Evangelism - Part 2 (Open Air Preaching)

Moses, Jonah, John, the Baptist, Jeremiah, Amos, Isaiah, RA Torrey, Charles Spurgeon and Billy Graham.

That's some list! What do these people have in common? Open air or street preaching.

Peter was an open-air preacher, Paul was an open-air preacher, and so were Elijah and Ezra. Most importantly is the fact that Jesus, Himself was an open-air preacher. In looking at styles of evangelism, it's important that we look to the Bible as our source and guide and not man. God says that our ways are not His ways, so it doesn't matter what Willow Creek or Mars Hill or Northpoint does. What matters is our faith and obedience to our Lord and His call.

So, in keeping with using ONLY the Bible as our rule for ministry, let's look more at evangelism..

Every great sermon recorded in the Bible was preached in the open air; the sermon on the Day of Pentecost, the Sermon on the Mount, the sermon on Mars Hill, etc.

Some people may argue that open air or street preaching is not personal and that we as Christians need to develop relationships with people to show then that we are "just like them" and then we can invite them to our church because it's relevant and caters to them.

I will say that in that statement, there is some truth. Having a relationship with someone makes it easier to connect with them and makes them more open to hearing what you have to say because they (hopefully) trust your opinion. That is a valid method of witnessing, but not the only one.

I will also say this. There are people that we will never reach if we simply play the part of the matchmaker and invite people to church so they can get accept Jesus. We have to go to where people have no Christian friends, to where people who won't go to church are and compel them.

Let me stop there for a moment and take a small tangent... I am NOT saying that we need to hang out in bars to evangelize. We are to be separate from the world, but still have to go into it to accomplish God's will. We are a holy people, called out and set apart, called to go and love and bring people out of the world, not go and show them that we are just like the world.

Anyway, let's look at the Bible, because that IS the final authority in ALL things.

"Then the Lord said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the STREETS of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them." (Jeremiah 11:6)

"Whom we preach, WARNING EVERY MAN and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in CHRIST JESUS." (Colossians 1:28)

"In those days came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, REPENT YE, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:1-2; see also Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3)

Well, that's it for now. See you in the next part.

Because Truth matters,
George