Street Preaching

Christ will judge each man's service so I cannot make a wholesale judgment on the matter since there is no clear prohibition or command to communicate the gospel in this manner.

However, as for me and my conscience before the Lord, I do not practice it because of a number of principles I believe it fails to meet with regard to the nature of our engagement in our current culture. However, if I ever found myself in a cultural context in which this form of communication was recognized and practiced within the normative cultural range, I would be more than willing to do so.

The command to preach does not prescribe the style or method of proclamation. It can take the form of street preaching but as I said, street preaching itself is neither commanded or prohibited. As to the norms of the culture, it is not the norms with respect to their values to which I refer but the norms by which they receive the spoken word, those normal contexts. And the examples of Mark and Acts of the preaching were rather normative. Public proclamations were common and the social structure for such gatherings was less formal that today, for example, and in fact was for the first century and well into this century until the last hundred years or so.

jwolf,

I have to agree with Alex. I have never found street preaching very effective. I believe it is more honoring and glorifying to God to meet lost people and give the Gospel. I think it is better to give the Gosepl to those whom we know. I have been doing this for a while, and now am finally seeing God bless this greatly.

There are many who will talk to strangers about the Gospel but have no interest in talking to people they know, or worse, they don't take time to meet lost people.

I have no problem giving the Gospel to people I don't know, and I do it all the time too. But couple of points. First the Gospel is offensive- telling someone they are a totally lost sinner who has no hope on their own but their only hope is turning and trusting a holy Savior is offensive. But we don't have to be offensive in how we give it not should we be. If most people in our culture are turned off by street preaching (and in my experience they are) then find a way to give them the Gospel individually. I use tracts often with strangers. I engage them in conversations and turn it to the Gospel.

Secondly, you seemed to completely ignore my other point. I do witness to strangers, but many in our circles don't engage witht the lost for the Gospel sake. I knew a pastor who knocked on 500 doors a year in his small town and did not know his neighbors. He never did anything to try to get to know them for the sake of the Gospel....He knew no one in town. IMHO, that is wicked, and therefore dishonors God.

Nope, he didnt live in Anderson. That is actually pretty common among those who do door to door. When a pastor friend of mine led his church away from Door to Door and more towards the approach that I am advocating, it raised concerns. One man in the church said he believed the church was no longer involved in evangelism. When the pastor said he wanted them to get involved in their community. The man responded, "pastor, I don't even know my neighbors." Sad commentary

Question for John

Firstly: I'm pre-mill, pre-trib so we are on the same page. I believe that these two witnesses will prophecy in the tribulation period.

Now the question: What do you mean by "God ordains street preaching"?

Street Preaching is one of those things that be done properly or wrongly. I have seen it both ways.
The issue is not to be taken pragmatically, but Scripturally. Personally, I wouldn't consider what George Whitefield did as "street preaching," because thousands of people flocked to see him. He would announce his intentions, or it would become known that he was in the area, and the demand from the people to hear him preach would come.
I believe in street preaching. It is a great method to plow up the hardened ground in lost peoples' hearts, if done properly. It is a great method to plant the seed of the word of God in someone's heart, if done properly.
I think too many preachers have made their little kingdom a little "god" and they spend too much time administrating rather than preaching. There are many preachers who could draw a crowd in a downtown area, or on a college campus if they would just get out there and do it. I think Acts 6 makes it clear that the deacons were to take up all the menial tasks so that the preacher could do what God called him to do - preach!
I also think that too many preachers are repulsed by the idea because of the reproach it brings. We have become too cultured and vain in our own opinions of ourselves. Street Preaching gives you a front row view of what the world REALLY thinks about Jesus Christ and the Bible. (Hint: their opinion is NOT very high!) When they are confronted with the gospel on THEIR turf, their attitude and reception is a little less than warm, to say the least.
Preacher get so accustomed to being in an atmosphere where everyone supports them (i.e. in church), that they lose the perspective of how bad things really are. STreet preaching puts you right there smack dab in the middle of the lost world's territory, and the REAL attitude towards Christ and His Holy word is revealed. Preachers aren't used to that anymore, and have forgotten what a reproach it is to name the name of Christ.

I think it was Spurgeon who said something like this: "If you are unwilling to preach the gospel out of doors without a pulpit, you are unworthy to preach it behind a pulpit."

My 2 cents!

In Christ,