Productive Public Preaching

When people hear the term street evangelist, some think of men and women standing in public places shouting out Bible verses. That’s one way of reaching multitudes who might not hear the gospel otherwise. Romans 10:14 says, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” All the prophets of old as well as Jesus and the Apostle Paul preached in the marketplace. 

Unfortunately, many open-air preachers I’ve seen lack compassion and do not speak the truth in love. They preach more about God’s judgment than His mercy. Some call women “whores” because (in their opinion) they don’t wear enough clothing. Jesus didn’t talk like that to the woman caught in adultery. Rude preaching repels sinners instead of drawing them closer to God. 2 Timothy 2:24-25 says, “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth”

My mentor Nick Kinn talked about a time he approached one Bible-thumping preacher who had been doing that on the streets of Minneapolis for 27 years. Pastor Nick asked this man how many people he led to Christ with his method of ministry. He answered, “None.” James 1:20 says, “for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” It’s often been said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Normally when evangelizing I approach people one-on-one with gospel tracts. However, I’ve preached in the open square a few times…usually on the spur of the moment. One time in Washington, DC, I encountered a man sitting on a park bench blurting Scripture with a condemning tone in his voice. I also noticed some young people a few feet away listening to this man. At that moment, I felt a stirring in my spirit and hollered out loud: “Yes, God is a god of judgment but he is also a god of love...He has made a way for your sins to be forgiven so you can know for sure you will be in heaven!” After I quoted Romans 10:9, this “preacher” yelled wicked insults at me. Since I couldn’t reason with him, I walked away and resumed one-on-one evangelizing.

Another time in Charleston, South Carolina, I went to a fishing pier with three other men. There we met a Christian couple that ended up joining us in “fishing for men.” First, we sang praise songs while passing out tracts. Then I was inspired to stand on a bench and do some open-air preaching. As people walked by, I delivered a short message emphasizing the love of God and explained why none of us are good enough to go to heaven. Later that year in New York City, I was walking through the Times Square area and ran into a group of Christians open-air preaching. They let me have the microphone for a few minutes.
Recently I've studied YouTube videos of various open-air preachers especially those who engage people in conversations instead of just preaching at them. Ray Comfort (pictured above) uses clever tactics such as asking trivia questions and giving away stuff to attract a crowd. Then he focuses on ministering to one person at a time standing on a box. Although I don’t agree with some of his teachings, I like how Ray handles hecklers without demeaning them and avoids being distracted from the main mission: showing sinners why they need a savior.

If you’re willing to go outside your comfort zone and do some open-air preaching, find someone to partner with so you can take turns ministering and keep each other covered in prayer. But always remember…it’s Christ’s love (and not finger-pointing with a faultfinding attitude) that draw sinners to Him.

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” - John 3:17

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Toking the Ghost Revisited

Image
Back in February 2007, a fellow missionary I was traveling with started talking about “smoking the weed from heaven.”   He would pretend to have a joint of marijuana between his fingers and have “smoke breaks with Jesus.”   He also encouraged other believers to take “hits.”   I was a bit uncomfortable with this idea but didn't contest it. Then in October of that year, I heard John Crowder preach on “toking the Ghost” at a church in my hometown of Fargo, North Dakota.   I was inspired to make a video with John to share with my missionary friend.   During the filming, I experienced much laughter. I decided to make the video public figuring other people might enjoy it also. Two weeks later at a church in Minnesota, I heard Benjamin Dunn share testimonies of people getting healed from “toking the Ghost.”   This was just before he and John Crowder started ministering together.   I believed this was God confirming His word in the mouth of two or three witnesses.  
Read more

The Gospel Soul Winning Script

Image
During my early days with evangelism, I developed an approach called the Survey Technique . By asking short direct questions, you can maintain control of the conversation and find out quickly what a person’s spiritual beliefs are. Although the Survey Technique has helped me lead thousands to the Lord, I’m still open to utilizing new methods in reaching people with the gospel. Rodney Howard-Browne 's ministry uses a tool called the Gospel Soul-Winning Script , which originated during their Good News New York campaign in 1999. I became familiar with it a few years later during evangelism outreaches with Rodney’s church in Tampa, Florida. At first, I resisted using the script. I found it restrictive and thought sinners wouldn’t be receptive to me reading the whole thing to them. Then while taking part in a 2009 outreach with Rodney’s ministry in Washington, D.C., my team leader asked me to “stick with the script.” Wanting to maintain unity, I complied with his request. Initially it fe
Read more

A Tribute to Al Best

Image
October is Pastor Appreciation Month. This tribute is for one who went home to be with the Lord last Sunday. Al Best oversaw Light in Anoka Church in a northern suburb of Minneapolis. Originally from Florida, Al first gave his life to the Lord at 17 but then backslid. Meanwhile, he served 21 years in the Navy and worked various jobs. That included selling Rainbow vacuum cleaners. I would eventually get to know his sales manager. Eric Gonyon became an associate pastor at Rodney Howard-Browne ’s church (I usually attend services there when in Tampa).  A few years after recommitting his life to the Lord, Al became a pastor. In 2007, the Lord directed him to head north to Minnesota, where his wife Jean is from. First, they ministered in the small town of Dassel. What started as a youth mission transitioned into regular services for all ages. Then in 2016, Al and Jean moved to Anoka to take on a church originally called New Day Fellowship. To counter the city’s motto as the “Halloween Ca
Read more