Mark 16:15
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
Romans 10:14
"How shall they call on him in whom 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?
Ezekiel 2:5
"And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them."
Frequently asked questions are listed questions and answers found nowadays on most web-sites that are supposedly oft asked questions regarding a particular product or service. In the business of the Lord's service, there are often questions asked, and rightly so, of those interested in or at least curious about a particular ministry. There is seemingly no particular ministry so questioned as that of street preaching, and, in particular, regarding preaching at Gay Pride events.
Some questions come from honest individuals who are curiously captivated by what they perceive as a somewhat peculiar activity. They are people of God who simply are looking for Scriptural answers as to the motivation behind such efforts, which I will say now, should already be clear, in most cases. Other questions however are designed to cast doubt upon, disparage, or even demean not only the preaching but the preachers involved in making an effort to stand for truth and right and reaching a lost world with the gospel. Others still, are from the individuals attending these events who have a false perception of our motivation in preaching to them.
Whatever the motive behind the questions, there are nevertheless frequently asked questions regarding publically preaching at Gay Pride events, and I will, in this article, make a concerted effort to answer those questions.
FAQ's
1. What is the motivation behind street preaching at a Gay Pride rally?
A= The simplest answer is that the Scriptures are our primary motivation. In addition to the Scriptures listed above, there are an abundance of Scriptures that command God's people to go into ALL THE WORLD and PREACH the gospel to EVERY creature. I once heard it said in a missions meeting I was attending that "Where there is a creature, there ought to be a preacher." I heartily agreed and said "Amen" along with a chorus of others. For the most part, the motivation in publically preaching at any event, gay or otherwise, is simply the fact that there are a large number of people attending a particular event. We try to preach where the people are... it is as simple as that.
Beyond that however, there is the fact that the sick sin of sodomy needs to be publically rebuked by God's men and God's church. If the sodomites are bold enough to publically celebrate, promote, and flaunt their perversion, should not God's people be bold enough to stand against it? Throughout the Scriptures, God's prophets and preachers boldly and publically rebuked the sins of the nations and peoples involved in them. The admonition to Isaiah still stands, "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins," Isaiah 58:1.
How often has Edmund Burke's quote been repeated, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." According to Ephesians 5:11, God's people are not only to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness," we are also to "rather reprove them." Those who do nothing and say nothing about sin and evil aid in its promotion! The question that needs to be asked is, "Do good men do nothing about sin and evil?" How can they continue to qualify as good men while allowing evil to prevail unopposed? And, if they are not good men, is it true that they are God's men?
2. What about the fact that you are exposing yourself to all kinds of evil and perversion at Gay Pride events? How do you justify this?
A= In many cases this question is asked with the implication that preachers that preach at such events are perverts themselves. This question and its implication is very similar to the account in Luke 7 when the Lord Jesus was approached by woman with an alabaster box of ointment while in the house of a Pharisee. In verse 38 of that chapter the woman began to wash Jesus feet with her tears and wipe them with the hairs of her head. In verse 39, the Scripture says, "Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner." The implication was that if Jesus was really a prophet, He would've known that this woman was a sinner and would have had nothing to do with her. The last time I checked the New Testament, I believe that it was very apparent that the Lord Jesus "came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," Luke 5:32.
What should we do? Should we tell sinners that unless they act right, talk right, and dress right, we will not talk to them or preach the gospel to them. What about the return of Moses to the Israelite camp from meeting with God on Mt Sinai? Exodus 31:25-26 says, "And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) (26) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him." I say quite frankly, Moses saw that the people were naked. Moses wasn't peering at them as some pervert, he was God's man with a message of repentance to the people. Those that were willing to heed the message did. Those that refused continued in their sin.
What about missionaries that go to countries and peoples who have no dress standards, who know nothing but nakedness or near nakedness? Are those men perverts for going to such a place under the call of God? God forbid! They are men of God with God's message of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to a people living in the darkness and deceitfulness of sin.
Granted, there can be a bad apple in any bunch, but to use such an excuse as a reason to forbear going and preaching to such people is ludicrous! The sodomite crowd is perverted; they are abusers of themselves with mankind. Their affections are termed as vile in Romans 1. They are everything the Bible says that they are, and we go to preach what the Bible says they are to them!
3. Once sodomites become as open and bold about their sin as they are at these events, they are probably reprobate. Aren't you just wasting your time in going and preaching to them?
A= There are a couple of issues to address in regards to this question. First of all, the Scriptures are clear that it is possible for someone involved in the sin of sodomy (homosexuality) to be saved. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, or idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind... (10) ... shall inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Evidently, there were some individuals at Corinth who had been saved OUT OF the sodomite lifestyle, which is really a death style.
While I have no doubt that many of the sodomites at these events are probably reprobate, there are also those there who are not reprobate, and there are also those there who are not sodomites at all. Some are sympathizers; some are just there because it's a festival. That is the crowd we are there to REACH. The reprobate crowd, on the other hand, we are there to REBUKE! There is a difference!
Secondly, how can obeying God's command to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature be a waste of time? Let me ask you preachers a question: Is playing golf a waste of time? Is hunting a waste of time? Is being engrossed in your favorite hobby or surfing the internet a waste of time? Or, is all that redeeming the time? I am not fussing at you about your hobbies as long as they are not sinful, but how can one say that preaching the gospel to any group of people is a waste of time? I thought you could never take the gospel to the wrong place or the wrong person, or was I wrong about that?
4. Don't you preachers that go to these events just go to cause trouble, to get in the news, and to get into it with the police? Aren't you just media whores and troublemakers?
A= My first thought in response to this question (or series of questions- with the same underlying attitude) is the response of Eliab to David when his younger brother heard the blasphemy of the giant Goliath. In 1 Samuel 17:25, the Scripture says, "And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle." I assert here that Eliab was the one with the pride issue. His was wounded because he was consumed with fear, and he was now being shown up, so to speak, by his kid brother. Therefore, instead of rightly judging himself, he falsely accused his brother!
I love David's response however! Verse 26 says, "And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" David was falsely accused and maligned, not for doing wrong, but for doing that which was right... that which his brethren were afraid to do! Hey, if you can't find a Biblical reason to not go, personally attack those that will obediently go. If you can make them look bad, it'll make you look better... right?!?!
Let me say that none of the preachers and people that I am associated with have any ambition to fight against the police or to go to jail. We have never gone to any event hoping to get arrested. Anyone that has such and ambition is mentally warped, at least. Having said that, we also understand the God given role of civil authority as outlined in Romans 13. They are the minister of God for good and against evil. In discussing Romans 13, most folks want to emphasize our responsibility to the civil authorities. If you will read Romans 13 again, you will find that the authorities have a certain responsibility to God. That is, they are to defend the good and punish the evil. When they fail to fulfill their responsibilities and begin to unlawfully hinder our lawful obedience to God, we then have the responsibility to obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29) and let the consequences be what they may!
In most cases, police officers are aids in our ministry rather than hindrances. In most cases, those that are hindrances are ignorant to the laws concerning public speaking and discourse. I would advise anyone involved in a public preaching ministry to know the laws regarding this right. Evidently Paul was aware of the Roman law in relation to his mishandling by those in authority, Acts 16:37 & 22:25.
As far as the media is concerned, our only goal is to use that free medium, if made available, to get the message out regarding sin and salvation and our purpose in preaching. We are not interested in being on the news for being on the news sake. I can think of better ways to become famous.
5. How many converts have you had from street preaching at these events? Are you really accomplishing anything?
A= The implication here is that unless your efforts are producing large numbers of converts (the magic number anyone?) then your effort is not of the Lord. Today’s success oriented crowd is in the business of gauging whether a ministry is of God or not based on how many people respond to the message and methodology of the ministry. Noah was a preacher of righteousness who preached for 120 years, and the only people that were saved under his ministry were his wife, his sons, and their wives, eight (8) people according to the Scriptures. That is 1 person for every 15 years worth of preaching. That is not very good numbers by today’s standards! (I am not sure who set the standards, by the way!)
Now I am certainly not preaching against results. The question, however, is, was what Noah did of God or not? If your idea of doing things the right way is based on results you can physically see, then you would have to say that Noah was a failure. He wasn't according to Hebrews 11! He is listed there as a man of faith. In Matthew 7:13, Jesus said that many were on the broad way that leads to destruction. He said few there be that find the straight and narrow path that leads to life, verse 14. Everyone will not be saved (as a matter of fact the majority won’t be) no matter what message or methodology is used in trying to reach them! Jesus didn’t win everyone He came across in His earthly ministry, and after He left the world (after 3 ½ years of ministry) there were only 120 believers on the day of Pentecost. Don't forget, He preached to thousands! God honours obedience, and obedience cannot be improved upon, no matter the results!
Here is a point to ponder: How are the results in relation to the message and methodology you preach and practice within the walls of your own church? Are you really accomplishing anything? Maybe you are wasting your time.
My guess is that sinners in your church services respond much the way those on the street do to Bible preaching... some mock, some say we will hear thee again of this matter, and some believe, (Acts 17:32, 34).
