Street Preaching

On top of the regular preaching out in public on the streets of Lowell and Grand Rapids, Bible Believers Church has gone to preach the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and to rebuke sin at some of the area's local events.

Josh preaching at the 2008 Frankenmuth Snowfest

Nick preaching at the 2008 Frankenmuth Snowfest

Nick preaching during the 2008 Ann Arbor Hash Bash

Objections to Street Preaching Answered

We that are involved in “publick ministry” are often asked why we do what we do. It seems to be a strange thing to see a man standing on the street corner “yelling his fool head off”. There are a few objections that folks (mostly from self-proclaimed Christians) have. Here are a few:

1. “You preaching on the street is not the right way to reach people”

Well, we can not agree with such a statement. The first thing, Jesus in Mark 16:15 simply commanded us to “Go and preach the gospel to every creature”. If you think about it, we are standing and proclaiming the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to a crowd of people that would otherwise turn the radio off (if they heard preaching on the radio) or, slam the door in your face if you try to go to their house and preach Jesus. Tracts are good, but they can be thrown away without anyone reading them.

How about giving glory to God by merely trusting Him that He will, through the Holy Spirit, take the words of God that are preached by us and “accomplish that which (He) pleases, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto (He) sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). You see, that's a promise from God Almighty that it will be his business to do what he will with the words of God. We merely are to preach them.

2. “You'll scare people away”

Scare them where? To Hell number two? Since they're not “darkening the door” of any church anyway, how does one figure that what we're doing will “scare them away”?

3. “It's not an effective method”

Okay, since you say that it's not effective, (by the way, do you have proof that it's not effective?) is it by seeing the hearts of people or is it merely your opinion? - Fair question, eh? You want to know the truth? We're not responsible for it's effectiveness. We are only commanded to “go”.

I would ask you: “Okay, what is effective and are you doing it sir or ma'am?

Look, when we go out and preach the gospel to unsaved folks (it doesn't make sense to keep preaching to saved folks in your church house, does it?), they hear the words of God (which Jesus says are life and it is by them that we are quickened - John 6:63) and they are warned to “flee from the wrath to come”. Perhaps in the quietness of the night in bed, after hearing the gospel earlier that day, he will ponder what he had heard and be forced to do something with Jesus Christ. You see, God will, through his Holy Spirit, take the words of God and make them real and alive to the hearer. Romans 10:17 says " So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God".

4. “Keep it in the church!”

A popular bit of advice that we hear out there... Why would we preach to those in the church? A church is made up of saved people only! Why would we tell people about Jesus that already know Jesus (and are known of Jesus also)? Why is it that pastors of churches are constantly telling the saints how to be saved when they and the saints ought to be telling the world out there instead?

On the same note, the popular “method” that many Christians insist that we do is to “invite folks to church”. Not only is this unscriptural, it is potentially dangerous to allow the unsaved and unregenerate to believe that they're welcome to dwell with saved people. All this does is make the church into a “mixed multitude”. You've said to the Devil, “c'mon in and make yourself at home, old boy”. The Lord God commands that we “purge out the old leaven”. He told the children of Israel time and time again to separate from the heathen round about and not to have them in the camp.

In a way, Billy Sunday and others in the past have done Christianity a disservice by getting us used to bringing folks to a “meeting” in order to hear the gospel. How about “eliminating the middleman” and giving it to them yourself? What, do you think the “man of God” has the “gift of gab” or something? If you know you're weak, well... God uses the “weak things of this world” rather than Professor Divine or Dr. Reverend. They have an appearance of power but are rather just “windbags” that love their own positions, titles, etc.

No sir, we're to take the gospel out to a world that doesn't want to hear it and proclaim it anyway. Read the book of Acts - they went all over and preached the gospel. Mark 16:20 says: “And they went forth, and preached everywhere“.

5. “ Where are your results?”

Well, where are yours? The beautiful thing is that we, as God's ministers are not responsible for results. Again, we are just told to preach. We aren't even commanded to be “soulwinners”, but rather the bible states that there is a special blessing in being that soulwinner. By the way, what do you think a soulwinner is? Is it someone who “talks” a person into accepting Christ? Is it merely the skill of salesmanship or is it God's pleading with a man's spirit? Of course we have to speak, but we're only the other “witness” (2 Corinthians 13:1) along with the Holy Ghost. We would contend that the Lord God is the “Soulwinner”.

You'll ask, “How many souls have you lead to Christ?” Well, all of them, of course. What they actually do with him is their business and not ours.

The LORD told the prophet (preacher) Ezekiel in Ezekiel chapters 2 and 3 to go a prophesy to people who He says won't listen to him. Did you get that? God is commanding his preacher to preach to folks who aren't going to hear anyway. We contend that the preacher who goes and preaches to those who are rejecting truth, it is actually a form of judgment unto them. Ezekiel 22:2 says: “Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations”.

Unto those who will hear, we are the “savour of life unto life” and unto those who reject we are the “savour of death unto death” (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). You see, it's God's will that we are a “stink” and an “offense” to the wicked. We bear the Holy Spirit and God uses us to reprove the unjust and warn the wicked of judgment to come (John 16:8).

6. “Your approach is not loving”

This just about makes you want to spue. The Bible teaches time after time such things like “open rebuke is better than secret love” (Proverbs 27:5). It's genuine love in a man that warns and reproves his neighbor of something he's doing that is harmful (such as going to Hell). See Ezekiel 3:17-21.

Sure, telling a person they're headed for Hell if they don't “repent and believe the gospel” may hurt their feelings, but we're told that “godly sorrow worketh repentance...” (2 Corinthians 7:10). Paul said: “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? (Galatians 4:16).

The “Hyles crowd” claims to “win thousands and thousands to Christ” with their “method” but why is it that in Gary, Indiana, which is right next door to Hammond Baptist Church, been named year after year the “murder capital of the USA”? Publick rebuke is not part of their method, I'm afraid. They also have a problem with folks like us preaching and reproving on the streets.

Look folks, it's really that simple... God just says “go” - even when they won't listen. If you're not willing to go, you're just as rebellious as those that to refuse to hear the gospel. People aren't coming to us - we have to go to them... That is God's plan. Your “plan” is not better than God's. You are most likely too cowardly to stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ and take up your cross like Jesus told us to do. We all at times need boldness and you can have it, if you would just ask for it. In Acts 4:29-31, the church asked the Lord for boldness and guess what, he gave them some!

The benefits of publick preaching

Hey, pastor, how about all of the positive “side effects” that publick ministry will give you?

1. It keeps the unsaved from wanting to join the local church.

Those who would “creep in unawares”, passing themselves off as Christians and messing things up, (church splits, scandals, etc.) wouldn't want to stick their necks out for the Lord and you know that. It tends to “separate the men from the boys”.

2. It keeps the city ministerial association from asking you to become a member.

They aren't going to even think of having you around to convict their hearts of the dismally poor work they've done for Jesus.

3. It shows the world out there real, genuine Christianity.

It says to folks that you really care about their souls and when that person is going through a terrible time of trouble in their life, they'll remember you caring enough to bring them the words of life. Brother, how much do you care about hurting souls? "And of some have compassion, making a difference” (Jude 22).

4. It provokes others to emulation (Romans 11:14).

Other Christians will see you being "doers of the word and not hearers only" and want to do something rather than being "pew warmers for Jesus".

5. It keeps church members from fighting one another

Christians will be too busy contending with those without (read the Book of Acts... The church contended daily with lost folks).

In conclusion...

Prove yourself spiritually as a man (or woman) by getting out from within the four walls of the church building. Exalt the Lord Jesus Christ publickly by holding up a sign, passing out tracts and loudly preaching His unsearchable riches.

The Lord Jesus Christ preached publickly, art thou better than He?

Bible Believers In GR Free Press

Evangelism comes in many shapes, colors

Saturday, September 15, 2007

By Charles Honey

The Grand Rapids Press

A more bizarre scene I have not seen in Grand Rapids. It could have been out of a Fellini movie.

Saturday night, Celebration on the Grand: A classic-rock band plays on Rosa Parks Circle. Nearby, break-dancers cut their best moves and a belly dancer undulates for a crowd.

Across Pearl Street, directly in front of Mojo's bar-restaurant, a man stands on a platform and preaches about heaven and hell -- nonstop and loudly.

"The choice is yours, my friend!" Curt Benjamin shouts, as bar patrons booze and boogie just behind him. "God offers the way to eternal life!"

He's flanked by two guys holding placards with Bible verses. Directly in front of him, a stoic guy with a cigarette holds a hand-scrawled piece of cardboard that reads, "Jesus also turned water into wine."

The curious gather around. Is this cigarette dude with them or not? Definitely not.

"Even this mocker can be saved!" Benjamin yells, pointing at Dustin Posthuma.

Nonbelievers

Welcome to interfaith dialogue, West Michigan-style.

Turns out, Posthuma spontaneously assumed his post to question Benjamin's message. As he put it later, "I was just putting a speed-bump in what they were doing."

A physics student at Grand Rapids Community College, Posthuma does not believe in God, though "that's cool if you need that." But he is down on organized religion -- especially this kind.

"People who stand on the street corner and scream at you (or) strap a bomb on themselves in the name of God -- it's that type of religion that bothers me," says Posthuma, 21. "It's the same thing, at a different level."

The street preachers say Posthuma has the right to stand there -- but they fear for his soul.

"That's what the devil wants, is for people to question the Bible," says Joshua Langdon, 25.

Langdon is an elder and preacher with Bible Believers Church, a Lowell fellowship of about 25 believers. Every Wednesday they preach in downtown Lowell, then knock on doors and hand out tracts.

About a dozen of them went to Celebration on the Grand last weekend, preaching first at the Gerald R. Ford Museum. They also preached downtown on July 4.

World reactions

They expect and accept ridicule. John 15:19 tells them, "I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."

"We believe in a real heaven and a real hell," says Langdon, a Spectrum Health ER nurse, sitting in a wing of Dery Physical Therapy where they worship. "A love of people's souls drives us to tell them the one and only way to heaven, which is the blood of Jesus Christ."

A banner behind him shows people rejoicing in heaven and burning in flames. Says his father, Dr. Mike Langdon, "We want people to think about where they're going to spend eternity."

An urgent care physician for Spectrum, Mike spreads the word with yard signs as well as street preaching. He says helping people in Christ's name is one way to evangelize but that some need tougher talk. He quotes Jude 23: "others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire."

Free to preach

"We're just a bunch of saved sinners that want to get the word out," says Langdon, 54.

"It's easy to worship in this room," he adds, as his and Joshua's wives tend to toddlers. "It's more difficult to go outside and preach to people who don't want to hear you."

He admits only "a few" have come to Christ through their preaching -- including one Wednesday night -- and many are annoyed. Still, his belief compels him to try.

As for Dustin Posthuma, Langdon says he is as free to disagree as they are to preach: "We have the freedom to do this in this country."

Amen to that. Freedom of speech and religion may be obnoxious at times. But it is wonderfully bizarre to see it in action.

Send e-mail to the author: choney@grpress.com