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Open Air Preaching [video]

A

anonymous

Member
i was wondering what people thought about open air preaching, the great commission and its effectiveness.

This video is kind of rough for some, the preacher is rebuking sin. Some people seem to think this
kind of thing is wrong but I was wondering what the Bible has to say about it if anyone can provide
some useful scriptures.

 
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Open air preaching has a long and successful history, especially in the Wesleyan traditions. Both George Whitfield and John Wesley preached hundreds of outdoor sermons, bringing the gospel to millions.

Not everyone can do outdoor preaching successfully, it takes a special kind of man. Benjamin Franklin said of Whitfield that he could be heard by 30,000 people while preaching outdoors in Philadelphia. Even if that is an exaggeration, it says a lot about the power of Whitfield's voice. Franklin also said that when he went to hear Whitfield speak he determined never to take any money with him, as no matter what he had in his pocket, Whitfield would get it from him.

Most of us don't have that gift. I prefer, actually, to follow the advice attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel always, use words if necessary." Your life is your message. I earned my graduate degree at a Franciscan university, and have a great admiration for St. Francis.
 
anonymous said:
i was wondering what people thought about open air preaching, the great commission and its effectiveness.

This video is kind of rough for some, the preacher is rebuking sin. Some people seem to think this
kind of thing is wrong but I was wondering what the Bible has to say about it if anyone can provide
some useful scriptures.

Click to expand...

This is not the way to share the Gospel. This preacher isn't rebuking sin, he's screaming at the world "LOOK AT ME. LOOK AT HOW RELIGIOUS I AM".

All he's doing is making people mad. And they're not mad because they're being convicted of their sin, they're mad because some idiot is up on a box talking down to them.
 
I don't have a problem with open air preaching.
I don't have a problem with preaching that God is Holy and He will judge.
I do have a problem with how this preacher is preaching it, without the Gospel message.

She said, "Why do we have to fear Him?"
His answer, "Because He said so." Really, that's his whole answer?
She asked a question and this gave him a perfect opening to explain the truth and give Gospel verses, but he chose to go back to repeating his three judgement verses that he knew would provoke anger rather than teach her. :nonono
 
Deborah13 said:
I don't have a problem with open air preaching.
I don't have a problem with preaching that God is Holy and He will judge.
I do have a problem with how this preacher is preaching it, without the Gospel message.

She said, "Why do we have to fear Him?"
His answer, "Because He said so." Really, that's his whole answer?
She asked a question and this gave him a perfect opening to explain the truth and give Gospel verses, but he chose to go back to repeating his three judgement verses that he knew would provoke anger rather than teach her. :nonono
Click to expand...

I agree, Deborah. But, you know, that's true of every interaction with others, not just outdoor preaching. It's sad to admit, but I've know Christians so arrogant and obnoxious that they push people away.
 
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Mike S said:
I agree, Deborah. But, you know, that's true of every interaction with others, not just outdoor preaching. It's sad to admit, but I've know Christians so arrogant and obnoxious that they push people away.
Click to expand...

Mike, this is what I saw at the very being.
She asks a question, he has her attention, they are making eye to eye contact. She is not angry, just putting him on the spot. He says, "Because He says so." Then breaks eye contact with her, turns away from her, and proceeds to repeat the what he had said. He had the opportunity to give her More, to give her the bread of life. He chose not to.

I'm sorry, when I see someone preaching like this, I think of David Wilkerson, a man of courage.
His guy is a wimp, imo.
 
This is the kind of Jackass who drives people far from God.
 
anonymous said:
...the preacher is rebuking sin...
Click to expand...
No, he's not. He's judging falsely in many of the accusations he throws at people when he has no indication of any truth to them. He is angry and arrogant. He is making everyone else angry and showing hatred toward all of them instead of showing God's love. This is not sharing the gospel. Notice too, that none of the onlookers show any desire to follow Jesus from listening to him. Compare this with the results of the preaching that went on in the book of Acts, where it resulted in people giving their lives to Christ. Sadly, way to much of the street preaching that I've seen, especially those who arrogantly video tape it and put it on the internet to show off their religiosity, is much the same as what i see in this video.

As an example of some of his comments to which I'm referring which he had no indication of the truth of any of them:

"You're a child of the devil"
"You're a liar"
"You're lying to yourself"
"You don't believe in God"
"I'm making a fool out of you"
"You live a lifestyle of sin"
"You're damned"
"You just want pizza and beer"

As for scriptures, in addition to the examples of preaching and it's results in Acts:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (Matt 7:1-5 ESV)

"Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37 ESV)

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (John 7:24 ESV)

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Eph 4:29 ESV)

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." (James 1:19-20 ESV)

"A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back." (Prov 29:11 NAS)

"A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention." (Prov 15:18 ESV)
 
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So what are some scriptures that will direct me in how to open air preach to people? Or just evangelize in general.

Does anyone here have any experience open air preaching that could tell me?
 
anonymous said:
So what are some scriptures that will direct me in how to open air preach to people? Or just evangelize in general.

Does anyone here have any experience open air preaching that could tell me?
Click to expand...
It's really and truly simply called loving them and showing that you care.
 
anonymous said:
So what are some scriptures that will direct me in how to open air preach to people? Or just evangelize in general.

Does anyone here have any experience open air preaching that could tell me?
Click to expand...
I was editing my post (#10) to add scriptures while you were asking this.

I have done some open air preaching in the distant past. I don't do it anymore because it has gotten such a bad reputation due to it being done in the way it is in this video and many others. This kind of ranting, now seen by so many in this age of instant access to information, has given street preaching such a bad image that the preacher starts off with a crowd that already has a negative attitude toward him/her.

When I did this a few times, I didn't use insults, hate speech, anger, accusations, etc. I didn't stir up controversy. And I didn't do it to draw unescessary attention to myself by doing things such as standing up on a pedestal screaming into an electronic PA system when the people I was preaching too could have easily heard and seen me without these things. I preached the message of how God loves us enough to make the ultimate sacrifice to cover and pay for our sins (even all those little sins we think aren't really that bad), and all we have to do is accept it. I did it calmly. I did not argue with people. If someone confronted me with a baited question designed to trick me into a fight, I didn't take that bait, but just continued talking about the real gospel. And people accepted Christ as a result.

No one ever held up rude signs directed at me. No one ever yelled insults at me. No one ever called me any names. This lack of hate filled confrontation wasn't because I was preaching to different people. It was because I was preaching in a different way. I preached about God's good news and how it is something they really want to hear, instead of preaching hate and condemnation. We can save the "rebuking" for later, once they are saved, and once they are starting to learn how to live a Christian life and how not to live a Christian life.
 
Jesus was open air preaching here..

Mat 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
 
lord, that guy is a jerk. judgemental, rather then talk to the lady on her level then say one fears god because one loves him, i respect my dad, that is a type of fear(the word for some verses is respect). i love how he tells what sin people are doing because they simply ask him and challenge him.if one is saved, one doesn't have to fear god as he says it. ie god is waiting to judge you.oh and i have done outdoor preaching under a man. nothing like this. love the sinners.
and its not our job to condemn and judge man. i think he is a regular as those other sign holders had some idea of he was there doing that.
 
reba said:
Jesus was open air preaching here..

Mat 5:1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
Click to expand...
:thumbsup
This was the first thought that entered my mind. Want to learn how to open air preach? Read the gospels.
 
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