Why do street preachers use harsh ways to evangelise?

[raybo]

Thank you south bound for helping to steer the topic back on track to street preaching.
Heaven help us!
Some of the stuff, Aaaaarrrrggghhh! I mean why when sin is mentioned we immediately think of all the bad stuff we done/do?
I mean in the OT it was a sin to have dandruff or a menstrual cycle or even sitting on a piece of furniture someone had made love on within the past three days!

Praise Jesus that He came to abolish our sins and that we can walk blameless before Him.
Anyway back on track.

Ten years ago we did street evangelism encouraged by our home group for a season. We tried the noise and warnings of hell but got no favourable support from anybody let alone the church but when we decided to pray together in the spirit for one and a half hours before we went out the Lord would give us pictures or words for people or people's faces. This would prepare us for who the Lord would have already picked out for us to speak to and pray for.
This took most of the effort and dead work away so that we could freshly minister to who the Holy Spirit had for us.

Thought I would share this with you.

 

[RDKirk]

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them-- John 6
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. -- Ephesians 1
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. -- Romans 8

These verses tell me that out in the world there are people who are the Elect. I'm not going 'way to the end of the Calvinists, but I'm going to put in this way:

Evangelism is not "cold calling." Nobody who has been elect--called and enabled by the Father--is going to hell. Hell is not that person's destiny, it has never been in that person's destiny.

We evangelize to find people who are already saved...but don't know it yet. God knows who they are, but we and they don't know who they are.

Those are the people we are evangelizing to, thus it's a lie to say that any of the people who can and will respond to the gospel are currently bound for hell.

Be sure to catch this: Nobody whose name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life before creation has ever been destined for hell, and nobody else can respond to the gospel, so the gospel should never state, "You're going to hell." That's not the gospel--that's condemnation and from Satan, who is the accuser.

When any evangelist preaches hell, not only is he speaking to the wrong people but he's also speaking the words of the Accuser, not the words of the Savior. The Savior used those words to people He knew (because He knows) were not enabled by the Father.

I have told this story before in these forums. I know a woman who had been a prostitute. Street preachers had pointed her out in the crowd and told her she was going to hell for her sins numerous times. She had accepted that: "Going to hell when I die. Not that this life's so great now. Oh, well. Gotta go make some money."

Now, I've heard this testimony from both sides, from the preacher and from the woman. Our church had decided to start a street ministry to the prostitutes. On the first Saturday night, they stopped at the corner in their van, set up their lectern on the sidewalk, and preached for about two hours.

As they were packing to leave, a prostitute--that particular woman--walked up to the preacher and actually poked her finger into his chest, demanding, "That stuff you were saying about 'if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation and the old is gone'...is that the truth?"

He assured her it was the truth, and that was all she needed to hear. The preacher told me (this was some time later) that later the group of them compared memories to determine when the woman had started listening. They realized that she had been around during the entire sermon--just at the periphery of earshot, never appearing to be paying attention...but never actually walking away.

She had already been enabled, and just needed to hear Christ's actual gospel, which is good news, not bad news.

 

[raybo]

I have not twisted anything. Scripture makes it clear that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. As Christians we walk in the light but we are not without sin, and the Truth is not in anyone who claims to be without sin. Paul wrote that he continued to do that which he should not do. We do not just sin "by mistake." Usually we know exactly what we are doing.

You asked me to tell you what sins I commit. Now, I confess my sins to God, not you, but I'll tell you that my biggest sin is gluttony. I'm about 25 pounds overweight. That isn't a mistake on my part, I didn't take that extra helping at dinner by mistake, I knew what I was doing. I think that particukar sin is one that many American Christians have problems with because so many of us are overweight. I exercise, I try not to overeat, but the weight remains. But I go to God and ask for forgiveness and strength, and God says Archivist, you are forgiven.

Anyone who says that they do not sin except by mistake is deceiving themselves. When you look at that attractive girl in a bikini with lust, when you become angry at the driver who cut you off in traffic, when you don't forgive someobe who harmed you or a friend or family member, it is all sin. There is a saying that Christians aren't perfect just forgiven, and that is so true.

Archivist, O how true, I agree with you
For he who says he is without sin is a liar.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Accodding to the OT law it was sin to have dandruff, it was sin to have a menstrual cycle, it was sin to sit on furniture that someone had made love on within a few days.
Hellfire and brimstone is definitely there prepared for satan and his demons and many souls who reject the message of the cross and those who decide to put themselves there.
But we who are dead in Christ and made alive by His Spirit escape the flames of eternal damnation.
Grace! Grace!
Yes, we sin. But we have an advocate with the Father who continually makes intercession on our behalf, Jesus.
The love of the Father, He loves us.
The Father heart of God is for His children.
He loves to reveal his mercy and grace to those who admit they are sinners and sinners saved by grace.
Religious fear does not come from Him.
Grace would no longer be grace.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Rude street preacher ignore Matthew 7 on giving away God's grace and speaking... They must be converted entirely by fear of God themselves and not love or wisdom. They endanger our freedom of speech.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

Sounds like you're describing John the Baptist!

That was my thought.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

YES! Why was Yochanan the immerser [John the baptist] BEHEADED ?

AND! Why were the ones YHWH SENT , frequently crucified or martyred ?

Weren't they all nice and quiet and peaceful ?

 

[Uncle Tommy]

John the Baptist preached the need to repent of ones sins- he only ever spoke harshly to the Pharisees, because he knew they came to him without sincerity.

We know he spoke harshly to the Pharisees we do not know that they are the only one's he spoke harshly to. He spoke harshly to Herod and many if not most scholars do not believe Herod to have been a Pharisee.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

I think sometimes ppl object to streetpreachers, not because of faults with them, but because of their message which they don't like at all.

Agreed, a lot of people do not like to be told that they are sinners in need of redemption or reconciliation with the Father.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

Rude street preacher ignore Matthew 7 on giving away God's grace and speaking... They must be converted entirely by fear of God themselves and not love or wisdom. They endanger our freedom of speech.

Sharing the Gospel is never rude, so long as it is actually the Gospel.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

Dear TaiKamiya. Jesus told us to love and care, anyone who does not treat others as he or she would love to be treated, is ignoring our Lord`s Commandment to LOVE. We can either pray for them and ignore their words, or treat them with love and compassion, and try to reach them somehow. Tell them with love, to read Matthew 22: 35-40:to read what Jesus wants us to do: Love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and treat them as we would love to be treated. It is very obviously wrong to do what some are doing, we can only pray and ask God to teach them to LOVE and CARE.
Why do street preachers act without love? We can only hope they do not know the power of love, and behave as Satan leads them to believe. Let us fight them with love and compassion. I say this with love, TaiKamiya. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

What exactly did the street preacher do that was unloving? There are many ways to preach the Gospel and one of those ways is to warn the unrepentant of their future.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

What they're preaching may be true, but they're saying it in a way and under a situation that is going to make the message lose its credibility.

The individual may not be credible but the message (The Gospel or at least part of it) never loses it's credibility. I've know more than a dozen educated legitimately ordained street preachers. Whether this man is educated and licensed or ordained I do not know but his message is not incorrect. It seems to be a bit incomplete but it is correct.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

God does not use fear to draw people in. If your preaching hell fire and brimstone or fear then the effect will be to push people away from God. They simply do not believe that God goes around harming people. Most believe that God is good.

Simply not true, I know more than a few who became Christians because of hell fire and brimstone sermons. We all start our journey in different ways. Many of these folks are far along on their paths and are loving accepting Christians. I know I was brought to Christ through a hell fire sermon by my best friend who is not licensed or ordained to preach.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

It's my opinion that most Street Preachers are really preaching for themselves and not for God. Most street preachers I've seen are narcissistic ego driven bible thumpers delighting in telling everyone around them how wrong they are.

Most street preaching messages I've seen are negative with all the "you shall burn in hellfire you sinners" sorta undertones.

Similarly, most street preaching I've seen loves to make laundry lists of all the wrongs and sins people are committing.

What I would like to see is Street Preachers being more positive, more supportive, showing more of how good can help you in the here and now. I feel like 1 in 3 street preachers I've seen do this, but 2 of 3 do what I described above.

Obviously my numbers aren't scientific, just my personal experiences. How do my numbers fair with everyone else's observations of street preachers???

And some people respond to those who you consider negative. The street preachers are there for them. As for your numbers. I have known a number of street preachers and without using your labels of positive and negative I would agree with you if the labels were changed to aggressive and passive.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

Many of the people I've met who evangelized like that appeared to be of low intelligence, puffed up with pride, and not quite right in the head so I think they probably have mental problems or were brainwashed into believing a hateful perversion of the gospel due to their low intelligence or it appealed to them because of their pride. They remind me of the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14 who looked down at everyone and thanked God he wasn't like those other sinners.

What about what he is quoted as saying is a perversion of the Gospel? You may not like the delivery but from the OP the preacher didn't preach anything incorrect.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

Sharing the Gospel is never rude, so long as it is actually the Gospel.

If you read Matthew 7, the whole chapter has a message on being careful in speech, for yourself, careful with the golden rule for others as you give the promise of God away, the grace, living water... So we are to give with the care that led to us receiving Christ... and proper prophecy and fruits. It ends with describing this as a rock foundation that will last. It is a chapter for evangelists.

 

[Uncle Tommy]

That really doesn't change the fact that the Gospel is never rude. Or perhaps I am misunderstanding you. And in case you didn't notice above I was led to Christ through one of those hell-fire and brimstone sermons. There is a place for them.

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

That really doesn't change the fact that the Gospel is never rude. Or perhaps I am misunderstanding you. And in case you didn't notice above I was led to Christ through one of those hell-fire and brimstone sermons. There is a place for them.

I have see on youtube a Texan, I think, soap box preacher half mocking Muslims to convert them.
Some people turn at warning preaching so reverence. Others love, others wisdom... I had a friend I persuaded to go to church but she could not stand the way of the master methods but preferred mine.

 

[smithed64]

I've been out and done street ministry. It's not suppose to be who can better who or who is right and who is wrong.
It's loud, yeah, there is a reason for that. Your trying to talk to people cold, there may be a crowd and your trying to get their attention. You can speak loud or use some sort of Attention grabber.
Even hecklers have their place in the ministry. I'd trade one pious child of God, for a good ol fashioned heckler, for just a sec of course. Because hecklers can draw a crowd.
You keep witnessing.
You following the plan Christ did, when asked how to be saved, you never once read Him saying, "Here, pray this prayer and everything will be alright"
You do see Him, ask, have you honored your mother and father, have you killed anyone, do you hate your brother. He's even told a women that she'd lived with man who wasn't here husband and she been married five times before. A woman by Jewish standards He shouldn't have even been talking to.
He said "thou knowest from the days of old 'thou shalt not commit adultery', but I day unto you that if a man looks at a woman with lust has committed adultery in his heart already."
He first went to the law, not to condemn, because that's not what He came for. But to show people that they have sin In their life and that preaching the cross to people is considered foolishness, to some. It's considered foolishness to some, because they don't understand the why behind it.
He used the law, as we should because just as the writer of Romans put it in Ro 7:7...I had not known sin, but by the law...
Paul says in Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
It's simple, for example, Let's say you have a flat tire on the way to work, you do your thing, change the tire and then head on in to work. You get there and people are talking to you and their rubbing there face, some are giggling, some think that you haven't had a bath, but no one comes to tell you anything, except hello. Then a stranger comes up to you and says, "uh,, hello, you have some dirt smudged across your cheek." Now you don't believe him, why? cause none of your friends said anything to you about it. and you tell this to the stranger. The stranger, doesn't walk away and shrug his/her shoulders they turn you around to face a mirror that's on the wall behind you and there you see the dirt smudge on your face. You being a bit embarrassed and maybe a little upset at your friends, rush to the restroom to clean up.
Now that's what the law is. It's a mirror, we hold up to ourselves and others to say, Hey, you got some dirt in there. I know you think your right, about the way your living. But the scriptures tell us that the way of man thinks that he is right, but that way leads to death.
Now, if the stranger had walked up and just started telling you how you should go to the bathroom, how to wet the rag and how to wash your face, and how great water was for cleaning your body. You'd probably just walk away from him/her thinking that was some crazy talk and you know that water helps keep you clean.
That's why you don't give the gospel to the proud.
Law to the proud and Grace to the humble.

I'll be the first to admit, there are some people out there who don't have a clue and are just wrong in the way they spread the message. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Even using the law.

1 Tim 1:8-9
8. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully'
9. Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners...

On the spiritual side of it, and how it helps you to grow in Christ. It's amazing. No fear, you realize that when rejection comes that they aren't rejecting you...they are rejecting Christ. But they hear the truth and that's what matters.

 

[Uber Genius]

I just went on a vacation to Washington DC. When I got to see the White House for the very first time in my life, I saw this crazy guy with a bullhorn and signs saying things like "Repent or Perish" and "God is going to judge you", screaming about Hell, judgement, things like how people loved their sin and how God wants them to change their ways. He was standing above the crowd in front of the White House shouting and ranting at the crowd around them. He also saying if they died tonight and they did not turn from their sins, he said that God is going to remind them of how he sent him to warn them and they ignored him. Then he said something like, "You're going to be cooked like chicken in hell if you don't Repent!!!"

That guy kinda disturbed my time at the White House. What that guy was doing was NOT a good way to evangelise because he was turning off people. I do evangelise but, unlike that rude street preaching guy I saw in DC who shouts at people, I walk to a person or a group of people and gently tell him/her/them about Christ and my church. What's the issue with these street preachers and why do they feel it's the best way to get people to Christ?

One can ask, is that representing the Christ I know personally, or the one revealed through the scriptures? In both cases the answer is "No!"

However, why they do it may be nothing more than an intellectual immaturity where they say, "Golly, this is what's in all the Old Hollywood movies represented great preachers like Billy Sunday."

Similarly, Kurt Cameran and the Banana man seem to have developed a system for witnessing called, "The Way of The Ma-nipulator!" Here our Aussie friend plays little word games and tricks to manipulate people into misstating something. It is intellectual and emotionally immature as well as disrespectful of the individuals. Bravo, cause after all God doesn't respect or care about people, just their blond obedience, opps "my bad," that's Satan.

The second group, common To Midwest Big Ten Campuses are the "I have never sinned once since coming to Christ 40 years ago crowd." They are fond of condemnation and often reverberate with a chorus of "harlots, and Whoremongers."

These are not just intellectually and emotionally undeveloped but they do the work of their Father the Devil. Don't just pray when encountering them, but prey on their misrepresentations! Make them out to be fools and liars. Remember Paul's encounter with a fortune-teller who kept disturbing his presentation of the gospel. She was telling people that Paul that Paul was right. But Paul knew it was a disrupting spirit.

So too these false preachers drive people away and present a tautology (Christ came so you would stop sinning, those who don't sin are therefore Christians) or salvation by works righteousness.

Destroy these demonically inspired ideas. If you have the biblical, rhetorical, and philosophical background, debate them using their own Bible verse as knockdown defeaters. If you don't yet possess those skills hopefully you are new to being a Christian rather than lazy of complacent. Then work the crowd, or your friends who are with you.

"I've been a Christian for over 10 years, and that doesn't sound like Christianity to me," you might say.

Listen to other people who are offended. They will let you jump in using the old my enemy's enemy is my friend routine. "Do you think Jesus would have been welcomed to Jerusalem as coming King and messiah if he sounds like this guy?" You could ask.

Point is same as the eight rule of fight club:

"8th RULE: If this is your first night at FIGHT CLUB, you HAVE to fight."

Don't just stand there feeling uncomfortable, pick a fight for Jesus! Destroy all the ideas raised up against the knowledge of Christ. Best of luck.

 

[jimmyjimmy]

This thread has proven what I already knew, but am still shocked to see. Not many Christians know what the gospel is.