Stone Soup 2007 Part 2 – Open Air Offence
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On Saturday, my bother in Christ, Andy, showed up around 2 o’clock. I asked Andy if he wanted to do some open air preaching. That’s a silly question to pose Andy, he’s always up for preaching.
We proceeded to make our way down to the park area, where most of the activity was.
The photos here were taken on Sunday afternoon when the festival was almost over. I just wanted to give you an idea of the layout. There were a lot more people in the park and on the street when the preaching started.
The park area is right on the corner of two cross-streets which where blocked off for the festival. A large bandstand was kitty-corner from the park. Everyone was waiting for the next performers to set up. Our plan was to preach a couple of short messages to the people during this intermission time.
I laid my inflatable mannequin in the grass and covered it up with a sheet. It looks just like a dead body. I stepped up on a bench, and began my discourse. You can see the bench in the fourth photo down. There wasn’t anyone sitting on them at the time.
Everything was going well. I preached a bit about death and how we will all die someday. I preached a bit about God’s judgement and opened up four of the Ten Commandments.
About six minutes into it, a very LARGE man in a tie-dye shirt stepped up and began to give me a hard time, saying, “Do me a big favor, Why don’t you ask all of these people if they want to listen to you. If they want to listen to you they can listen to you. If they don’t, why don’t you respect their space.” Wow! It got a touch volatile after this guy showed up.
In addition to this guy, there were three others who were coming against me pretty hard (Listen closely, you’ll hear them). They were mad for sure. At one point the big guy turned and asked this sizable crowd if they wanted to hear me preach. It seemed about half said NO and the other half said YES. Isn’t it always that way?
The big guy told me that I didn’t have the right to stand on the bench, so I stepped off and stepped up on my portable stool that was in front of my “dead body.” About that time he walked right up to me, got in my face (nose to nose) and wouldn’t back off at all.
This agitated man made a comment that I thought revealed why he was coming against me so hard. I tried to reason with him that we all have our First Amendment right that protects freedom of speech. His response to that was, “that’s right, but you know something, you don’t have the freedom…to infringe upon other people’s faith because you believe your God is better than theirs.”
It wasn’t a matter of infringing on people’s space; he had a problem with God. “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”
You’ll hear that I tried to calm the guy a bit by speaking to him softly. “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.” But this guy didn’t back down one bit. He was mad!
At one point you’ll hear Andy jump in and debate the guy about our freedom of speech rights. A the man backed away from me and walked toward Andy, I must confess, as I looked across the park and turned around and saw all the people watching this transpire, these thoughts flashed through my mind:
“Maybe my approach wasn’t smooth enough…Maybe I came on too strong…These people are irritated with you Allen, your big mouth has you in trouble now…Have you made a foolish decision to preach here today?…This big guy is going to rip your head off Allen, this is dangerous…I know a lot of the people here, now what are they going to think of you?…I wonder what my pastor would say if he finds out about this?…maybe this was a bad idea.”
While the guy was speaking with Andy, I tried to continue to preach. They had already endured the Law so I wanted to finish with the Good News and get out of there. I lowered my voice a bit so as not to upset the big guy, and tried to proceed. At this point the same big guy came back and got in my face as I’m reading out loud from Romans 3. This time he starts yelling, over and over, “Do you like to be yelled at?” At the same time, he’s trying to push me off the stool with his belly – that’s how close he was. Yeiks!
When emotions fly, I’m usually pretty emotional myself. I was waiting for my bottom lip to quiver or my eyes to water up. Funny thing is, it didn’t happen. I was totally calm and actually felt quite comfortable. Other than the thoughts that I mentioned initially rushed through my head, I didn’t get distressed at all.
The big guy and several others continued to interrupt me as I continued. So I did my best to preach Christ Crucified and repentance and faith. Wow! What an experience...
Do you think that I exercised spiritual wisdom in preaching here? Is it your impression that I was using carnal wisdom when deciding to continue to preach? I would really appreciate your input. If you read this, post your thoughts please.
On one hand I understand there is a time a place to preach the Gospel. And I’m not saying I have perfect discernment. I have so much to learn. “A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” Prov 15:23 This is another reason why we need MORE LABORERS out there with us. We need each other’s godly council. On the other hand 2 Tim. 4:2 says, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching”
I found an excerpt from Thomas Boston’s book entitled, “A Soliloquy on the Art of Man-Fishing.” Check out his comments below.
Carnal vs. Spiritual Wisdom
OUR LORD’S command “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19, emphasis added) implies a renouncing of our own wisdom. Human wisdom cannot be our guide (Matt. 16:24); we must deny ourselves. Paul refused to preach with the wisdom of words (1 Cor. 1:17)—nor did he follow the rules of carnal wisdom. Therefore, oh my soul, renounce your own wisdom. Seek the wisdom that is from above; seek to preach the words of the living God, and not your own. When you determine to take this direction, praying that you might not preach according to your own wisdom and natural reason, you receive God’s signal blessing.
Do not take the way of natural reason or follow the rules of carnal wisdom. Its language will always be, “Spare yourself. Guard your honor and your reputation among others. If you speak freely, they will call you a troublemaker and call your preaching reactionary. Every church will be frightened of you as a monster that would preach them all to hell; and so you shall never be settled. Such and such a man, who has a great influence in the church, will never like you. After all, direct preaching is not the way to win people; it unnerves them from the very beginning. Instead, you should bring them on little by little, being somewhat smooth—at least at first. For this generation is not able to abide such doctrine as what you preach.”
But hear and follow the rules of the wisdom that is from above: “The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God” (1 Cor. 3:19). That which is in high esteem among men is nothing in God’s sight. The wisdom that is from above tells us we must deny ourselves (Matt. 16:24; Luke 14:26). We cannot seek honor, reputation, acclaim, or other such earthly enticements. Heavenly wisdom tells us people may call us what they will, we must nevertheless “cry loudly, do not hold back; raise your voice like a trumpet, and declare to My people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sins” (Isa. 58:1). Divine wisdom says, “Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble” are called (1 Cor. 1:26). “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are” (vv. 27, 28). “But you shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious” (Ezek. 2:7). God’s wisdom will show you rules quite contrary to those of carnal wisdom. Consider then what carnal wisdom says, and what the wisdom from above says:
Carnal Wisdom - Your body is weak; don’t weary it. It cannot abide toil, labor, and stress. So spare yourself.
Spiritual Wisdom -Your body is God’s as well as your spirit; don’t safeguard it from glorifying God: “You have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:20). Paul said, “I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2 Cor. 11:27). But God “gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power” (Isa. 40:29). This you have experienced.
Carnal Wisdom - Work diligently for fluent and eloquent speech; fine style very much appeals to the learned. Without it they will think nothing of your preaching.
Spiritual Wisdom - Christ sent you “to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech” (1 Cor. 1:17). Do not preach “with superiority of speech or of wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:1). Your message and preaching should not be “in persuasive words of wisdom” (v. 4).
Carnal Wisdom - Attempt to be somewhat smooth and calm in your preaching. Do not attack the particular sins of the land, or of the persons to whom you preach.
Spiritual Wisdom - “Cry loudly, do not hold back; raise your voice like a trumpet, and declare to My people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob their sins” (Isa. 58:1). “Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed” (Prov. 27:5). “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God . . . handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).
Carnal Wisdom - If you are not subtle, your hearers will be irritated against you and may create trouble for you. And what a foolish thing would it be for you to speak boldly to such a generation as this, whose very looks are disagreeable!
Spiritual Wisdom - “He who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue” (Prov. 28:23). I have experience of this. “Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces. . . . Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house” (Ezek. 3:8, 9). Experience confirms this, too.
Carnal Wisdom - It is dangerous to speak freely and deal with specifics: there may be more hazard in it than you are aware of.
Spiritual Wisdom - “He who walks in integrity walks securely” (Prov. 10:9). “He who walks blamelessly will be delivered” (Prov. 28:18).
Carnal Wisdom - You will be perceived as a fool, as a monster; you will be called a railer and so lose your reputation and prestige. You need to preserve that. People will hate and abhor you; why should you expose yourself to such things?
Spiritual Wisdom - “If any man among you thinks that he is wise . . . let him become foolish that he may become wise” (1 Cor. 3:18). “We have become a spectacle to the world. . . . We are fools for Christ’s sake” (4:9, 10). “ ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). Who cares what people say about you? After all, many said of Jesus, “He has a demon and is insane” (John 10:20). He said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matt. 16:24). “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you,” says our Lord (John 15:18).
Carnal Wisdom - Great people especially will be offended unless you speak charmingly to them and court and caress them. And if you are looked down upon by great people who are wise and mighty, how will you have any self-respect?
Spiritual Wisdom - “Let me now be partial to no one; nor flatter any man. For I do not know how to flatter, else my Maker would soon take me away” (Job 32:21, 22). “No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he?” (John 7:48). “Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble” are called (1 Cor. 1:26). “I will also speak of Thy testimonies before kings, and shall not be ashamed” (Ps. 119:46). “If you show partiality, you are committing sin” (Jas. 2:9).
Carnal Wisdom - Our people have just come out from under the oppressive hierarchy of a state church. They would not desire to have certain sins disclosed or especially old sores to be ripped open. They cannot abide certain doctrines. More agreeable doctrine will be better for them. Hold off negative things. Such doctrine may do them harm; it will do them no good.
Spiritual Wisdom - “You shall speak My words to them whether they listen or not, for they are rebellious” (Ezek. 2:7). “Whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die’; and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand” (3:17, 18). “What the Lord says to me, that I will speak” (1 Kings 22:14).
Carnal Wisdom - If you do preach such things, prudence requires that you speak of them very cautiously. If conscience says you must speak, do it somewhat covertly, so that you do not offend people too badly. This is especially important with respect to people who are young in the faith. Take your time exposing them to the hard truths and soften them as much as possible; you don’t want to turn young believers away.
Spiritual Wisdom - “Cry loudly, do not hold back” (Isa. 58:1). “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully” (Jer. 48:10, kjv). “[We] have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor. 4:2, kjv, emphasis added). Peter, preaching to unbelievers in the first sermon of the Christian era, told the Jewish inquirers, “You nailed [this Man] to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). “We must work . . . as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work” (John 9:4).
Carnal Wisdom -Be especially pleasant to those who have the most influence in the church—at least until you are settled and secure with a comfortable salary. Otherwise, you may be always looking for work; for churches will be frightened away from you, and will not call you. How then will you live? Forthright preaching, therefore, may be detrimental to your livelihood. A more subtle approach might also afford you a broader ministry.
Spiritual Wisdom - “To show partiality is not good, because for a piece of bread a man will transgress” (Prov. 28:21). “The will of the Lord be done!” (Acts 21:14, 15). God has “determined [your] appointed times, and the boundaries of [your] habitation” (Acts 17:26). “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure” (Isa. 46:10). “God makes a home for the lonely . . . only the rebellious dwell in a parched land” (Ps. 68:6). “A faithful man will abound with blessings, but he who makes haste to be rich will not go unpunished” (Prov. 28:20). “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted” (Prov. 29:25).
Thus you see how carnal wisdom—although it speaks convincingly and with a good deal of seeming reason—is quite contrary to the wisdom that is from above (cf Jas. 3:15–18). It promises great advantages to those who follow it, but its promises are not always performed. It threatens great calamity for those who defy it, but neither do its threatenings always come to pass. It makes molehills mountains, and mountains molehills. Therefore reject the wisdom of the world, for it is foolishness with God.
Carnal policy would make us fear those who can only kill the body—and they can hardly do even that much these days. Worldly wisdom would make us cast off the true fear of God. But remember this and use it to strengthen yourself: “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted” (Prov. 29:25). Never seek temporal profit by putting your soul in hazard, but “Wait for the Lord, and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it” (Ps. 37:34). For His way is the safest way, though carnal wisdom may speak otherwise and call His way mere folly. Above all, remember that “the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Cor. 1:25).
“God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong” (v. 27). “Your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (2:5).
“The word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:18–21, emphasis added).
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored; those who contend with you will be as nothing, and will perish” (Isa. 41:10, 11).
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