Steve Sanchez is an evangelist out in California, and he has a great blog on evangelism. A subject that he recently addressed was the frequent charge that proclaiming the Gospel in the public square is not “effective”. This common complaint comes from atheists as well as professing Christians. So…..are we effective? Check out Steve’s article here..
Some excerpts….
The good news, though, is that our evangelism efforts and methods are very effective, because God is effective. You see, if I save anybody, then they are lost forever; but if God saves, then people are saved to the uttermost.
How does God get his word out? Through preachers. And what is it we preach? That Jesus saves sinners.
The seed, the Word of God, is what we count on to do the work—even if we do the work ineffectively, stupidly, ridiculously or jerkily. The Word of God, the seed is what matters. It’s the quality of the seed, not the sower, that does the work effectively.
This is my answer when I’m asked how many people I’ve lead to Christ: “Every one.”
I lead everyone to the Lord every time I talk about Christ, AND I always get a decision. When I talk about Jesus I lead them to the Savior, and they make a decision to follow Him or not.
The problem with evidence that God exists, is that the unbeliever already assumes that God does not exist. All the evidence in the world will not change their mind. In fact, they will even tell you that if Jesus Himself showed up and rose someone from the dead, they would still not believe. So, we need to go deeper than evidence, and work with their presuppositions. How can an unbeliever trust their reason, when their is no standard to reason from? If their is no God, then what they believe is just a product of their brain waves, and cannot be trusted.
The video below is an episode of “On The Box” with Ray Comfort and Tony Miano. In the middle of the video, Mark Spence describes how to address this issue of a presuppositional argument with an unbeliever…. VERY HELPFUL
To determine if something is good or bad, you have to have a standard to go by. If you have no absolute standard, then it is just a matter of feelings, and they can change all the time. In fact, no one can say something is absolutely good or bad unless God exists.
Check this video out from a Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson debate on the Resurgence Website…..
Picture of Joel on the Gospel Tract we are giving out
Steve Bauer has put together an outreach to preach outside the Joel Osteen event in Denver on June 1st. These deceived folks that are actually paying to attendthis event need to hear the Gospel and not the worldly nonsense that Joel is spewing.
If anyone would like to join us, Steve has a Facebook page to get signed up. Check it out HERE. We will be preaching(Lord willing) the real Gospel of Jesus Christ outside of this event.
Joel Osteen’s prosperity gospel is not good news for anyone attending this event. Using God as a tool to get stuff to make you happy is not a Biblical concept, and deceives people into thinking that is what the Gospel is. Joel’s man- made gospel does not mention sin or repentance or the blood of Christ shed for our sins(Hebrews 9:22). Joel’s gospel, his “church”, and his traveling road show is a good way to enrich himself, but deceives people and leaves them with false hope and a false god. According to Joel, Christ is not sufficient in Himself, but is a means to get what you want. What incredible blasphemy. It leaves his followers with a false understanding of God, and also with no understanding of the Gospel. This me-centered, man-made message leads people to destruction, and creates many false converts, and we will love these people enough to be there to tell them the truth instead of the lies from Joel.
1 Timothy 6:3-5 “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the soundwords of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain“.
Because of Joel’s lack of understanding of the Gospel, he is clueless as to what it takes for someone to actually be a Christian. Jesus said that the way was narrow and the gate small that leads to eternal life(Matthew 7:14), and only a few will find it. Jesus said that only through Him can people be saved(John 14:6). Jesus said that no one is good, other than God alone(Mark 10:18). Jesus said that unless you repent, you will perish(Luke 13:3). These concepts are foreign to Joel. In fact, he even has recently said that even Mormons are Christians. Mormons? They actually believe that Jesus was just like us and eventually ascended to godhood by his good deeds. Mormonism is a “works based” religion, just like Islam, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Joel’s message is a mess and the gospel that he preaches is a mess and leads many to destruction. It is about getting money and stuff, and not about salvation. Joel Osteen represents all that is wrong with most of the evangelical churches in the United States right now.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths”.
Todd Friel explains why Joel Osteen is so dangerous…….
Matthew 24:9. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake”.
It is not quite there yet in the United States, but it is getting there……quickly.
While in Illinois, I went to 2 places to witness, yesterday. In both places, I was confronted by the police and told to leave. The most serious one was in Rock Island, where I was almost arrested.
The first place I went was a Community College in Moline. I actually graduated from this place a long time ago. It is a public institution and I called the Dean the day before to get permission(which should not be necessary anyway in a public place). I handed out Gospel tracts for about 20 minutes before the campus security got there. They told me that I could not do what I was doing, and I had to leave, or I would be arrested. Some of the things they told me was that… “if we let you hand out leaflets, then we would have to let everyone do it”. And another thing they said was, “we had a guy giving out Bibles a couple of years ago and we shut him down”. Sounds reasonable? If you are in Illinois, it is the way it is. The video below is where I was handing out tracts.
Blackhawk college
After that I went downtown Rock Island, where I was almost arrested last year. Because of the incident last year, Alliance Defense Fund began a Federal lawsuit against the city. The lawsuit is dragging on, but my lawyer told me the police would not bother me this time. So I went to the same area that I went last year and preached for about 20 minutes. After that I went to my car and the police drove up and “lit me up” with their flashing lights. They told me the same stuff that it is illegal to “raise my voice”, “scare anyone”, “tell people they were going to die someday”, “alarm and disturb people”. The arrogance, lies and disrespect I received from these police officers was appalling and only by the grace of God was I not arrested….for preaching the Gospel on a street corner. Welcome to our future Police State in America!!!
This was on a downtown street corner in Rock Island. I was not using any amplification. I was on a street corner, not blocking any traffic or in anyone’s way whatsoever. There was cameras watching me too, as described on the plaque in the flower bed right behind me.
Plaque telling me that I am being "watched"Street corner where I preached
I was in Denver today and walked the campus of Denver University to witness to the students. In the middle of the campus is Evans Chapel. It is a beautiful little church that was built by the founder of Denver University(founded as Denver Seminary), John Evans. There was a volunteer outside the chapel and I asked her if it was OK for me to read Scripture out loud in the church courtyard. She said that would be fine with her, so I did. I read from Matthew 25 and Matthew 10. While reading from the Bible and preaching the Gospel, a campus security guard came running down the hill towards me. He told me that I had to stop and wanted my drivers license. I resisted, at first, giving him my license, but finally gave it to him, as he was very upset with me. While he was taking all the information off my license, I asked him if there was a “free speech zone” on campus. He was very angry with me and would not answer any questions about what I was doing wrong. All he angrily told me is that, “it is private”. I told him that I was cooperating with him and would appreciate it if he would answer my questions. He said that “it is private”. So I confronted him with the fact that if I was preaching about the Easter Bunny or Mother Earth, that he would not have cared what I was doing. I went on to explain to him that he was being such a jerk because he hated God. He sternly shot back to me that he was an Atheist. My response was that “of course you are…that is why you are so mad…you hate God”. This hit a nerve with him because the Bible plainly says that everyone believes there is a God, but they choose to believe a lie(Romans 1:18-21). He was LIVID. He took a bunch of pictures of me and told me that if I ever came back to the campus and got caught that I would be arrested. After he escorted me off campus, I preached the Gospel to him as he walked away. He stopped about 20 steps away and listened to the whole Gospel message. May God work in his heart to repent and believe the Gospel!
It is ironic that Denver University was founded in 1864, with the name of Denver Seminary. By 1880, the Colorado Seminary had been renamed the University of Denver. Although doing business as the University of Denver, DU is still legally named Colorado Seminary. So I was kicked off campus for preaching the Gospel in the courtyard of the founders chapel that he built, at the Seminary that he started.
Chaplains Office Door
Before this incident started I paid a visit to the University Chaplains office. He was not there, but I saw he had a COEXIST bumper sticker on his door. Down the hall was the University Prayer room, which was just a bunch of Muslim Prayer rugs on the floor.
I guess the only COEXIST that they are concerned with is that with all other false religions and philosophy instead of hearing the Gospel of the only God that saves.
The Shepherds Conference had a breakout session this year that was a little(a lot) controversial. The speaker (Jesse Johnson) took the view that the 10 Commandments were not to be used nowadays in proclaiming the Gospel. His position was that the 10 Commandments were only for the Jews and had no relevance to people today. This was very controversial because it contradicted Scripture, and the teaching of people like, Calvin, Luther, Spurgeon, the Apostle Paul, Jesus Christ…and, oh yeah, John MacArthur.
For the record, we have no problem using the Ten Commandments as a mirror to show people their sin. We agree with Living Waters that the Decalogue is a summary of the moral content of God’s law. The law’s moral principles reflect the unchanging character of God, so they are eternal, universally applicable, and by definition unchanging. Given those facts, surely it is appropriate to use the Decalogue as Jesus and the apostle Paul often did – to confront sinners with their sin.
Furthermore, we’re grateful for the way you have trained and encouraged so many people to do hands-on evangelism. You deserve a lot of credit for stirring the consciences of countless young believers and motivating them to share the gospel boldly. In no way would we ever want to discourage that.
We continue to believe that it is critically important for people training in the Living Waters method to 1) strengthen the gospel content of their presentation so as to be equal to the law, 2) see the law as not simply Ten Commandments, but much more as Scripture reveals, 3) To place particular emphasis on passages such as John 8:24 where Jesus says they would die in their sins for refusal to acknowledge Him. This is the greatest sin that goes beyond the Ten Commandments in its condemnation extending to every sinner.
I am grateful for your eagerness to enrich the people you train in these ways.
I love the ministry of Sye Ten Bruggencate. We partnered together with him at the Super Bowl this year. This video is a good representation of the “presuppositional” way of witnessing to an unbeliever. Everyone knows that God exists(Romans 1:19-23). The unbeliever needs to be confronted with this fact, so that their world view can be challenged and they will be humbled enough to listen to the Gospel.
Watch the video so that you can see how we can prove the existence of God.
God gave us a great day to proclaim His glory to the lost of Colorado Springs. We had the usual evolution believers, God haters, screamers, and even Elliot showed up and preached his false gospel along side of us. There was a bunch of police around and they arrested some guy in the park and took him away in handcuffs. Another day of witnessing in Colorado Springs!
Robert had a student get up next to him and mock the preaching of the Gospel and God in general. This guy needs to get saved, because God’s wrath is being stored up in this guys account.
Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. (Romans 2:4-11 ESV)
“Your life is but a vapor that appears for a little while, and then disappears”(James 4:14).
You just never know. Eternity comes sooner than later for some people, but all will die, then face judgement(Hebrews 9:27). I did not know David Mann personally, but many of my friends did. Because David was a born again believer(John 3:3) and a new creation created in Christ(2 Corinthians 5:17), he is assured, now, of being in heaven with our Lord Jesus Christ for eternity.
The following thoughts are from “The Informed Evangelist”. Jon Speed shared some thoughts about this incident and his friend, and evangelist, David. David was only 26 years old. Some guy ran a red light and plowed into David’s car that was sitting at the red light. Both were killed, and both are in eternity. We know where David is, but what about the other driver? That is why we witness to the lost. Eternity can happen any time. 10 out of 10 will eventually die. Where where you spend eternity? Repent and believe the Gospel! Do it today. No one is guaranteed another day.
An accident took the life of our friend, David Mann. A guy ran a red light and struck David’s vehicle. Now both are in eternity. That is how fast we can go from this life to the next. Yet we all live as if we will never die. This is why street evangelists do what they do. Call us fanatics, misguided, zealots, or specially gifted–all we are trying to do is live in the light of eternity. Ours and the people we preach to. If you don’t know Christ, please repent and believe the gospel before it’s your time to cross from this world to the next. That’s not fear mongering. That, my friends, is reality. The greatest reality that you face every single day. In the meantime, we must preach as dying men to dying men.
It looks like Joel Osteen and his wife are coming to Denver for a “concert”. We are planning an outreach with other saints from around Colorado, so that the people attending this event can hear the true Gospel proclaimed before listening to Joel’s false gospel that does not save anyone. Look for details on this outreach at the Pepsi Center in Denver on June 1st. We will have special Gospel tracts, and will be preaching and witnessing one to one to the folks that will be subjected to this pseudo, and false Christian event. Mark your calendars…
In case you are unaware, Joel Osteen promotes a false man-centered gospel that many are attracted to because it puts man in the place of God. Man is in charge of his life and God is just a Divine Butler to help in us having “our best life now”. Really….if your stay on this earth is your “best life now”, then you are headed to hell, because your best life if you are a Christian, will be when you get to heaven. In fact, the Bible states that if you are a true Christian, while here on this earth, you will have tribulation(John 16:33), suffering(1 Peter 5:10), trials(James 1:12), temptations(1 Corinthians 10:13), persecution(2 Timothy 3:12), hated by the world(John 15:18), insulted(Matthew 5:11). These are the true marks of the Christian life, and not all the worldly stuff that Joel Osteen preaches.
We will be out there to tell people the truth, as we follow the Biblical mandate that the Apostle Paul announced to Timothy.
Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:2-5 ESV)
Steve Sanchez is an evangelist out in California, and he has a great blog on evangelism. A subject that he recently addressed was the frequent charge that proclaiming the Gospel in the public square is not “effective”. This common complaint comes from atheists as well as professing Christians. So…..are we effective? Check out Steve’s article here..
