The History of Open Air Street Preaching
The practice of street preaching goes all the way back to the Old Testament and will be seen in the last of the last days. It isn't practiced by many anymore, but it is said by many to have been good for biblical times but not for today. Besides a very few, the so called street preaching today consist of a watered down skim milk gospel that leaves out telling people about their sin. It is said to be rude and unloving to point out specific sins and tell people that if they don’t repent of these sins they are going to Hell, but if these men pleasing preachers would read their Bible they would realize that Jesus, John the Baptist and every other biblical street preacher were very specific in naming sin. The popular message today is that God is love and hates no one and that we will all be together in heaven one day. But sharing their idea of the “good news" without naming sin, preaching repentance and separation from sin, is like a doctor giving a man a cure for cancer without having informed him he was sick in the first place.
All the biblical street preachers started their messages of showing people their need for God by first showing them they were sinners. The bible says,” I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.”
We are living in the Laodicean church age. Most folks these days are not going to attend a church where the truth is preached! If they go anywhere, it will be to get their "itching ears" scratched! Street preaching is the only way some people will ever hear the true Gospel and then only if done by a true man of God. You can find the concept of street preaching in the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation it was practiced and if men of God were obedient it still should be today. The high tech world of books, radio, and TV has become the main venue for getting the Word out. While looking like the most obvious way, their substitution for GOD’s way has left most of the world unreached. All of these approaches share a common concept they only reach those who want to hear or those who are already believers, while the rest of the world goes without. Public preaching is the most effective way to get the Gospel to the most people in the shortest amount of time.
The Old Testament is full of street preachers...
The Bible says in (Proverbs 1:20-21) “Wisdom CRIETH WITHOUT; she uttereth her voice IN THE STREETS: SHE CRIETH IN THE CHIEF PLACE OF CONCOURSE, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words…"
"CRIETH" means shouting out loud. "WITHOUT" means outside. "CHIEF PLACE OF CONCOURSE" means where the biggest crowds are. Sounds like street preaching to me....
Old Testament prophets often PREACHED at the GATES of the city. The gates were the busiest place in town and where most people gathered to do their daily routine. A man PREACHING at the gate would not only reach large crowds, but a bigger variety of people including the rich, the poor, and even royalty.
Street Preaching in the Past
Just to name a few, Jonah, who entered into the city crying yet 40 days and Nineveh shall be overthrown, was a street preacher.
Amos who was said of him, "They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly" was a street preacher.
Isaiah, reproved in the gate.
God told Jeremiah to stand in the gate and proclaim his word.
Jotham went and stood on the top of mount Gerizim and lifted up his voice and cried hearken unto me, that God may hearken unto you.
Enoch preached without of upcoming judgment on the ungodly.
God told Ezekiel that he wouldn't be accepted but to warn them anyway.
Elijah preached on Mt. Carmel and called down fire to the altar.
There are many others in the Old Testament that I didn't mention who were also street preachers.
The New Testament also names many and this is where our Baptist history comes into it.
John the Baptist shows up preaching in wilderness REPENT YE, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and even to the religious community he said "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:"
Jesus, Gods perfect son,the one we should be striving to pattern out lives after also was a street preacher. Jesus' whole ministry was spent street preaching to the multitudes, naming specific sin and commanding repentance. He also taught this to his apostles. JESUS commanded His apostles, "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)
In the book of Acts that’s exactly what they did, on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) we find one of the greatest examples of STREET PREACHING of all time. Peter preached to the multitudes. The charismatics read Acts 2, see tongues, and say, we need to speak in tongues like they did in Acts 2. Some fundamentalists read Acts 2 and see 3,000 added to the church in one day, and they say, we need to add more to the church like they did in Acts 2. What is missing is the recognition of the practice of STREET PREACHING found in Acts 2. How many people do you hear saying we need to street preach like they did in Acts 2.
Steven was a street preacher and people hated him for naming specific sins committed by specific people. All of these mentioned are just a few of the great street preachers we base our practice on.
Street Preachers of this Present Day
As we mentioned earlier, finding a real, whole gospel preaching street preacher is rare these days. Thank God for our man of God and the men of our church who fearlessly preach and teach the whole gospel to nonbelievers on a regular basis. It is much easier to sit at home and not worry about the huge masses of people who have never heard the gospel than to spend all day standing in the hot sun, getting cussed at and ridiculed, getting arrested and having people post incriminating articles about you in newspapers and on the internet. This world is lacking true men of God like these who are not ashamed to preach the whole truth. Men who call sin what it is and are willing to talk one on one with anyone who has questions.
Handing out bottles of water in the name of Jesus doesn’t do anything to show a sinner what they are or where they're going and yet they call what our men do foolishness. That’s ok though, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. God chose what this world calls foolishness to share his holy word with this lost world. It’s sad that a man will make a complete fool of himself over the things of this world but will not take a stand for Jesus Christ. WHAT A SHAME!
Street Preachers in the Future
After the rapture of the church in the book of Revelation and after the first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation period two street preachers will arise with the power of God and will prophesy for 1,260 days. The Bible says:
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
These have power to shut heaven that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
The last account in the Bible of God using men to preach his word wasn’t in a church somewhere, it is street preachers, standing in the streets of that Great city with the power of God all over them. Even their death and ascension all take place in the streets so it can be witnessed by all.
Looking back we see that God has from the very beginning ordained street preaching as a great importance in our Baptist history. The direction is, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (Luke 14. 23). And while some of the seed may fall by the wayside, or on stony or thorny ground, some will fall into good ground, and bring forth fruit, as in (Matt. 13. 8). The results right now may look few but some great men such as A. W. Tozer and Billy Sunday were saved after hearing a street preacher and even if you never see the results you want this side of heaven, take comfort in knowing you are obeying Gods word and that your labor is not in vain.
By: Misty & Nikki Reeves
