Authority is in the Spirit
For a man to own his sin—not pass the blame on to others, and agree with God about his sin—is supernatural.
Street preaching is deeply rooted in the Bible and Jesus’s own ministry. It remains an effective means of sharing the gospel. But what about excuses against street preaching? Let’s look at five common objections.
Excuse 1: “Being a public witness isn’t as effective in today's world as it was in Jesus’s time.”
Given social media, church events, and friendship-based evangelism, some argue that public witnessing isn’t effective. But my studies show that over half of Jesus’s ministry (58%) was done in public, where he actively sought and saved the lost (Luke 19:10). So, as stewards of Christ, it is essential to follow his example, whether our efforts are successful or not.
Excuse 2: “I don’t need to be a public witness as long as I witness somewhere.”
Many pastors argue that any form of witnessing is enough. But Jesus’s ministry shows that he mostly ministered in public, setting an example we should not neglect. While building relationships with neighbors and teaching believers to engage with coworkers is important, these methods should not cancel Christ’s clear directive to publicly proclaim his Word (1 Timothy 4:13). In Matthew 22:9-10, Jesus commanded his disciples to “go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find” (NIV), underscoring the vital role of public ministry.
Excuse 3: “I know ‘good’ churches and pastors that don’t street witness, so I don’t have to either."
Leaders who downplay street preaching are not our standard, Jesus is. While God could have chosen any means and era for his ministry, he chose to be born when public ministry was key to spreading his message. Imagine how Jesus would have responded if one of his seventy-two disciples said, “Going from town to town proclaiming your arrival is not my ‘thing;’ I prefer creating flyers and distributing them around town.” God have mercy!
As documented in Luke 10:1-2, Jesus sent seventy-two street-preaching disciples with orders to go from town to town to prepare for his coming. Jesus did not give them another option—street preaching was his chosen way to spread the gospel.
“Jesus sent seventy-two street-preaching disciples with the orders to go from town to town to prepare for his coming.”
Excuse 4: “I’m scared to talk to strangers in public; I want to avoid potential physical harm or damage to my reputation in the community.”
Fear often holds people back from street preaching. But in Acts 1:8 Jesus pledged the Holy Spirit’s power to clear the way for our role as his witnesses. The solution to the fear of public preaching lies in the very reason Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit. To this end, we require more pastors like Peter, who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, boldly declared the gospel (Acts 2:14). All those from the early church until the present have had to be like Stephen and face their fears for the glory of God (Acts 7).
Excuse 5: “It’s not my specific calling.”
Some say that street preaching does not align with their unique calling and is only for evangelists. Yet, in 2 Timothy 4:5, Paul directed Timothy—a local pastor in the Ephesian church—to perform the work of an evangelist. So, regardless of one’s designated calling, every believer is charged with doing the work of an evangelist.
A pastor who occasionally prepares meals may not be a professional chef, but he can cook. The same thinking applies to our calling. While we may not all be evangelists by profession, we are all obliged, at times, to engage in evangelistic work—such as street preaching, so that souls may be saved and disciples made. Timothy was martyred for his willingness to preach in public. He stood alongside a pagan parade and preached until enemies of the gospel dragged him through the city and beat and stoned him to death. Are you wiser and more responsible than Timothy? The anthem of our hearts needs to be, “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of his suffering!”
Imitating the Ministry of Jesus
These insights drawn from Jesus’s ministry show that street preaching is an indispensable method for imitating the ministry of Jesus. It involves these key elements:
• Actively seeking the lost;
• Nurturing relationships;
• Prioritizing obedience to Christ above human opinions;
• Overcoming fear through the power of the Holy Spirit;
• And embracing the universal call to share the gospel.
I pray that you will take time to consider how you might begin to pursue this practice in ministry and inspire others to do so. If you have already adopted this powerful tradition passed down to us from Jesus, I pray that the Lord will increase your effectiveness and send more laborers into the harvest with you, in Jesus’s name!
Joe Wyrostek is a discipleship and evangelism church planter, author and professor. He currently oversees Metro Praise International church in Chicago.
