-No doubt one-on-one evangelism seems to be the best
approach, however the “laborers are few” (Luke 10:2) and so we need to utilize
the limited resources that we have (also, many friendships and an relationships
are developed as a result of open air preaching).
-Indeed this was approach was often used by Jesus (Sermon on
the Mount,), John the Baptist (in the wilderness), Paul ( at Mars Hill),
Stephen (Acts 7), as well as Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17:19-20), Jonah (Jonah 3:4), Amos (Amos 5:10), Isaiah (Isaiah 29:21), etc.
-Indeed open air preaching was often used by Francis
of Assisi, John Wycliffe, John Knox, George Whitefield, John Wesley, Lorenzo
Dow, William Carey, C.H. Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, Billy Graham…
-Ephesians 4:11 and 12a has an interesting order in
regards to the list of rolls for the Christian, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds
and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of
ministry…” We see first mentioned is Apostles, then prophets, and then
EVANGELSISTS, and then shepherds (pastors), and so on. We see in the heavenly
order Evangelism seems to be important, it is even listed above the office
of a pastor. Despite the high calling
of Evangelism it is not only high on the list of importance but even somewhat
despised but that is bass ackwards and we need to remedy this skewed mindset
right quick (even I have a hard time saying “I’m an evangelist”, but we would
have no problem saying “I am a pastor”. Why is that? Why has being an
evangelist become a byword amongst us Christians?)!
Now back to the subject at hand. Josh went up first
and had a small audience and spoke for about 5 minutes, and then being filled
with the Spirit and encouraged by Josh’s boldness I followed after him. Once I
stood up all my fears subsided and I was ready to rock. I needed to draw an
audience so I took a pomegranate that I had in my backpack and hoisted it high
in the sky and began to say to those walking by and seated near me “This is a
pomegranate, this is a pomegranate, I say, this is a pomegranate!” I didn’t
know where I was going with aforementioned factual statement, but alas it
worked and after asserting this fruit truth I had about 40 on lookers and
listeners (not to mention the distant 100 or 150 people who I saw in the
background who were paying head to my words but just didn’t come up to the
front with the others). I then began fixing my eyes on people in the crowd
asking them “Is there one truth?” to utilize as a conversation starter. Finding
someone to engage and have a dialogue with me in front of the crowd seems to be
the best approach, as the onlookers don’t get bored cause it’s not just a
monologue but a dialogue. Another hidden blessing are all the hecklers who try
to yell things at me and in doing so they draw even more of a crowd (because people love drama), and then,
since the atheist usually has the feet of their beliefs planted firmly in
mid-air and cant really back up their claims it ends up being somewhat comical –
but even more so than comical, for the onlooker it becomes eye opening and
people begin to soul search.
Anyways,
I have already made this to long so suffice it to say. I spoke until I lost my
voice, afterwards spoke with about 4 people (and those are just those who
actually came up to me), and one of them came up to me and her first words to
me, that were unsolicited, “I am going to rededicate my life to Jesus!” That
blessed me when she said that. I then spoke with her at length in an attempt to
have her really see what it is she is really rededicating her life to, and for
her to consider that maybe she didn’t really even dedicate it to the right
thing in the first place. But yeah, she counted the cost and it was bitchin!
Well, next Tuesday is at Long Beach City College and then Wednesday is at
Orange Coast Community College. Please pray for us if you ever think about it.
"He which soweth sparingly shall reap also
sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully
shall reap also bountifully." - 2 Corinthians 9:6
"Shout it aloud, do not
hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet…” - Isaiah 88:1
"What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in
light, and what ye hear in the ear, that
preach ye upon the housetops." - Matthew 10:27
"It would be very easy to prove that revivals of
religion have usually been accompanied, if not caused, by a
considerable amount of preaching out of doors, or in unusual places." - Charles Haddon
Spurgeon:
