On Friday, I posted an email sent from a protester at the A.N.S.W.E.R. L.A. anti-war protest who didn’t care for the way our evangelism team shared the Gospel. His email is in black, my response in red.
On Saturday I went to the anti-war march in Hollywood because I am a Christian, and because Jesus told us blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God and to love our enemies and I don’t think that means except for the Taliban. But there seemed to be Christians counter protesting.
They weren’t protesting at all; they were preaching the Gospel. They weren’t angry at anyone, but declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ along with the standards by which they will be judged, The 10 Commandments.
They were yelling into a megaphone and handing out tracts.
Though it may have sounded like yelling due to the volume of the speaker, I can assure you that they were just speaking. (I train people not to yell, unless of course, they have no sound system.)
People in the march were mostly just yelling profanities at them while the same people came up and talked to me and asked me about my sign which read “Who would Jesus bomb?” Which of those two ways of sharing ones faith do you think is more successful?
Both. We spread our message in three ways: 1) By handing out Gospel tracts. 2) By speaking one-on-one, conversationally. and 3) By broadcasting the message; that is, by preaching in the open air. We are just following the example of Jesus, and many other preachers of the past, including John Wesley, George Whitefield, and Charles Spurgeon. They too, experienced much persecution for their messages.
Whitefield once wrote: “I was honored today with having a few stones, dirt, rotten eggs and pieces of dead cats thrown at me.” -George Whitefield, a famous preacher who preached over 18,000 sermons between 1736-1770
People are more receptive when they are curious. I did get to talk to one person from your group and we had quite a civil conversation although we disagreed on many issues. What I am wondering is why are the members of your church not joining the peace march?
We did not join the peace march because our intention is not political. Our goal is to preach the Gospel.
Are you not pacifists which all Christians should be?
If you mean by pacifist that we should not go to war for just causes, then no, we aren’t pacifists. Jesus was no pacifist. He took a stand for righteousness. Read this quote from him concerning the effects the Gospel will have on a person: “But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – (Mat. 10:33-35)
Also, do you really believe that yelling into a megaphone and passing out tracts is going to make people want to become Christians?
No, but God can use what we do to cause people to become Christians. We are just planting seed and watering it, but God causes it to grow.
Christians have been doing this for centuries and I guess I just don’t get it. It reminds me of the story of the Mayan native who saw his village destroyed by Spanish Christians. They put him on the stake to be burnt and before they lit the stake the priest asked the man whether or not he wanted to accept Jesus and go to heaven or not and go to hell. The man asked are there Christians in heaven? the priest answered yes and the native man answered him I would rather go to hell to escape the Christians.
I would submit to you that the people who did this were not Christians. Jesus said that you will know them by their fruit.
Now I am not saying that I witnessed anyone being burnt at the stake but I just think that it is so vital for Christians to make relationships with people before they decide to condemn them to hell and tell them that their only choice is to accept Christ.
I agree with you for the most part. It’s just that we can actually start a relationship with someone in 2 minutes. They started a relationship with you, and I’m thankful for that; you seem to be a very nice and reasonable person, Sam.
Why is it that everywhere that I look Christians just preach and preach the same message to everyone.
Because those Christians want to be obedient to their God who commanded: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15
In fact I don’t think that you would be able to find one person in our country who has not heard of Jesus or Christians.
We find people on occasion who have never heard the Gospel.
So why don’t we stop preaching and start listening and building relationships and leave the judging up to God.
I agree with you on the listening part. But God told us in His word to warn those who are perishing. We aren’t judging anyone, but are telling people that one day they will be judged. We love you so much we want to warn that the bridge is out, that their will be a day when God will judge the world in righteousness. Please click here to see how you will do when you die. Please! Thank you so much for contacting me. I hope my answers were helpful! Let me know if I can clarify anything.
God bless you with knowledge of His Son,
Pastor Steve