I only found out that Fall for Greenville was happening early afternoon Friday while at work from an off-hand comment from my boss, otherwise I would have completely missed it. The Lord changes our plans. I wasn't prepared at all, but nor were the apostles when the Lord brought opportunities upon them. I went downtown after work at 9pm by myself as Pastor McCurley was not able to go with me. Downtown was so packed I had to park where we meet for church and walk about 7 minutes over. It was slightly warm and lightly sprinkling at times.
The streets were teeming with people, so much so that it was hard to go anywhere at times. Every other person had a beer in their hands.
There were a couple cops nearby. They never bother us, and their presence would ensure no one would try to mess with me.
I found a good spot near the corner and began to preach into the middle of the intersection. Most people are startled when I begin, as they hear a loud voice and don't know what is going on, which is good: it captures their attention. I started saying, "The Bible says, 'Be reconciled to God, for the Father has made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him,'" (2 Cor. 5:20-21).
I preached on how Christ is the only person who has lived righteously before God and is sinless, and God made Him a sacrifice; putting the whole curse of the law upon Him, and that in Christ is redemption paid in full, and offered to them that night in order for them to be reconciled to God. And in the sinner trusting Christ, the only savior, Christ's everlasting righteousness is accounted to him in place of his debts, that he is forgiven of all, and has peace with God.
People often ask us why we preach on the street. Here is a short answer:
2 or 3 people came up to me, and one of them asked why I was only preaching on Christ. He was somewhat hostile and aggressive. I asked him what he wanted me to preach on. He asked why I didn't preach on the church, or the saints, or the Old Testament. I said, I'll preach from the O.T., and I began flipping through it to find a place. He then started talking about Mary and how great she was and how we should pray to her and the saints, and how I should preach about her too, because she was the mother of, and bore God in the flesh. I told him the Bible says Mary was a sinner, and she spoke of God as her savior (Luke 1:47).
That inflamed him. The three of them got in my face. So I took a deep breath, and preached over them so everyone could hear, at the top of my lungs, that no priest in the Roman Catholic Church can forgive your sins; Christ is the only priest that can forgive your sins, and praying to Mary is idolatry, that prayer is to be offered through Christ alone. The guys in my face went off, and 2 cops came in and pushed between us and forced the others away out into the street as they railed against me. Praise the Lord for the civil magistrate doing its job by protecting God's ministers so that they can preach freely.
After preaching on and off for an hour and an half, I went back to my car to go home. It is important to pray not only before we preach, but after also, that the Lord would bless His Word to those that heard it,
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