An Unsaved Church Member – Southampton Evangelism
All of us were late arriving at the outreach as the city was heaving with traffic. Eventually, we reached our preaching location and began to set up. As soon as the literature table was up and running, people began to stop to browse the material and ask questions.
Jeremy was the first of our preachers for the day. As he preached about “The Message of the Cross”, he was heckled by a Scientologist. Also, an older man who has been very anti our message for the past year or so sat silently on a bench listening to the message. He wouldn’t engage with the team, but he listened once again to the gospel.
As Jeremy preached, a young man walked past yelling, “That’s right, brother!” I offered the man a tract and began a conversation with him. The man told me he was a Christian, though not a very good one. By all accounts, he was a young man who has been caught up in the so-called ‘quiet revival’. He wants the culture of Christianity, but not Jesus. This is the danger of the current movement. As young men see the West collapse and Islam strengthen, their desire is to return to a form of religion, but they don’t want Jesus.
This man told me that God had called him to physically fight Muslims and drive them out of our ‘Christian’ lands. He was full of anger and hate and, sadly, had no concept of the gospel. Using Matthew 7:21–23, I explained that many who claim to be Christians will end up in Hell one day. I pointed out to the man that he was lost and that the passage described him. The man listened to the gospel, but his hatred for Islam clouded every decision he made.
By contrast, not long after this conversation, a young Muslim man from Afghanistan stopped at the literature table. He was intrigued by the New Testament, so we gave him a copy. He also received the booklet ‘Why Muslims Reject Christianity’. The only solution to Islam is the gospel – there is a need for the heart of sinful humanity to be changed; this change comes only through Jesus. Likewise, the only way this nation will be turned around is not through religion or a form of godliness, but rather through repentance and faith in Christ.
Next up to preach was Ben, who spoke about the different objections that people mention to us on the street. He engaged with these arguments and presented the gospel. One man who listened spoke with Ben at length after the message.
Back at the table, I had a heartbreaking conversation with a man who professed to be a Christian. Indeed, he had been baptised and is a member of one of the largest evangelical churches in the area. He has been at this church for 26 years and has even played music in their worship band. The only problem – the man is unsaved!
The man told me he loved our work, so I challenged him. I asked, “Imagine I’m not a Christian. I’ve been stabbed in the back and only have three minutes to live. What would you say to me so I can go to Heaven?” The man told me he couldn’t answer, which isn’t an uncommon response to this question. Sometimes Christians have all the right pieces of the gospel in their minds, but they don’t know how to put them into a clear presentation. Sadly, this man had none of the pieces of the gospel.
To explore his lack of understanding further, I asked, “Imagine you stood before God tonight. Why would He let you into Heaven?” The man thought for a few moments, then said, “Because I do good deeds, I’m active in my church, and I try to follow His commandments.” This was a man who trusted in his own works as the means of salvation. Jesus wasn’t even mentioned once.
Thankfully, the man was open to listening to the gospel, so I explained how all of us have sinned and deserve Hell. Then I took him to the cross, explaining that Jesus alone paid the penalty for sin – that He died and rose again. Then I exhorted him to repent and believe, as the grace of God is the only way anyone can be saved. The man took some material, saying he’d never heard this before.
I cannot help but wonder how many more people attend evangelical churches that have the right doctrine on paper but are lost.
Next up to preach was Richard, who spoke on “Life: What’s the Point?” A group of Filipinos listened to him preach, then gave him a round of applause at the end.
Finally, it was my turn to preach the gospel. Today, I spoke on “How Can You Be Sure You’ll Go to Heaven?” At the end of the message, two people received John’s Gospels, one of whom then had a chat with Ben.
While I am happy that so many heard the good news, I do find myself feeling sad that there are many in churches who are not hearing of Christ. Please pray for a biblical revival in our churches – we need to get back to faithful and biblical preaching. Pray also for all those who heard of Jesus today on the streets.
SDG!
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Josh Williamson is a full-time evangelist with The Open-Air Mission. Since 1853, OAM has been sharing the good news on the streets of the United Kingdom. To stay updated about the work of the Mission, please sign up for the free quarterly magazine and monthly prayer notes.
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