Roman Catholics, Seekers, and French Students! – Portsmouth Evangelism

As we made our way into the city centre of Portsmouth, we saw straight away that our prayers had been answered! England is currently experiencing a heatwave, so we prayed that today we might have a shaded area to set up the open-air board and the literature table. We were given the perfect area! 

While we were setting up, a mother stopped to ask if we happened to have any children’s Bibles. Well, as providence would have it, we had three children’s Bibles! With it being half-term, we thought it best to carry extra material for children. The mother was so thankful for the Bible.

Later in the day, we had a sweet moment. A young girl aged around five or six came up to the table with her mother. She politely asked if she could have a Bible. We gave her the last children’s Bible we had, and as she was leaving she asked her mum to read it to her later. The mother agreed, saying they would start reading the Bible that evening.

From the start of the outreach, team members were kept busy handing out tracts and speaking with people. The hot weather created a few challenges for longer conversations, but lots of literature was being given away. 

I was the first preacher of the day, and I must admit, I felt flat. As I preached on “Steps to Peace with God”, it felt like my words were doing nothing. This sometimes happens in the open-air, but I take confidence in Zechariah 4:6, which reminds me that it is not about my might or power, but about the Holy Spirit working.

At the end of the message, I offered John’s Gospels to anyone who wanted one. A man who worked in a bank opposite us called out that he would like one, as did a workman who had been sitting on a bench listening.

Jim had a long conversation with the workman. He is going through many things, but he was open to hearing more of the gospel and even had Jim pray for him.

I was later told there was also a couple who had been listening to the message and then spoke with Jyothi. Both were open and realised they were not good without Christ. They heard the good news again, with both taking copies of John’s Gospel.

The Lord was at work despite my feelings.

Over at the board, a middle-aged Roman Catholic stopped to read the cards I had put up while preaching. I asked him, “Do you have peace with God?” The man replied that he hoped he had peace with God, as he had just finished praying the rosary and asking Mary for grace. This man was not just a Roman Catholic in name. He knew his doctrine and how to argue his position, so a conversation quickly developed.

The man regaled me with the wonders of the Pope and how the Papacy is primary in the Church. I asked him, “Can the Pope ever be wrong?” The man quickly replied that Popes can get things wrong, so I followed up by asking him, “What standard do you use to determine if the Pope is in error?” The man thought about it for a moment, then said, “The bishops will correct the Pope if needed.” This did not fully answer my question, so I asked, “What standard would the bishops use to determine if the Pope is wrong?” The man thought about it and then said, “The Bible.” I agreed with him, then asked, “Is the Bible in authority over the Pope, so that all Popes and all Roman Catholics have to submit to Scripture?” The man simply replied, “Yes!”

This was a good admission, as it allowed me to challenge his positions further. We spoke about salvation, and he said that salvation is by grace, but not by grace alone, so we need to do righteous deeds to merit God’s continued salvation. I took him to Titus 3:5 and asked him about his deeds, then showed him that Scripture says it is not based on our works.

The man then quickly began focusing heavily on Mary. He said she is the source of grace that enables us to be saved and overcome temptation. Reminding him that he believed the Bible is the authority, I took him to Hebrews 4:14–16, then asked, “According to this passage, who gives us grace?” The man said, “It is clear, Jesus!” I gently pointed out that Mary is not in this passage, and that she could not give grace, as she needed grace herself. 

The man tried to argue that Mary did not need grace, as he believed her to be sinless. Turning in the Bible, I had him read Luke 1:46–47. After he read the verses, I asked, “If Mary is sinless, how can she rejoice in her Saviour? If she has not sinned, then she does not need a Saviour.” I quickly followed up by having him read Romans 3:23, then asked, “If all have sinned, does that include Mary?” The man agreed that Mary was born with sin and must have sinned during her life. This created a problem for him, as Mary is incapable of giving grace if she needs grace herself. 

I pointed the man back to Jesus as the only Saviour and the only one who gives grace. I stressed to him that salvation is by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. He shook my hand at the end of the conversation and took two booklets designed for Roman Catholics.

After all this, Jim began to preach. He spoke on John 3:3: “You Must Be Born Again!” He did an excellent job pointing people to Jesus. Some of those who listened were French students who had been standing nearby throughout the outreach.

As Jim continued to preach, I made my way over to the group of French students. They had broken English but were friendly. I gave them all a card that links to the gospel in French, but I wanted to do more. Since my French language skills are terrible, I decided to call my friend Alex. Alex lives in France, so I was able to put him on loudspeaker so he could preach the gospel to the students in their own language. Praise God for modern technology!

We are so thankful for all the Lord did today in Portsmouth. Please spend a few moments praying for the conversion of all those who heard the gospel.

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