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Open-air preaching is exhausting (at least for me it is). I read somewhere that it should be called ‘open-air pleading.’ Pleading with people to repent and have faith in Jesus, who don’t seem to care about their eternal salvation, can take the wind out of your sails. But IT IS WORTH IT! God uses the foolishness of gospel preaching to save souls. That’s what God’s Word says and the Holy Spirit has convinced me that it’s true. So let’s go!
What a privilege we have to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ into our communities. To have the freedom speak of the holiness of God, His justice, His righteousness, and His tender mercy and manifold grace, is a blessing from God Himself.
Indeed, it is a blessing to hear the Gospel in the public arena. Some people will receive it, some people will not. When they hear it, some look terrified, some look to the ground, some mock, some say amen, and some seem to be unmoved. My point is this; people respond to open-air preaching, one way or the other. We don’t know what is going on in their heart, but God does.
God’s Word will accomplish His purposes. His children love to hear the Gospel – and sometimes open-air preaching encourages the born-again believer to take courage in their own witness for Jesus. How awesome! It happens quite a bit actually. I’m so thankful that our God chooses to use weak, unqualified, inarticulate, fearful individuals like you and me to bring the Gospel – so that He alone gets all the credit for saving souls.
With all the pleading an open-air preacher can do, we cannot save the souls of men. But we preach anyway calling all men outwardly to repentance. And we trust that the Holy Spirit will summons some inwardly, convincing them of sin, righteousness, judgment, and reveal Jesus Christ to glory of God the Father.
Can you picture yourself sharing the gospel with an individual? Can you picture yourself sharing the Gospel with a couple? What about with ten people? How about fifty? You can do it! It’s not as scary for you to stand up and share the Gospel, as it will be for those individuals who haven’t repented on the Day of Judgment. Let your compassion for the lost swallow your fears, surrender to God and go further for Him than you ever have before. Let your fear cause you to pray, crying out to God in total reliance upon His strength and wisdom.
So pray, read the Word, pray, and trust God, step up, and GO FOR IT!
Listen to this podcast. This is a good way to get into an open air. Instead of standing up and pleading with people “cold turkey,” this is a fun and refreshing way to KEEP IT SIMPLE and have some fun.
I didn’t make this up; there are thousands of seed sowers across the country doing the same thing. You can have a bit of fun with the people as they gather around to try to win a $1 for each trivia question answered correctly. After five or six questions, the crowd gets a bit larger. Then offer $3 or more dollars for someone to take, “The Good Person Test.”
You ask the willing person to come up, standing next to you. Then, ask them the four questions, "Have you, lied, stolen, used God's name in vain, or committed adultery (looking with lust)?
The person that God brought to take the good person test was a lady named Susie (probably 60-65 years old). She was a sport and seemed to enjoy the attention. Everyone listening also seemed to enjoy it. Listen to the exchange of questions and answers – these people are amused on one hand, but looking into the mirror of God’s Law on the other – revealing their sin.
Then the best part: taking the group to the Blood Stained Cross of Jesus Christ. Do your best to magnify Christ. Pour on the love of God. Speak of God's grace and mercy and call them to repentance and faith. Listen to this you’ll get the idea.
In a previous open air, there was a young that walked up and stood pretty close to me. He stood and listened intently. After ten minutes or so, I stepped down, and this young guy comes right up to me and said, “bro, I walked out of Harry’s (the bar), and walked down here cause I heard you preaching.” He said, “I was hearing what you said bro. God is talk’in to me.” What a blessing! We continued our conversation for quite awhile. Chris wasn’t blind drunk but was buzzed for sure. But God’s Word is sobering.
Please pray that God would be glorified in saving Susie, Chris, and those who listened to the open-air preaching in Pismo yesterday.
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