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Street Meetings of God
Leonard Ravenhill

Leonard Ravenhill (1907 - 1994). British-American evangelist, author, and revivalist born in Leeds, England. Converted at 14 in a Methodist revival, he trained at Cliff College, a Methodist Bible school, and was mentored by Samuel Chadwick. Ordained in the 1930s, he preached across England with the Faith Mission and held tent crusades, influenced by the Welsh Revival’s fervor. In 1950, he moved to the United States, later settling in Texas, where he ministered independently, focusing on prayer and repentance. Ravenhill authored books like Why Revival Tarries (1959) and Sodom Had No Bible, urging the church toward holiness. He spoke at major conferences, including with Youth for Christ, and mentored figures like David Wilkerson and Keith Green. Married to Martha Beaton in 1939, they had three sons, all in ministry. Known for his fiery sermons and late-night prayer meetings, he corresponded with A.W. Tozer and admired Charles Spurgeon. His writings and recordings, widely available online, emphasize spiritual awakening over institutional religion. Ravenhill’s call for revival continues to inspire evangelical movements globally.
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Sermon Summary
This sermon emphasizes the importance of reaching out to the lost with the gospel, highlighting the need for repentance and the consequences of rejecting God's salvation. It calls for a return to passionate, uncompromising preaching that convicts hearts and leads to true transformation through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
Sermon Transcription
The street meetings have gone, the street meetings have gone, the street meetings have gone. Dear God, we've all kinds of ministries round here, but Tyler goes to hell. How many churches do you have, the mega churches in Dallas? I guess you can't find one street. I spent 50 years of my life in street meetings. Every Saturday night I went out at 9.30 till midnight. And after, every night, whether it was snowing or raining or what, we went out to the same place. And people came out of taverns and out of movie houses at 10 o'clock and stayed an hour and two hours in the cold. No air-conditioned buildings, no nice, no attractive singers, just testament. I call on one man and say this man was in jail. This man used to run around with women. This man has a prison record. This man over there used to beat his wife in the transport. This girl was a prostitute and put them out living flesh and blood. Nobody could argue. People would stand and say, why are you the only preacher in the town that does this? I don't know except God told me to do it and I do it. Well, that's where the lost people are. A man would be an idiot to buy a $100 fishing gear and fish in his bathtub. And that's all we do in church. We're fishing with the same people every week. And people are dying without God. We traveled the country, but I walked the length of England, walked the breadth of England with five college fellows. We slept in fields at night. We slept in churches. We didn't get a penny wage in six months and nobody ever said a word. Because at night we'd kneel in the street at 10 and 11 o'clock at night and people get saved in the street. You don't care at home where you sleep. We slept in sleeping bags for three years. Slept on the floor of churches anywhere they'd take us in. But we had revival. The churches are still standing today. You know, we are preaching an acceptable gospel today. Make it as painless as we can. And all we do is give people a shock to put them to sleep so they'll get to hell quicker. We need some hellfire preaching on repentance. We need some hellfire preaching on repentance. Father, I pray today that your glory would fall upon this campus, Lord, and that men and women would be convicted of sin and that they would come unto you for salvation. Lord, I pray these things in the precious name of Jesus. Anoint me, O Lord, and fill me with your spirit and give me the words that I need to say. Here I am, Friday night of April, right next to Gotham, the club. It's raining and I'm about to preach. I hope all goes well. Be with me, Father. O Lord, may I reveal all men unto you. May I show all men you and reveal men you. The light has come into the world and the world comprehended it not. It says that the light came and the darkness did not comprehend the light. Blessed is the man who walks right in the counsel of the ungodly. Behold, a dead man lives. A dead man is alive. You've got an option. You can live in sin all you want. Yeah, you can go on and have sex with your girlfriend. You can lie. You can go to the mall, steal all the things you want. And you can do that, but the Bible says you've sold yourself for your sins. It's a crime against God to lie. It's a crime against God to steal. It's a crime against God to take his name and die. The crime against God can last after another being. How long will you try the kindness and severity of God? How long will you push Him to the limit? How long will you see how far you can take your lie? And for 15 years of my life, I was lied to. I was told if I could be good enough, if I could just give money to charity, give money to church, if I could simply do the right thing, then I'll go to heaven. And it's a lie. It's a lie from hell, and I sent it back where it came from, and I want nothing to do with it, because the Word of God says... But He demonstrates His love towards us, while we were still yet sinners and enemies of God. While we were still yet sinners and enemies of God. That's when Christ died for us on the cross. A man just came up to me while I was just preaching right now. And He just came up to me and waved and said, I love sex! Yeah! And somebody just gave Him a hearty amen. Somebody just gave Him a hearty amen. But Isaiah the prophet says, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil. Woe to those who call truth lies. Woe to those who call light darkness. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Away! Oh, He loves you so much. He's willing to die for you on the cross, to die for our sins. The most precious gift God gave us was His own life. And the biggest tragedy of your life would be the day that you reject the gospel. The biggest tragedy of your life will be when you choose death rather than life. God, did not send His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to condemn this world, to condemn you. But God sent His Son into the world that the world might be saved through Him. And we're out here today, not fearing God, but God. Arise! Arise, O sleeper! Awake! And let Christ shine His face upon you! Arise! Arise today and awake from the sleep, awake from the spiritual slumber in which many of you are in. Arise! Awake! To believe in Jesus Christ is to believe in His Word. He was bruised for our iniquity. He was wounded for our transgressions. There is There is hope. Be reconciled towards God! Be reconciled towards God! Turn from your sins and your wicked ways and seek after God with all of your heart. Seek after Christ and His suffering on the cross! Seek after Christ! That Jesus Christ, who was beaten and mocked and scored, and hung on a cross, and crucified there! How narrow is the way that leads to life! How narrow! Close by one man! Jesus Christ! And just like someone who's lost on the street, the thing that keeps them back is pride from asking to rest. It's pride that keeps them. Pride! You must know that you lost before you can be saved. Stages to the kingdom of God! And we are here to live our lives until the day in which the eastern sky will be broken, and he will descend and place his foot on the Mount of Olives, and will stand in righteous judgment. The scripture tells us that the preaching of the cross, that the preaching of the gospel, is foolishness to those who are pious. So, if it is foolishness to you, know that God is serving you, and warning you, that you are precious. Now let me say this. There's a thousand roads into hell, but there's not even one road out. And the way to hell has been paved by our own sin. And it's wide, but narrow is the way that leads to life. And the way to heaven has been bought by the blood of Christ. He paved the way with his own blood, the blood of the Son of God. Jesus saved me. If you would just simply call upon the name of the Lord, he would come, and he would change your life. He'll give you, the Bible says, a new heart, and a new mind. The light has come into the world. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Christ, the Holy One of Israel.
Street Meetings of God
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Leonard Ravenhill (1907 - 1994). British-American evangelist, author, and revivalist born in Leeds, England. Converted at 14 in a Methodist revival, he trained at Cliff College, a Methodist Bible school, and was mentored by Samuel Chadwick. Ordained in the 1930s, he preached across England with the Faith Mission and held tent crusades, influenced by the Welsh Revival’s fervor. In 1950, he moved to the United States, later settling in Texas, where he ministered independently, focusing on prayer and repentance. Ravenhill authored books like Why Revival Tarries (1959) and Sodom Had No Bible, urging the church toward holiness. He spoke at major conferences, including with Youth for Christ, and mentored figures like David Wilkerson and Keith Green. Married to Martha Beaton in 1939, they had three sons, all in ministry. Known for his fiery sermons and late-night prayer meetings, he corresponded with A.W. Tozer and admired Charles Spurgeon. His writings and recordings, widely available online, emphasize spiritual awakening over institutional religion. Ravenhill’s call for revival continues to inspire evangelical movements globally.