is it normal to preach the gospel in the street? what are the benefits and consequenc
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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.
Another thing. We're commanded to also make disciples. How can street preaching make disciples? After they're saved, tell them to find a church and go there? That's why I am leery of this practice. Its more than just presenting the lost the gospel, but also to make disciples.
dont tell em to just find a church, most likely the devil will make them join some weirdo emergent church on the block.
invite them to the same church u go to.
stay in contact.
its smart to baptize folks right away after winning them to the Lord. this way they dont gotta worry about it in the future.
I agree with this. However, in bigger cities, it would be harder to remain in contact with ppl. My area is rural, so keeping in contact would not be a problem. But in cities like Atlanta, New York, Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, &c, it would be harder to remain in contact.
To me, one-on-one witnessing would be better than just standing on a platform yelling at ppl.
No, neither of them were.
Peter and his group were having a meeting in a private residence they had rented to get together. And people came to look in the windows to see what they were doing.
Paul went to a specific place the Greeks had set aside as a designated location where philosophers congregated to discuss sociological issues.
In the parable was the servant inviting people to come back and listen to a sermon? Or was he inviting people to fellowship with God? What do you think the wedding feast represented in that Luke 14 parable?
In the parable was the servant inviting people to come back and listen to a sermon? Or was he inviting people to fellowship with God? What do you think the wedding feast represented in that Luke 14 parable?
First of all, you are barking up the wrong parable. That was no wedding feast. Maybe we can begin to talk about the same thing.
The whole point of that parable was that the people originally invited (Israel) were too preoccupied with their own personal lives to be concerned about going to a dinner they were invited to. Yes, they were actually being invited to specifically come to the master's house to fellowship with Him.
yup. i believe rural areas is the best place to live. much more peaceful. we need to spread out across the earth like God said. not live in the same spots with most of the country empty
its the devil that makes people wanna all move to the same spot. just like it happened in the tower of babel. now they trying to bring everyone into huge cities with melting pots of languages. big mistake.
NayborBear
Banned Serpent Seed Heresy
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.
Lemme tell ya, Depleted! These are the "types" of people, I love to have "swarm" me, when out n about, anywhere! When they try and "flood" me with questions, from the various members of that "swarm?" I start asking deep spiritual questions of my own? When they start replying "Oh! (a look of shocked horror, on their faces)...I haven't been a Christian THAT long." And, bid a hasty retreat!
Cookie-cutter christians, looking for more dough, to cut more cookies! Kinda sad, actually!
Yeah right...3000 souls had to look in the windows. Now that evokes laughter.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
Sure enough. Just a banquet, not necessarily a wedding feast.
I agree. I just don't see where street preaching is contrary to this. I talking about street preaching in an appropriate venue. Like, say, a college campus or a public park, or even a subway station. And I'm not talking about some guy yelling accusations and condemnation at passers by. But rather, preaching the gospel in a setting other than a church.
Gotta go!
You may laugh all you want. But they were all in one place at a house where they had gathered. They were not at a coliseum or a theater. It is highly unlikely there was even a balcony, since the houses then did not have such things...... they had to go up to the flat roof for that kind of view.
And the Bible never said, anywhere, that 3,000 people heard them speaking. It is written that 3,000 were added that day. It was very standard and normal that entire households would be baptized at the decision of the husband (head of the household). We are not told, at all, how many men actually heard them. We need to be a lot more careful how much of our own assumptions we add to God's word.
I think my answer and Maxwell's will be somewhat similar.
I have seen street preaching be quite effective when several factors are considered:
1) amplifier loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to be annoying.
2) interspersed with good music well performed.
3) preacher speaks to people not at them.
4) well made deserts and beverages are offered with the sermon.
I have seen street preaching be quite effective when several factors are considered:
1) amplifier loud enough to be heard but not loud enough to be annoying.
2) interspersed with good music well performed.
3) preacher speaks to people not at them.
4) well made deserts and beverages are offered with the sermon.
Sure enough. Just a banquet, not necessarily a wedding feast.
I agree. I just don't see where street preaching is contrary to this. I talking about street preaching in an appropriate venue. Like, say, a college campus or a public park, or even a subway station. And I'm not talking about some guy yelling accusations and condemnation at passers by. But rather, preaching the gospel in a setting other than a church.
Gotta go!
Can you deny that the video I posted is the very typical scene of the Street Preaching we see all over the place? That is NOT good for the cause of Christ.
The only way to get out of a hole is to stop digging. Peter was a coward until he was filled with the Holy Spirit then he preached the gospel with boldness.
For the cause of Christ
Roger
the problem was he wasnt preaching the gospel from the few moments that i watched.
i stopped watching at around 4minutes when he was speaking to those two weirdos, one with the neck snapping and the other guy(?maybe?). cant even tell these days.
What does a word of that post have to do with where they were, and how people got to see and hear them? Or how many were there?
This depends, are you being led to preach on the street by the Holy Spirit or being led by your flesh?
Most street preachers I have seen here in the USA are nothing more than aggrandizing flesh seekers, trying to pushing Christian apologetics onto people. Most of these so called street preachers violate what Jesus said in Matt 7:6
[SUP]6 [/SUP]“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
It is then no wonder they get into screaming matches with the world and many are physically hurt. I then watch them go back to church that night and tell people how they were so persecuted for the kingdom. No sir, you got punched in the face for being in your flesh and giving holy things to dogs.
If you are led by the Holy Spirit, then it is entirely different.