Does It Do Any Good?
This last week a friend asked my wife “does it do any good for Dennis to stand and yell at people?” Later in the week a co-worker told me someone asked him the same question about when I witness at MSU. So, it made me think about open-air preaching: Does it do any good?
My first thought was about the tens of thousands of tracts that have been handed out over the past eight years. A security guard in a book store in Kentucky walked back over to me after reading a tract, with tears in his eyes he reached out and shook my hand and said, “I needed this right now.” I remember a guy in Texas at a mall that read a tract and started crying. I shared the Gospel with him and then five minutes later another evangelist noticed that the man was crying and he went over and shared the Gospel with him too.
Several years ago I met a man from Kenya at the mall in Springfield, MO and he took a tract from me. I believe he truly understood the commitment it takes to surrender your life to Jesus, but he hadn’t done so yet. He told me that being a Christian is the easiest and hardest thing to do. It’s the easiest because you just must surrender your life to Jesus. It’s the hardest thing to do because you have to give up being in control of your life and we want to be in control.
Begs The Question Again: Does It Do Any Good?
Does it do any good? The question also reminds me of the individual conversations that I’ve had with people over the past eight years. I’ve witnessed to many atheists and more than half of them claim that they used to be Christians. I don’t believe this because if they had truly been saved, they would still be saved today. Salvation is of the Lord. John says they went out from us because they were never part of us. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us (1 John 2:19).
I’ve witnessed to many professing Christians who really thought that they were saved, yet they were out on the streets stumbling drunk. A lady one year on New Year’s Eve was very belligerent toward me because she just knew that drinking was all right, that there wasn’t anything wrong with her being out with her friends and having a good time. She had no problem compartmentalizing her drinking Friday night and her going to church on Sunday morning. She professed Christ with her lips, but her heart was far from Him.
I Used To Get Drunk
I tried to relay to her that I used to believe the same thing. I used to get drunk, ask God to forgive me and then go to church on Sunday thinking all was good. The problem was back in those days when I was a false convert like this young woman, I based my beliefs off what I thought and what I wanted to believe. I didn’t read the Bible back then every day like I do know.
After I truly got saved I read in Proverbs that whosoever is deceived by alcohol is not wise. I’ve noticed how the Israelites didn’t touch alcohol while they wandered in the desert 40 years that they might know God. I noticed 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 that says no drunkard shall enter into the kingdom of God.
Broken-Hearted Over Woman Deceived By The Devil
I went home that night heart-broken over this woman and how the devil has deceived her. She is married with small children and yet she sees no problem with having a little fun with her girl-friends and claiming to be a follower of Christ at the same time. Yes, she is just one of many people that I’ve encountered over the years and wept over their souls after sharing truth with them.
Does it do any good? Aaron just got back from witnessing with several others at Black Bike Week in South Carolina where a young man put his faith in our Lord Jesus and then Aaron had the privilege of baptizing him in the ocean.
I repeat: does it do any good? I think about three souls who professed Christ as their Lord and Savior this year at the Super Bowl Outreach in Houston, Texas. Matthew stopped while I was open-air preaching to listen. Allen walked over and started a conversation with him. Before it was over, Aaron also went over and witnessed to Matthew and the young man repented and put his faith in Jesus right there on the sidewalk.
I remember one time Greg was preaching at Toys R Us on Black Friday and the young lady that was brought to tears over hearing about how sinful man is and the righteousness of Christ. His suffering for guilty sinners like us. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
Just What I Needed
This question does it do any good also reminded me of a time Greg and I witnessed at Apple Butter Makin Days in Mt. Vernon, MO. They also had a car show and Greg plopped the stool down right in the middle of the car show and said, “you’re up.” I was nervous that we were going to get arrested or kicked out of the car show, but I jumped up and started preaching. It didn’t appear that anyone was paying attention. But as soon as I stepped down, a man walked up to me that had a car in the show near where we were preaching and he shook my hand vigorously and said that this was just what he needed.
Yes, I’ve seen many people upset and fighting mad when confronted with the truth that we are all sinners and that Jesus is the only Righteous One. One Friday night on the square a drunk lesbian punched me when I answered her, yes, the Bible says homosexuality is a sin. I’ve seen angry people punch, push, and shove Aaron. But I’ve also seen many people brought to tears when my brother is preaching in the open-air.
Does it do any good? I’ve witnessed plenty of times where God has moved people through reading tracts, the one to one conversations and open-air preaching. But does it really do any good? Even if we never saw anything positive at all, it still does good. Why? Because God’s word does not return void. Lifting up the name of Jesus in the open is biblical and it is necessary, especially in our ever-increasing secular society. Many of the people we encounter on the streets have no desire to ever walk into a church building, for any reason.
Open-Air Preachers Are Obedient To Jesus Christ
But does it do any good? My friends and I are obeying Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior who has told us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Does it do any good? Obedience to our Lord is always good. Being obedient, worshiping God by proclaiming Christ in the streets is something we must do. We join the apostle Paul in saying woe is me if I preach not the Gospel. Woe is me if I don’t open my mouth and share the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ with this lost and dying world.
People don’t fall on their knees and say “what must I do to be saved” very often. It rarely happens. But we are obeying God, we are glorifying God by proclaiming the Good News. Even though God has shown us glimpses over the years of people being convicted and even some who repented and surrendered their lives to Christ.
But even if we never witnessed a single conversion, it is still good to lift up our Lord and Savior. God commands us to go, stand and speak. The results are entirely up to Him. We preach the Gospel and many, that is most reject the Gospel. But there are a few that are saved. Either way, we are only the mouth piece for God.
We Proclaim The Gospel But Salvation Is Of The Lord
We proclaim God’s truth whether men reject or receive it. The results are entirely up to God. No one comes to Jesus unless the Father draws them. Does it do any good? Again, God’s word does not return void. Your conscience is either being convicted tonight over your sins and your heart is softening or your heart is getting harder. It’s one or the other. There is no neutrality to the Gospel.
You either love to hear the name of Jesus being proclaimed in the open tonight or you hate it. You either love Him or hate Him, but you cannot be casual about our Lord. Jesus said you are either for Him or against Him. He is Lord of all. You either willingly bow your knee and confess with your tongue that Jesus is Lord or you grit your teeth and say No, I will not submit to Christ. But it’s foolishness to grit your teeth and say no to Jesus.
Everyone Will Bow The Knee To Jesus
It’s appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). We are all going to die one day. You will bow your knee and you will profess that Jesus Christ is Lord. But if you wait until Judgment Day it will be too late. Jesus will still have His servants cast you into the lake of fire and brimstone.
Oh, don’t go through your whole life rebelling against God. Come to Jesus Christ. Admit that you are a sinner. Beg God to forgive you for your sins. Cry out what must I do to be saved? Repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ. Submit to His Lordship. Surrender your life fully and completely to Him. Be saved today. Call upon the precious name of Jesus and be saved. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Don’t continue mocking God. Don’t continue rejecting the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Humble yourself today. If you humbly come to Jesus, He will not reject you. The Lord is looking for those with a humble and a contrite heart. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (John 6:37).
Repent And Trust Jesus
Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Repent and put your trust in Jesus. Does it do any good? Yes, receiving the free gift of salvation makes you spiritually come alive. You will be alive for the first time in your life. Surrendering your life to Jesus means that He will be with you for the rest of your life. You will never be alone again. More importantly, Jesus will never leave you nor forsake you. I’m talking about eternity here. You can receive everlasting life. Do you think that will do you any good?
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him (John 3:36). Does salvation do any good? Of course it does. You can go from Gods’ anger over your sins abiding upon you, resting upon your own head to being completely forgiven. Your sins can be cleansed tonight, but only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. You can go from being under God’s wrath to receiving His love that never ends, if you repent and surrender your life to Jesus. Will you do this tonight? Now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation.
God Is Being Glorified
Does it do any good? Listen, even if there was never a single soul saved from open-air preaching, it would still do good. God is being glorified. Jesus Christ is being lifted up and my friends and I are being obedient to God. Almighty God prefers obedience to sacrifice. Does it do any good? Yes, it does. My friends and I are worshiping the One True God. There is no other. There is none beside Him.
It is our joy and privilege to worship Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and we can’t think of anything better to do than that. Praise and worship the One who suffered, bled, and died for us. The One who rose from the grave. It does our hearts good to praise Jesus in the open-air. We love You and praise You Lord because You first loved us. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on June 2, 2017)