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Post by apologia on Feb 9, 2008 4:46:06 GMT -5
As a Christian at the University of North Carolina, I am concerned for the spiritual well-being of the student body. The truth is, I now doubt the effectiveness of open air preaching. I came to the University in the fall having heard many stories of the famed pit preachers, and similar campus ministries. Much to my considerable dissapointment, rather than inspirational orators, I have only seen mediocre demagogues. In truth, I find very little in the substance of the messages you all deliver to be objectionable. I would say I am 99% in agreement with you on the issues. Still, I think your methods are doing more harm than good. While you may not know this, there is a quiet force of individuals like myself actively spreading the word through intra-personal discourse. The fact is, the same material presented on a one-on-one level as is presented en masse is far better received through the former vector. I have spent countless hours among the crowds gauging the general sentiment of the audience. In truth, I have said nothing to an evangelist since the days of Brother Micah. Mostly, I have kept my role a relatively observational one. What I have gathered is that you are turning people away from the truth. I know, I understand, people are apt to turn and run when presented with the error in their ways. We know that its a far easier, though not morally acceptable, manner of dealing with one's problems. Even so, your ineffectiveness in preaching deals not with the sin of the audience, but rather the dynamics of a large group mentality. When you bring together sardonic college students in such numbers, every single session, without exception, turns into an opportunity to mock the preacher. At times, a student will have legitimate objections and there is reasonable dialogue. However, the majority of the time is spent cracking jokes and mocking the faith. This can be attributed to a considerable mob mentality among people. As they see others accepting their irrational objections to the truth, they are more willing to harden their hearts in their own ways. Only through personal interaction will you reach anyone on a spiritual level. As it stands now, you have significantly hindered the evangelical efforts of those of us witnessing to our peers. This is simply no more than my two cents. Maybe at other colleges, you are better received (though I doubt it). However, here at UNC, you've become little more than the running joke. As a Christian, it pains me to see Christ's sacrifice trivialized in such a manner.
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Post by John McGlone on Feb 9, 2008 11:53:30 GMT -5
Apologia, I found this article of great interest about this very subject. www.onelord.cn/zach/kerusso.htmlkerusso and euaggelizo are two different words for proclaiming the gospel Kerrusso is what an open air preacher does, euaggelizo is one to one or a small group discussion. The open air preacher is almost always mocked, ridiculed, scorned many times without good reason. They are addressing sin, righteousness, and judgement to come and the world hates that call to repentance. The Lord's worker who euaggelizo is of no less importance but must ensure that the presentation of God's word is not watered down but presented thoroughly and without compromise. I look forward to hearing more of what you observe and hope to speak with you personally someday soon.
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Post by Jesse Morrell on Feb 9, 2008 21:34:56 GMT -5
There are many ways to evangelize and spread the gospel. Open air preaching is one of those ways.
We need conversational evangelism, charity evangelism, and confrontational evangelism.
In the scriptures we see all of these.
Conversational Evangelism: Jesus with the women at the well, Jesus and Zacharias, Philip and the Ethiopian.
Charity Evangelism: The miracles of Jesus and the Apostles.
Confrontational Evangelism: John the Baptist confronting Herod, Peter confronting the murderers of Jesus, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Paul disputing in the Market Place, etc.
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Post by apologia on Feb 10, 2008 0:54:55 GMT -5
I don't disagree, Evangelism is hardly a one trick pony per se. At the same time, I guess I am simply curious as to how effective you all have found your open air preaching. Keep in mind, my gauge of people's disposition is largely imperfect and subject to error. The fact that I have yet to find anyone who takes the entire presentation as credible may not so much be a testament to failure as much as a limited sample of the audience.
Have you had many success stories?
On a side note, the signs look unprofessional and at times downright silly. You are among a group of people who consider themselves (not always rightfully so) intellectuals. While large signs surely are read, they often fail to get the message across. People are more apt to dismiss them given the limited context that can be offered in so small a presentation area.
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Post by homelesspreacher on Feb 10, 2008 7:56:04 GMT -5
I don't disagree, Evangelism is hardly a one trick pony per se. At the same time, I guess I am simply curious as to how effective you all have found your open air preaching. Keep in mind, my gauge of people's disposition is largely imperfect and subject to error. The fact that I have yet to find anyone who takes the entire presentation as credible may not so much be a testament to failure as much as a limited sample of the audience. Have you had many success stories? On a side note, the signs look unprofessional and at times downright silly. You are among a group of people who consider themselves (not always rightfully so) intellectuals. While large signs surely are read, they often fail to get the message across. People are more apt to dismiss them given the limited context that can be offered in so small a presentation area. What really matters is is it biblical, Yes it is!! like Jesse showed above, confrontational open air preaching is "in the scriptures" some prophets even carried objects "signs" to get ppls attention. Do Jesse & John have success stories? Yes they do. every day they "obeyed God" that is a success story.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Feb 10, 2008 16:44:42 GMT -5
A person who truly pursues the Great Commission of Jesus Christ must understand that "effectiveness" and "success" is NEVER measured in numbers. But in OBEDIENCE to the BIBLE.
One of the problems of observing crowds who are observing OA preaching is that they who shout back the loudest, or mock the most will often SPEAK FOR THE CROWD. There have been many, many times where I have been confronted after preaching by well-meaning individuals and have been told that most of the people in the crowd were ridiculing me or speaking against me. When in REALITY: the five or six individuals near the front of the crowd with a quick wit and a bone of contention to pick with me were the ones speaking against me, whilst the majority were listening quietly, and others still engaged and asking serious questions.
It's difficult at times to grasp crowd dynamics and the mentality of the crowd. But if a preacher keeps at it and observes the crowds when he can, he'll understand better how to control the OA meeting.
Brother Jesse was preaching on a campus, (I saw the video on YouTube) and the topic of homosexuality came up. Now, whenever I preach against homosexuality I am asked questions that are typical on every campus; "Why can't you accept homosexuals?" and "What if your child grows up to be a homosexual, will you accept him/her?"
Depending on how you answer these questions you can either keep a crowd engaged, or you can let the mockers run all over you and they end up 'controlling' the crowd.
Jesse, I thought, answered very wisely, when he was confronted as being 'homophobic." "Why can't you accept my homophobia? Can't you be tolerant of me?" and "What if your child grows up to be a hellfire campus preacher, will you accept him?" I thought this kept the topic at where Jesse wanted it to be, not where the crowd wanted to take it.
Confrontational preaching is meant to confront the sin and sinners - not to turn the topic into the confrontation of the preacher. He did a very good job doing that.
And one of the increasing problems, especially on colleges and universities is that students don't know how to THINK any more except in guided ways! They can sit in class and disect books and literature and history and sciences, and process them through reasoning and logic - but they take one look at a sign that says "Repent and trust in Jesus" and they flip out, check their brain at the door, and turn into mockers and revilers. I guess that also goes to show that the Bible is true when it's said of Jesus: He will be for the revealing of the hearts of many. His light reveals the filth and darkness of ANY and EVERY heart. If it doesn't, it's not the true Gospel.
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Post by Jesse Morrell on Feb 10, 2008 17:54:29 GMT -5
Yes we are commanded to preach "whether they hear or whether they refuse" (Eze 2:7, Eze 3:11).
Jeremiah the Prophet had absolutely no converts, and lamented the fact, yet he was faithful and obedient to God.
By the grace of God I have seen sinners come to the Lord directly through open air preaching. I recall a drug dealer in Connecticut that repented after hearing the open air, and I remember a Satanists in Texas who repented after hearing the word in the open air. There are other stories.
How about you apologia? How often do you see sinners give up their sin and follow Jesus? You seem to think that there is a most effective way then open air preaching. How effective is your way?
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Feb 11, 2008 1:41:18 GMT -5
I often pose the following rhetorical question to the folks who believe that friendship-evangelism is more effective than OA preaching/confrontational preaching:
In the past year, how many friends have you made with the intention of sharing the Gospel with? Of those friends, how many have you shared the Gospel with? Of those you have shared the Gospel with, how many have come to the Lord? Of those who have come to the Lord, how many still are following the Lord? Of those that are still following the Lord, how many are out and winning souls themselves?
Like I said, it's rhetorical - of course evangelism is not numbers based. The point is this: is the PREACHING being done? You can make friends with everyone in the world, yet the Bible still stands true: "faith comes by HEARING.... ... and how will they hear if the word is not preached?" Now there's a rhetorical question for the ages.
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Post by apologia on Feb 11, 2008 4:11:24 GMT -5
In the past year, how many friends have you made with the intention of sharing the Gospel with? - To say there are friends I make with the intention sharing the Gospel seems to me to imply that there would be friends I've made who I don't intend to share with. As a Christian, it is my obligation to share with everyone I meet.
Of those friends, how many have you shared the Gospel with? - Insofar as they are willing, I have shared to varying degrees. I always bring the discussion about, and will push to the point of spiritual discomfort per se, but I try not to go further than to agitate them so far as to turn them away from the Truth. Of those you have shared the Gospel with, how many have come to the Lord? - I don't know if I will ever know for certain. I have had people tell me at one point they have and then fully reject it later. I have others who seem initially nonresponsive, but I find out later on that what was told to them was taken to heart. To an extent, I guess the same logic applies to your OA ministry, which would answer my original question.
Of those who have come to the Lord, how many still are following the Lord? - I guess I somewhat answered that above. Most people I have shared with are still at a young age, and have many trials and tribulations to face in life. Therefore, just because they have remained followers up until now does not therein necessitate a continuity of faith.
Of those that are still following the Lord, how many are out and winning souls themselves? - Those I keep the closest contact with are actively sharing. I often wonder about those I have lost contact with over the course of my moving away from the Godless state of Massachusetts.
In truth, My High School debate teacher spoke very highly of the campus preacher at Chapel Hill when he was a student. Said he presented him with difficult questions that he found unanswerable. I really do wish you success, I just feel I may have become cynical among so many who fervently reject the reasonable nature of God's Truth.
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Post by Jeffrey Olver on Feb 11, 2008 18:54:06 GMT -5
It can be quite easy to become cynical like that. I would go so far as to say that becoming cynical is easier for the campus/oa preacher to slip into - unless he has a constant prayer life and pours over the Word of God. Facing rejection after rejection after rejection, mocking after mocking after mocking, and seeing the SAME EXACT rejections to the Gospel on every campus can be very disheartening and can tend to make one sympathize with Jeremiah - however, the easiest course to follow when faced with that is to become bitter, cynical and a pessimist.
It's a cross to carry and we all must pray for God's grace to remain humble, compassionate, full of the Joy of the Lord and love.
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Post by art on Jul 13, 2008 10:58:30 GMT -5
Just quit street preaching period.
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Post by HDmatt on Jul 13, 2008 21:46:44 GMT -5
Just a comment on results apologia asked, I had a sign and preached at a stop light in town here & an older lady pulled over and started bawling that she had been contemplating suicide, of which I got to pray with her & she came to my church (New Life Christian Fellowship) the next service and got her socks blessed off. I know these guys on this board have monster stories of how God has been faithful such as this, for God's word doesn't return void and faith comes by hearing! Results don't make the preacher, but results are inevitable to the the humble servant of God. Keep encouraged!
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