46 Years Without Hearing the Gospel – Southampton Evangelism
Can you imagine going forty-six years without ever hearing the good news of Jesus? For nearly five decades, you live and work, go through life, knowing that God is there, but don’t know who He is or how you can know Him. If you can imagine that, then you would be able to understand the man I spoke with today in Southampton. But before I get to that witnessing encounter, let me explain what happened first…
The weather forecast said there would be a low chance of rain; the reality was very different. As we arrived in Southampton, we discovered our usual undercover preaching location was occupied by a vegan protest group. This sent us scouting the area to find some form of shelter so we could preach and witness to the lost. Thankfully, we found a location right down at the end of the street; it wasn’t ideal, but it was where the Lord wanted us. He directed our steps.
After setting up, Jeremy commenced the preaching by speaking on John 3:16. As the rain fell, an Indian lady from a Hindu background stood under an umbrella listening. When Jeremy offered a Gospel of John to whoever would like to find out more about Jesus, she walked forward to receive one. She then had a productive and open conversation with Mike. The lady seems interested in attending church, so she was referred to a local evangelical fellowship.
Around this time, a man came up to a team member to chat. He shared that previously he had heard us preach, but now he feels it is time to investigate the message further. He requested a Bible — a request we gladly honoured! This was a prime example of how the gospel seed is sown but takes time to grow. This man had heard the message and had been thinking about it. Perhaps he will soon come to harvest.
Colin was the next preacher; he spoke on “The Greatest…” Using Southampton F.C. as an illustration, he was able to point out that Christ is the greatest. One man who listened took a copy of John’s Gospel.
When Mike preached, he spoke on “Life: What’s the Point?” This message opened up numerous conversations with people, including the man I spoke with who has gone forty-six years without hearing the gospel.
At first he listened to Mike preach; then, as he moved away, I offered him a tract and asked what he thought about the message. The man told me he wasn’t sure, so I asked, “Do you have any religious or spiritual background?” He said he considered himself a Christian, as his parents had him christened in the Church of England, but he had never read the Bible (he didn’t even own one) or attended church. He thought that to get to Heaven one would have to follow all the rules in the Bible and be a good person.
I explained who God is, then I used the Ten Commandments to reveal sin and the need of the Saviour. As the man grasped the reality of his own personal sin, he admitted, “I’m going to Hell.” When I asked him, “Do you know how you can be forgiven?” he had no idea. The message of Jesus was a mystery to him, as he had never heard it.
After explaining the gospel, the man spoke about how he could see God’s love for him. He then said he wasn’t sure what was stopping him from repenting and trusting in Jesus. He took a copy of John’s Gospel and an in-depth gospel booklet.
I’ve had people tell me that everyone in England has heard the gospel, and that this is a ‘Christian’ nation. While it may be ‘Christian’ in name, it certainly isn’t Christian in knowledge and belief. So many people in this land have never heard the gospel — we mustn’t assume that everyone has heard of Jesus — we need to go and tell them of Him!
When it was my time to preach, I spoke on “Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven?” Around this time a short man began to heckle. He told me he wasn’t good enough for Heaven, so I asked, “Are you bad enough for Hell?” At first, he told me he didn’t believe in anything as he is an atheist, but I sidestepped his argument by pointing out that not believing in something doesn’t make it any less real. We then started the ‘bad person test’ to see how bad this man really was.
Going through the Ten Commandments, the man admitted to breaking God’s Law. He was a lively and engaging heckler, so he was fun to deal with. At one point he said to me, “I want to punch God in the face!” I replied, “Mate, God is big and inhabits eternity; you’re five-foot nothing — you couldn’t reach to punch Him!” The heckler laughed, as did those listening. I was able to share the gospel with him, then he and his mate took a tract from Mike.
Throughout the day there were good conversations taking place. Jeremy spoke with a lady who was very open to the gospel. She told him that she’d trust in Jesus ASAP. Others reported very open conversations and numerous people taking tracts. It was a good and productive day. 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.SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE AND PRAYER NOTES