A Scottish Man Asks Christ for Forgiveness – Southampton Evangelism

It has been a couple of weeks since I’ve been in Southampton, but what a difference time makes. All the trees are now green and ready for summer, and the city was busy with people enjoying the lovely weather. We set up in our usual location, and soon after arriving, an Italian lady stopped at the literature table to see what we were offering. She gladly received a booklet in her language. The day was off to a busy start!

“The Power of Words” was the first open-air sermon of the day. Richard did a good job explaining the gospel and stressing that within three generations we will be forgotten, but Jesus’ words will remain. A few people gathered around to listen, including some who made their way to the literature table afterwards.

Over at the table, Jeremy was deep in conversation with a young Scottish man who was down visiting his girlfriend, who is studying in the area. The man isn’t a Christian, but he had questions. Jeremy answered them and explained the gospel. After hearing the message of Jesus, Jeremy asked the Scotsman when he would trust in Jesus. The man replied, “As soon as possible!” Then, in the middle of busy Southampton, the man bowed his head and prayed. It is always encouraging to see people asking Christ to forgive them!

It was now time for me to preach. For my first message, I spoke on “Death: Is it the End?” A few people listened, with two – including a Muslim lady – taking a copy of John’s Gospel at the end. 

We now had one preacher after another. Next up was Ben, who spoke on “Who Can You Trust?” He presented the gospel clearly and explained that Jesus is the only one we can truly trust. A man spoke with him further after the message.

Jeremy continued to preach, speaking on “Warning: Six Deadly Lies.” Using commonly held misconceptions, he answered people’s objections and pointed them to Jesus. It was great to hear him challenge those passing by with direct questions such as, “Sir, have you trusted in Christ?” People had to answer one way or another. Hopefully, they will consider these challenging questions.

As the outreach began to draw to a close, I preached once more. This time I spoke on “Steps to Peace with God.” A couple of people listened, including a man who told me he had received a copy of John’s Gospel from me six months earlier. He has read the Gospel and had now come back to listen further. A lady who was listening also took a copy of John’s Gospel.

While packing down the outreach, Richard got into a conversation with a man who had previously engaged with the team. Last time he was with us, he spent a long time talking with Sarah, who shared the gospel and gave him a Bible. The man has since moved to London, but that discussion and the Bible have followed him. Richard challenged the man to study the Gospels, then the man came to speak with me. He told me he was an atheist, but it was clear his grip on atheism was weak. I engaged in a brief apologetic with him, challenging his worldview and his claim to be a ‘man of science’. The gentleman took a booklet by John Blanchard on evolution and said he’d make sure to read it. 

It was interesting to meet again two people who had heard the message previously; we never know what the Holy Spirit is doing with the seed that has been sown. Please pray for all those who heard the good news.

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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