“The Message Resonates with Me” – Leeds Evangelism
The Open-Air Mission Yorkshire team event continued today in Leeds. Between the OAM team and local supporters, there were about 20 of us out on the streets. The weather was warm, so many people were out and about – which meant lots of tracts were given away.
I can’t recount all the stories from today, so I’ll focus solely on my own encounters and experiences. These include a unique preaching opportunity and a couple of good conversations.
One of the challenges we faced in Leeds was a new local council regulation prohibiting ‘temporary structures’ without permission. This meant our open-air board had to be taken down shortly after our arrival. Not to worry – the team had a cunning plan: someone would hold a thin piece of metal so the preacher could display his visuals. I was the first to hold the metal sheet, and thus, I became an open-air mission board – probably the best-looking board they’ve ever had!
As I held the metal, Andy preached the gospel. It was a unique experience to be part of the message without actually saying anything.
After Andy finished preaching, I spoke on the subject of the “Stalker” from James 4:13–14. I decided not to use the metal sheet; instead, I preached ‘old school’, with just my Bible in hand.
Due to the size of the team, I found it difficult to get into conversations with people. It seemed like everyone was already engaged, so there were few passers-by left who hadn’t been spoken to. Eventually, I managed to get into a conversation with an arrogant young Muslim man who took issue with the preaching.
This young man was full of pride and believed everyone else was wrong. He demanded I answer his questions about Christianity, but when I did, he wouldn’t listen. He often tried to tell me what I really believed, despite my saying the opposite. When I asked him questions, he either refused to answer or tried to change the subject. Eventually, I shook his hand and left the conversation, as it was proving to be a waste of time. All I can do is pray that some seed may have penetrated through the arrogance.
The next conversation was much more fruitful. A young man had been sitting and listening to a couple of preachers, so I offered him a tract and asked what he thought about the message. He replied, “The message resonates with me, but there are parts that don’t resonate.” I asked him which parts he didn’t like, and he replied, “I don’t like the whole ‘born again’ and ‘believe’ thing. I think everyone should have the freedom to go to Heaven, without the conditions of believing.”
I responded, “I’m an Australian – everyone in Leeds has the freedom to visit my country, but what do they need to visit? A passport and a ticket. There are conditions for reaching the destination. Likewise, people are freely invited to Heaven, but there are conditions – they need a passport and a ticket: to be born again and believe in Jesus.” The man nodded, saying that made sense. He then shared how he had grown up in the Church of England but had since stopped attending.
Roger sat down and joined the conversation, so between the three of us, we had a great chat about the gospel and the need to trust in Christ. The young man agreed it made sense and received a copy of John’s Gospel. As we left Leeds at the end of the outreach, he was sitting on the bench reading the Scripture.
Overall, it was a long and hot day in Leeds, but it was worth it. Many had the opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus. Please pray for all those who heard.
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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