I was unaware that verse was in reference to street preaching...It is written, "Many are called but only a few are chosen". Unless you've heard the voice of God speak in your mind with commands to obey, then you're not one of the few.
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I was unaware that verse was in reference to street preaching...It is written, "Many are called but only a few are chosen". Unless you've heard the voice of God speak in your mind with commands to obey, then you're not one of the few.
I was unaware that verse was in reference to street preaching...
I do forgive you.Forgive me, it wasn't intentional.
I think everyone agrees that street preaching is in the Bible. However, it does not follow that saying something about the Gospel on a street is the same as the street preaching according to the Bible. What goes by the term "street evangelism" may or may not be the same thing that we read about in the Bible.
One obvious difference is the lack of power in many street preachers of today. It is pretty clear that street preaching in the NT often was accompanied by miracles. If street evangelists regularly saw paralyzed walk, blind see and dead raised, then we would have a Biblical kind of street evangelism. I do not think any Christian would be opposed to such street evangelism.
However, if such miracles do not happen very regularly - how can we know that today's street evangelism is similar to what Jesus and the first apostles did? Maybe we only have it outward form, not its inward life and power?
Miracles are dependent upon the faith of the recipients. Jesus could do not miracles save a few small ones in his home town of Nazareth because they could not believe he was the Messiah since they saw him grow up. That knowledge of his childhood was unbelief on their part.I think everyone agrees that street preaching is in the Bible. However, it does not follow that saying something about the Gospel on a street is the same as the street preaching according to the Bible. What goes by the term "street evangelism" may or may not be the same thing that we read about in the Bible.
One obvious difference is the lack of power in many street preachers of today. It is pretty clear that street preaching in the NT often was accompanied by miracles. If street evangelists regularly saw paralyzed walk, blind see and dead raised, then we would have a Biblical kind of street evangelism. I do not think any Christian would be opposed to such street evangelism.
However, if such miracles do not happen very regularly - how can we know that today's street evangelism is similar to what Jesus and the first apostles did? Maybe we only have it outward form, not its inward life and power?
You think quite highly of yourself.There are many "Jesus" freaks out there with a sign saying the world is coming to an end. They are noisy vessels from Satan who have no idea why Jesus was used by God or all the other servants of God such as Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Job, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Peter, Timothy, Paul and me.
You think quite highly of yourself.
Miracles in of themselves to do not aid in evangelism.
Well, experience tells me it does. It might just be outside of your personal experience.
However, my point was to see what kind of street evangelism the NT shows us: There is no doubt that miracles was a big part of the street ministry of Jesus, the first Apostles, Stephen, Philip, etc. Without such signs and wonders, we cannot claim to do the same kind of street evangelism as they did. Our ministry can still be good and valid, but it is not like what the NT tells us about. This is why OP's question is very valid - and should be taken seriously
Well, experience tells me it does. It might just be outside of your personal experience.
However, my point was to see what kind of street evangelism the NT shows us: There is no doubt that miracles was a big part of the street ministry of Jesus, the first Apostles, Stephen, Philip, etc. Without such signs and wonders, we cannot claim to do the same kind of street evangelism as they did. Our ministry can still be good and valid, but it is not like what the NT tells us about. This is why OP's question is very valid - and should be taken seriously
I did not say miracles were irrelevant. I said that they do not always aid evangelism. It kept the crowd, for sure, after feeding the 5,000, but after Jesus told them they had to eat his body and drink his blood, most left him.
Of course the power of God needs to be demonstrated. Paul said that he did not preach with enticing words, but with power and demonstration of the Holy Ghost. I have seen miracles in my walk with Jesus as well.
As I said before, however, Americans have hardened hearts and would view miracles the same way Herod wanted Jesus to do miracles: for entertainment.
I agree that the miraculous was mostly done in small settings. The feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000 were clearly large groups, however.There never was large groups of people coming to see Jesus preach the Gospel of God. In fact, most of God's chosen believers that he put in the path of hearing the Gospel preached to them were very skeptical of something they never heard before. Most of the Jews were unspiritual so they couldn't understand anything that was spoken from the Gospel because it contains a lot of knowledge about the Beast that taught man how to build false gods with their human hands and all the Jews were warned NOT to build false gods by God's Jewish prophets. So they hated that knowledge coming out of the Gospel.
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.Yes that's a bold statement, especially because there are those who just love to get out there and yell at people... telling them they're headed for hell... but in my experience, no one cares.
Where I live, I don't think I have seen a single person ever approach a street preacher. I mean, not even once. I have have seen people laugh at them, but never approach.
Why do people think this is an effective means to spreading the gospel?!?
Wouldn't developing relationships be a more effective method?
Yes that's a bold statement, especially because there are those who just love to get out there and yell at people... telling them they're headed for hell... but in my experience, no one cares.
Where I live, I don't think I have seen a single person ever approach a street preacher. I mean, not even once. I have have seen people laugh at them, but never approach.
Why do people think this is an effective means to spreading the gospel?!?
Wouldn't developing relationships be a more effective method?
I agree. Street preaching on its own is a waste of time and effort. But the best street ministry I have ever seen is a team doing healing ministry on the street and seeing unbelievers getting healed. Now that has to have much more of an impact than some guy standing on a street corner babbling on to the birds and the bees.Yes that's a bold statement, especially because there are those who just love to get out there and yell at people... telling them they're headed for hell... but in my experience, no one cares.
Where I live, I don't think I have seen a single person ever approach a street preacher. I mean, not even once. I have have seen people laugh at them, but never approach.
Why do people think this is an effective means to spreading the gospel?!?
Wouldn't developing relationships be a more effective method?
I saw the video and people think street preaching is only people yelling when you can preach the gospel to strangers without yelling. It's just approaching, introducing, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ and seeing their response. If they want to talk then teach them if they want to yell do not yell back !
I had a really funny experience when I was part of a street preaching team when I was younger. There was a guy who I thought was "up himself" who thought he was a really good preacher. He was a short guy with a big nose. Anyhow, he was preaching away, and at one stage he used the expression like: "A man would think [such and such]". A heckler yelled out, "What makes you think you're a man??" I nearly collapsed with laughter. That was in 1969 and I still remember it as plain as if it happened yesterday,
Another group used to preach in a small city in New Zealand that had a square in the centre of the city. This group would preach on Sunday afternoons. For most of the time there were absolutely no people around at all. Now that was literally preaching to the birds and the bees! I believe the preachers were sincere and that the Holy Spirit would convict anyone within earshot, so they were preaching in faith, so who could criticise them for that?
But there are better ways. One outreach group I was associated with had a purpose built trailer with speakers, etc. We would go to a holiday destination and set up in an area where there were lots of people and have music items, testimonies and preaching. That was quite effective and was done in conjunction with a coffee bar ministry in a nearby building. We got a fair number of decisions for Christ that way.
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18Yes that's a bold statement, especially because there are those who just love to get out there and yell at people... telling them they're headed for hell... but in my experience, no one cares.
Where I live, I don't think I have seen a single person ever approach a street preacher. I mean, not even once. I have have seen people laugh at them, but never approach.
Why do people think this is an effective means to spreading the gospel?!?
Wouldn't developing relationships be a more effective method?
Absolutely not. Developing relationships isn't the power of God unto salvation.Wouldn't developing relationships be a more effective method?