When's The Last Time You Preached On A Street Corner?

Originally Written November 22, 2009

In the spring of this year we began going to downtown Orlando (before we moved there) regularly on Friday nights. We wanted to begin getting a feel for the city as well as gauging the culture. We also began joining with a group of open air preachers who witnessed downtown. We met the men of Bring the Noiz through the church we are attending together in Celebration. On a typical Friday night they would preach the gospel on a portable sound system for hours on a street corner in downtown Orlando. Now, I’m sure some of you reading this are rolling your eyes, and I’m asking you to just stick with me a minute more. Regardless of what you think of “confrontational evangelism” or even the theology behind it, you cannot help but be impressed and humbled by the guys. Day in and day out they live out The Great Commission. They pass out hundreds of gospel tracks and witness to even more people regularly. Now I’m sure we’ve all seen this type of evangelism misused, I know I have. But the I’ve seen the guys of Bring the Noiz put down their mics to witness one on one to those who so desperately need the Gospel. I’ve seen them spend hours talking to individuals and often praying with them. I’ve also witnessed them being threatened, persecuted, and shamed for the sake of the Gospel. So what I’m asking you today is when’s the last time you preached on a street corner?

I know you’re saying, “but that’s not my calling.” And I agree that not everyone is called to preach in the middle of downtown Orlando every Friday night. But you are called to spread the good news of the Gospel. Maybe for you that means seeking out someone at work to share God’s love with on a regular basis or being intentional about your conversations with the people at the restaurant you eat in or the grocery store you shop in, or it may mean seeking God about finally sharing His truth with that family member you’ve prayed for all these years. What I do know is that we all have our own “street corner” and God will hold us accountable for how we use it. So I ask you, what has your life been preaching lately?