Street Preacher and RevScottie
I haven’t blogged in a while but this incident fired me up so much I needed a place to vent and the blogosphere is a great place for that. For those easily offended you may need to stop reading now.
I recently attended a car show in Pigeon Forge and ran across something I had never encountered in that environment, a full-fledged megaphone wielding street preacher. Actually not just one but a whole slew of white shirted, tie wearing, shouting, tract distributing, street evangelists. Now I know some of you are thinking why would a pastor who claims to be so passionate about reaching men for Jesus object to this evangelistic activity? The answer is simple, these clowns were driving away the very people they were trying to reach. While well-meaning Christians drove by honking their horns and giving a big thumbs up to the anti gay, anti fornicating, anti drinking, anti anything else you could think of signs I wondered what would an average person living without Jesus in their life think? As a simple test I decided to do a little undercover work as a beer swilling, car loving, redneck.
Take a close look at the picture above and you will see yours truly apparently drinking his favorite “tall boy” malt beverage from a paper sack. (Actually a 16oz Diet Mountain Dew) I attempted to engage this individual by opening up with some friendly banter. He seemed to be somewhat angered by my opening question. “Hey bro you got any cold beer over there in your cooler?” He smugly replied “No I do not” and it was on from there. He explained to me in detail the evils of alcohol. Well even the most unchurched drunkard knows that the Bible talks about wine so I proceeded to lead him down that path. He explained that wine in the Bible is actually unfermented grape juice. With a puzzled look on my face I asked him “didn’t people in the Bible get drunk on wine?” Well he explained this really wasnt wine but was strong drink. (By the way Jesus turned water into wine and Baptists turned it back into grape juice) My next question…”How does an average guy like me figure out this whole mess, its confusing, what does it mean to be saved anyway?” Here it is, an evangelist’s dream. I had teed the ball up, put the club in his hand and all he had to do was whack it home. His response “You need to read your Bible and repent” What? This idiot had just reduced the greatest news in the world into a religion of works. It wasn’t about what Jesus had done for me but about what I must clean up in my life in order to escape the wrath of God. I want you to notice something else in the picture. This man never attempted to make eye contact with me. He was so focused on his message of repentance and damnation that he overlooked a person seeking the answer to the most important question to ever be asked: “what must I do to be saved?”
I know some are going to be critical of my analysis and say, “well at least he was doing something”. I’ve got news for you, doing something isn’t always better than doing nothing if it drives people away from Jesus. The South, the buckle of the so called bible belt, is filled with people who won’t go to church because of this very type of encounter with the Christian elite. This is the reason I co-founded Journey Chattanooga with Mark. We want to cut through all of the religious crap and show people the Love of Jesus Christ and His power to change lives!
If you want more information on the street preachers check out their website. Even better maybe they will show up at Chattanooga’s Riverbend festival and some of you hell bound music lovers will get to experience their “love” first hand.
http://www.warningsofwrath.com
RevScottie's Blog 
i went to their website and read their doctrine… i’m going to have to put in my 2 week notice and join up sorry… mainly for the sunglasses… but seriously i wonder if they read this version: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/1d/Kjv-hebrews.png/404px-Kjv-hebrews.png
Was that the pastor?
I think so.
Scottie, Was that their van behind them? “Open Door” Church? Really? Some how I think not…. You guys keep rockin it in Chattanooga!!
Scottie,
I am impressed by your hypocrisy. You’re good at it. Practice make perfect, as they say.
From the “Warnings of Wrath” website (By the way that would be a great name for a Christian Metal Band)
“Our prayer is that God would speak to each person that was exposed to the Biblical Principles that were put forth.”
God doesn’t tell us to spout forth “Biblical Principles” on crudely made card board signs. God tells us to share His “Good News”! This is the news that no matter what my lifestyle Jesus came died in my place and rose again from the grave. Too bad that Pastor Bryson and his bunch were so busy worrying about outward appearances that they forgot to share this truth with those who pass by. Satan, Hell,and Damnation got lots of exposure but the Good News was never mentioned.
Scottie, you are a LIAR or you are deaf…which is it? I saw your blog the first part of the week but had decided not to comment and just let you rant in your decieved and liberal way to your decieved and liberal audience, but YOU have poked me now so here it is: I PERSONALLY preached to several that day about the death of Jesus Christ, what you don’t understand is that a sinner who is in love with sin does not CARE about the death of Christ until he is shown by the Spirit that he is a rebel against God deserves to be in Hell for his sins. So, are you deaf or a liar? I also heard Bro. Bryson’s message form across the road and contained it that message was “Repent AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL” this is and always has been the message that saves sinners, not repeat this prayer or “ask Jesus in your heart”, God commands men to repent or else they cannot believe the gospel, you should pick up a Bible and read Luke 18: where Jesus deals with a sinner 1 on 1. This is biblical evangelism not a bunch of half dressed, hair-brained idiots drooling over a hot rod and then claiming to be in love with Jesus too! You cannot love God the world! this respones is not even intended for you sir because you are LOST and hopelessly decieved by your easy-believe religion, it is for the benefit of those who have had to read your idiotic comment. And so….we will continue to preach and warn sinners all over this country, as we have for years, and I hope to see you in Chattanooga soon. J.R.
Thanks for showing your concern for me by constantly referring to me as a liar and an idiot. It’s funny to me that you referenced Luke 18. Perhaps this is how Luke 18:11 should read for you ” God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, a bunch of half dressed, hair-brained idiots drooling over a hot rods” How can you ever hope to be a witness to a group of people that you show such contempt for? I only related my personal story concerning a member of your team who was so busy displaying his sign to traffic that he didn’t take time to present the Gospel to me. Argue and condemn all you want but you can not win someone to Christ if you never mention His name and what he has done for them. Please feel free to show me chapter and verse where looking at classic cars is “wordly”. If that is true then if you turned your AC on while sitting in traffic then you are wordly because that is what everyone else on the street was doing. Sorry to dissapoint you but I have given my heart to Jesus by realizing I fall short of God’s standards and also realizing that through Jesus’ death burial and ressurection I was made whole in His Fathers eyes. And believe me their is nothing “easy” about following the Savior I serve. If you are ever in Chattanooga give me a shout. I’ll be happy to sit down and tell you all about how Jesus is changing lives in our community.
I am showing contempt for you because you are lying, we preach in Jesus’ name all over the country,and if you have never repented then you have never been saved. Regardless of how you “follow the saviour” if you don’t follow the LORD then you are lost. You hate the truth Scottie and that os why you poked first. And I never said that I thanked God that I am not like oother people,Liar, I was a drunk, party going, church attending hypocrite until God in mercy showed me my lost condition, I repented and turned to Christ with all my being and I preach the same message that won me, to the world. The problem with guys like you who preach an “un-offensive gospel” is you are taking sinners as far as you have ever been, and that isn’t far enough to be saved. They end up lie you, half saved, confused, half in the world and half out, but God knows the truth of the matter. Tell me, how much Bible can you deny and still be a Christian…
J.R. you are testing my patience with your constant verbal abuse. If you continue to call me a Liar and so on I will not post your comments. Please try and communicate in a Christlike manner. You have accused me of preaching an unoffensive Gospel yet you have never heard me preach. I believe telling stories without having truth to back them up is one of the things the Bible describes as gossip and it is labeled a sin right along with adultery, fornication, idolatry, drunkenesss, etc. I certainly preach the truth and am as bold about calling sin out for what it is as anyone you will ever hear.
I deny none of the Bible but then again it wasn’t me who was preaching about sin and damnation without explaining the Gospel of Grace along with it. I certainly have repented, meaning i have realized that I have sinned and fallen short of Gods standard. I know my condition was hopeless without Jesus. I try to live daily in a matter pleasing to God. Honestly I have to continue repenting and depend on the Grace of God and His Son’s sacrifice on the cross to cover my sin. I don’t understand exactly what it is that you think I haven’t repented of. I simply disagreed with your approach to sharing the Gospel and felt that by focusing only on sin, damnation, and repentence you are not sharing the complete message of the Gospel. You have shared the bad news and left out the Good News! I can only relate how one member of your group reacted when given the opportunity to share the Gospel. I have no idea what you shouted over your megaphone because I was off enjoying a beatiful day that God had given us. I was enjoying the fellowship of my Christian friends who came to PF to look at restored cars and I see nothing wrong with that.
…the only visible differance i see to “Some People’s” Legalistic Turn Or Burn approach to Sharing their Faith & the way the PHARISEES were doing things back in the day, well, would simply be the “Pompus Clothing”…oh wait…my bad…took a second, albiet closer look…pompus clothing…CHECK! (lol!) all kidding aside, we are all on the same team here fellas but what our Critics need to understand is that we at Journey have had to spend a great deal of time & effort trying to “Repair” the damage done by this legalistic, “you have to clean up first, then come to Christ” type of mentality that confused but well meaning christians have shoved down peoples throats for years & years! as stated before, we are all on the same team & true that different approaches CAN reach different types of people, but belittling people & a “i’m holier than you” mentality WILL NOT introduce folks to the Gospel, the Good News, the Free Gift of Salvation, free to us but bought & paid for by a great price from our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, so let’s stop & think, cliche as the expression might be-W.W.J.D. What Would Jesus Do? …or what would Jesus HAVE me do? …scream “your going to hell” at passing cars thru a mr.microphone or take the oppertinity to share God’s grace, mercy, & gift with unbelievers? all i can say in closing is…i know which approach Didn’t Work on me personaly! weather we want to admit it or not, we as christians look like a “JOKE” to the unbelievers of this world…sometimes i forget why…then something happens to remind me…
I,ve had to deal with this type of evangelism outside my place of employment. While serving as senior staff I had to confront a street preacher for shouting at our patrons while walking to our facility (one of the top 4 aquariums in the nation). I struggled as a christian with having to handle it until I witnessed their behaviot for myself. I tried to calm them down a bit and suggest a more suitable topic like Jesus and what he has done for us. You know “God became a man”, died for our sins”, “rose from the dead”, “hope in his righteousness”, that stuff. But he would have none of it. He continued to harrass perfect strangers, who are walking by with their families along with small children. He called the women whores and the men whore chasers amoung other things. The whole incident escaladed when one man defending his wife and daughter threatened to perform some facial reconstruction on the preacher. I had no other recourse but to call CPD. Our old school buddy JB unfolded out of his police car and the preacher started in on him. The preacher told JB he was going to go to hell for asking him to stop shouting offensive names at the folks walking by. JB said I may very well go to hell someday but today you have 2 choices, leave or take a ride in my car. Fortunately the street preacher walked away and the rest of the day was uneventful. I couldn’t help but wonder how could anyone think this type of behavior would draw men to Christ. Jesus loved and shared his life with sinners in hopes of bringing redemption to them. He called the self righteous of his day “vipers”. I guess some things never change. The photo makes them look a little creepy. Good chance they are KJV only as well. Funny I never took you for a liberal. Take care my friend.
Hey Rodney I appreciate your comments. I’m pretty liberal in method but conservative in belief 🙂
So sad but tooooo funny