Man Saved After Hearing the Preaching – Portsmouth Evangelism
There were only two of us on the team today; we were few, but the Lord was with us. As soon as we set up - the free Bible and literature table became very busy. People from a variety of backgrounds began to stop and browse the gospel material we were giving away.
I spoke with a young Hindu lady; she shared that her boyfriend is a ‘Christian’ and that his religious beliefs had intrigued her. We chatted briefly, and she took a Bible so she could learn more about Christianity. A short while later, she returned with her boyfriend. I was able to speak with him as well, and he shared that he had never read the New Testament. He gladly received a copy, along with a gospel booklet. I hope that as he reads through the New Testament, he considers 2 Corinthians 6:14–15.
At the table, I also spoke with two young ladies – one an agnostic, and the other a believer in God. We had a nice chat about agnosticism and how God reveals Himself. I briefly shared the good news and explained that God wants us to know Him. The agnostic took a copy of the New Testament, and Ultimate Questions by John Blanchard.
As this conversation concluded, a young man approached me. He had just come out of a shop opposite us and was very friendly. He shared with me how he is to be baptised soon, so I asked him how he became a Christian. His answer was super encouraging!
The young man told me that he works in the shop opposite where we preach, so he had heard us proclaim the gospel many times. At the start of this year, he came out of work and took a New Testament from the literature table. Nobody spoke with him that day – he simply and silently took a copy of the Scriptures. He then began to read the New Testament, and as he did so, he was gloriously saved! He is now attending a local church and learning more about Jesus.
This reminds me that we don’t always see what the Lord is doing. Our job is simply to sow the seed and be faithful in our evangelism. The saving of souls is up to the Lord. He will work in the way He sees fit. Eternity will reveal how many people were saved through the work the Lord has called us to.
It was now time to start the preaching, so I spoke on “God is Love!” This is a new message, and it was the first time I had preached it. In this sermon, I sought to show how God loves the world, then challenged those listening to trust in the Saviour. A few people listened, with two of them taking copies of John’s Gospel. A group of young people also paid attention, then spoke with Nigel at the literature table.
After the preaching, Nigel and I spent time handing out tracts and chatting with people. Then, just after 1 p.m., I preached again. This time I spoke on “Are You Good Enough for Heaven?” A few people listened, with one person taking a copy of the Gospel of John.
As the scheduled outreach time drew to a close, we still had work to do. The literature table continued to be busy, with both Nigel and me speaking with people. I spoke with a lady who told me she is only just starting to think about God, and that she is a ‘beginner’ in all of this, so she asked what material I could recommend. She gladly received a New Testament and a booklet about Jesus.
As we packed down, a lady we speak with each week walked past. She always takes a different booklet to read. She shared that she is now attending church, though she isn’t yet trusting in Jesus. Sadly, she has just been diagnosed with cancer, so she is facing a medical battle. I urged her to trust in the Saviour and gave her more booklets to read.
Time passed so quickly today. Even though there were only two of us, many got to hear the good news. Please pray for all those who heard of the Lord Jesus.
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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