Christmas, Cowards and Killing

November 24, 2012. Today I led a team of Christians to share the gospel with folks outside the Ohio State vs Michigan game. About 8 of us went to OSU’s campus from 8:45-11:45 am. I preached the entire time, while others passed out tracts or preached on another corner.

After watching the first three quarters of the game at home, 3 of us returned to campus to continue to share the gospel with the lost around 3:45pm. Considering we returned to the same corner, it was no surprise that several people asked, “Are you still here?” I love that we are recognized.

I decided to use Luke 2 as a springboard to some of my preaching today. I also read Psalm 34, Colossians 1, John 1, and 1 John 1 in the open air today, but I read the Christmas account numerous times. Click the preceding link to see whether it is ok for a Christian to celebrate Christmas.

Here is my attempt to embed one of the videos from preaching. It was essentially what is known as “stoplight” preaching, and so you will see me continuously repeat myself as I share the gospel with a new crowd every few minutes.

But toward the end of the video few things happen. For the first time in my preaching career, I was physically affected. A man comes up to me while I’m preaching and you hear him yell that I’m bad for Christianity. Then you can see him push me off my stool. This was the first time today that I was physically pushed from my stool. Although this man wasn’t very rough, you can even see that his own friends know what he did was wrong. Fast forward to the 13 minute mark to see when the more exciting action occurs.

Later that evening, at the corner of Lane Avenue and High Street I was again pushed from my stool. This time is was a much more aggressive push from a man who ran up to push me, so I saw it cominmg. I even braced myself for it and pushed back in an attempt to keep my balance. The significant part of the second encounter is that I was not preaching; I was simply reading the first chapter of 1 John. The simple public reading of God’s Word is enough to convict the hearts of men and draw out their hate – and, as I loudly pointed out to the man who “attacked me” as he ran away, public reading of God’s Word is enough to put men’s cowardice on display as well.

I do not entice people or say extreme things in order that I might elicit a reaction; I used to do that when I first started open air preaching. But today, on several occasions I used the opportunity afforded to me by the public display of evil and rebellion to call out sin. The filthy mouths of the women of Columbus, the hateful and blasphemous men, and the homosexual girls who put their affection for each other on display were not spared the public embarrassment they asked for with their behavior. They also were not spared an opportunity to hear of the forgiveness offered in Christ that I wished for them to receive.

Here is the video.

You will see in the background a woman standing with a couple of signs. These were pro-life signs which depicted an aborted baby and pro-life statements.

Near the end of the video, there is a time when people vocally protested the image on the anti-abortion sign. There are times in street preaching when calling out people for their sin and unrighteousness needs to be done in a dramatic fashion; clearly I believed this was one of those times.

For those of you who are concerned that I sounded “angry;” I was. I believe that I exhibited righteous anger against sin, and use language and a tone which was intended to bring conviction to evildoers and show defense for the innocent. Although I do not agree with the woman’s religious beliefs who held the sign, I agree with her belief that humans are worth protecting from conception, and I believe in she has a right to be there and to be treated with dignity. I watched this woman repeatedly yelled and cursed at, and even spit at once by a man. I am pleased that Christ gave me the courage and boldness to defend her as I loudly and boldly declared the men who committed these acts against her to be cowards. None of them returned to defend themselves.

I do appreciate the amazing amount of support that was given for this weekend. There were people who supplied food for the conference and prayer time we held at our church Friday night. A dear saint acted as a taxi for us throughout the day today; several others prepared lunch and supplied drinks for us between evangelistic trips; and my dear bride served people and cooked and cleaned for two straight days.

Most of all, my precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ provided exceedingly and abundantly more than we could have asked. The answers to prayers were numerous. The appointments were divine; the fellowship was sweet; and the preaching was Christ-exalting, by His grace and power.

Here is the second video of the day: