her native land breathing the sweet air, and when asked why she did it, said, I love the Scotch air.' If the church was filled with love, it could do so much more."

Think about the idea that if one person reaches one person each year. Then, those two people reach two more and those four reach four more. The person who started the process will have reached 536,870,912 people at the end of 30 years. It simply shows the value of good, solid discipleship.

Jesus didn't reach us through just his direct evangelism ministry but through the discipleship of His followers.

 

[Circuitrider]

Many years ago while in San Francisco I visited the Berkley Campus with some friends. At a public fountain scores of people were milling around. A preacher was eye-ball to eye-ball with a long-haired maggot and they were both screaming at each other. Another man was passing tracts out to the people in the area. I was not sure that this was the best way to get the message out at the time, and I still question the method. However, maybe someone from that crowd is saved and living for the Lord (and is even on the BB) , I sure hope so.

 

[exscentric]

Not my cup of tea - rather agree that it might be distasteful, but people are saved that way so who am I to cast stones.

I think the key to me is that we believe the Spirit leads us as individuals. I would not want to question this man's leading from the Spirit if he had it.

 

[dh1948]

Thanks for all the response. Like most of you, I question the method. I am sure that when I was lost had I come across a man such as I witnessed, I would have been very turned-off to the gospel. Just my opinion.

Thanks again..

 

[exscentric]

Okay, we'll allow you an opinion

I'm not sure I could ever do what the pastor that led me to the Lord did, but I'm glad he did

I was leaving the service and shook his hand - he said "I would like to talk to you." (retaining hold of my hand) I said, "Sure, sometime." (still retaining my hand) "How about now?" (still retaining my hand) the rest is history

 

[Soulman]

Luke 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.

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by Circuitrider:
Many years ago while in San Francisco I visited the Berkley Campus with some friends. At a public fountain scores of people were milling around. A preacher was eye-ball to eye-ball with a long-haired maggot and they were both screaming at each other. Another man was passing tracts out to the people in the area. I was not sure that this was the best way to get the message out at the time, and I still question the method. However, maybe someone from that crowd is saved and living for the Lord (and is even on the BB) , I sure hope so.

My dad was one of those who listened to one of those screamers and has been turned off for all that time. That time has turned into 64 years.

 

[gb93433]

I have done just about every kind of method of evangelism and have found the greatest fruit among those I encounter often and become friends with and serve them. The critical key is who you are not so much what you say.

It's like the old saying, "eople won't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Some people can communicate that in a matter of a few minutes or less while some never will in a lifetime by the way they show their love for people.

 

[av1611jim]

I would like to see a Biblical example of this "relationship" evangelism. Remember, Jesus preached in the open air to thousands. I suppose His voice was quite loud to carry that far.
I can't think of a single example of "relationship" evangelism.
I see street preaching as the only Biblical model for what they do. It is the "warning" of the "watchman on a wall" , therefore it must be public and it must get folks' attention.
I don't suppose the "method" of John was all that appreciated by the "sophisticated" folks of his day either! The voice of one CRYING in the wilderness. LOL

In HIS service;
Jim

 

[David Michael Harris]

With regard to street preachers I find that not many people want to listen to them, all pass by and think they are nuts! Where as people flocked to Jesus and John to hear them.

Some people do it in different ways, sketch boards, drama etc etc to try to hook the fish

I usually say hello to street preachers and let them know I am Christian.

David

[ April 17, 2005, 04:38 AM: Message edited by: David Michael Harris ]

 

[James_Newman]

I think there was a time when people heard street preachers and were convicted of sin.

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by av1611jim:
I would like to see a Biblical example of this "relationship" evangelism. Remember, Jesus preached in the open air to thousands. I suppose His voice was quite loud to carry that far.
I can't think of a single example of "relationship" evangelism.

How did Jesus call His disciples?

If you want to read about what Jesus preached then take a look at the gospels and compare that to the typical obnoxious street preaching of today. Jesus only condemned the religious folks. But a number of the street preachers in their arrogance are condemning the people Jesus did not.

Based on results how are most people won to Christ? Most people come to Christ through a friend. So I guess what you think of as the biblical model is not working. Is God dead because the so called biblical model is not working?