I don't disagree with what you are saying Sree. If God is not behind what we are doing, then it is not going to work- at least not how God intends. I think perhaps the issue is whether it is ok to "lure people in" using seemingly worldly means, when the intent is to hit them with the gospel once they are "in."
_________________Todd
I don't know about luring in. I do know about going out. Plenty of testimonies of God's saving grace exist where the preacher/proclaimer of the gospel went into dark places of ill repute to deliver the word of God to the lost. What's Missing In Ch ch? ur may yet be the preference of church people but it is not NT going. I'm with you Sree about holiness, and I see holiness when a man braves the elements of the world and stands in the hostile places to say Jesus is Lord, come to Him. If a man is enticed to his own lusts in such places, he should avoid them; let us mortify self and our lusts and love the ones God would save through the foolishness of preaching the gospel enough to take it to them.
_________________Tim
Have more sinners been saved after coming to a church or by being preached at on a street corner (or elsewhere)?I don't know the answer for sure although I expect I know it.
TMK -- I'm certain you're right.I've never met a person who told me that they were saved from street corner preaching or tract distribution. And, I never inquired if they'd ever been witnessed to in the street or given a tract if they did tell me how they were saved.This gives me an idea for another thread on "tell us how/when you were saved". I'd love to hear our stories on that.
QUOTE: I've never met a person who told me that they were saved from street corner preaching or tract distribution.I know someone who was saved from a tract his roommate was going to throw out. He rescued it, read it, and was gloriously saved! I just share that because it's been so encouraging to me to hear stories like that--ones that you don't often hear.I do agree with your sentiment, though, that we need to GO to them, not always just think that handing them a piece of paper means their blood is off our hands.
I met a man who told me that he was saved because God used a street preacher to bring him to Christ.
The issue is not whether a person might get saved by listening to a street preacher or reading a tract- of course they might; God can use a fortune in a fortune cookie to bring someone to conviction if he wants to.The issue is what is most effective; and I believe the local church is a monumental force to be reckoned with if it is firing on all cylinders. I would argue that the number of people saved in church far outnumbers by many multiples the number saved outside of a church. But for some reason the local church seems to get a bad wrap, and I guess I get a little tired of it.
