Recently, while I was open-air preaching at the Jan Heidt Newhall Metrolink Station, a young man (pictured above) walked by–a young man I had previously seen. In my first encounter with the young man, he was very hostile and mildly threatening. One thing that struck me only after returning home, after that first encounter, was something the young man said. “You are not taking authority over me!”
While I don’t know if the young man is possessed by one or more demons (I don’t look for demons under every rock or behind every corner), his chilling words were consistent with what a demon might say when confronted with the truth of God’s Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ. “You are not taking authority over me!”
On this day, as the young man walked by, I was finishing his public reading of Psalms 22-31. Psalm 31:23-24, the last two verses I read, say this:
“Love the Lord, all you his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts with pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord!”
The young man, along with a lady friend who was with him, continued to walk through the station courtyard, behind a raised concrete wall, and out of sight. Knowing the young man could hear me, I continued to preach about the sin of pride and the destruction to which the sin leads.
The young man soon walked out from behind the wall and, with a determined step, marched toward me. I thought for sure I was about to be assaulted. Instead, the young man just glared and then made sure to stare into my camera. Not intimidated by the gesture, I called out to the young man to repent and believe the gospel and assured him that I would make such a call every time I saw him at the station.
More often these days, I find myself reciting the following verse in my mind:
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).
If you’ve watched my videos for any length of time, you’ve seen and heard me call out to people, whether or not they engage me as I walk by. Some question this tactic, asserting that it is abrasive and overly antagonistic. I readily admit that there have been times when I have crossed the line and have been too antagonistic with people, in an effort to get them to stop and engage in conversation.
However, the goal has never been to antagonize, but rather to compel the person to stop and talk. Open-air preaching, as is the case for any form of biblical evangelism, is a fight for souls. It is not a fight with men. There is a difference.
I try to compel people to stop, sometimes with pointed and provocative words, because I am at war. I am not at war with the person with whom I am trying to engage. I am at war for the soul of the person with whom I am trying to engage.
Getting a person to stop and engage is only part of the battle. Another part of the battle begins the moment the person turns around and walks back to you. As experience has taught me, sometimes the confrontation that follows can be physical. I’ve been assaulted many times. However, more often than not, the person stops, turns around, and returns to engage in conversation.
Having convinced the person to stop and engage, I try to quickly deescalate the situation by remaining firm in my speech, maintaining command presence, lowering my voice, and changing the tone of my voice. This doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, the situation simply doesn’t allow for it. Also, this tactic doesn’t always work. Just like being on the field of battle or like executing a search warrant, sometimes I have to improvise and adapt…..quickly. And, sometimes when my rhetoric is a bit over the top, I have to apologize to the person. It’s not an exact science, and I am a sinner saved by grace, which means I am fallible.
The goal is not the fight–verbal or physical. The goal should never be the fight. Loving my neighbors, loving my enemies is about fighting FOR their souls–not fighting WITH the person. Being used by God to usher as many of His Elect into His kingdom is the goal, the end game, the desire result. Anything short of that warrants an examination of my own heart.
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