A Mistake in Evangelism

About a week and a half ago, I went out on a Sunday morning and stood near a church in Rocky River. I didn't stand on the sidewalk that was on their property, but I stood on the other side of a street facing the church to have all the people coming to church see my cross. This was the second Sunday morning I had gone out on the street.

The first time I stood at this corner, I was engaged in conversation by some young men and one who seemed to know parts well, but knowledge doesn't always save. I'm glad I had the chance to have this conversation, but I wonder at what cost. The second time I stood at this location, someone came out of the church and asked if I was affiliated with their church. I said I was not, and she told me it was interesting that I picked this location and that I should go somewhere else.

I reverted back to my rights as a U.S. citizen and said I stand in various place and I was standing on a side walk. Just because I have the right to do something doesn't always make it the right thing to do. While I won't be standing at this location again, I am grateful for the people's paths God brought me into. I had the conversation with the young men the first time and someone driving by on the second time asked about my cross. He said he was curious about it, and I directed him to my blog. I'm not sure whether or not he ever looked it up.

I know there are going to be a lot of people in the church who think they are saved and aren't. Jesus said in Matthew 7 21-23, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "

My intention was to hopefully reach some of these people. Then I thought about how I would feel if someone stood outside my church holding a cross. The words of the Apostle Paul also stood out to me in my reading: "I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation" (Romans 15:20). I had never been inside this church and wasn't sure of what was being preached inside its walls.

I had picked my spot because of its strategic location- it was at the top of a dead end street which had the church's parking lot in it. The spot was the most appealing because I would hit traffic traveling from both east and west of the church instead of just one direction. Looking back, there was also the sidewalk across the street a block or so away. If I go back to this location, I will stand far enough away so as not to be associated with the church.

Whatever the outcome from being there, it is in God's hands. I hope He will use it to His glory.

On the Street Sunday Morning Before Church - A Conversation with Brian

My time on the streets has been very limited recently, and I want to change that moving forward. This morning, I left my apartment around 8:45 and headed to Detroit Road in Rocky River. I started out at Wright and Detroit in Rocky River at 9:00.

I stood nearby a coffee shop which had a steady flow of customers coming and go. After about 20 minutes, I walked east down to Detroit across from Rocky River United Methodist Church. A man in a large truck pulled up a minute later and completely blocked my cross, so I went across the street to face traffic pulling into the parking lot of the church.

The church parking lot is located down a dead-end street, so anyone headed to the parking lot saw my cross. I had one woman ask what my sign said, and she said she was ready. I wasn't sure if this was something I wanted to do or if I would be associated with the church, but I got to thinking of Matthew 7: 21-23: "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "

I know there are some who may criticize me for standing outside a church, but Jesus Himself said there will be many false converts. I, myself, used to be one of them. Around 10:00, as service inside the Rocky River United Methodist Church was starting, three young men passed by me and one stopped to ask me some questions. One of their names' was Brian.

One question Brian had was about how we can have free will, yet God knows ahead of time what will happen. This is one area I really haven't given too much thought to- it is something I just more accept, although I don't understand it. I explained to them that it wasn't something I understood, just like when a creationist will say, "God created the world," and the return question will be, "Well, who created God?" I will say that we live in the dimension of time and God exists outside that dimension.

Either Brian or one of his friends replied that no one created God- he always existed, which is something to take into consideration- am I talking to a believer or an unbeliever? I didn't talk to Brian long, but from the short time I talked to him, he seemed to know parts of the Bible well. He asked if Jesus knew ahead of time what would happen to Him on the cross. I said He did. He asked why Jesus would pray to the Father to let this cup pass if He knew that it wasn't possible.

I responded that I believed it was an example of prayer for us because I have prayed it myself. I was talking to someone in church about this and they told me that it shows the humanness of Jesus. Although he was fully God, he will also fully human. Brian's friend asked about original sin and whether or not it was absolved at baptism. I didn't get the chance to answer that question because Brian asked something else.

Into our brief conversation, Brian asked if any sin he committed was already forgiven. I didn't get the chance to really elaborate, but I did explain that the Bible does says that "unless you repent, you will perish" (Luke 13:3) and that one must repent (turn from their sins) and place their trust in Jesus. I also very quickly explained substitutionary atonement to them.

I did make sure I mentioned that I can't recall all the questions Brian asked, but he left with a gospel tract. It was now about 10:10 and I headed off to my church's services that started at 10:30. Please be in prayer for Brian and his friends. I hope to make Sunday morning a regular time to be on the street with the cross.