Is Open-Air Preaching Effective?

A Biblical Foundation for Evangelism

The New Testament gives us a clear pattern: Christians are called to proclaim Christ. We are responsible for faithfully preaching and witnessing, while God alone brings about the spiritual results.

• Peter preached, and 3,000 people believed.
• Paul said in Philippians 3 that he was glad others were preaching, even when their motives were selfish.
• One plants, another waters, but only God gives the increase.
• Romans 10 emphasizes the necessity of hearing the Gospel: how can someone believe unless they hear? How can they hear unless someone preaches? And how can someone preach unless they are sent? This is the biblical picture of the messenger having “beautiful feet.”
• “I’ll take my way of witnessing over your way of not sharing Christ”
• Jesus commanded His followers to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:18-20

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The command to make disciples involves going, preaching, baptizing, and teaching. Evangelism is therefore not an optional activity reserved for a select few; it is part of Christ’s commission to His Church.

Additional Great Commission References

• Matthew 28:19
• Matthew 28:19-20
• Mark 16:15
• John 20:21

Our Responsibility and God’s Sovereignty

Evangelism requires us to faithfully proclaim the Gospel, but Scripture also makes clear that conversion ultimately belongs to God. Our task is to speak the truth faithfully and clearly; God is the One who brings about spiritual life and growth.

• Romans 10:14-15 — People must hear the Gospel, and hearing requires someone to proclaim it.
• Romans 10:17 — Faith comes through hearing the word of Christ.
• Matthew 13:1-23 — The Parable of the Sower illustrates different responses to the proclamation of God’s word.
• John 16:8-11 — The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
• John 6:44 — The Father draws the lost to the Savior.

Questions for Evaluating Evangelism

Jon Speed offers several important questions for evaluating whether our evangelistic efforts are faithful:

• Was the true Gospel proclaimed?
• Was the true Gospel understood?
• Was Christ glorified?
• Was the attitude of the Christian godly as he communicated the Gospel? (2 Tim. 2:24-26, 1 Corinthians 13)

Why Street Preaching?

Scripture repeatedly presents public proclamation as a legitimate means of making Christ known. Throughout the Bible, God’s messengers are commanded to speak publicly, urgently, and clearly.

Charles Spurgeon on Open-Air Preaching

“No sort of defense is needed for preaching out of doors. But it would need very potent arguments to prove that a man had done his duty who has never preached beyond the walls of his meeting place.”

A Biblical Pattern of Public Proclamation

The call to proclaim God’s truth is not limited to church buildings. Scripture contains repeated examples and commands concerning taking the message of God to people where they are.

• Isaiah 58:1
• Acts 5:20
• Luke 19:10
• Luke 15:1-32
• Matthew 28:19-20
• Mark 16:15

Is Street Preaching Really Effective?

This is arguably one of the most frequently asked questions evangelists receive.

A common objection to street preaching is that it does not appear to produce immediate or measurable results. But evangelism should not be evaluated solely by what we can see immediately. God uses different circumstances, conversations, and means to bring people to Himself.

A.W. Tozer’s Testimony

“One day I was walking up the street with this friendly neighbor. Suddenly, he put his hand on my shoulder.

‘You know,’ he said, ‘I have been wondering about you. I have been wondering if you are a Christian, if you are converted. I just wanted the chance to talk it over with you.’

‘No, Mr. Holman,’ I answered, ‘I am not converted, but I thank you for saying this to me. I am going to give it some serious thought.’

A little while later, I stopped on a street corner to hear a man preaching. He quoted Jesus’ invitation, ‘Come unto me,’

Those were the two things – the concerned remarks of our neighbor and the exhortation of the street preacher – that bumped me into the kingdom of God.”

Tozer’s testimony illustrates an important reality: we may never know how God uses a particular conversation, sermon, or Gospel presentation. One person’s witness may prepare the way for another person’s preaching, and God may use both in bringing someone to Christ.

The Whole Gospel to the Whole World

“It is the whole business of the whole church to preach the whole Gospel to the whole world.”

Faithful evangelism means proclaiming the whole Gospel rather than presenting only the parts that are comfortable or attractive. People need to understand both their condition before God and the good news of Jesus Christ.

Francis Schaeffer on Presenting the Gospel

Francis Schaeffer was once asked the question, “What would you do if you met a really modern man on a train and you just had an hour to talk to him about the gospel?”

He replied, “I’ve said over and over, I would spend 45-50 minutes on the negative, to really show him his dilemma – that he is morally dead – then I’d take 10-15 minutes to preach the Gospel. I believe that much of our evangelistic and personal work today is not clear simply because we are too anxious to get to the answer without having a man realize the real cause of his sickness, which is true moral guilt (and not just psychological guilt feelings) in the presence of God.”

Declaring Sin Clearly

Isaiah 58:1

“Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins.”

Biblical evangelism does not shy away from explaining sin, guilt, judgment, and the seriousness of man’s condition before God. The bad news helps people understand why the good news of Christ is necessary.

The Parable of the Great Banquet

Jesus’ parable in Luke 14 presents a picture of an invitation that is repeatedly rejected, followed by a command to take the invitation out into the streets, lanes, highways, and hedges.

Luke 14:16-24

[16] But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. [17] And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ [18] But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ [19] And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ [20] And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ [21] So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ [22] And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ [23] And the master said, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. [24] For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Additional Scripture References

The following passages provide additional biblical context for the themes of evangelism, seeking the lost, public proclamation, and the mission of Christ’s followers:

• Luke 14:16-24
• Acts 5:20
• Luke 19:10
• Luke 15:1-32
• John 20:21
• Matthew 28:19-20

Faithful Witnessing

The goal of evangelism is not to manipulate people into a response or to manufacture visible results. The goal is to faithfully make Christ known.

We proclaim the Gospel. We call people to repentance and faith. We seek to communicate the truth clearly and with a godly attitude. And we trust God to do what only He can do.

One plants. Another waters. God gives the increase.