“I’m Trying to Find My Way Back to God” – Andover Evangelism

It was a very hot day in Andover, which created a few challenges for us. The town centre is quite open, with very little shade for us or our listeners. After scouting around, we settled on setting up in the limited shade provided by the Guildhall. Due to the heat, there was not much footfall in the area, but as the day went on, we saw the Lord bring along the right people at the right time to hear the good news.

Paul was the first to preach; he spoke on “What’s Your Excuse?” He preached well, though I did not hear all of his message, as I noticed a young couple who were listening. After they finished listening to the preaching, they began to walk away, so I went after them to offer a tract. When I finally caught up with them, they began to scoff at the message and the tract I held out to them. 

Scoffers can sometimes provide good openings for conversations, so I asked, “Why do you reject the message?” The young man replied, “Because we believe in science, not God!” I challenged this statement by explaining that Christianity and science are perfectly compatible. This stunned them.

Before long, we were in a conversation about the nature of science, the existence of God, and the gospel. As we spoke, it became clear that ‘science’ was just an excuse for not wanting to believe. Like all atheists, the issue is not intellectual, it is moral. They simply do not like to admit the truth that God is there (John 3:19–20).

I shared the good news with them and urged them to trust in Jesus. They laughed and said, “We can do that just before we die!” I stressed that they do not know which moment will be their last, and that they should remember their Creator in the days of their youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1). They walked away laughing, but at least they now know the truth.

On the other end of the spectrum, Shirley found herself talking to an older man who was not scoffing. Rather, he was beginning to think about God. They had a very good gospel conversation near the literature table. It just goes to show that there is a variety of responses in the open-air!

It was now my turn to preach, so I spoke on “The Message of the Cross.” The heat made it challenging, but I did notice a couple of people listening. One of those who heard the preaching came over to the table to talk further. He shared with me how his New Testament had been stolen while he was travelling, but that he would like another copy. He shared a few more things about himself, then said, “I’m trying to find my way back to God!” 

I asked him what he meant by this, and he explained that he had done many bad things but was now hoping his good works would somehow balance the scales. He also hoped that God was ‘all-forgiving.’ I asked, “If you show up at the gates of Heaven at the same time as Adolf Hitler, do you think God should forgive him just as He forgives you?” The man replied that Hitler should go to Hell, so I asked, “Should God judge murderers?” “Yes!” was the reply. “How about rapists?” “Yes!” Then I asked, “What about thieves?” This time he answered, “Well, maybe they had a good reason to steal.” I challenged this answer by asking, “Do you say that because, while you have not murdered or raped, you have stolen, so you are trying to justify yourself?” The man smiled and said that probably was the case.

We then had a good conversation about the seriousness of sin and the wonderful news of what Jesus has done. The man listened as I explained how we do not make our way back to God, but rather how God comes looking for us. At the end of our conversation, he took a New Testament and a couple of in-depth gospel booklets.

By now, the heat was getting a bit too much, so we decided to end the outreach thirty minutes early, but God had other plans! As we moved to pack down, a man who is a former evangelical, and now a Roman Catholic, approached to debate. I was more than happy to engage, so we had a long conversation.

The conversation centred around the issue of conversion and how we got the Bible. It was a friendly and engaging discussion. At the end, the man asked if I could pray for him. He certainly was not convinced, but he was willing to do more research.

Finally, we packed down and headed off. It was a hot day, but the gospel advanced. Please pause what you are doing and spend a few moments praying for those we met in Andover.

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