street corner preaching

Hey I just wanted to encourage any open air preachers. Open air preaching absolutely rocks! Never do I feel more in the Lords will then when I'm on the street preaching. I'm 19 from CT and have been preaching open air reguarly for only a year and a half. I've learned not to get discouraged if people don't stop and listen. Some days you may have a nice crowd, some days no crowd, and other days huge crowds. I go to bus stops where a crowd is already gathered and preach to them. THey are what I call a "captured" audience. THE MORE STREET PREACHERS THE BETTER! What do u guys think? I say find a populated area, lift up your voice like a trumpet and tell God's people their transgressions! Until all have heardJessegreat resourses for open air preaching are: http://www.livingwaters.com/openair.shtmlhttp://www.livingwaters.com/listenwatch.shtmlhttp://www.livingwaters.com/watch.shtml

Praise God, it's good to hear from a faithful servant. It's regrettably rare that someone will answer the calls of Psalm 94:16 and Mark 16:15.I've done a little preaching myself, but mostly I help some of my friends that are much more experienced at it. The Lord's teaching me, though... sometimes there's a fire in me reminiscent (to me) of the prophets, and I want to go and preach. It'd be nice if one of those times would coincide with a time I could actually do so :)Seek the Lord, night and day. Do nothing except that which He would have you do, devote yourself entirely to Him. When you have truly inhaled and are filled with the Holy Ghost and driven by the will of God, the exhaling will leave sinners breathless (and possibly on the ground).Oh, and preach on those university campuses, once the students get much older it's pretty rare to turn them far from their course.God's grace in Christ be with you,-Keith

1) I love Ray Comforts teaching on open air because it explains how to start in the natural realm like Paul did.2) The only places people gather are at bus stops in my area. I have recieved lots of encouragement from those at the bus stops. No body is yelling at me saying "DOn't force your religion on me" I have never heard that even once. If you have never done it then I understand why you don't know about it. But my bible tells me to preach "in season and out of season." That means if people are recieving it or if they are rejecting it. Whether I am reaping souls or if I'm reaping sorrow. "And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people, and speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord God,' whether they hear or whether they refuse." Ezekiel 3:11 well, you may prefer www.gospeljohn.com or www.brojed.org if you don't care for livingwaters

"I am NOT against street evangelism, I actually think it is needed in our day. But what is even more needed is for Christian to be found in the Likeness of Christ." sermonindexAbsolutely! The worst thing to evangelism is hypocricy. If a hypocrit wants to preach he should go far far away from his home to where nobody knows him, and when he stands up to preach he should say nothing. "2 Timothy 4:2-3 - Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. It clearly seems to me that its preaching to believers" sermonindexI do NOT believe that believers "will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear" Christians will believe in "sound doctrine." Two verses down from 2 Tim 4:2 is verse 5 which says "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." So in context Paul was telling Timothy to preach to NON believers "in season and out of season." Mark 6:12 "So they went out and preached that people should repent." How can we do any less or any more?

First off its not pretty rare to turn people from their course when they are old!Even as I wrote that it was rare I felt something like rephrasing it, and I retract the statement as I made it. Sorry for speaking (typing) hastily.What I was getting at is that it's important, if it is possible, to get to people before they've had 3,4,5 or more decades of "indoctrination" in whatever error they're in. God can still shatter their resistance when they're 100, of course.There's also the matter of many of the future leaders (in business, politics, etc) being centralized in these locations, and usually being fed fairly liberal and anti-Christian teaching.I basically think much of Street preaching is pointless in our day when all people see is hypocrisy in the Church. The Church needs to be revived. North America is in a moral slump because the Church is.The hypocrisy does have a dramatic effect, most people just don't take Christianity seriously in this country anymore (even professing Christians).We preach Holiness, however, and the ones that get most upset by our preaching are usually professing Christians who are living in sin. That kind of preaching helped bring me out of my "sinning Christianity," and it brings some to conviction. It may be the case that we're going to have to evangelize the church before we can turn fully to evangelizing the heathen.But as I go through the links you sent I can't but help whince at the techniques that are employed.I don't like gimmicks either. Just preach the Truth, and have as much a proportion of it be the pure Word as is feasible. Getting a crowd can be nice, but getting even one person thinking deeply about the Truth is more than worth several hours of preaching. Plant the seeds of the Word in their heart.I just don't really see the apostles and disciples doing tricks and neat thing like that to attract crowds.I agree, and we desperately have to get back to Biblical evangelism, and Biblical Christianity in general.Sorry brothers not trying to cause an argument here just trying to share my heart.If God tells you to say something, say it. I appreciate your assurances that you're not coming out in contention, but I would not have that suspected that of you anyway. If anything I say seems off-base, hasty, simply-idiotic, etc, please don't refrain from letting me know unless God thus leads you.By the same token, if God tells you to preach something, preach it. My personality and such inclines me towards the policy of "bother no one, stay in my own corner of the universe and let everyone else get on with their business in theirs." However, if God tells me to bother someone, I'd sure better bother them.Edit:I am NOT against street evangelism, I actually think it is needed in our day. But what is even more needed is for Christian to be found in the Likeness of Christ. I think Jesus prayer in John really speaks to this situation:John 17:20-24 - "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.Amen.

I say we should preach right where nobody wants us to! That seems pretty biblical to me. Acts 5:28-29 says "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" but Peter and the other apostels answered and said "We ought to obey God rather than men." Acts 21:37 - 40 Paul asks to speak to a crowd who already "were seeking to kill him" vs 31Quote: "We preach Holiness, however, and the ones that get most upset by our preaching are usually professing Christians who are living in sin."Yea it seems that nobody likes holiness in our day. The world will jump on the hypocricy of the church, but then again the world doesn't want the church to be real. They will reject it either way because they love their sin. The "sinning saint" hates holiness preaching also. Holiness has never been a popular message and never will be but that should never stop any of us from sharing that message.

"What is the biblical signifigance and definition of an evangelist, is it a spiritual gifting, etc." sermonindexthere is no gifting of evangelism, it is a learned skill. I teach a class on evangelism. If it were a "gift" then there would be no need of a class to teach it.According to Ephesians 4:12 God has appointed some to be Evangelists "for the equipping of the saints FOR the work of the ministry, FOR the edifying of the body of Christ." An Evangelist, according to the bible, is someone who teaches christians how to evangelize like they ought to. I don't care what the dictionary says an evangelist is, man wrote the dictionary, God wrote the bible. "do you mean that you don't think that verse means that Christians will gather around themselves teachers to suit what they want to hear? so it this phrase towards unbelievers? sorry if you could clarify that would be great." sermonindexA true Christian not only reads God's Word but abides in it. I can't imagine that true christians would willfully round up for themselves false teachers so that they can hear what they want to hear. A true Christian knows the Truth because it was the Truth that had set them free. I wouldn't say that it is "unbeleivers" who do it, but rather false believers. It is a false Church full of false Christians that will round up for themselves false teachers to teach them false teachings. They must be men who do not know their bibles.Leonard Ravenhill: Why Revival Tarries, pg 86 "The conflict of the ages is upon us. This unbiblical distored thing called the church, that mixes with the world and dishonors its so-called Lord, has been found out for what it is, a fraud."

It may be the case that we're going to have to evangelize the church before we can turn fully to evangelizing the heathen.I cannot "Amen" that enough! This is where the real problem lies. With the "house of God". It has become a den of theives- spiritually speaking.We need to clean house from the inside out. Only the Lord can do this and it can be done by our testimony of the living Christ inside us. It can be done through prayer for the Lord's will to be done here on earth- in each life, in each family, in each building, in each meeting, in each heart.I am sorry to say this but many Christians who out of the modern church or are still there but not in their hearts- (at least have a real revelation of who Christ is)- will be the ones who :1. unveil the hypocrisy of religion and todays fast-food Christianity.2.demonstrate true love to the poor, brokenhearted, lost and wounded- (because they have the living Christ eminating out of them)3. also be critisized by "religious' people. I can not tell you how offensive my words have been to many church goers. Though I speak in love and truth- they gawk and are offended in their spirits because they don't want to "go there." They don't want to hear that they need to be "poured out" literally as a drink offering as a testimony for Christ.When people around me talk of Christianity, church, or those related subjects- i am quite certain they are not talking about my Jesus, the Christianity I live, or the church of which I belong.My prayer and purpose is to be a light and living testimony to the unbeliever as well as the BELIEVER who has their own idea of who Christ is. What a big job and an enourmous amount of people. Luckily my job is just to live it- I cannot make anyone's heart change. The Holy Spirit is my helper. :)Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Mt.7:14Sold out and in love, Chanin

"When people around me talk of Christianity, church, or those related subjects- i am quite certain they are not talking about my Jesus, the Christianity I live, or the church of which I belong." moreofhimOh I sadly have to say Amen. Even in "christian" books I have to find the ones, except for a few, which were written a hundred years ago or more. The Christianity they write about is not the Christianity of the bible. The Christianity I see is not the Christianity I read about in God's Word. Man, it makes me want to cry.

hmm and just by reading lazarus latest comments, I think it would be fruitful to go through the entire book of acts and draw out each time there is preaching to people (unbelievers) and look at the circumstances, how it started, and other information about scene. I'm on it alreadyA good idea. I'm inclined to start a bit earlier, though, to get to the place of open air preaching in this time and area of the world:Matthew 31 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea2 and saying, "Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."3 For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: `Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'"John's ministry was to prepare "the way of the Lord," and his message was "Repent"! I think this can be likened to plowing up the ground, plowing up the hearts of men with the Law of God.Mark 413 And He said unto them, "Know you not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables?14 The sower soweth the Word.15 And these are they by the wayside, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts.16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness;17 but they have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended.18 And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word,19 but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful.20 And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the Word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."What happens when seed is sown on stony ground? What happens when the Word is sown in unplowed hearts? False converts. Hypocrites. Goats among the sheep. Churches filled with the unconverted.John plowed up the ground before Jesus came through, so the people were better prepared for grace. Jesus didn't have to preach as hard as He might have had to, because the ground was plowed up.Nowadays most sowers of the Word are far softer than Jesus, but the ground is far harder.The hearts of North America's people are almost hopelessly fallow. Hardly anything moves people anymore, as I heard Wilkerson preaching on just recently (wonderful resource, this website). They need plowing, deep plowing.The way must be prepared again for grace. God's Law, sin, Judgment, Hell, and repentance need to be preached. Both to the heathen and to those who name the name of Christ.On that last part, I think Scripture is talking about professing (not necessarily genuine) Christians when it says they "will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." Many professing Christians have ears that itch to hear of easy-believism, of Eternal Security, of "carnal Christianity," of ecumenism and interfaith, of permissible worldliness... of permissible sin!Oh how our Lord is grieved, and is weeping... I'm beginning, just barely beginning, to share in "the fellowship of His sufferings" as He makes clear to me how far things are from where they should be.The ground must be plowed, the thorny undergrowth must be burned away, the groves on the (altar) hills must be torn up. We must forsake our idols! We must forsake our sins!Only when we've truly turned back to the Lord, can we have any hope of truly loving, serving, and obeying Him. Only then should we preach.Well, that wandered topics.In Him,-Keith

sermonindex,I bet we agree on more then it might seem. Lets find outDo you believe in street evangelism?Do you believe we need to actually learn how to evangelize? Do you believe in preaching "whether they hear or whether they refuse"? Do you believe that the Christianity we see is the Christianity of the bible? Do you believe we should preach that "God commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness"?

quote "But that doesn't give me lisence to go out to any corner and just yell out the Law of God and tell everyone that unless they belief on Jesus they are going to hell." sermonindexI don't know where that came from. I hope I didn't implied that. What I do believe in is going to the streets and preaching like Jesus that unless they repent from their sins they will perish. Luke 13:3 Unless they turn to Jesus they will go to hell, but that doesn't make sense to them if you don't show them their need to come to him. That knowledge comes by the Law. As far as learning evangelism goes, like you said yourself it is by "looking at the acts examples piece by piece" We must learn how to witness, in a class room setting or not, by looking at the bible. So first you said you believe in learning from biblical examples, but then you said you don't believe evangelism should be taught. Quote "I never think the Apostles had classes on evangelism" sermonindexDo you think Jesus gave his disciples the Great Commission without first showing them during the three years how and what to preach?? What is a Master to his disciple then a teacher? What else is a discipleship besides a type of class?

In Christ's love

quote "We are to be in all of the public places casting down idols and preaching the gospel of Jesus" prayer1warriorI completely agree. This is something I said earlier: I say we should preach right where nobody wants us to! That seems pretty biblical to me. Acts 5:28-29 says "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" but Peter and the other apostels answered and said "We ought to obey God rather than men."Acts 21:37 - 40 Paul asks to speak to a crowd who already "were seeking to kill him" vs 31

To street preach or to not street preach, that is the question. Whether it be noble... errr.. time to cut the shakespeare...Personally, I have started doing open air preaching every Monday afternoon at UNC Charlotte. I just go, and raise my voice, and spare not, but at the same time, try to give people hope in Christ. There must be a good balance of preaching the law & gospel. Ultimately though, I am trying to present Christ, and Him crucified, and get people to have a revelation of Jesus Christ, to get them to "behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world." My public preaching may be deemed a nusance, as it is loud. So far, I can't say much of anything on how I'm perceived, as I've only preached for 30 minutes or so each time, and haven't had too many hecklers come up to me. I've had quite a few Christians comes and encourage me on, but not too many folks who are trying to discourage me. Most the people just walk by, some slowly, others very quickly. Some stay off in the distance and listen, but no crowds seem to form. It would APPEAR I am not very succesfull. But the Scriptures say that the word of God shall not return void, and it will accomplish that for which it was sent out. Ultimately, if I am preaching the gospel, it will do something. Perhaps for many, a seed will just be planted. Perhaps for others, my preaching will only water what another planted. Perhaps I will see a harvest. But, all that is God's business, not mine. Perhaps what I preach will not be very attractive to people, and many might harden their hearts to the gospel. But, if what I preach is truly the gospel, then it ultimately will either be attractive to people, or it will cause them to push away further from the faith. If I am preaching the gospel, and living a life of holiness and integrity in the fear of the Lord, then if they flee further away from the gospel, I know it is not from my method of preaching or a hypocritical lifestyle, but from the gospel itself, from the Lord Himself. If their reaction is negative, then it is the reaction of those who hated the light and loved the darkness.

Brother, You just keep on preaching! Positive responses and negative responces will come. Jesus' first sermon made people try to throw him off a cliff but other times they would follow him any where. If they reject you it is because they have rejected God.Don't be discouraged if you don't see crowds. Ray Comfort preached for 18 months without any crowds ( because he didn't elevate himself). I have preached alot on the street and have had big crowds, small crowds, and no crowds. Just continue to pray.Quotes on open air"No sort of defense is needed for preaching outdoors, but it would take a very strong argument to prove that a man who has never preached beyond the walls of his meetinghouse has done his duty." C.H. Spurgeon"Every great preacher of the bible was an open-air preacher, Peter was an open-air preacher, Paul was an open-air preacher, and so were Elijah, Moses, and Ezra. More important then all, Jesus Christ Himself was an open-air preacher and preached, for the most part, outdoors. Every great sermon recorded in the Bible was preached in the open-air, the sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the sermon on the Mount, and the Sermon on Mars Hill, etc." R.A. Torrey