Street Preaching... Is it effective?

[Luke]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Acts 18:25-27
This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace,

This shows a saved man learning more not an unsaved man being led to repentance. Again I am not against relational evangelism just pointing out that from a biblical standpoint street is much easier to defend and find examples of. Both can be effective.

[votivesoul]

The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power, as Paul wrote.

There are a lot of puffed up street preachers who can storm and rage through a fiery sermon, and yeah, they've got guts. I will give them that. But what else do they have to show for it?

But the logos of God is manifested through preaching, too. God's creative outlet and power to make things that are not into things that are. If this kind of preaching is not happening, street level or otherwise, it's not really the kind of preaching that manifests the logos of God.

I think it was Assisi who said preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.

Street ministry can be highly effective, but it has to be done correctly. An example from my own life:

When I was in college, I had some friends who were part of of the International Student Association. They planned a bus trip to Chicago and I tagged along.

I was friends with a girl named Sam, originally from China. I witnessed to her on the ride down. We hung out in the city for awhile, but somehow we were separated.

I ended up all by myself right in the heart of downtown Chicago. It was mid to late December, and was pretty cold. Not being able to re-connect with the group, I took a stroll around the area. Saw several homeless people. One guy was sitting on the cold sidewalk on the corner by a book store. He and I talked for awhile.

He told me "God's the only one I've got out here". I went into the bookstore, bought him a Bible and gave him my gloves. As I was doing so, a passerby made a crude comment to me for daring to minister to the homeless.

On that street, there were several other homeless and impoverished. I chatted with a few others, and bought some fast food for one or two. In a doorway, a dying man had a sign up that he had liver failure and was hungry.

I bought him some food and we talked. He confessed to me that he had lived a hard life of drinking and this was the end result. I asked him if God were to heal him and give him a second chance, would he give his life to Lord. He said yes, and so, we prayed together. I laid hands on him.

After that, it was like God just started sending people to me. On a different block, a lady with an badly injured and infected eye came up to me out of nowhere and asked if I would buy here some groceries. I could tell she was living on Mean Street. I agreed, and she took me to a local convenience store. I didn't have any money, so I used my credit card.

I said to her: Do you know who's buying you these groceries?
She replied: Jesus

Sometime later, I was able to meet up with everyone and got on the bus and went home. But it was a life changing time of ministry.

We are called to love, not only in word, but also in truth and in deed. This is the type of street preaching I affirm works. It's not brash, abrasive, or in your face. It doesn't annoy or interrupt. It serves where the need is.

It's the Gospel without "words".

[Aquila]

Here's an article I shared some time back. A few of you might remember it...

OPEN-AIR PREACHING
A SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY AND REMARKS THEREON
By Charles H. Spurgeon

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...63&postcount=1

[Aquila]

Some of the "house church" believers that I know have done quite a bit of street preaching. They will preach, proclaim, and share Jesus almost anywhere and everywhere.

[FlamingZword]

Originally Posted by justlookin

Where?

Luke 8:8 ..And when he had said these things, he cried,
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

John 7:28-29 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying,
Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am:
and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true,
whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him,
and he hath sent me.

John 7:37-38 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water

John 12:44 Jesus cried and said,
He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.

and some other places.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Luke

This shows a saved man learning more not an unsaved man being led to repentance. Again I am not against relational evangelism just pointing out that from a biblical standpoint street is much easier to defend and find examples of. Both can be effective.

I agree that both street and relational witnessing/preaching are effective, but a lot depends on the attitude of the one doing the preaching. The street preaching method of just screaming "repent' etc., to crowds of people to me seems completely ineffective. There are many ways to do the right thing, but if you have a wrong attitude, your attitude cancels out all the good you are trying to do.

Are they really trying to help people, or are they arrogantly out there just screaming at folks, and videotaping it, so that they can later pat themselves on the back, and feel that they are being used of God?

In our culture, anyone standing on a street corner, with a megaphone, screaming words into the air, is more than likely considered a nut, and most, if not all, passersby would not take that kind of message seriously.

From the post that Votive Soul wrote, I would have to say his method of witnessing on the street would be far more effective, than preaching a sermon to those same people with a megaphone.

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by votivesoul

The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power, as Paul wrote.

There are a lot of puffed up street preachers who can storm and rage through a fiery sermon, and yeah, they've got guts. I will give them that. But what else do they have to show for it?

But the logos of God is manifested through preaching, too. God's creative outlet and power to make things that are not into things that are. If this kind of preaching is not happening, street level or otherwise, it's not really the kind of preaching that manifests the logos of God.

I think it was Assisi who said preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.

Street ministry can be highly effective, but it has to be done correctly. An example from my own life:

When I was in college, I had some friends who were part of of the International Student Association. They planned a bus trip to Chicago and I tagged along.

I was friends with a girl named Sam, originally from China. I witnessed to her on the ride down. We hung out in the city for awhile, but somehow we were separated.

I ended up all by myself right in the heart of downtown Chicago. It was mid to late December, and was pretty cold. Not being able to re-connect with the group, I took a stroll around the area. Saw several homeless people. One guy was sitting on the cold sidewalk on the corner by a book store. He and I talked for awhile.

He told me "God's the only one I've got out here". I went into the bookstore, bought him a Bible and gave him my gloves. As I was doing so, a passerby made a crude comment to me for daring to minister to the homeless.

On that street, there were several other homeless and impoverished. I chatted with a few others, and bought some fast food for one or two. In a doorway, a dying man had a sign up that he had liver failure and was hungry.

I bought him some food and we talked. He confessed to me that he had lived a hard life of drinking and this was the end result. I asked him if God were to heal him and give him a second chance, would he give his life to Lord. He said yes, and so, we prayed together. I laid hands on him.

After that, it was like God just started sending people to me. On a different block, a lady with an badly injured and infected eye came up to me out of nowhere and asked if I would buy here some groceries. I could tell she was living on Mean Street. I agreed, and she took me to a local convenience store. I didn't have any money, so I used my credit card.

I said to her: Do you know who's buying you these groceries?
She replied: Jesus

Sometime later, I was able to meet up with everyone and got on the bus and went home. But it was a life changing time of ministry.

We are called to love, not only in word, but also in truth and in deed. This is the type of street preaching I affirm works. It's not brash, abrasive, or in your face. It doesn't annoy or interrupt. It serves where the need is.

It's the Gospel without "words".

I love how you put this, the gospel preached "without words". Awesome testimony!

[KeptByTheWord]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Here's an article I shared some time back. A few of you might remember it...

OPEN-AIR PREACHING
A SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY AND REMARKS THEREON
By Charles H. Spurgeon

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...63&postcount=1

Good articles that you posted in this thread. Thanks for sharing again. Obviously street preaching, or open-air meeting preaching can be very effective. I suppose the bottom line is whether God has sent you or not, and that goes for whatever anyone tries to do for the kingdom of God.

You mentioned in the thread quoted above that you planned on doing some street preaching. How did that work for you?

[Abiding Now]

One thing I learned from experience, street preaching will definitely kill your flesh.

[votivesoul]

Another tale from my college days:

Some different groups would come on campus with giant signs.

One would tell everyone their sins and condemn them to hell (without any message of Good News or salvation behind or in addition to it). They were highly confrontational.

The other group remained silent. But their signs were giant, graphic pics of aborted fetuses. They caused a stir, too.

Neither group seemed overly effective at doing anything but making people mad and revolting people away from Christianity.

The message wasn't redemption through the Cross.

I for one can't stand this kind of street "preaching".