DALLAS - The city of Dallas is being invaded, by a group of nearly 500 street preachers spreading the word.
Street preaching, never entirely embraced by traditional evangelical churches, has been gaining in popularity, said David Allen, the dean of the theology school at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth.
Most evangelicals take their biblical cue from a passage in the Book of Matthew known as The Great Commission, Allen said. In it, Jesus Christ tells followers to "make disciples of all nations ... and teach them to obey everything that I have commanded."...
I have to think an irritating street preacher in Knoxville TN was one of the ways God convicted me I was a lost sinner on the way to hell. All the wonderful Christians who went to their fine Churches Sunday after Sunday had virtually no impact on my life but that man who publically talked about sin and judgment and hell got me where I lived - in sin and the guilt of sin. This man and others who preach open air certainly did not present sterile comfortable Christianity of your own scholarly convience. As to invasions, messing with someone elses life that is exactly what the Holy Spirit does sinners who love their sin are simply not line up begging Christ to save them from their sins and hell but through the convicting preaching of Christ God in His Sovereign Power and Will can bring them to just that.
I am only glad that Paul, Peter, Stephen and the other apostles didnt stay in their upper room studying their theology and instead "hit the streets", as Jesus himself did, and made converts, and followers and eventually the church itself. Jesus said 'follow me and I will make you fishers of men' , if your not going out 'fishing for men' how do you know your following Christ. By the way, Charles Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, are just a few of the "street preachers" who made a great impact for the Kingdom of God. Many, many people today never visit churches or read the Bible or take theology courses, the only way they will hear the Gospel is if someone goes out to where they are and preaches to them. Praise God for the men and women who wont let people slip into the fires of Hell without doing everything they can to seek and save that which is lost. To end, I will Quote Charles Spurgeon "One of the earliest things a minister should do when he leaves college and settles in a country town or village is to begin open-air speaking. No sort of defense is needed for preaching out of doors, but it would need very potent arguments to prove that a man had done his duty who has never preached beyond the walls of his meeting place" - Charles H. Spurgeon
Please do some historical research and you will see that taking the Gospel to the streets is not only calling individuals, but nations to holiness. I have more respect for street preachers than I do pew warmers (regardless of how educated they may be)who do nothing more than plan ways to comfortably pass the time before they are either dead or raptured!
Also, please do a web search on the Scottish Covenanters and you will learn just how the LORD used street preaching to draw an entire nation to Himself and turn the world upside down!
My, Fuzzy Logic, how spiritual you are. With your purity and holiness, I'm sure that God has rewarded the purity of your doctrine and undoubtedly you're constantly being used by Him to lead people to Christ. If only these irritating Street Preachers would stay at home and read sound doctrine and be very spiritual, there'd be no embarrasment and millions would come to Christ.
After all, we all know that salvation is by sound doctrine alone.
Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.
"'Success is pleasing God. If no one stopped to listen and God was pleased it would still be a success," street preacher Avery Peterson said.'"
No, holiness pleases God and honours His Son. The mark of a true Christian is humility--not imposing arrogance.
"Organizers of the group call it an invasion because they believe Christians need to be more aggressive."
Invasion indeed. But no one can force the Spirit to move. The Holy Spirit invades sinners who in turn learn of the Gospel first, then live practically under and with the "invaded" gentle Spirit of God. Then some may be called to preach.
One must learn to be a disciple FIRST before he can disciple others.
"At the boot camp, would-be street preachers learn to overcome fears of public speaking, to engage people in conversation and to preach in an "inoffensive and Biblical way," Rundus said."
The main difference in a man-centered religion exposed. The gifts of the Spirit is just that--a gift that is to be received. But the gift is to be given back to God in true Christian service--which is holy living. A person cannot make himself better, in other words. He must rely on God.
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Rev Ian Brown | 4/10/2009
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