My friend Paul Latour (who runs an excellent blog called “The Word Street Journal”) graciously granted me permission to re–post this revised and updated column from August, 2008. I noticed a few mistakes he made when he sent me photos from a Canadian Gay Pride Parade (it was only his eighth time preaching in the open air). Here are three tips that I offered to make his “irksome task” more winsome; you, too, may find these helpful. (Start at part 1 of the “Evangelism Gone Wrong” series by clicking here.)
The 3 “DO NOTS” OF OPEN AIR PREACHING
#1: Do Not hold a Bible when preaching in the open air.
“Wait a minute,” you protest. “Are you ashamed of the Gospel, God’s Word, the Sword of the Spirit, Pastor Steve?”
Readers of this blog know better. I just think that in this post-Christian, anti-Christian culture, a Big Big Bible being waved around is not a visual selling point. There is just something about a guy shouting and holding a black book that builds fences around sinners’ hearts and minds before they even hear what I’m saying. I prefer to lure them in with some humor, trivia, interesting statistics, then WHAMMO!, they hear the Law and Gospel. I don’t want to blow my cover that I’m a Christian until it’s too late—for them.
Think about it like this: Before you were a Christian were you appreciative of a guy standing , hollering, and gripping his Holy Bible? Was your first thought Gee, I wonder what that guy is saying? I think I’ll walk on over and have a listen. Have you also noticed, Way of the Master acolytes, that Ray Comfort never holds one? (Discount this advice if you are devoted to the public reading of Scripture. By all means, bring your Bible then; but that is for a completely different purpose.)
The next “Do-Not” is really important…
So you blow it as an evangelist. You mess it up. Should you quit and head back to the pew never to stick your neck out again? Of course not. Quitting is never an option. (Click here to read my BIG mistake in part 1.)
My friend Steve Pivovaroff wanted to hang it up a few weeks ago when he (at my urging) preached to an unwitting high school band waiting to march in the Golden Dragon Parade in Los Angeles’ Chinatown. Here’s how it went down:
Right in the middle of a wonderful presentation of the Law and Gospel, two older women took issue and shouted at him to stop though he was doing nothing wrong and had every right to be there. Being an apt pupil, Steve heeded my earlier advice to always continue with the message no matter who tries to interrupt you, unless of course, the interrupter has a gun.
Fortunately for Steve, these women had no guns.
Since they couldn’t stand being ignored by the big man they resorted to drastic measures. One woman took matters into her own hands and did something that shocked even me!
The Crazy Drunk Heckler, Part 2
When we left off in part 1 (See it here first!) a drunk man was giving me a hard time as I preached in Huntington Beach to another man who was listening to every word I was saying. Suddenly the police drove up. Here’s what happened…. (Read the rest of the story below.)
The drunk man was apparently on leave or just got out of the military. He said that the worst mistake he ever made in his life was enlisting.
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