I recieved a very kind, tender-hearted email from a Christian student who heard Miles Lewis, Eli Brailey, and Evan Schiable preaching on his campus - College of Charleston.
Though he was tender-hearted in his email, his over all points were:
1. Our method of outdoor preaching is wrong.
2. We shouldn't judge.
3. Everyone is a sinner.
4. Love does not do what we do.
So I simply wrote back and responded with the few scriptures that came to my mind as I read his email. I thought it would be beneficial to post this, because it's scriptures.
[b]REGARDING OUR METHOD:[/b] Outdoor preaching, discussion, and debating.
[u]The bible commands preaching outdoors:[/u]
[b]Matthew 10:27 [/b]- What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in the light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
[b]Mark 16:15[/b] - Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
[u]Living an example is a must, but is not enough. The word must be verbally preached so that they can "hear".[/u]
[b]Romans 10:14[/b] - How can they call on him in whome they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher?
[b]Romans 10:17[/b] - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God
[u]The Apostles evangelized through verbal discussion(not just their lifestyle), and did not want for the lost to come to Church, but they themselves went out to the lost:[/u]
[b]Acts 17:2 [/b]- And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures."
[b]Acts 18:4[/b] - And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
[b]Acts 18:9 [/b]- And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.
[u]The Apostles also "debated" or "disputed" in their evangelism. We do not want to preach to people who already agree with us, but we want to speak to those who disagree.[/u]
[b]Acts 17:17[/b] - Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.
[b]REGARDING JUDGING:[/b] Hypocritical judgment is condemned, righteous judgment is commanded.
[u]Hypocritical judgment[/u]
[b]Matthew 7:1-5[/b] - Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote in that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to they brother, let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, FIRST cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and THEN shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
[u]Righteous judgment[/u]
[b]John 7:24[/b] - Judge not according to the appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.
[b]1 Corinthians 2:15 [/b]- But he that is spiritual judgeth all things
[b]REGARDING ALL BEING SINNERS[/b]: All have sinned (past tense), but Jesus saves us from sin, and changes us on the inside, so that we can be free and dead to sin, and be saints in this present world.
[u]All have sinned (past tense):[/u]
[b]Romans 2:23[/b] - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God
[u]Jesus saves us from sin:[/u]
[b]John 1:29 [/b]- Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
[b]1 John 3:5 [/b]- And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins
[b]Romans 6:4[/b] - Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life
[u]Jesus changes and cleanses us inside[/u]
[b]Matthew 23:26[/b] - first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Christians are free and dead to sin
[b]John 8:36[/b] - Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed
[b]Romans 6:18[/b] - Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
[b]Romans 6:22[/b] - But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 1 John 2:3 - And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
[b]1 John 3:9 [/b]- Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
[u]No longer sinners, but Saints in this present world.[/u]
[i](There were too many scriptures to list regarding Christians being Saints, so here's just a few)[/i]
[b]Acts 9:13 [/b]- Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem
[b]Romans 15:25[/b] - But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.
[b]1 Corinthians 6:1 [/b]- Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
[b]1 Corinthians 14:33 [/b]- For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
[b]Ephesians 3:8[/b] - Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
[b]REGARDING LOVE:[/b] Love compells us to preach and to rebuke.
[b]2 Corinthians 5:14 [/b]- For the love of Christ compels us
[b]Revelations 3:19 [/b]- As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent.
[b]Proverbs 27:5[/b] - Open Rebuke is better then secret love.
|