Rain and the Gospel – Southampton Evangelism

Which weather app should I believe? That was the question I had to consider as I planned for today’s outreach in Southampton. One forecast said there was an 80–90% chance of rain, whereas another said 30–40%. Then there was one that was 100% sure it would be a wet day! The weather forecast was a good reminder not to trust in humanity, but rather to trust in the One who governs the weather. He knows what will happen, as He has ordained it to come to pass. So, with confidence in God’s sovereignty, I went out to Southampton expecting to get wet, but praying we might find an undercover location where we could minister.

Upon arriving in the city, we immediately saw that the Lord had provided the best location possible. Right outside the main entrance to the Westquay Shopping Centre, there is an undercover area. Normally, buskers like to set up here, but today it was clear (except for two followers of Hare Krishna who were promoting their false religion). We set up the board and began to share the good news. The Hare Krishna followers didn’t stay near us for long; instead, they moved to the other side of the street, but not before Jeremy spoke to one of them about Christ.

The first preacher of the day was Mike, who spoke on “Life: What’s the Point?” It was a good message, and a few people stopped to listen, including one man whom I had spoken with previously. It turns out he came to Southampton specifically to listen to the preaching. He has been reading the New Testament and is thinking seriously about Jesus. The man stayed for the entire outreach, listening to the Word being proclaimed.

When it came time for me to preach, I spoke on “The Way to Heaven”. As I explained that our works, religion, and goodness cannot get us to Heaven, an older man walked past, shaking his head and saying I was wrong. I called out to him, asking why he believed I was wrong. He replied, “Because Jesus didn’t exist!” This is a very weak argument, as even secular and atheist historians acknowledge the historical existence of Jesus. I quoted a couple of historical texts to make the point, and the man replied, “OK, maybe He did exist!” I then challenged him to consider where he would go after he died. He answered that he wasn’t sure and didn’t know how to get to Heaven. That provided a good opportunity to present the gospel.

As the heckler was engaged, people stopped to listen, with several asking for copies of the Bible. One man who listened spoke with me afterwards. He shared that he doesn’t believe in anything, but his teenage daughter has been asking questions about the Bible, so he asked whether he could have one for her. We gladly gave him a copy. As we spoke, he shared about his past and how he had since turned his life around, hoping this would compensate for the wrongs he had done. I was able to explain the seriousness of sin, and that nothing we do can erase it, but there is One who can forgive and make us brand new. At the end of the conversation, he took a copy of John’s Gospel.

Jeremy preached next on “Warning: Six Deadly Lies”. There was good engagement, including from a friendly atheist who had listened to me preach earlier. Mike later had a long and productive conversation with him.

We then had a steady line of preachers one after another. Next was Ben, who spoke on “Our Greatest Problem?” He did a good job showing that while there are many problems in the world, the greatest issue we must face is the reality of sin and death.

I then preached again, this time on “Are You Good Enough for Heaven?” A few people listened, and I was heckled by a man who was high on drugs. He talked about ghosts, the afterlife, and how he injected himself to get onto the spirit plane. He couldn’t be reasoned with, but he did draw people in to hear the message of the gospel. At the end, one man took a copy of John’s Gospel.

Jeremy preached again next, this time on “The Message of the Cross”. He did a great job explaining the gospel, and people listened, including a young lady who has recently been converted.

Although there was a lot of preaching, that wasn’t all we did. Many tracts were handed out, and team members were busy talking with people. Colin had a great conversation with a security guard who had been listening to the message, and other team members also had long and productive conversations.

Mike was the final preacher of the day, speaking on “Symptoms”. His message was full of distractions. First, people wanted to speak with team members in front of him; then a seagull swooped down and stole a sandwich from a lady, who began to scream. Despite all this, two young ladies listened and both had a good conversation with Mike afterwards.

It was a good and productive gospel day in Southampton. Tomorrow, God-willing, we will hold a one-day evangelism training event in the city, followed by an outreach. Please pray for all those who heard today, and for those who will hear on Saturday.

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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