Part 1. The Two Labors . Open-Air Preaching As A Call To The Lost, And The Indoor Gathering As Care For The Peculiar People.

 The Two Labors of the Kingdom

Here in the first part of this article we cite the differences between these two labors. In the second part we will show how it is not only possible to marry both, but it is the very calling of the church to grow in grace, in order to serve as lights that show forth the excellencies of God who elected them (1 Peter 2:9). We must be careful not to hold to one while neglecting the other; for though men may try to separate them, these two works are truly but one, and neither can stand rightly without the other. A church gathering that does not evangelize is an unused candle. It is good for no one except to itself for it is dead. It is the proverbial student who keeps studying yet never graduates. On the other hand, mere evangelism apart from the church is like earning money only to put it in a bag with holes. It is futile as well. These two labors are two faces of the same coin. The singular purpose is to glorify God in the advancement of His kingdom in making His name known (Habakkuk 2:14). While the one seeks the lost in the marketplace and the other nourishes the believer in the pew, they are but two arms of the same body, working in holy accord to exalt the Master's name. 

This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.
Isaiah 43:21

The Street Meeting (The Fisher’s Net): This is what is called 'open-air preaching.' It is a work meant for the highways and hedges. Here, the voice of the herald must rise above the noise of the surroundings. It is a work of intentional evangelism, reaching outward to the lost sheep who have never known the fold, seeking to snatch those blindly marching to their death.

The Lord's Day celebration, or more commonly called the Sunday Service (The Shepherd’s Fold): Within the quiet sanctuary, the 'regular service' takes its breath. This is a gathering of the gathered. It is a work of edification, where the bread of life is broken for those already within the covenant, that the body of believers might be built up in holy faith, comforted in their trials, sanctified by the Word, and activated to engage in the war for the souls of men.

We must understand that these are two separate works, ordained with two separate functions, and directed toward two presently separate companies of souls. The distinction is night and day, for each serves a peculiar purpose in the Master’s vineyard, but the intention is one. By providing a spiritual home for the faithful to grow in grace so they may carry the light of the Gospel into the far corners of the world, the Church fulfills her complete calling. Thus, the lost are brought to the Lord’s side, and the found are made strong in the truth of His holy Word. They continue to shine as lights (Philippians 2:15), and be a testimony to the nations (Matthew 24:14).

Firstly, the two different places of gathering. The open-air meeting is most appropriately named, for its chapel is the open sky and its floor is the common ground where the masses converge. It is found in any quarter where the public gathers—be it the dusty street, the bustling market square, the verdant park, or the gates of the schoolhouse. It is the work of a fisherman who ventures out into the deep waters where the fish are to be found; for it is the Gospel carried abroad, journeying into the highways and byways to meet men exactly where they stand in their worldly pursuits. As the herald of the Cross does not tarry for the world to seek the sanctuary, he instead carries the message of salvation to the very gate of the world, seeking the wanderer in his own habitation and bringing the light of Truth to those places where the people gather. 

The Lord's Day service is of a different order, being conducted within the quietude of an enclosed facility or a dedicated sanctuary. It is a place set apart, shut in from the noise and the cares of the world, providing a shelter where the flock may attend to the Word in peace. In contrast, the regular service is a sacred gathering where the redeemed sheep is tenderly nurtured and fed with the pure Word of God. It is within these hallowed walls that the flock finds a refuge from the world, being sustained by the Bread of heaven and strengthened in their most holy faith through the diligent teaching of the Scriptures. One labor seeks the ear of the stranger in the midst of his hurry; the other welcomes the believer to a house of rest.

Secondly, the two different audiences of the labor. The audience of the open-air preaching is an unplanned and transient company, consisting largely of those souls who, for the most part, would never think to enter the doors of a church. These are the lost unawares, the spiritually dead and the sickly, the outcasts of the world, and those bearing the heavy burden of a wounded heart; they are the very lost ones whom the Good Shepherd is even then searching out upon the highways and hedges of despair. 

The exclusive church gathering, by way of contrast, is a solemn assembly of those who, for the most part, already believe and have set their hearts toward the things of God. They are an intentional people, coming together by design to sit beneath the preaching of the Word; and whether they perceive it clearly or not—depending upon the plainness and fidelity of the preacher—they stand in holy covenant with the Lord. This company is comprised of both the solitary ones and those joined in marriage with their families, all meeting as one body to be established in the faith once delivered to the saints.

Thirdly, the two different goals of the labor. The supreme goal of open-air preaching is evangelism, whereas the church gathering is for the edification of the saints. The former is focused upon planting the initial seed of belief—and indeed, the hardening of the obstinate unbeliever—while the latter is fixed upon spiritual growth, the mutual encouragement of the faithful, worship, and fellowship. The faithful preaching of the Word in the Spirit of God accomplishes both the washing of the true believer and the further hardening of the impenitent even within the assembly. In both cases, the wheat and the tares grow together, yet they journey in opposite directions: the wheat pressing forward in the way of holiness, and in trusting God in His Word, and the tares wandering toward the vanity of mere morality and the whitewashed tomb of dead religion.

Fourthly, the two different structures of the labor. The format of the open-air preaching is typically a monologue concerning the Law and the Gospel, often structured in the manner of a solemn story. It begins with the piercing truth of sin, laying bare the crimes of the person who stands separate from God, and foretelling the certain future of that rebel who willingly continues in his transgression. In essence, it is an informal courtroom where the hearer is made to listen to the charge of his own treason against the Most High and His holy laws; there, he is shown the bitter wages of his sin, only to be presented with the gracious offer of amnesty by way of the perfect and finished work of Christ upon the Cross. Here, it is presented with all earnestness that Christ died for sinners, and is even now commanding everyone, everywhere, to repent of their ways and come unto Him, that they may be eternally saved. Often, Gospel tracts are distributed, and some one on one conversations may follow. 

The Lord's Day celebration, however, is usually conducted in a liturgical order, being a holy convocation of the family of God. It has many parts—the lifting of voices in psalms and hymns, the pouring out of collective prayer, the reading of sacred Scripture, and the breaking of bread at the Lord’s table. Here, the preaching is not a cry to the stranger, but a careful exposition of the whole counsel of God, designed to mature the saint into trusting God at His word, and furnish him for every good work. 

Fifthly, the two different atmospheres of the labor. The open-air preaching's risk, being outside and exposed both to the elements, can possibly escalate to actual opposition. Most who gather may listen with a timid heart, or in some cases they may prove themselves belligerent and violent, seeking to test their wits to embarrass the preacher. Heckling is not uncommon, and may even get to the point of physical provocation; for in our times, to be cursed at, threatened, dragged off, your equipment destroyed, or even beaten, are all part and parcel of bringing the Word into the public square. Yet, we remember that the Lord and His disciples were no strangers to such treatment; it is to be expected by any who would dare to proclaim the truth to a people who, in their natural state, hate the light because their deeds are evil. 

On the other hand, the closed gathering enjoys the blessing of a safe and controlled environment, away from the noise of the world. Within these four walls, the soul finds a quiet place and enjoy the peace uninterrupted. Here, the people of God are free to fix their whole heart upon the reading of the Holy Scriptures and to lift their voices in worship. It is a place of order and sanctuary, where the mind is stilled and the spirit is fed in the company of the brethren.

Sixthly, the two different scopes of content. The open-air preaching speaks plainly to the heart of the matter: it lays bare the ruin of the soul, our distance from a Holy God, and the heavy weight of our many transgressions. It deals with that Great Rebellion of the heart against the Creator. There is a pressing urgency in this work, a desperate cry to fallen men to be reconciled to God before the day of grace is spent. Here, repentance is not merely suggested, but demanded;  specifically, it holds up the Decalogue as a holy standard that no son of Adam can ever hope to fulfill. It shows the man that though the Law is righteous, his heart is naturally adverse to the Law’s righteous demands; he has broken the Law in thought and deed, and stands bankrupt before a debt he cannot pay. It is in the public proclamation that salvation is freely offered to everyone through the finished work of Christ upon the cross. Here, He is lifted high as the only perfect sacrifice that has satisfied divine justice. No one who comes to Him is turned away. He is proclaimed as the one Savior who stands as the only hope for the guilty—the singular way for a condemned man to find full pardon and mercy from the death he so rightly deserves. 

The indoor meeting, however, enjoys the quietness of a sacred classroom. Here, beneath the protection of a roof, a broad range of Biblical truths are carefully unfolded for the soul’s profit. Whether it be for the deeper study of the things of God, for the earnest exhortation of the spirit, or for the practical application of truth to daily life, this gathering is a nursery for spiritual growth. Within these walls, the believer is led toward a holy maturity, receiving 'line upon line and precept upon precept.' It is a place where the child of God is fed and tended, that he may grow in grace and walk worthily of his calling. 

..compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Luke 14:23

..feed my sheep.

John 21:16, 17

In summary, we may look upon the Lord's Day gathering as the soul's spiritual home-base. It is a place of stability and fellowship, where the things of God are opened to the sheepfold, so their minds and their hearts join in corporate praise. It is the steady anchor for those already brought into the gathering of faith. Public evangelism, by contrast, is the mobile and public arm of the church's cause; it is the Gospel in motion, carrying the core message of salvation directly out to the world beyond the church walls. While the one provides a shelter for the saint to rest and learn, the other ventures into the storm to rescue the perishing. Together, they fulfill the whole counsel of God—the one building up the Church in love, and the other compelling the world to come in.