WHAT IS STREET PREACHING Bro. Miguel Tantas

What is street preaching? “Street preaching” also known as “open-air preaching” ; is the public proclamation of a religious message. It is often accomplished with a voice louder than that used in conversation. (Acts 2:14 says “Peter Lifted up his voice”) For a Christian, it refers to the public proclamation of the law of God and/or the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as the public reading of God’s Word.

History Street preaching has a rich, post-apostolic age history. It has always been a part of Christianity, including : the early church fathers, the pre-reformation teachers of the Middle Ages, the reformers, the Puritans, the pastors and circuit preachers of the Great Awakening, the revivalists of the early 20th century, and the heralds on the streets around the world today.

History Some Famous preachers include: George WhitefieldGeorge Whitefield: In the mid-1700's traveled throughout America and England, preaching in parks and fields to reach out to people who normally did not attend church. John WesleyJohn Wesley : encouraged by the example of George Whitfield, Wesley began to preach out of doors to the very many people who never could or would find themselves in the Anglican Churches. William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, began preaching in the streets of England at age 23. In 1852, he became a full-time street preacher after resigning from his other ministerial duties.

Biblical Basis Are There Examples of Street Preaching in the Bible?  Jesus sat atop a hill and preached the greatest sermon ever preached -the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).  Jesus’s disciples preached on the streets in many villages (Luke 9:5-7).Luke 9:5-7  Peter preached in the open-air at Solomon’s Portico after healing the lame beggar (Acts 3:11-26).Acts 3:11-26  Paul preached the gospel to the entire city of Antioch. He was viciously heckled, yet all those whom God had appointed to be saved believed the gospel (Acts 13:44-52).Acts 13:44-52  Paul stood before the judiciary of Athens, atop of Mars Hill, and preached to the men of Athens in the open-air (Acts 17:22-34).Acts 17:22-34

Is street preaching an effective method? Street preaching, or preaching openly in a public area, has been a method used throughout the history of Christianity for the purpose of evangelizing people who would not typically enter a church. Ever since the apostle Peter preached in the streets of Jerusalem in Acts 2, Christians have used this method to lead many to faith in Christ.Acts 2 if a street preacher sees only one person come to faith as a result of his sermon—does this mean he should not have preached? It still changes eternity for that one person.

Isn’t street preaching too offensive?  Since when are Christians to reach the lost only in “inoffensive” ways?  Paul wrote that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).2 Timothy 3:12  Unless a Christian never shares his or her faith, opposition is inevitable. The goal is not to avoid offense at all costs; the goal is to avoid unnecessary offense.  The cross of Christ will always be an affront to unbelievers (1 Corinthians 1:23).1 Corinthians 1:23  The way we communicate can be adapted to the audience, but our message must remain the same.  Street preaching is simply one method to communicate Christ to those who may otherwise not hear the gospel.

What Biblical Street preaching is not.  Street preaching is proclaiming the full counsel of God which includes:  the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ to those who accept his message and  the Judgment of Christ or the wrath of the Lamb to those who reject Him.  The fact is that there are street preachers who misrepresent Christ and misrepresent other street preachers. Like street gang members in any given community, the unbiblical street preacher is the exception and not the rule. They are a minority who, unfortunately, make things miserable for the majority.

Some Cautions Be careful about associating with old friends who will influence you to go back to your old, sinful lifestyle. It is okay to talk with them about Christ. That's good! But remember that you have an enemy who wants to tempt you to sin. Be careful. Avoid "missionary dating." Sometimes a Christian guy feels "called" to date a beautiful girl "so he can witness to her" -- or vice versa. Because we are sexual beings, too often our Christian love gets mixed up with other desires, and the clarity of our testimony is lost. Be wise. Be sensitive to people. Because your values have changed relative to those of your friends, you will probably seem a little weird to them. That is understandable. But remember to love. Don't be pushy, rude, impatient, or judgmental. Remember, it is the Holy Spirit who brings people to God; it is not all up to you. Love is primary here, not "success." Don't be afraid of not knowing all the answers. No one expects you to. Just say, "I'll find out about that and then get back to you." Then ask your mentor or pastor to help you answer the question. Don't be ashamed. Sometimes we are very aware that people may look down on us as Christians. That is to be expected. Some looked down on Jesus and persecuted him, too. But that did not stop him from his mission. St. Paul says: "So don't be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God." (2 Timothy 1:8)

Questions??