Christians: Are We Commanded To Preach To Others Or To Try To Save Their Souls?

[the_human_being]

Your OP asks where in the Bible we are told to preach.

We are told to preach in the Great Commission, and in fact the word PREACH is used in the NIV.

Your dishonesty marks you as irrelevant.

No. Your great commission is not found in the Bible. Those words are nowhere in the Bible. Still refuse to answer any questions. Go preach to someone and run them away from Christ.

 

[saveliberty]

Why would you not want to spread the Good Word as a believer?

I do but I don't preach to anyone nor do I point out to them that they are sinners. That's not my pay-grade.

I will come to your house, introduce myself and hand you a nice printed pamphlet. On the pamphlet will be imprinted a nice photo of my church, the hours the various services are held and the name of the pastor and secretary. It will have a map showing directions to the church from known landmarks. My own name and phone number will be hand-written on the handout.

I will invite you to my church and tell you that you and your family would be most welcome to attend at your convenience. I will also tell you that should you accept my invitation to attend to please ask for me at the church's front door. I will meet you at the front door and guide you to your seats and will sit with you during the services. I will point out the restrooms and water fountains and inform you that no offering will be required of you. I will introduce you to the pastor, the song leader, the church secretary, the other deacons, and to many of the church members. I will never ask if you are a sinner.

We all sin, I think as long as you include yourself it becomes nonjudgmental. Are we preaching right now or something different. I tend to talk with folks as the subject comes up or someone asks me a question about religion. Going door to door would be stressful to me, unless I knew them. I can see where you and I would not consider ourselves on the level of the apostles. I think it is often the Holy Spirit speaking through us though.

 

[saveliberty]

Thank you for the OP and sharing your story.

 

[the_human_being]

Why would you not want to spread the Good Word as a believer?

I do but I don't preach to anyone nor do I point out to them that they are sinners. That's not my pay-grade.

I will come to your house, introduce myself and hand you a nice printed pamphlet. On the pamphlet will be imprinted a nice photo of my church, the hours the various services are held and the name of the pastor and secretary. It will have a map showing directions to the church from known landmarks. My own name and phone number will be hand-written on the handout.

I will invite you to my church and tell you that you and your family would be most welcome to attend at your convenience. I will also tell you that should you accept my invitation to attend to please ask for me at the church's front door. I will meet you at the front door and guide you to your seats and will sit with you during the services. I will point out the restrooms and water fountains and inform you that no offering will be required of you. I will introduce you to the pastor, the song leader, the church secretary, the other deacons, and to many of the church members. I will never ask if you are a sinner.

We all sin, I think as long as you include yourself it becomes nonjudgmental. Are we preaching right now or something different. I tend to talk with folks as the subject comes up or someone asks me a question about religion. Going door to door would be stressful to me, unless I knew them. I can see where you and I would not consider ourselves on the level of the apostles. I think it is often the Holy Spirit speaking through us though.

It can get stressful. Once and again when you introduce yourself and tell them you're from a church, they'll start swearing at you and run you off. You write that house down in your book and don't go back again.

 

[saveliberty]

Well you are at least armed with God, the Son and Holy Ghost. Maybe Smith & Wesson are a good second.

 

[Avatar4321]

Why would you not want to spread the Good Word as a believer?

I do but I don't preach to anyone nor do I point out to them that they are sinners. That's not my pay-grade.

I will come to your house, introduce myself and hand you a nice printed pamphlet. On the pamphlet will be imprinted a nice photo of my church, the hours the various services are held and the name of the pastor and secretary. It will have a map showing directions to the church from known landmarks. My own name and phone number will be hand-written on the handout.

I will invite you to my church and tell you that you and your family would be most welcome to attend at your convenience. I will also tell you that should you accept my invitation to attend to please ask for me at the church's front door. I will meet you at the front door and guide you to your seats and will sit with you during the services. I will point out the restrooms and water fountains and inform you that no offering will be required of you. I will introduce you to the pastor, the song leader, the church secretary, the other deacons, and to many of the church members. I will never ask if you are a sinner.

so you'd never start a thread on a telling people they are sinners for sharing the gospel with others?

good to know.

 

[the_human_being]

Why would you not want to spread the Good Word as a believer?

I do but I don't preach to anyone nor do I point out to them that they are sinners. That's not my pay-grade.

I will come to your house, introduce myself and hand you a nice printed pamphlet. On the pamphlet will be imprinted a nice photo of my church, the hours the various services are held and the name of the pastor and secretary. It will have a map showing directions to the church from known landmarks. My own name and phone number will be hand-written on the handout.

I will invite you to my church and tell you that you and your family would be most welcome to attend at your convenience. I will also tell you that should you accept my invitation to attend to please ask for me at the church's front door. I will meet you at the front door and guide you to your seats and will sit with you during the services. I will point out the restrooms and water fountains and inform you that no offering will be required of you. I will introduce you to the pastor, the song leader, the church secretary, the other deacons, and to many of the church members. I will never ask if you are a sinner.

so you'd never start a thread on a telling people they are sinners for sharing the gospel with others?

good to know.

Why would I tell anyone they are a sinner when I am one myself? That would be hypocritical.

 

[saveliberty]

Why would I tell anyone they are a sinner when I am one myself? That would be hypocritical.

Isn't that the point? We all sin, so we all need to believe and seek God's forgiveness?

 

[ninja007]

I have read the Bible for some 50+ years now and have found no scriptures instructing the average lay Christian to either preach to sinners or to attempt to save any sinner's soul. If you have discovered such scripture, please post it. Thank you in advance.

question- are you a Christian? If you are, why would you begrudge Believer's witnessing to others? That is how I got saved....

 

[ninja007]

the great commission. We are to share the good news with others.

Amen. When someone claims they have read the bible for fifty years and cannot find the great commission there could be a vision problem. I'd look into getting some eyeglasses. That might help.

When someone misinterprets plain scripture as written, perhaps they should pray for understanding. You say you are a preacher and a saver or souls yet you attack your brother. You are the very reason for my OP. You spout salvation but you show your true self.

I agree with this post...but perhaps you should state the reason for your OP? What point are you trying to make?

The reason for my OP is apostasy. I see fewer and fewer people in the Churches these days. I see folks that claim they hate Christians because of their "get in our face" and condemning attitude. You cannot win friends and change attitudes by putting forth the premise that you are somehow better than they are. You cannot tell people they are going to burn in hell's fires for their sins while yet another Christian tells that same person that no one burns in hell but that hell is only the grave. Christians cannot have a message of confusion. My OP stated there is no scripture that commands a lay Christian to preach. We have ordained ministers for that purpose who are supposedly called of God for that purpose. We are to set an example for others in our own lives.

No, we're also to share the good news.

Everybody is a sinner. We don't just set an example, we are to share how we have achieved salvation, and the positive way it has affected us.

he must be a Catholic....

 

[ninja007]

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

He commanded them to witness to the people. Therefore, we are all to witness.

But we are not commanded to preach nor condemn anywhere in the scriptures.

you are clueless, sir. Let me educate you. Watch the following- it will only take a few minutes of your time.


First read this- Why Should Christians Witness Why Should Christians Evangelize the Lost Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

Second watch this vid, and others by him....

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

He commanded them to witness to the people. Therefore, we are all to witness.

But we are not commanded to preach nor condemn anywhere in the scriptures.

you are clueless, sir. Let me educate you. Watch the following- it will only take a few minutes of your time.


First read this- Why Should Christians Witness Why Should Christians Evangelize the Lost Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry

Second watch this vid, and others by him....

I watched the video and he did a very good job of presenting the gospel but I would have led that man to Jesus Christ right then. He was ready to come to the LORD. Maybe his friends were not ready at that moment and would have come to Christ later through the witness of the one mans salvation - but the man he was talking to was definitely ready to be saved and Cameron should have prayed with him right then and there and led the man to Christ.

That is what I saw in the video - I pray the Holy Spirit continues to work on those men because the Word of God does not return back void unto God until it performs the work it was sent to do. When you have the bible in your hands and you show them the scriptures - or hand them the bible and say what does that say? Do you see what the Word of God says about those who cannot enter the kingdom of heaven? It makes the Word alive to them. They see it because the LORD is definitely in our sharing the Gospel with others.

There is no other way for people to come to Christ. They must hear about the Gospel, they must meet Jesus, read the Gospel message and have others speak to them about Jesus Christ otherwise how will they know? These men could have had mothers or grandmothers who told them about Jesus when they were little boys. Cameron is reviving that Word spoken to them years ago perhaps. He could be watering those seeds and also planting new ones for them. Or these men could have a praying mother or grandmother or aunt and they could even now be gone and in heaven - but those prayers are still being answered and so God sends a laborer across their path and gives them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they are again drawn to the Living Waters to drink. It is all arranged by the LORD. We just get to be a part of what He does by seeing it!

I love street preaching. I plan on hitting the streets to preach this winter. God willing. I saw my two friends who street preach the other day and we had an awesome time of fellowship in the LORD. He was telling me about his preaching up by Walmart and how people would gather to hear the Word of God as he was preaching and great things are happening.

His grandfather who is a dear friend of mine has been arrested before for preaching on the corner and he counts it all joy. I love his stories about street preaching because God moved mightily to even effect officials and judges on his behalf. The man has a clean reputation and the city officials feared him and demanded he be released from jail and sent someone to tell him we will release you but just agree not to go back to that corner and preach. The man of God said not a chance. I will preach in the jails until my time is up. Then I will return to that corner. That is my buddy. He ministers to me when I need to be encouraged. It is good to have good brethren in the LORD.

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Ninja, I have two testimonies I just thought of. Both were at night. Years ago I was preaching to a young man on a bike about the LORD. I just stopped him on the street and started witnessing to him about Christ. It was a bad neighborhood and he was headed to buy some crack cocaine. I kept him there preaching to him for over an hour. A few days later I saw the young man and he said, God saved me from being arrested! He said while you were preaching to me the house I was headed for got busted and they were all taken to jail! I said, you see! God loves you! He protected you!

Another time I was sitting in a car with my husband waiting for a Pastor to show up and unlock his little church building that had a big sidewalk out front like a strip mall - and we were waiting in parking lot right in front of that sidewalk. This couple and their children pulled up in their car and parked next to us but were sitting in their car also. It was pretty dark out other than the street lights and we were both very early for the meeting and just sitting there waiting.

As I was sitting there I notice this man carrying a plastic bag with bottles in it (beer) and he is wearing a heavy coat, smoking, I knew he was a homeless person in my spirit. I told my husband hold on, God is going to set that man free. I opened my car door and walked up to the man and said, wait a minute. Jesus is ready to set you free from your addictions - are you ready to be set free? The man said, Yes. He said I had an accident and my head was injured, I used to be a christian but after my accident I had trouble thinking. I told him the LORD is going to heal you of that and as I smelled nicotine on him I told him, stick out your tongue and he did and I commanded that demon of nicotine to come out of him and it did - he was immediately set free - then I asked him what was in the bag - he said beer - I said that is another addiction - its got to go - Jesus is going to set you free - he said alright but the people who sent me to get it are going to want it - I cannot throw it out.

I told him go give it to them - come back - they were right behind the building sitting in an abandoned school bus to keep warm, it was winter - ( it was a very poor neighborhood - high crime ) he came back and he went straight to his knees and we prayed and he rededicated his life to Jesus Christ. He was completely delivered of all his addictions.

Then the people in the car next to my husbands car got out ( they were watching this from their front seats inside their car) and the Pastor said he had never seen anything like that because he saw the Glory of God come down on that man and saw him get saved and delivered. Then he was praising God. His name was Peter and he was the man who was in charge of feeding the homeless men in Atlanta on Pine Street - I had just met him a week or so earlier as I was out there visiting to help feed the poor at his place - then he was praising God with his wife and the other Pastor showed up who owned the building and he unlocked the doors - the one that owned the building was a false pastor / a hireling who was after money but God sent me there to let him know the path was narrow so I had to attend that place for awhile (it was a grief to my soul as he didn't care for the poor and hated when they showed up) and then after I left God shut his ministry down, he lost his home, his wealth and his wife got cancer.
But getting back to the story the homeless man who got delivered came inside and had church with us and he sat perfectly straight and fine in that service and was completely delivered. I knew he was because when I prayed for him outside on the sidewalk and he was on his knees I felt the anointing pouring into him like one would pour oil into a vessel. He got it all. He was a totally changed man after that.

I believe in the coming move of God it will all be street preaching as the Spirit of the LORD has written Ichabod over many of the church doors. It's dead in there. Anywhere they are preaching money - get out immediately - those preachers will be in hell and so will you be if you stay in there and give to their greed. Don't walk. RUN.

p.s. My husband said as he remembers it the man took the beer and gave it to the people in the bus behind the building AFTER I prayed for him and he was set free and he came back to go inside to the church service! So I correct myself - we first finished up praying and THEN he took the beer back there to his friends and THEN came back for church and he was fine. Sometimes it is hard for me to remember all the details exactly! Thank God for husbands! They remember everything! ( usually! )

 

[ninja007]

nice!

 

[the_human_being]

Amen. When someone claims they have read the bible for fifty years and cannot find the great commission there could be a vision problem. I'd look into getting some eyeglasses. That might help.

When someone misinterprets plain scripture as written, perhaps they should pray for understanding. You say you are a preacher and a saver or souls yet you attack your brother. You are the very reason for my OP. You spout salvation but you show your true self.

I agree with this post...but perhaps you should state the reason for your OP? What point are you trying to make?

The reason for my OP is apostasy. I see fewer and fewer people in the Churches these days. I see folks that claim they hate Christians because of their "get in our face" and condemning attitude. You cannot win friends and change attitudes by putting forth the premise that you are somehow better than they are. You cannot tell people they are going to burn in hell's fires for their sins while yet another Christian tells that same person that no one burns in hell but that hell is only the grave. Christians cannot have a message of confusion. My OP stated there is no scripture that commands a lay Christian to preach. We have ordained ministers for that purpose who are supposedly called of God for that purpose. We are to set an example for others in our own lives.

No, we're also to share the good news.

Everybody is a sinner. We don't just set an example, we are to share how we have achieved salvation, and the positive way it has affected us.

he must be a Catholic....

Why must I be a Catholic?

 

[the_human_being]

I have read the Bible for some 50+ years now and have found no scriptures instructing the average lay Christian to either preach to sinners or to attempt to save any sinner's soul. If you have discovered such scripture, please post it. Thank you in advance.

question- are you a Christian? If you are, why would you begrudge Believer's witnessing to others? That is how I got saved....

I don't begrudge witnessing. I begrudge "in your face" preaching. If you've been called to preach, go to theology college and preach.

I believe your Great Commission said to "go into all the world". This country has already had the Gospel of the Kingdom preached all over it many times over. There are Churches of many different denominations in almost every town and city. These Churches have ministers who have attended Bible College and/or universities and are supposedly call by God for their vocation. Even our urban areas now for the most part have cable television or satellite service and radio whereby pastors and whole networks are dedicated to the spread of the gospel. I attended Church when I was five. Why go out and bellow on some street corner where passing vehicular traffic drowns you out and folks don't have the time to listen to you? Invite them to your Church where they can sit and listen comfortably.
I will repeat: Most lay Christians are babes in Christ themselves and often will only cause others to run farther away from the Faith.

 

[the_human_being]

Why would I tell anyone they are a sinner when I am one myself? That would be hypocritical.

Isn't that the point? We all sin, so we all need to believe and seek God's forgiveness?

And therefore you are claiming it is your responsibility to call someone else a sinner?

 

[saveliberty]

Why would I tell anyone they are a sinner when I am one myself? That would be hypocritical.

Isn't that the point? We all sin, so we all need to believe and seek God's forgiveness?

And therefore you are claiming it is your responsibility to call someone else a sinner?

Where did I say that?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

I have read the Bible for some 50+ years now and have found no scriptures instructing the average lay Christian to either preach to sinners or to attempt to save any sinner's soul. If you have discovered such scripture, please post it. Thank you in advance.

"The Torah says:

Should even your brother the son of your mother, your son, your daughter, or your beloved wife, or your dearest friend, try to seduce you secretly, trying to convince you to go and worship the gods of others, that your ancestors did not know, gods of the nations around you, whether near or far, from one end of the earth to the other;

Do not like this person, and do not listen to him, do not have mercy upon him to save him, do not give him the benefit of the doubt, and do not cover up for him.

You must utterly kill him, your hand should be the first to kill him, and the hand of all the nation should follow you. You must pelt him with stones until he dies, because he tried to push you away from Hashem your G-d, Who took you out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

And all of Israel will hear and fear, and they will not continue to do this terrible thing amongst you.

-- Deuteronomy 13:7-12

So you see? Even if you were my dearest friend, or one of my most loved relatives, and you tried to convince me to follow any belief other than that which my ancestors knew, I cannot follow you, and I am not permitted to treat you with love.

To Jews, missionaries are the worst poison. Hitler tried to kill only our bodies. Physical death is temporary, because there is an afterlife and we will stand up when the resurrection of all the dead takes place.

But missionaries destroy Jewish souls, sending them to a death that is permanent. Thus, the Torah tells us that even though we are required to love our fellow man, we are forbidden to love a missionary."
What Judaism thinks of missionaries

Good stuff. Makes ya wonder if Jesus was a Jew, teaching Judaism (what would become Christianity didn't exist in his lifetime, and the gospels wouldn't get written let alone compiled into the NT for at least a century afterwords) where people who believe they're following Jesus get all this proselytisizing stuff from.

 

[Avatar4321]

Why would you not want to spread the Good Word as a believer?

I do but I don't preach to anyone nor do I point out to them that they are sinners. That's not my pay-grade.

I will come to your house, introduce myself and hand you a nice printed pamphlet. On the pamphlet will be imprinted a nice photo of my church, the hours the various services are held and the name of the pastor and secretary. It will have a map showing directions to the church from known landmarks. My own name and phone number will be hand-written on the handout.

I will invite you to my church and tell you that you and your family would be most welcome to attend at your convenience. I will also tell you that should you accept my invitation to attend to please ask for me at the church's front door. I will meet you at the front door and guide you to your seats and will sit with you during the services. I will point out the restrooms and water fountains and inform you that no offering will be required of you. I will introduce you to the pastor, the song leader, the church secretary, the other deacons, and to many of the church members. I will never ask if you are a sinner.

so you'd never start a thread on a telling people they are sinners for sharing the gospel with others?

good to know.

Why would I tell anyone they are a sinner when I am one myself? That would be hypocritical.

why would it be hypocritical to tell someone they are a sinner when you are as well? That's no more hypocritical that saying "you are human" simply because I am too.

do you know what a hypocrite is? A hypocrite is an actor. It's someone who pretends to be something he isn't. If you pretend you aren't a sinner and are that is hypocritical.

preaching the truth is not