Does God Work on Hard Ground? – Newbury Evangelism
It was so hot and sunny today that, for a moment, I almost forgot I was in England! With the soaring temperature, I was reminded of many summer outreaches in Australia. With the heat came lots of people; the town centre of Newbury was busy, with many enjoying the weather.
We’ve been in this community several times before. Each time, I’ve been amazed at the openness of the town; today, it was different. Things felt hard—people were closed off and not interested in engaging. When they did, it was often to share a few choice words on why we were wrong.
As we handed out tracts, only a few people would take them. Conversations were few and far between, and the preaching was a challenge. The question we had to answer was, “Does God work on hard ground?” The answer, of course, is ‘YES!’
Even though we found it challenging, the Lord still had His purpose and plans being achieved. The gospel spread, and people heard the good news of salvation.
As we set up the literature table, two people stopped to ask if they could have a Bible. Then, another person showed interest in the material but admitted they couldn’t read. Thankfully, we had a few gospel CDs with us, so she took one of those.
Bill started the preaching by speaking on “Warning: Six Deadly Lies.” As he addressed common lies people believe, I found myself at the literature table speaking with a man who was greatly alarmed by the war between Israel and Iran. He had a deep fear that things could turn nuclear, which then caused him to wonder if the Bible addressed the issue. We had a nice chat, and he took an in-depth gospel booklet.
After Bill finished preaching, a local Christian man approached me to express how encouraged he was to see us in the open air. He then shared that, when he was a lad in the 1950s, The Open-Air Mission sent two of their evangelists to his church to conduct a series of meetings. He was amazed to see that the Mission continues!
While I was hearing about the work of OAM in the past, Bill was engaged in a good conversation with a Muslim man who wanted everyone to love and be united. Bill shared the gospel with him, and the man took a copy of John’s Gospel.
Keith was also busy; he had been handing out tracts, and now he was in conversation with a lady who had heard a bit of the preaching, then took material.
Even in the hardness, the Lord was at work!
It was now my turn to preach; today, I spoke on “The Origins of Evil.” I had a few ‘drive-by’ hecklers who’d yell something out but wouldn’t engage. A Roman Catholic lady objected to my message, then she spoke with Bill about why I was wrong. She heard the good news from him. Of particular encouragement was an older lady who listened to my entire message. She stood at the back, leaning against a wall. At the end of the message, before I could speak with her, she disappeared into a shop. However, ten minutes later, she reappeared at the literature table asking for a copy of the New Testament.
For the final open-air, Bill preached on “The Greatest Appointment of Your Life.” A few older ladies paused to listen.
How do we respond to hard days like today? We rest in the fact that salvation is of the Lord (Jonah 2:9). It isn’t our job to save people; we are called simply to sow the seed of truth. The Lord will take that seed and use it as He wills. While it may be hard for us, we trust that God is at work, and He will use our efforts to advance His fame and glory.
Please pray for all those who heard the good news in Newbury.
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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