Should we force people to hear the Gospel against their wills?

[Pergamum]

What do you think of this quote:

One major reason one-on-one personal evangelism should never preclude or supersede public open-air preaching is that few people in today's world will stop and let you talk to them at length about the Gospel. Open-air preaching forces them to hear unless they literally close their ears (a sight I sometimes see sadly) or violently oppose you as you preach (which you are about to see). Open-air preaching doesn't allow the option for them not to hear the Law and Gospel proclaimed...

When I asked:

Do you believe it is okay to force people to hear the gospel against their wills?

I got this response:

Do you believe unregenerate sinners ever willingly hear the Gospel?

I know street preachers who check local laws and them place themselves where people MUST hear them and cannot ignore them or avoid them. What are the ethics of this?

 

[Pergamum]

Does Acts 7 give us any Bible example of preaching to those unwilling to hear?

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
~Acts 7:57-58

 

[Pergamum]

Another response by him:

I do turn up my amplifier when people try to drown me out when preaching by the way. Isn't that the point of preaching? To be heard?

And my response:

What if they are not ready to hear the Word? Or they desired not to hear the Word? I affirm open-air evangelism and personal evangelism. But, in both the past and the present I have heard some advocates of street preaching express pleasure over the inability of their audiences to shut them out or ignore them. One young man took pride in his strategy of finding people on the bus and sitting down (blocking the seat so that they could not exit) until he was done unloading his Gospel spiel upon them). It appears that the Gospel ought to make us less rude rather than more rude and that we ought to respect the dignity of other persons and not engage in coercive activities, instead drawing people to Christ by making him attractive. I am all for being evangelistic, yet also try to balance Paul's words which state that a servant of God must be gentle.

 

[joebonni63]

I have not had this problem in years usually people ask me about God and a conversation like do really believe all that stuff in the bible. Then I get how it's proven fake and Islam has more credibility then christian's do. Ok when they are done laughing and putting down everything I show them why out that group of about 300 over the last several years 6 have become pastors and about 100 go to church regular. Kingdom word is but worth it amen............ I don't think it's a good idea to force it most people can't here at that point and turn off and will never hear God. So there is a place for street preaching but its not in the bible.

 

[aadebayo]

What do you think of this quote:

One major reason one-on-one personal evangelism should never preclude or supersede public open-air preaching is that few people in today's world will stop and let you talk to them at length about the Gospel. Open-air preaching forces them to hear unless they literally close their ears (a sight I sometimes see sadly) or violently oppose you as you preach (which you are about to see). Open-air preaching doesn't allow the option for them not to hear the Law and Gospel proclaimed...

When I asked:

Do you believe it is okay to force people to hear the gospel against their wills?

I got this response:

Do you believe unregenerate sinners ever willingly hear the Gospel?

I know street preachers who check local laws and them place themselves where people MUST hear them and cannot ignore them or avoid them. What are the ethics of this?

I do Open Air preaching. Here in the UK, less than 10% of the population go to Church. Of those that go to Church, very few will ever hear the bible biblically preached. So the open air remains the only place to reach such people. I have spoken with many people on a one to one basis. I remember almost 10 years ago when I spoke with a Catholic woman, whom I challenged through Galatians 3:10 about her possibility of getting to heaven by keeping the law. Tears streamed through her eyes. I then gave her leaflets. It is God by His Holy Spirit who converts souls, so I see no problem in engaging people, as long as they are willing to talk. Though we should stop the conversation if they so wish.

 

[aadebayo]

Does Acts 7 give us any Bible example of preaching to those unwilling to hear?

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
~Acts 7:57-58

I must admit that this is a difficult one. I believe we should preach in the open air and let people decide whether or not they want to hear.

 

[aadebayo]

Another response by him:

I do turn up my amplifier when people try to drown me out when preaching by the way. Isn't that the point of preaching? To be heard?

And my response:

What if they are not ready to hear the Word? Or they desired not to hear the Word? I affirm open-air evangelism and personal evangelism. But, in both the past and the present I have heard some advocates of street preaching express pleasure over the inability of their audiences to shut them out or ignore them. One young man took pride in his strategy of finding people on the bus and sitting down (blocking the seat so that they could not exit) until he was done unloading his Gospel spiel upon them). It appears that the Gospel ought to make us less rude rather than more rude and that we ought to respect the dignity of other persons and not engage in coercive activities, instead drawing people to Christ by making him attractive. I am all for being evangelistic, yet also try to balance Paul's words which state that a servant of God must be gentle.

Your response is excellent. It is the policy of the Open Air mission for us evangelists not to use amplifiers. I believe that Amplifiers keep people away and thus the opportunity to engage them if the come closer to hear the gospel.

 

[JOwen]

I think in our day, evangelism should be targeted, and that, on a smaller scale. I know folks in a farm community who lease a booth at the local annual ploughing match and hand out tracts and engage passersby in a congenial way. They have done so for 10 years. It has been a blessed tool in the hand of the Lord. I also know some who get to know their dry-cleaner, or UPS delivery person, and bring them the gospel over a cup of coffee or glass of lemonade. In our church, we go to the New Jersey Kent State Prison and lead a Bible study. We do the same thing at a local men's shelter, a senior care home, and a mental facility. These are all less 'public' places than the street, but I think they are more effective than street preaching. I know of one man in our church, who gently speaks to coworkers (when appropriate) and invites them to Church. I believe he has done this with an atheist, and a Muslim.

My point is we need to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves when it comes to sharing the gospel of peace. Loud street preaching is of a bygone era, as far as I'm concerned (and I've done it). In the climate we live in, we need to alter our approach, without altering the gospel.
My

 

[Elisabeth]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC46pARu0AQ

Keith Daniel addresses this issue in his video here, I recommend watching it. He basically shares on the importance of being led by the Holy Spirit when it comes to speaking the truth to people. He also states that it can do more damage than good to try and take the place of the Holy Spirit when it comes to conviction of sin. I think he puts it quite clearly and in a biblical way!

 

[Edward]

Isn't that the point of preaching? To be heard?

I don't know who you are talking about so I can't judge him personally, but he certainly comes across as arrogant and self centered.

Probably need a diagnostic question here. Does his preaching regenerate, or does the Holy Spirit regenerate?

 

[earl40]

Makes me wonder if the office of the evangelist, as we are speaking of here, has passed?

 

[Miss Marple]

When we pass a tract, put up church sign, rent a billboard, or buy an advertisement in the newspaper, are we not similarly "forcing people to hear?"

For me it's a matter of public vs. private space.

We have no warrant, in my opinion, in a private home or building to enter uninvited and put a tract in a hand, or put a sign up in front, or plaster a billboard on their wall, or put our ad in their window.

But, we do have these rights in a public square or forum. It seems to me it is good to utilize them.

 

[Pergamum]

I think in our day, evangelism should be targeted, and that, on a smaller scale. I know folks in a farm community who lease a booth at the local annual ploughing match and hand out tracts and engage passersby in a congenial way. They have done so for 10 years. It has been a blessed tool in the hand of the Lord. I also know some who get to know their dry-cleaner, or UPS delivery person, and bring them the gospel over a cup of coffee or glass of lemonade. In our church, we go to the New Jersey Kent State Prison and lead a Bible study. We do the same thing at a local men's shelter, a senior care home, and a mental facility. These are all less 'public' places than the street, but I think they are more effective than street preaching. I know of one man in our church, who gently speaks to coworkers (when appropriate) and invites them to Church. I believe he has done this with an atheist, and a Muslim.

My point is we need to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves when it comes to sharing the gospel of peace. Loud street preaching is of a bygone era, as far as I'm concerned (and I've done it). In the climate we live in, we need to alter our approach, without altering the gospel.
My

I agree with you.

His response is that preaching (everywhere) is the biblical method and therefore cannot be altered.

 

[Pergamum]

Isn't that the point of preaching? To be heard?

I don't know who you are talking about so I can't judge him personally, but he certainly comes across as arrogant and self centered.

Probably need a diagnostic question here. Does his preaching regenerate, or does the Holy Spirit regenerate?

He is zealous. And many young street preachers come across a certain way (as do missionaries maybe) that might rub the wrong way.

He believes more people don't street preach out of cowardice (perhaps true) and stated that my objections to him might be due to this reason. So, yes, I got frustrated with him.

 

[Pergamum]

When we pass a tract, put up church sign, rent a billboard, or buy an advertisement in the newspaper, are we not similarly "forcing people to hear?"

For me it's a matter of public vs. private space.

We have no warrant, in my opinion, in a private home or building to enter uninvited and put a tract in a hand, or put a sign up in front, or plaster a billboard on their wall, or put our ad in their window.

But, we do have these rights in a public square or forum. It seems to me it is good to utilize them.

Another friend of mine started street preaching (in a loud voice) out in front of a sidewalk near a family business. The owner appealed to my friend to go elsewhere because people were now not walking past the front door of the restaurant and he was, thus, losing business. This street-preaching friend proceeded to cling to his rights and refused to leave (people are heading towards hell, after all) because there was at that time no ordinance limiting such activity. Finally, I think this friend stepped onto the sidewalk or closer to the shop (private property) or yelled too loudly and so the cop arrested him (either on trespassing or disturbing the peace, I don't remember).

I cannot imagine that this type of thing is what the Apostle Paul had in mind. If we adorn the Gospel with rudeness..should we expect success? Of course, many street-preachers don't care about success...if people get mad at them, they are happy. An many street-preachers offered the Apostle Paul himself as an example of public preaching until they threw him out of a city.

I'd love to compare and contrast Paul's example and modern day street-preachers' examples.

 

[Pergamum]

Here is a pertinent video. Ironically, the church released this, but I believe it shows the church to be in the wrong. No matter how much I love a book, I wouldn't like being forced to hear soeone read it to me against my will:

[video]http://standupforthetruth.com/2012/03/two-preachers-arrested-for-preaching-to-captive-audience/[/video]

 

[aadebayo]

From what I have read in the transcript, I believe that the two men should have stopped when the officer asked them to stop. I still insist that as Christians, we need to draw a distinction between obeying the law and being unreasonable in our zeal. I believe that reasonable freedom still exist in the West and the legal structures are in the most part fair and equitable.

 

[Edward]

He believes more people don't street preach out of cowardice

Probably true. But there is a difference between the zealous Black guy that used to stand out by the plaza at FirstCity bank in Dallas preaching with Bible in hand, and a jerk that cranks up an amp in public.

Tell you what - why don't you ask him if he'd like me to show up in front of his church on a Sunday morning with a bull horn and start reading p0rn as the congregants file in. Then the whole church could feel like martyrs and be really proud of themselves.

 

[Jack K]

If we pay attention to the tone of the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians, it's hard to imagine Paul's preaching being rude or annoying. That just doesn't fit with all his talk about how he preached with weakness and in humility, letting the cross and the Spirit be the power behind the message.

More evidence comes from the account in Acts 16 where Paul rebuked the spirit in the slave girl in Philippi. He did this only after many days of putting up with it first. He does not sound like a preacher who is looking for conflict or is quick to be confrontational. Rather, he sounds like an amazingly patient preacher who tries to avoid conflict, even when faced with obviously demonic resistance.

 

[Pergamum]

Another response street preachers: "We are not being rude.....what is rude is letting people go to hell."

 

[Miss Marple]

"The owner appealed to my friend to go elsewhere because people were now not walking past the front door of the restaurant and he was, thus, losing business."

I think that was wrong of him. He was hurting an innocent man. Preaching the gospel should not involve hurting innocent people.

By "innocent" I mean not deserving of having his particular business particularly disrupted. I know he's a sinner like the rest of us.

My post was more to the point of, any use of public expression could be viewed as "force." If I buy a billboard next to a freeway and put a gospel message on there, it's "forced" to a degree. So I would not be too shy about using "force" in general. I just wouldn't bully people. It seems a misuse of Scripture to bully people with it.

I drive a cab and a brother once asked me, do I play the local Christian radio in my car. I told him no, I do not. Why not? Am I ashamed of the gospel? Do I fear retaliation? No. I think it is rather bullying of me to force, to this degree, someone to listen to Christian "music" or teaching in my car. They are sort of trapped in there. They can't even physically get out except at certain points, and they got a cab because they needed to get somewhere, usually in a hurry. I'd feel like a bully to have them listening to "Grace To You" or whatever with no recourse.

I play the classical station.

And yes, during December, it's 24/7 Messiah! Also my ipod, which I play once in a while when the classical gets too light and I start to go nutty, has bluegrass on it, which is often gospel oriented. But it's a variety on there.

 

[Edward]

Another response street preachers: "We are not being rude.....what is rude is letting people go to hell.

Another sign of bad theology. They need exposure to the gospel.