“I’m 9 out of 10 for being good!” – Leeds Evangelism
We were back out on the streets of Yorkshire today. Originally, I was assigned to go to Wakefield, but a last-minute decision saw me redeployed to Leeds. It was a little bit cooler than yesterday, and I think this change in weather made people more willing to stop and chat.
Throughout the day, numerous team members preached the gospel in a variety of ways. We all had different styles and methods, yet the central message remained unchanged. Due to the nature of team events, I am unable to detail all that happened with other team members, so all I can do is share my experiences and encounters.
I was the third open-air preacher of the day. The previous two preachers did a great job explaining the gospel, and now it was my turn. I preached on “God and Humanity: Separated!” A few people paused to listen, including a Muslim lady who seemed quite engaged. Afterwards, the Muslim lady spoke with Natalie, who told me she was very open and took a copy of John’s Gospel.
While other team members preached, I focused on handing out tracts and trying to engage people in discussion. I found that today, more people seemed interested in taking literature.
As the day continued, it was eventually my turn to preach again. This time, I spoke from John 3:16. Shortly after starting, a young man stopped to listen, so I engaged him. The man had very little understanding of Christian things, so I was pretty much working with a blank canvas. I asked the man who goes to Heaven, and he told me that good people went there. When I asked, on a scale from 1 to 10, how good he is, the man replied, “I’m 9 out of 10 for being good!”
Using the Ten Commandments, I demonstrated the sinfulness of humanity—and of the young man himself. Then, taking John 3:16 again, I explained the gospel. The interaction caused a few other people to stop and listen. At the end of the message, the young man thanked me for preaching and took a Gospel of John.
There was also a couple who were listening; they told us they’d lost their faith, as they’d been hurt by the church. One of them was a convicted criminal, and as a result, people had turned on them. Three of us spoke to them about Christ’s love for bad people and stressed that Jesus is for sinners. Both were very open, and took material and Gospels. We also gave them a list of churches where they’d be more than welcome.
Of particular encouragement was the young man from yesterday who had said the message resonated with him—he came back and spoke with Tim. The young man told Tim that he is reading John’s Gospel. Please pray the Lord would save him.
It was a good day in Leeds; many heard the good news of Jesus. Please pray for a great harvest!
SDG!
_____
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.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE AND PRAYER NOTES