(Open-air preaching in downtown Springfield, MO. The guitar player and the donkey were not with me, they just jumped up beside me when I started reading Romans 1. The guitar player was a supporter and the donkey was a mocker. After this, Brad (in the second picture) and I walked a block north to support Aaron, another street preacher.)
Recently Brad with Repent and Turn Ministries and I went witnessing in downtown Springfield, MO. We handed out tracts, got into one to ones and did a little open-air preaching. Then after that we moved closer to where another friend – Aaron was open-air preaching. Brad had his cross and I handed out tracts and we were across the street from Aaron as he preached.
A gentleman came up to me and asked me if we were with the open-air preacher. I told him that we weren’t really with him, but that we do the same thing. He then told me, you are doing more damage than good! He said that we are driving people away from God. This well intended gentleman asked me, “how can I build relationships with people when you are pushing them away?” He said that you win people over to God through building relationships – through friendship evangelism.
I want to be perfectly clear here – street preachers do build relationships with their friends, co-workers, etc. But when we are out witnessing on the streets, what kind of relationship can you really build with someone in a 10 to 15 minute conversation? When we are out street witnessing, we are trying to reach unbelievers and tell them about the Good News of Jesus Christ (after we tell them the bad news first – that we are all sinners and our sin separates us from God and that there’s nothing we can do on our own to change that).
I also don’t agree with the easy believism that so many churches promote nowadays. Brad and I ran into many young people earlier that night. Some were professing Christians. They were cussing like crazy and a few were acting very inappropriately with their friends. Jesus said that we would know His disciples by their fruit – by their works (Matthew 7:16). Of course your works don’t save you. He was saying that after God transforms you, He gives you new desires. You become a new person in Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17).
It breaks my heart to see professing Christians running around claiming Christ, but living for the devil – living for the pleasures of sin. I hate to see it because I used to be one of them. I used to be a false convert. You cannot claim Jesus as Lord and Savior and still live in bondage of sin like you did before God saved you. You can’t serve Jesus and sin (John 8:34-36). You can only have one master.
So I respectfully disagree with the well-intentioned gentleman that said we are doing more damage than good. None of us are guaranteed our next breath. That night we were out street witnessing may have been the very last time that one of those people heard the Gospel before their time was up. Life is short, it is but a vapor. We must warn people to flee from the wrath to come (Romans 2:5).
Even though Springfield, MO is located in the Bible Belt, we still have less than 20% of the people in our area who regularly attend church. So how are going to reach the over 80% that don’t go to church? It’s very simple, we go to where the people are. We meet them out in the streets. Wherever they gather. If you are reading this and you are a Christian, then how else do you fulfill Mark 16:15 where we are commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature?
God uses street preachers to plant seeds. Then He sends other Christians to witness to these same people later on. Other times, He convicts people right there on the spot. Either way, we are to preach the glorious Gospel to every creature. How can they hear unless someone preaches to them (Romans 10:14)? Jesus said what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim from the rooftop (Matthew 10:27). God is using street evangelists to do damage alright, damage to the stronghold the little g god of this world (the devil) has over unrepentant sinners (2 Corinthians 4:4). Won’t you join us in helping further God’s kingdom?
I agree entirely. Too often, it seems that professing Christians are ashamed of the gospel, which leads me to think of the verse in the bible that brought me to conviction and unveiled the lies the devil had convinced me of during my false conversion. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ These are those who profess but don’t possess. I feel your sadness because these people are the hardest to convert. They rest in a false gospel of hope in God of their own creation I am afraid, but I pray they will come to true saving faith.
Preach the Word! Love you guys!