Part 3. What is The Street Meeting?

It is our firm conviction that to carry the Word of Life outside the sanctuary walls—proclaiming it under the open heavens where every ear may hear—is a work that greatly edifies the redeemed and honors the Great Commandment of our Blessed Savior. Yet, we are aware of those who favor the rigid formalities of church tradition. There will be many "what abouts" that arise when we step out of the accepted line. 

One professing Christian even warned me of that part of Scripture: “Why cast your precious pearls before swine?”  I was a swine. And it was only when God, in His infinite mercy, moved His people to cast their pearls before such as I, that I was plucked from the mire and saved. It is therefore to meet these very anxieties that I will endeavor to show how the Spirit may move in the open air without abandoning the order of the Church that I have prepared these pages.

Firstly, There be many arguments put forth both against house churches on the one hand, and the formal, recognized church on the other. The transgressions of the historic church—both of her shepherds and her members—being openly noised before the world, are oft-times more magnified than the failings of their lesser-known brethren in the house churches. Yet, let it be known that though these sins and failings be known, it is no different from those sins and abuses found in house churches; for there be unchecked shepherds who, in the shadows, lord it over God’s heritage uncontested, and with a heavy hand. This I have personally experienced twice. Whether in the great cathedral or the humble dwelling, the sin of the shepherd remains a grievous thing. Being shepherded by fallible men, both the registered church and the unrecognized church are alike open to corruption, and neither is exempt from the frailties and abuses of our fallen nature. The fault, we find, lieth not in the method, but in the heart of man; therefore, neither may claim a righteous justification over against the other. The Lord hath strictly forbidden us to restrain any man in his labors simply because he goeth not with us (Luke 9:50). If the work be of God, who are we to hinder it (Acts 11:17)? Nevertheless, it must be confessed that the historic church, by its very form, cannot and will never reach the great multitude that dwelleth outside its folds. Its focus is to maintain its own. And those saints gathering in the open fields cannot expect such formal assemblies to seek them out; they are left, as it were, to their own island. 

While there may yet be a professed unity in the doctrines of our common faith, there remains little to no regard for the welfare of the lesser brethren. I have spoken with ordained leaders and pastors of particular denominations, telling them how the Lord hath graciously raised up believers in this poor location. Their only reply was, "that's nice"; evidently, they could not bring themselves to care for such as these. While they will affirm to have nothing against the work, they show by their condescension that they care nothing for it as well, nor do they have it in their hearts to rejoice in the Lord for saving sinners.

The recognized church is called to look unto Christ, even as the unrecognized house church must do the same. Provided the Lord owns them as His, both are members of the selfsame historic church, of the selfsame Body, and none should discount his brother. This is no dispute between the rich and recognized and the poor and unrecognized; for since neither can speak a word against Christ, both—being for Christ and having their part in Christ—should let peace reign within the Body instead (Colossians 3:15).

Onward, the street meeting is not merely the common street preaching upon the wayside where the Law and the Gospel call is presented to everyone. It is also not the often cold and rigid ceremony performed within the confines of a chapel. Rather, it is the spirit of both, stripped of all worldly ornament, speaking directly to the hearts of the open audience—not as a member of this or that party, but as a living soul before its Maker. 

Plainly speaking, the street meeting is the Lord’s worship service brought out from hiding and proclaimed openly under heaven, reaching out with equal love and power to the sheep already in the light and to the lost still wandering in the dark.

Herein is its proceedings: 

For a duration of six weeks, the public exposition is established as a regular portion of our Sabbath labors (Matthew 12:12). These gatherings are appointed with prayerful intent at those hours when the greatest multitude is found in the place of gathering, falling usually at the third or fourth hour of the afternoon. More people spend the afternoon in the park at this time.

Yet, an hour prior to this public witness, in a quiet portion of the same location, the dear saints of God are assembled in a more intimate fellowship. There, the particular passage of scripture (we study the Bible book by book, not selectively) is opened and exposited with particular care, suited for the children of God, even as they would be in the privacy of a closed service, that the hearts of the faithful might be furthered in grace and understanding (Mark 4:34). Following these, we share a common meal and break bread together. It is in the sweet simplicity of contrite hearts that we find ourselves truly unified in Christ; for such a fellowship stands in stark contrast to mere tradition, which too often serve only to mask the unregenerate soul.

When the saints have been thus refreshed by feeding upon the Word, the public proclamation of that selfsame text commences. This message is both a careful exposition of the Word and a fervent evangelical appeal. In every discourse, the explanation of the text, and the call of Christ—that Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6), and that there is no name given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12), and that men should come unto God through Christ alone (John 14:6, Joel 2:32)—is set forth with all earnestness. The message is reinforced before the saints for their further instruction in righteousness, and sounded in the ears of the unregenerate, that they might be warned, or quickened into newness of life.

But upon the seventh week, we withdraw to ourselves, and the meeting is restricted to the sheepfold alone, for the purpose of fellowship and further exposition of the pure Word of God. It is a hallowed time of settings the hearts of the saints upon God and His glory, where the soul is refreshed, nourished and fed, before this particular Sabbath is concluded and the cycle repeats once more. 

Having been nourished at the Lord’s Table, the saints go forth to labor once again among the people. This practice opens great advantages for the saints. By these means, a holy seed is planted within their being, stirring them to take up a vigorous part in the advancement of our Master’s Kingdom. Their aim is naught less than to open and lead new circles of Bible study among their own circle of influence. Having witnessed the earnest labors of the street meetings, and being now resolved to act within their own borders, they stand as true and active laborers in the Lord’s vineyard—ever seeking the wandering sheep and grounding them in the precious teachings of our Savior.

Furthermore, the saints are yet more deeply sanctified and nourished daily by the washing of the Word within our evening Family Worship gatherings. Here, they are constantly and consistently fed and edified, being encouraged to share in our Lord’s humiliation and to advance in the power of His Holy Spirit. All this is done to the glorious end that the Lamb who was slain might receive the full reward for His suffering.

Our humble aim is not to fashion mere spectators who sit idly in the pew, but rather to raise up "doers of the Word" (James 1:22) whose faith is seen in their fruit. Here, love for God and for the lost is not a sentiment but a holy action; and the instruction of the mind is wedded to the labor of the hands. The common Sunday service of our day often treats the listener as a mere moral being to be lectured; yet we are strictly commanded by our Lord to go forth (Isaiah 40:6, 58:1), evangelizing and making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). This practice, therefore, empowers the saints to stand experientially as vigorous laborers in the harvest field—where some shall go forth to sow the seed, and others shall joyfully reap the increase for His glory.

We are well aware that such a course runs contrary to the common customs and the long-established traditions of the church. Yet, it is precisely because of an undue clinging to these forms that the modern church too often offers the world nothing more than programs, lectures, and weary conferences. The speaker after delivering his sermon, steps down thinking he has done his part. Yet, the prevailing darkness in our society and the powerlessness of the church's witness, begs to differ. Truly, it is a rare thing to find leaders who pray unceasingly and diligently for the empowering of the saints. Who trains, equips, and pushes the flock to take up their part in the Great Commission. Or die trying.

Let it be understood, however, that though our place of meeting be altered, our foundation remains sure. We hold fast to the Nicene creed and the Westminster confession of faith. Howbeit there are adjustments in the method of application, and these adjustments are born of necessity, according to the Filipino culture and mindset, that we might meet the pressing needs of this present hour. Not a single stone of our doctrine has been moved (Proverbs 22:28); we have simply led the saints out of the sanctuary and into the field, where they are now found as earnest laborers in the Lord’s work.

In the course of time, if we reckon our past endeavors, it is a sober and cautious estimate that tens of thousands have read the message of the Gospel. Yet a far greater number, known only to God, have heard the solemn warnings of the judgment of God and the gracious offer of reconciliation through His Christ. These dear souls—the greater part of whom I will never know in this lifetime,  would never, in all their lives, set foot within a church building on their own—have now heard the call. Whether they shall respond or not lies not within our power, nor is it the mark toward which we aim. Our solemn goal is to vindicate the righteousness of God when He judges (Psalm 51:4) the world in the last day. We stand as watchmen upon the wall, for we are held responsible for the souls of the people in our own place and generation (Ezekiel 33:2-6).

There be many, more learned and credible than I, who will never look upon this labor as fruitful, deeming it unworthy of the toil and the time. Tragically, those who have most raised their objections against this method of labor are from established churches; they look upon such a departure from historic church order as a thing leprous and heretical. They say the safer path is merely to invite a neighbor to sit in a pew and listen to a lecturer. Between those who openly labor to bring the Word into the public square and those who but sheepishly invite men to a service, the former are, alas, but a small and outnumbered band. It is a road less traveled, where the faint-hearted will not tread. They would beckon any man in, and count it a victory if he but appears in a Sunday service; but this, friends, is not true fruit, though he should remain in the assembly long.

No, true fruit is found when an unknown soul, moved by the Spirit by the preaching of the Word, seeks after God in repentance, inquires and joins the fellowship, and is so truly converted that he, too, is constrained to carry the Word out to others (Mark 5:19).

The street meeting is aimed at the proclamation of the truth of God’s Holy Word and His mighty works, that all may hear—both the saint and the unbeliever alike. It hath no other purpose. For why should so great and glorious a message remain unheard, save by a few gathered within four walls? 

As for the sheep, they are taken from the shade of a comfortable place and set directly beneath the heat of the sun, and the noise of the square. They are taken from safety, and placed in the way of danger, as sheep among wolves, brought into contact with all manner of men, and opened to outcomes known only to the Lord. In this, they do not merely listen to the teachings of Scripture; they learn first-hand, through the trial of experience, what it truly means to labor for the Gospel among a stiff-necked people who ignore their very presence.

We know that the laborers are few, yet we lift not a finger to change the saying. The Word must be proclaimed by each saved soul, and having done so, nothing further can be wrought by the hand of man. It is left to the Almighty alone to awaken the sinner to a sense of his frightful end and to quicken him, by His sovereign grace, unto eternal life. 

I cannot stomach the thought that Christ should powerfully save a poor sinner only that he might sit idly in a pew for the remainder of his days. It is as if a man should enlist to be a soldier of the Cross, only to be sat for years listening to lectures upon the art of war, never once seeing the field. 

We desire not merely that the saint should strive after a private holiness, but that he should offer his very life as a living sacrifice unto God. Let him go forth, proclaiming the mighty works of the Almighty to a world that hateth Him—and die doing so—that he may be a profitable instrument in his Master’s hand.