is it normal to preach the gospel in the street? what are the benefits and consequenc

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John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
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#21
Nowhere in Scripture are the lost commanded to go to a local church(gathering) to hear the gospel. The local church(believers) are to go out into the world and preach the gospel.

Look at the Lord's ministry. After 3 1/2 years of preaching. After 3 1/2 years of raising the dead, causing the blind to see, healing lepers, healing the lame, etc...what good did it do?

500 followers
120 show up for "church" in the upper room
12 came to communion
1 disciple and his mom shows up at the cross

What good does it do? We may never know how much good it does neither are we to worry over such a question. Be faithful. Preach the gospel at work. Preach the gospel in your neighborhood. Hand out gospel tracts where you shop.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,537
3,502
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#22
Nowhere in Scripture are the lost commanded to go to a local church(gathering) to hear the gospel. The local church(believers) are to go out into the world and preach the gospel.
Btw, that's the Laodicea Age mindset. Create programs at church and invite the lost to come enjoy a program. Program driven churches instead of gospel driven churches.
 

Johnny_B

Senior Member
Mar 18, 2017
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#23
When I was new to the faith I was part of an organization that did lots of street preaching and in the '80's there were mean that street preached. It was very pharisaical we were sending people to hell because we thought we were so righteous. I am from So. California and there were a few organization that were street preaching. I happened to belong to the organization called "The Potter's House" they were out of Arizona. They fellowshiped with organizations like Victory Chapel, they were an offshoot of Victory Outreach, which came off of the Teen Challenge movement that was started by David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, made popular by the movie, The Cross and the Switchblade. With another groupd called Praise Chapel, list list of name that these organizations go by are, The Door, CornerStone, New Harvest, and we did more damage then good. I have since repented from that style of street preaching.

We need to remember that the Methodist and The Salvation Army started by street preaching, with one story where John Wesley and George Whitefield preached the Law at a spot in England and tolld the people if they wanted to know what they could do to escape this judgement to come back in 3 days or a week cannot remember what the time frame was. When they came back the story goes that oer 10,000 people were there waiting to hear how they could escape the wrath to come.

Street preaching is Biblical as long as you are presenting the Word of God and not the legalistic judgement of man. In my life time I look back in my life and remember about 3 times that street preaching presented the Word of God to my life. One perticular time I remember a man standing up and reading Psalms. Once I Spirit moved in my life to cause me to respond to the Lord grace, after some time I remembered how those times introduced me to God's word.

Isaiah 55:10-11 is the Lord showing us that the presentation of His Word to sinners will do work in thier lives.
10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,11 so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

We present His word and it will do what He has palnned for it to do, for the elect it will bring them to salvation for those that are nonelect it will judge them to eternal damnation.
 

Marcelo

Senior Member
Feb 4, 2016
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#24
In the US street preachers are viewed as laughable fanatics, at best.
In Brazil most of them really are laughable fanatics who preach nonsense. If the street preacher is not guided by God (unfortunately this is the reality in many cases) he will only bring dishonor to the name of Christ.

I think street preaching should only be used as a last resort and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
 
Jan 21, 2017
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#25
I think so, it is normal to preach in the street because Jesus did it himself. it reveals that benefits, because in doing so, the hearts are touched by the message either immediately or later, a seed that is sown, will yield harvest.
Its definately normal, and its commanded by Jesus! Go to the highways and hedges!

This is the true strategy to begin with. Go into the world! Not bring the world to the church and make the church like a worldly circus to bring em in and then slowly convert.

We bring the Gospel to the people, then they come to church to get discipled.

If you are doing preaching in the highways and hedges kaf God bless you brother and may God give the harvest!
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#26
Its definately normal, and its commanded by Jesus! Go to the highways and hedges! This is the true strategy to begin with. Go into the world! Not bring the world to the church and make the church like a worldly circus to bring em in and then slowly convert.

We bring the Gospel to the people, then they come to church to get discipled.

If you are doing preaching in the highways and hedges kaf God bless you brother and may God give the harvest!
Do you yank things out of context like that much?
 

Prov910

Senior Member
Jan 10, 2017
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#27
Do you yank things out of context like that much?
Out of context? Isn't that exactly what's being said in that parable from Luke 14? If not, I guess I need to figure out the meaning.
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#28
Out of context? Isn't that exactly what's being said in that parable from Luke 14? If not, I guess I need to figure out the meaning.
Yes, you just might need to. He was speaking of inviting people to come...... He was not telling us to post ourselves on a street corner, and shout at people walking by.

This thread is not about telling people we meet about Jesus... That is good, and a given. It is about claiming a location on the street as your personal pulpit.
 

SovereignGrace

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2016
5,455
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#29
When we preach, we preach with our eyes fixed on ppl. I have never witnessed street preaching in person, unless you call seeing someone doing it as I passed by in a car as seeing it.

But to the lost person, one would possibly see a man preaching at the air and thinking its nonsense. The few videos I saw, more seemed to demean ppl than to present a loving Saviour.

I think witnessing to ppl on a personal level would be more beneficial than yelling in the air.
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,537
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#30
Yes, you just might need to. He was speaking of inviting people to come...... He was not telling us to post ourselves on a street corner, and shout at people walking by.

This thread is not about telling people we meet about Jesus... That is good, and a given. It is about claiming a location on the street as your personal pulpit.
Maybe the disconnect with you is your thinking that preaching the gospel on the street pertains to yelling at and condemning people as they walk by. That's not what this thread is about. Do some do that? Probably. But there are other methods that work.

One way that I have found to be effective is while on the streets, I approach individuals, couples, or even families and ask for a moment of their time. I use Hebrews 9:27 as an opener. "For it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment." I proceed to lead them through "Romans Road". Mind you, I stay respectful and considerate throughout the conversations. If they want to leave, then let them leave and move on.
 
Jul 23, 2017
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#31
Maybe the disconnect with you is your thinking that preaching the gospel on the street pertains to yelling at and condemning people as they walk by. That's not what this thread is about. Do some do that? Probably. But there are other methods that work.

One way that I have found to be effective is while on the streets, I approach individuals, couples, or even families and ask for a moment of their time. I use Hebrews 9:27 as an opener. "For it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment." I proceed to lead them through "Romans Road". Mind you, I stay respectful and considerate throughout the conversations. If they want to leave, then let them leave and move on.
nice to see someone doing soul winning. God bless u
 
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Depleted

Guest
#32
I came to the Lord during the Jesus Movement. Personally, I never noticed street preachers before that. (And I'm very good at not noticing. Hubby and I watch TV, I continue to watch, even during commercials, and he goes off on a commercial, when I have no idea what he's talking about. I may be watching, but I tuned out. lol) So, I really don't know if there were street preachers before I became a believer.

BUT I did notice them afterward. Annoyed me to no end. Seemed silly. Seemed trite. Why preach to people you don't know, since you can't possibly guess what their needs are, other than the Lord? How do you reach them, if you don't know them? They just irritated me.

HOWEVER, about the same time in another state, future-hubby was saved by a long exchange between him and his co-worker's/friend's wife. And, after that? He had no idea what to do, so ran into some street preachers, (one of them was became that pastor who heard real tongues the first time in Kenya, lol), joined up, and did the same thing. It was God's revival in America, so... it worked!

And then the scary part -- the church had to recognize a bunch of druggies, prostitutes, hippies, the homeless, and young people flooding in. They weren't ready.

Are we? Because this seems to be yet another argument on method with little understanding that God will gather himself a people, and those people should have good places to go, not places to see people arguing if they should be there.

God uses strange things to call his people. I was saved after watching a rock opera. (Jesus Christ, Superstar.) Hubby was saved by arguing at Christians to get them to stop being so naive as to believe God exists. A friend of ours was saved at his father's wedding to a woman his age. The friend took a gun to kill his father, but was saved instead. God will use what God will use, however, the idea is he can place his newly adopted family into a church that will accept them. Not argue how they got there!
 
Jul 23, 2017
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#33
streetpreaching is great. but u should bring the gospel. tell people to repent but dont just yell at them for specific sins they are committing. thats to no use.

my flu is better btw so u can expect me to be as mean as usual. :D
 

notuptome

Senior Member
May 17, 2013
15,050
2,538
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#34
Interesting that those who are bold enough to preach on the street tend to have a very legalistic message ie repent or perish and those who have a more compassionate message lack the boldness to go forth and declare it before men.

Courage and a firm belief that those who do not receive Christ will perish for all eternity must be proclaimed. It is the heart of our evangelism. Preaching is foolishness to those who perish. On the street this will be very obvious.

I do not think that there are any wrong ways to proclaim the gospel. There are however many under utilized opportunities to proclaim the gospel.

For the cause of Christ
Roger
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#35
This is what Street Preaching devolves to..... just an ego trip.

[video=youtube;OA2jCEiMrbk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA2jCEiMrbk[/video]
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,537
3,502
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#36
nice to see someone doing soul winning. God bless u
Thank you, but please don't think I am out there all the time. I battle my flesh. It's not always easy, but when I am passing out tracts and witnessing, what a feeling comes over me knowing I'm doing the Lord's work. I wish I did it more. Maybe this thread will challenge me and others to get out there more often.
 
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Depleted

Guest
#37
When we preach, we preach with our eyes fixed on ppl. I have never witnessed street preaching in person, unless you call seeing someone doing it as I passed by in a car as seeing it.

But to the lost person, one would possibly see a man preaching at the air and thinking its nonsense. The few videos I saw, more seemed to demean ppl than to present a loving Saviour.

I think witnessing to ppl on a personal level would be more beneficial than yelling in the air.
Ever go into a mall, and some surveyer accost you, clipboard in hand?

Now, take away the clipboard and replace it with tracts. Then put the people by the fountain/whatever is decorating center court in that mall. And then turn your image into teenage girls. Bingo! That's "the street-preachers" that annoyed me in my youth. lol

You don't have to be on a city corner in a crowd, nor do you have to be staring at air. All the ones I came across came in clowders, told every passersby that Jesus loved them, and tried to shove a tract in your hand, before you could react.

(Worse yet, the tracts were about how the USSR was the AntiChrist. Not about God. lol)

BUT, a friend of ours is a missionary in Southwest Philly. (Think Will Smith's song at the beginning of Fresh Prince, and you'll see bits of that section of our city.) He honestly walks around the area, and takes time to talk to people, if given the opportunity. And opportunities abound. Wait for a bus together. Wait for a red light. Wait in a line at check out. All opportunities to talk to people. He's a good listener, so people tell him what's going wrong in their lives. One thing leads to another. Either he's invited to their homes to talk more, (and by then, they know the answer is Christ), or they come to the church he's involved with. And if they do that, they get counseling.

He's been doing this for over 20 years now. Hubby joined him back when we went to the same church together, and can vouch the guy is good, (and the home situation of many people is horrible.) It works!

And kicker -- he's Reformed. :)
 
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Depleted

Guest
#38
This is what Street Preaching devolves to..... just an ego trip.

(video deleted, because not worth watching, and used as proof for something that needed no proof.)
Compared to your ego trip that keeps saying, "I have full understanding, so listen to me to save yourself"?
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
5,928
685
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#39
I just go speeding down the highways and through the hedges with a rear bumper sticker:

"1 Peter 3:18 - Quickened by the Spirit".

:p
 

SovereignGrace

Senior Member
Dec 28, 2016
5,455
236
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#40
Ever go into a mall, and some surveyer accost you, clipboard in hand?

Now, take away the clipboard and replace it with tracts. Then put the people by the fountain/whatever is decorating center court in that mall. And then turn your image into teenage girls. Bingo! That's "the street-preachers" that annoyed me in my youth. lol

You don't have to be on a city corner in a crowd, nor do you have to be staring at air. All the ones I came across came in clowders, told every passersby that Jesus loved them, and tried to shove a tract in your hand, before you could react.

(Worse yet, the tracts were about how the USSR was the AntiChrist. Not about God. lol)

BUT, a friend of ours is a missionary in Southwest Philly. (Think Will Smith's song at the beginning of Fresh Prince, and you'll see bits of that section of our city.) He honestly walks around the area, and takes time to talk to people, if given the opportunity. And opportunities abound. Wait for a bus together. Wait for a red light. Wait in a line at check out. All opportunities to talk to people. He's a good listener, so people tell him what's going wrong in their lives. One thing leads to another. Either he's invited to their homes to talk more, (and by then, they know the answer is Christ), or they come to the church he's involved with. And if they do that, they get counseling.

He's been doing this for over 20 years now. Hubby joined him back when we went to the same church together, and can vouch the guy is good, (and the home situation of many people is horrible.) It works!

And kicker -- he's Reformed. :)
Very good!!

I am coming at this from the lost person who sees a guy street preaching. What he is doing is preaching in the air, and not to ppl in general. Eye contact is a key, imo. Take the gospel to ppl on a personal level. Around here in western-WVa(I am about 5 minutes from KY), everyone has knowledge of the Christ, so street preaching would not be that sucessful at all. But walking around and talking on a more personal level would be better, imo.